CHAPTER 6: His Rules

The forest had never felt smaller.

I could feel him everywhere—Golden eyes, sharp, unrelenting, dominating. The King’s presence pressed against my skin, sank into my bones, leaving no part of me untouched. Even after the claim, after the tethering that tied my essence to him, I hadn’t fully understood the weight of it. But now… now I was beginning to learn.

“Move,” he commanded, voice low, every syllable absolute.

I obeyed instantly, my legs trembling as I stepped forward. The forest floor squished beneath my boots, slick with rain and mud, but I barely noticed. Every nerve screamed that I should run. That I should hide. That I should fight. But I couldn’t. Not against him.

“You obey first,” he said, glancing at me from the corner of his eyes, and the subtle smirk on his face made my stomach twist. “Then we discuss what you’re allowed. And what you’re not.”

I swallowed, heat rising to my cheeks. My wolf growled low, restless, unsettled, angry. Do not trust him. He is not Kael. He is far worse.

“I—I don’t understand,” I whispered. My voice sounded small even to me. “Why… why me? Why this?”

He stopped, studying me with that predatory intensity that made my knees weak. The rain slicked strands of my hair clung to my face, but he didn’t flinch at my disheveled appearance. He seemed to see me entirely—my fear, my defiance, my weakness, and the tiny, hidden pulse of something… dangerous.

“You are mine,” he said softly. “Claimed. Tethered. Bound. That’s enough reason for now. You exist for survival. And for me. Everything else…” His lips curved faintly, darkly, “…comes later.”

I shook my head, almost laughing at the absurdity of it. “I… I don’t exist for anyone! I—”

“You exist for me,” he interrupted, cutting through my words like a knife. “And you will learn to obey my rules. Slowly. Carefully. Or I will enforce them. And I promise you…” His gaze sharpened, golden eyes glowing in the shadows. “…I will enforce them.”

My stomach dropped. My wolf snarled, its frustration echoing my own. Every part of me wanted to bolt, to disappear, to scream, to fight. But I couldn’t. Not against him. Not when the tether had already wrapped around me, invisible but unbreakable.

“Step closer,” he ordered.

I hesitated, shaking my head, trembling. But his hand, strong and commanding, brushed against my elbow. The subtle pressure, the silent pull, made me obey.

He circled me slowly, eyes like molten gold tracing my form. My pulse thundered. My wolf growled in warning, but it was useless. I could not escape. Not from his gaze. Not from the pull he had woven into my soul.

“Your rules,” I whispered finally, trying to assert some semblance of control. “Why me? Why claim me? Why… these rules?”

He crouched slightly, bringing his face level with mine, his golden gaze piercing through every wall I had built. “Because you are broken. Alone. Afraid. And yet… you are dangerous. Even now, untamed, untrained, unclaimed, you are dangerous. That is why I chose you. That is why I claim you. You need structure. Order. Boundaries.”

My stomach twisted. “Boundaries? You call this… this… ownership boundaries?”

He smiled, slow, predatory, like a cat toying with its prey. “Ownership is a rule in itself. Obedience is a survival instinct. You will learn both—or you will break. And if you break…” He leaned closer, letting his voice drop to a near whisper. “…I will enjoy rebuilding you.”

Fear and heat clashed violently in my veins. My wolf snarled, claws scratching, furious at my powerlessness, desperate to protect me from him—but the pull of him was undeniable. I was tethered. Bound. Claimed.

“You will not leave me,” he said, stepping closer, brushing my hair from my face. “You will not resist me openly. You will not allow your body to betray your defiance. You will obey my rules, even when you hate them. Even when it burns.”

I swallowed hard, shaking my head. “I—I won’t. I can’t—”

“You will,” he said simply. “Because resistance without rules only leads to chaos. And I do not tolerate chaos around me.”

The forest seemed to shift around us. Shadows deepened. Rain dripped steadily, the air thick with tension. My pulse raced, my body trembling, heat and fear colliding inside me. My wolf howled in frustration, trying to claw its way out of my skin. I hated him. I feared him. I wanted to escape. And yet, I couldn’t move.

He circled me again, slow, deliberate, each movement calculated, each step a claim, each glance an assertion of dominance. “These are my rules,” he said finally. “Obey, survive. Disobey, and you will regret it. You are mine. Every heartbeat, every breath, every thought will eventually recognize it.”

I trembled violently. I wanted to cry. I wanted to fight. I wanted to vanish entirely into the forest and never be found. But I couldn’t. Not when the pull of him wrapped around me like chains. Not when the tether tightened invisibly across my soul.

“You are not allowed to speak unless I permit it,” he continued. “You are not allowed to touch, to reach, to act without my consent. You will answer only when asked. You will listen, obey, and endure. And…” He stepped closer, hand brushing against my shoulder. “…you will learn that resistance is a lesson I teach slowly, carefully, and with absolute control.”

Tears pricked my eyes. Anger, frustration, and shame collided with fear and something else—a dangerous, unwelcome thrill. My wolf snarled, desperate, frustrated, angry. I hated him for what he did to me. I feared him for the power he wielded over me. And yet… beneath it all, I couldn’t deny that something primal stirred in my core.

He leaned closer, voice dropping, words brushing against my ear: “Your body betrays you. Your wolf betrays you. And yet…” He pulled back slightly, golden eyes glimmering with amusement. “…you survive. That is the first step. You will learn the rest.”

The forest seemed to close in around us. Shadows deepened unnaturally. The rain dripped steadily, echoing through the trees like a countdown. My knees shook. My pulse raced. Every instinct screamed that danger was near.

“Now,” he said finally, stepping back and letting the invisible chains of his claim linger like smoke around me, “…you will wait. Watch. Listen. And learn. Because everything else—the world, the pack, the past, Kael—does not matter anymore. Only I matter. Only these rules matter. Only your survival matters.”

I nodded weakly, shivering, trembling, heart pounding, wolf snarling, mind spinning. I hated him. I feared him. And I… couldn’t escape him.

A rustle in the forest caught my attention. Another shadow moved between the trees. Faster. Closer.

He stiffened, golden eyes narrowing, lips curling into a dangerous smile. “Ah. Perfect,” he murmured. “You are learning. Someone is coming. And we will see if you obey under pressure.”

I froze. My wolf growled low, warning. I didn’t know who—or what—was approaching. But I knew one thing with absolute clarity:

I was claimed. I was tethered. I was bound.

And my life—and everything I thought I knew—was about to change.