The hidden mark

“Princess?” he asked, his mood suddenly shifting toward me while his men circled us.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, but his fury burst out.

“That’s why you healed so fast!” he said, and I nodded.

I could feel his desire to strangle me—or to let out his wolf—but he held it back. I could feel his wolf too, like it was abandoned.

“It all makes sense now. Do you know what your parents did to me?” he growled.

“I wasn’t born,” I cried out.

“My parents devoted themselves to your family, risking their lives for yours, and what did they get in return?” he asked, but I could only stare in silence.

“Betrayal,” he growled.

“Your father killed mine and banished me and my poor mother from the land for no reason!” he yelled.

“That’s not true,” I cried, but my voice was no match for his fury.

“Not true? Then what’s true?” he asked.

“My father was murdered by Kade, who also killed yours,” I cried, but it fell on deaf ears.

He came to me and held me by my hair, my face pressed into his sweaty armpit.

“Don’t worry, Nina. You’re going to pay for what your father did. See it as a thank you—for saving your life three times,” he said.

He walked out, and his men rushed me back to the house—not the main house, but a dog hut. They threw me in and locked me out in the cold night.

How could fate mate me with someone like him? He was everything I ever dreamed of, everything I’ve ever wanted since I met him. But now, my mate was my biggest enemy.

“Are you sleeping?” the kind woman asked again. I looked at her as she passed me food and a blanket, glancing around nervously. She had been kind to me, but I still didn’t know who she was.

The morning light hit me, and I woke up to see my bike parked beside me. If I could only break out, I would run away. I didn’t mind being hunted by two Alphas as long as I was safe.

“Wake up!” Rage yelled, throwing a bucket of cold water at me.

“We're getting hunted down by your pack and you're here enjoying your sleep,” He spoke again.

“What?!” I yelled back.

“You’re growing feisty, Nina,” he said.

“What do you want?” I raised my voice.

“The truth,” he said. He yanked open the cage, and I came out, finally able to stretch my body.

“Which truth?” I asked, coming back to my senses.

“You’re going to tell me your intentions—and why you let me walk in thinking you were the bait, but instead I was the bait,” he said. I looked down in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry... I knew if I told you, this is the treatment I’d get,” I said, pointing at the cage.

“Princess, I should’ve auctioned you that night,” he said.

I wasn’t even disappointed anymore. I knew this was how he was.

“Why didn’t you auction me?” I asked.

“I bailed you out. Doesn’t matter,” he barked, but I wasn’t done.

“But why did you do it? I know you feel like I do?” I yelled but his face looked unmoved.

“You should know something, in this pack you don't own something till you claim it,” he said, which made sense why he bought me again.

“Stupid rule!” I sconned.

“Not as your park rule don't you think?” He spoke and I just shut down.

His wolf scuffled and I could hear it, the urge to come out but he shut it down, he blinked due to the surge but he held it down, the attraction was there but he saw me as an enemy when all I want is safety.

“Why are you shutting down your wolf?” I asked, feeling the wolf’s loneliness.

“And the bond—why did you resist it?” I asked.

“Because you're in danger, I'm not a peaceful man Nina, I have enemies all over but if I knew your identity, I would have mated the first night maybe both if us would have been hunted,” he growled but these words broke my heart.

How can I want someone who clearly doesn't want me?

“I believe you have your answers. Kade isn’t hunting me just because of some rivalry. He’s after me because I took the key to his throne,” he said, and I couldn’t argue.

“I can run away,” I suggested.

“Wouldn’t change anything, would it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. I looked down again.

“Lock her up,” Rage ordered. His men came and grabbed me—this time, not the cage but a prison.

I was alone, scared, and didn’t know what to do. Memories of my childhood came rushing back. I’d never known anything but terror. I used to feed my soul with my mother’s stories—how life was before my father’s death. How she was treated when she was pregnant. How the pack was happy under his leadership.

I wished he would leave to see me, my life would have changed, he would bring down anyone that caused me pain.

Until his beta, Kade, betrayed him on the battlefield.

Then a memory from when I was twelve hit me, it was like a vision in my brain an Information that was omitted and I'd never discovered, it went blurry but my eyes widened and the more it came clear. My neck itched—burned. I touched it.

It was a mark.

I didn’t remember ever giving anyone a chance to mark me—not even Rage, even though I was willingly giving myself to him.

I rubbed my neck. I could see the moment—but not the face. I saw myself lying in my dusty room at Kade’s house. A shadowy figure entered the room, I tried seeing him but my vision failed me. He came in. I could see his teeth shining on my face, I tried to move back but my body was stuck like I was held by some forces I didn't understand. He marked me.

I tried to see the face. It was blurry. I seemed drugged.

“Lucious, it’s not yet time,” Kade’s voice echoed.

Lucious marked me!

I gasped.