His mark

ELISE (pov)

I felt his girth push into my body, spilling into me until my body limped, and I passed out from exhaustion after hours of endless sex, leaving me sore all over.

The moment I opened my eyes and was met with darkness, all the memories rushed back. I reached for my neck to touch the stinging pain, recalling that I was bitten last night, a ritual that almost completed the bonding process. But I hadn’t accepted it.

My body, once warm, now felt cold, as if the warmth had been taken from me. I shot out of the small bed and reached blindly for my clothes.

I could barely control my breathing, my virginity taken by Ka’al, a stranger I hardly knew.

"You're finally awake," his voice echoed in my mind. I couldn’t help but hiss at the sudden intrusion. I pushed myself into the corner, knowing Ka’al was looking at me.

I could tell by his position and scent, still heavy from his rut, sitting quietly opposite me. “You forced yourself on me; you said you wouldn’t hurt me if I didn’t fight back,” I hissed as I got dressed, trying to cover what shame was left.

“I didn’t—I did the best I could under the circumstances, and now it’s over, but this isn’t what I want to talk about, not in here anyway,” he said quietly.

“I plan to leave this place soon, and you’re coming with me. In case my offspring are in you, I know you’d want it gone. I won’t put that burden on you, so we’ll get it out when we leave here,” he assured.

My ears perked up, and I fully sat up, ignoring the pain in my lower hips and back. “How, when?”

*Soon,* he said shortly. I wanted to ask him more, but the footsteps from outside told me that betas and delta guards had arrived.

“Do not think of trying anything funny; we have silver chains and wolfsbane; we want only the girl; Alpha Kyren needs her, so come to the box to put your muzzle back on, mutt,” one of the soldiers ordered from outside the cell.

Ka’al let out a small snarl as he walked to the small window box between our cells, facing back as quick hands reached in and locked him back into a muzzle. “Where is the girl, beast?” the male outside asked.

It hurt me to see how they were treating him like a feral monster, even though I couldn't understand the emotion I was feeling for a total stranger. I wanted to snarl at the male guard for treating him that way.

“I am here,” I answered instead, and a few seconds later, the doors clicked open, and more than 10 beta soldiers were outside, their eyes stern and some afraid to see if Ka’al had followed their words.

“I tried hard not to show my limp as I walked out of the room. The sun's rays illuminated streams of light into Ka’al’s dark cage, the place where I had spent a whole day. I caught a glimpse of long, shaggy dark hair in the light before the door was closed back.

From the delta's smug face, I could tell they all knew what had happened in there: “Alpha wants to see you.” One of the Delta head guards told me as I followed them outside.

It wasn’t long until we reached the familiar walls of the throne room. Kyren's dirty blond hair glistened in the sunrays as he watched my every move.

This was what he wanted—to see me humiliated, to see me broken to the point of submission. “Funny, I could have sworn that that beast would rip your head off the minute you tried to fight back since you’re too stubborn to submit, although I admit he did a number on you.”

I stared back, biting my lips to suppress a snarl, knowing the consequences if he let his soldiers harm me and not bat an eye.

“Are you not going to say anything?”

“And if I do, will that change what you’ve done to me? Will that change your greed?” I asked, and his brows twitched in annoyance at my words.

He reached my space at lightning speed; his eyes shone a feral red, and his canines retracted out, sharp and menacing, to threaten me. “Do not think for a moment; I can’t kill you.”

“Then why don’t you? Why keep me alive since I’m so cursed?” I continued, a part of me wanting to see his limit. We were half-bonded but not mated; there was no mark or blood bond ever set in place. Yet I still wanted to see his limit. “Or are you that coward?”

Smack!

My cheeks stung, throbbing from the slap to my face. I could smell and taste warm iron as my lips had been split open from his abuse. His hands pushed heavily and painfully on my shoulder till I heard a crack; he had broken my bone as a warning.

I screamed in agony at his attack, but Kyren only chuckled at my expense. "Weakling,” he spat.

“You and your mother are the same whore that has given yourselves to an unknown beast, and just as she gave birth, you will too, but not to any offspring you will ever see.

I felt the wall of my throat constrict from his wicked words, so Ka'al's words were true; I was going to be used as his weapon. “Take her away.”

“Just know this, Kyren; you made a mistake not killing me when you had the chance,” I said as guards pulled me away.

