A prison without chains

The rogue holding my arm dragged me through the fortress gates. I stumbled trying to keep up with his pace. He didn't slow down.

The courtyard was massive. Stone walls rose on all sides, at least three stories high. Rogues were everywhere. Training, talking, walking with purpose. All of them stopped to stare as we passed.

I kept my eyes down. I didn't want to meet anyone's gaze and I didn't want to see what they were thinking.

Ryder walked ahead of us, his back straight, his stride confident. He didn't look back once or even checked if I was following. He knew I didn't have a choice.

We crossed the courtyard and entered the main building. The inside was colder than outside. Dark stone walls. Torches lit along the corridors. It smelled like smoke and leather and something sharp I couldn't place.

The rogue finally released my arm when we reached a heavy wooden door. Ryder stopped, turned to look at me for the first time since we'd arrived.

"This is where you'll stay."

He pushed the door open.

I stepped inside slowly. It was a bedroom though it was small but not a cell, there was a bed, a dresser and a single window with bars on the outside.

So I couldn't escape.

"There are clothes in the dresser," Ryder said from the doorway. "Bathroom through that door. You don't leave this room without permission. You don't speak to anyone without permission. You don't do anything without permission. Clear?"

I nodded.

"Use your words."

"Yes." My voice came out quieter than I wanted.

Ryder's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, what?"

I swallowed. "Yes, Alpha."

He stared at me for a long moment. Then he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

My heart started racing. We were alone in the bedroom with the mate bond humming between us like a living thing.

Ryder didn't move closer, he just stood by the door, watching me.

"You're scared of me."

It wasn't a question.

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say.

"Good," he continued. "You should be. I didn't get where I am by being kind. I didn't build this territory by showing mercy. You understand what that means?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"Do you?" He took a step forward. "It means I'm not your savior. I'm not going to protect you because we share a bond. I didn't ask for this. I didn't want it. And I'm sure as hell that I didn't pay sixty thousand for a mate."

Each word hit like a punch.

"I bought you because your Alpha disrespected me. Because pack wolves need to remember that rogues don't follow their rules. You're a message, Vada. That's all."

I kept my eyes on the floor. My throat was too tight to speak.

"Look at me."

I forced myself to meet his gaze.

His eyes were still that storm gray but I could see his wolf underneath. Pushing at him; the same way mine was pushing at me.

"The bond is going to make this difficult," Ryder said quietly. "It's going to make you feel things you don't want to feel, make you think things that aren't true. It's going to lie to you, tell you I'm safe when I'm not. Tell you I care when I don't."

He moved closer, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him that my wolf started whining.

"Don't trust it, don't trust me and don't think for a second that this bond changes anything. You're here because I allow it. You breathe because I allow it. Remember that."

Then he turned and walked to the door. Stopped with his hand on the handle.

"Someone will bring you food in an hour. Eat it and rest because tomorrow you start work."

"Work?"

He looked back at me. "You think you're going to sit in this room doing nothing? Everyone here earns their place. You're no different."

Then he left. The door closed behind him. I heard a lock click into place.

I was alone, I stood there for a moment, my legs shaking, my heart pounding. Then I walked to the bed and sat down.

The mattress was softer than I expected. Better than what I'd had in Silvercrest.

My wolf was still whispering and pushing at me to go after Ryder.

I told her to shut up.

He'd made it clear that the bond didn't matter. I was property and a message, nothing more.

I looked around the room. It was bare but clean. The window showed the courtyard below. Rogues were still moving around. Training and living their lives.

Suddenly I heard a knock on the door.

"Food," a rough voice called from the other side.

The lock clicked and the door opened. A different rogue stood there, holding a tray. He was younger than the one who'd dragged me through the courtyard. Maybe mid-twenties.

He walked in, set the tray on the dresser, and turned to leave without saying anything.

"Wait," I said before I could stop myself.

He paused and looked back at me.

"What's your name?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"I just... I wanted to know."

He stared at me for a long moment. Then he shook his head. "Doesn't matter, just eat your food and don't cause trouble."

He left and locked the door again.

I got up and looked at the tray. It was only bread, meat and water. It was simple but more than I'd expected.

I ate slowly, but damn the food was good.

When I finished, I went to the bathroom to take my bath it had just a sink, shower and a small mirror

I looked at myself in the mirror.  I still had the same face, the same hazel eyes and dark brown hair.

But I looked different.

I turned on the shower. Let the water get hot. Stripped off my clothes and stepped under the spray.

The heat felt good against my skin. I stood there for a long time, letting the water wash away the dirt and sweat from the day.

But it couldn't wash away the bond. Couldn't wash away the feeling of Ryder's hand on my chin. Couldn't wash away his words.

You're a message. That's all.

I turned off the water eventually. Dried off. Found clothes in the dresser like Ryder said. A simple shirt and pants. They fitted well enough.

I went back to the bed and lay down.

The room was too quiet.

I closed my eyes and let sleep take me but a sound woke me.

I didn't know how long I'd been asleep. The room was darker now and it was nighttime already.

The sound came again. It sounded like two people in an argument.

I sat up slowly, listening.

"She's his problem now." A female voice said

"The bond makes her everyone's problem." Another voice. This one I recognized it, he was the young rogue who'd brought me food.

"Kade wants us to—"

"I don't care what Kade wants. Blackwood made his choice."

I sat there in the dark, my heart pounding.

They were talking about me and the bond.

About what Ryder's decision meant for everyone here.

I lay back down, but sleep didn't come easy.

The door suddenly opened.

There was no knock this time. Just the lock clicking and the door swinging wide.

A figure stood in the doorway. Backlit by the torches in the hall and it was someone else not Ryder.