Chapter 4: The Dungeon

Cold and dark…

That was the place where Aurelia was being held captive.

She sat in the corner of the cage as she looked around.

There were about six cells in there, separated by metal gates. Some rooms even had silver chains and handcuffs. It made her sigh in relief that they did not use any silver on her, which was werewolves’ greatest weakness.

They did not tie her up either, just letting her stay in the cage at the corner of the room.

There were no lights inside, and the only thing that gave illumination to the place was a torch attached to the wall, which was now dead because Robert had snuffed it out before they left the room.

Sitting in that cold space alone, Aurelia remembered what she had seen earlier just as she was about to enter the dungeon.

Werewolves were blessed creatures because, among all animals, they were the ones who could transform into a human form, and their rational thinking was superior to other mammals. That was why to love, cherish, and protect was their main goal—or at least, that was what was taught to them back at the kingdom above.

Back in their palace, they provided shelter for animals during storms.

They let them into the other buildings and provided food for them until it was safe to let them free into the wilderness again.

However, what she had seen and heard earlier was very different from their beliefs. As she had heard Alpha Claudius commanding his pack members to close the gates and leave the forest animals outside while letting only his pack come inside for safety.

Hearing that, she could not help but feel angry at their selfishness.

‘Mate…’

Aurelia frowned even more as she pulled her knees closer to her to lessen the chill she was feeling.

Lara was calling out for their mate, but what could she do when it was their mate who had thrown them here in the dungeon?

When she was running, she had told the Moon Goddess that she would accept her destiny as long as she brought her where she belonged, and indeed the Moon Goddess had heard her request.

She had met her fated mate, but she was no longer sure if that was the right thing.

Maybe if she had stayed in their palace, she would never have met her mate and would never feel as awful as she did right now. However, she had promised the Moon Goddess that she would accept her fate, so she must not run away and must face it head-on.

She was so deep in thought that she did not realise her eyelids were growing heavy until she fell asleep with her head leaning against the wall.

“Ahhhhhhhh!” Aurelia woke up as she involuntarily shouted from the shock her body felt. She looked down to see that she was drenched and freezing due to the cold water that had been thrown at her.

She looked up and glared at the emerald eyes in front of her, which held nothing but fury.

“What the hell is your freaking problem?” she angrily demanded as she burst out.

Her arms were already wrapped tightly around her in an attempt to lessen the biting cold she was feeling while she shivered.

Alpha Claudius, however, did not say anything as he tossed the basin he was holding away and took a step forward, drawing closer to her cage. His eyes remained locked on hers, and neither of them dared to avert their gaze from each other. He slowly raised his right hand and gripped one of the metal bars that enclosed her.

“What are you doing here? Who sent you?”

His eyes blazed with fire as anger radiated from his voice and body. Aurelia could feel his fury even across the distance between them. She wanted to take a step back, but her back was already pressed against the wall. She felt like he could snap at any moment, and it wasn't safe for her.

“Answer me!” he shouted, and Aurelia almost flinched at the intensity of his voice, but she tried to remain calm, digging her own nails into her palms instead.

As much as possible, she did not want to show weakness around him. They were mates, after all—even though he seemed unwilling to admit it, they were meant to be equals.

“I got lost,” she lied, keeping her mouth shut about the truth.

She did not want to reveal the fact that she was the princess of the kingdom above.

She feared they would vent all their anger toward her; they were mortal enemies, after all.

Besides, it was the very identity she wanted to escape from for a while.

She averted her eyes from him as well, feeling as though he were trying to peer straight into her soul. She did not want him to know that she was here because she had run away from the palace.

‘No... this is not yet the right time,’ she thought to herself.

Alpha Claudius’ jaw clenched in anger as he sensed she was lying to him.

He gripped the metal bar so tightly that a deep dent formed from his sheer force.

“Keep your mouth shut and starve to death. Your choice,” he said as he turned his back on her, reignited the torch he had opened earlier, and climbed the stairs.

Just as he was about to open the door and leave the dungeon, Aurelia found her voice again and blurted out, “We are mates!”

The moment she said it, however, she instantly regretted it. She mentally slapped her forehead and mouth; she shouldn't have said that. He was treating her like this—what did she expect? For him to treat her better just because they were mates? She highly doubted it. And his next words confirmed her doubts.

A cold laugh escaped Alpha Claudius' lips before he spoke, “You are not my mate. She was long dead.”

With that, he opened the door and walked out, leaving Aurelia shivering in the cage as her breathing hitched after hearing what he had said.

“What does he mean by that?” she whispered to herself as a single tear rolled down her cheek.