I could hardly recall how I got back into the cell, only the crippling pain that spread. My eyes and mind were clouded with so much anger and pain from this unfair world that I wondered if the moon goddess had cursed and abandoned me and my sweet, innocent mother, who died for giving me life.

My body sought comfort and reassurance that it would all be okay. I couldn’t help but look at that small window and think of Ka’al. Why was I thinking if the madman just had his way with me?

The clank of the cell's iron bars brought me back to reality as I looked at it to see that troubling delta male, whom he had come to know as Hans. His eye still showed so much interest in me that I wondered if I could use it to my advantage, but the image of becoming friendly with him made me shudder.

“Time for your lunch, beauty; hopefully, a full day without one made you hungry,” he said, sliding the tray of bread and soup under my cell.

It was warm, and I wondered if he did that so I’d be grateful and owe him a favor, but my system needed it full as I munched on the bread. “Your breakfast, beast!” He slammed coldly into Ka'als cells as he passed his food from the middle chambers on the doors.

After eating, our trays were taken back, and I began to feel sleepy. I was tired from last night and how much I was fucked, and I am still drowsy. I pulled myself into a small pile, facing the wall, and closed my eyes to sleep.

Not once did I hear a word from Ka'al's cell. I squeezed my eyes tight, letting the disappointment settle in till I slept off.

The sound of my cell doors quietly opening made me shoot up awake. I tried to remain until someone crept into the cell.

The cell was far darker than earlier, proving that the sun was setting in. I felt clammy warm hands rise my thighs as I quickly pushed myself up. The smell of dark lust attacked my nostrils and sent my body into fight mode.

But he was quicker. I saw my attacker was none other than Hans; he must have put something in my soup because I could feel my body weaker as his hand clamped down on my mouth to keep me quiet.

“Shut the hell up, bitch!” He cursed at me, “You think you’re better; you think you can look down on me while you’ve let that beast get in between your legs and fuck you; I will have a taste of you too!” He laughed evilly.

“There are no guards for miles away because they are drinking from the merry festival and only you and I so scream, no one will hear!”

“Let her go!” Ka’al charged from his cell, barging through the silver cage and his muzzle, which surpassed his strength. He couldn’t get out without a key. He was trying to help me, but he couldn’t.

I could see desperation and bloodlust in his eyes, and the guard just laughed at him. “I should have known your tongue had healed; bark all you want, beast; those doors are enforced with silver; and I don’t mind an audience; I will take her in front of you!”

No, I wouldn’t let him have his way as my teeth clamped down on his hands. I bit it till I drew blood, and he let out a shout. “Agh! You bitch!” he screamed. Even with my half-broken shoulder, I picked myself up.

*Fight back!* I heard Ka'al's voice channeling into my mind. I immediately felt a surge of power and attacked, punching the Delta the moment he was distracted. I gave one huge kick to his stomach, and Hans' back groaned as he hit the wall.

Just when he thought it was over, Ka's hand reached out from the small caged window, his arms crossed around Hans's nape, immediately grappling the delta in a suffocating position he couldn’t escape.

I watched as air and life seeped from his eyes. With one skillful pull, there was a loud crack as his neck was broken, but Ka’al didn’t stop there until he ripped his head off.

The blood splattered everywhere, and as I recalled the sound of my mother's neck crack, I fell to the ground, heaving all the contents out of my system.

“Breathe for me, Elise,” I heard Kaal's soothing voice over the wall. “Can you do that?” I nodded quietly in response. His voice was the only thing keeping me morally sane right now.

“I need you to focus on me; don’t think of anything else.” I wiped my tears and picked myself up on shaky feet and said, "Get the two keys on his body; the small left is for my muzzle and the other is for my door. You can do this,” he told me firmly.

I quickly reached into Hans's bloody clothes, taking the keys. I passed the one for his muzzle through the window box as I pushed open my cell.

I pushed the keys into the large, mighty silver doors that were made to keep him in. I didn’t care if he was a monster to them; he had been the only one by my side. And by the last lock, I had made up my mind, this man was my key to my escape and revenge.

The door opened, and for the first time, I saw his tall stature up close in the light. He raised his blood-caked hands to give my face a light caress, but he looked down to see it was bloodied. There was a long, bloodied scar running from his brows to his lips, still red and fresh; they had given him no room to heal fast.

Yet I could feel his powerful aura get more intense as he took in the moon's rays by the window. His cuts seemed smaller. “Good job, little wolf,” he started.

“Now let’s get out of here.”

(IMPORTANT)

(**) sign is for telling telepathic conversations