Chapter Three

Helene 

The amusement I felt at the sight of the men's faces surprised me. From the lake, they dragged me to an unknown location, and their attempt to gag me with a repulsive piece of cloth only added to my amusement—such a ridiculous and unnecessary act.

"We've arrived," a deep voice, unfamiliar to me, announced, and one of the guard dogs, the same one who had pulled me by the hair earlier, immediately yanked me out of the car. The foul stench emanating from him made me nauseous, and I couldn't help but wish for a chance to confront him alone.

"Take her inside," a voice that I assumed belonged to Beta Damon instructed. The top werewolf on my hit list of crazy individuals dragged me away roughly. It was clear he had little respect for women, perhaps because he hadn't found his mate yet, a fate I hoped he would never experience.

Hours passed, and I endured the discomfort of being tied to an iron chair. Hunger, thirst, and the need to pee overwhelmed me. My patience reached its limit, and I yelled in frustration, demanding someone attend to my needs.

"Why the hell are you yelling?" grumbled the same person who had pulled my hair earlier.

"I'm hungry, and I really need to pee," I retorted. He scoffed at my complaint.

"You can pee yourself, you stupid bitch, and food will only come when the Beta decides. Until then, you starve!" he growled. I couldn't help but release a short, frustrated laugh that showcased my anger.

Enraged, I warned him coldly, "Listen, you sick bastard. I intend to relish the pleasure of killing you myself, so don't let your guard down with me. Otherwise, you'll regret ever meeting me,” I warned, but he dismissed my warning and walked away, returning to wherever he came from.

I clenched my lips, suppressing the tears welling up. I refused to give them the satisfaction of witnessing me at my weakest.

"I hear you want something to eat," a familiar voice interrupted, deepening my frown as I recognized whose voice it was.

"Yes, I'm hungry. Is there anything abnormal or dangerous about that? And when do you plan to release me from this bondage? If you want to kill me, just get it over with!" I wearily yelled back at him.

"Do you actually have a death wish?" he inquired, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Isn't that what you're planning to do eventually? Why bother delaying the inevitable?" I replied, bored with the situation.

"Who says I want to kill you? Nobody mentioned anything about killing anyone," he responded, and I looked at him with a perplexed expression.

"Then what is it that you want from me?" I asked.

"Well, what I want is quite simple. Tell me which pack sent you to spy on us, and I promise I'll spare your life," he said, and his assumption caught me off guard.

"You think I'm a spy?" I asked incredulously, and he nodded.

"Of course you are! You don't appear or behave like a rogue, and your scent is unfamiliar. The only explanation for your foreignness is that you're not from around here and that you were sent here to spy on us," he explained, and I struggled to hold back my laughter, but it proved impossible.

A loud laugh escaped my lips, and he frowned at my reaction. "You think this is a joke?" he questioned.

"I'm sorry, but your theory, or rather, your conclusion, is quite amusing. To set the record straight, I am not a spy, and I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just a rebellious person who ran away from home because I disliked my life there," I explained matter-of-factly.

"I haven't even been a rogue for two days straight, so I can't possibly talk or act like them. I don't even know how they talk or act. If you want to kill me or lock me up forever, go ahead, but don't falsely accuse me because that's just ridiculous," I added, and he let out a sigh.

Okay, then, I'll believe you, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you go. But first, you need to tell me which pack you're from. I need to be sure you're not from the enemy's territory," he said, weariness evident in his eyes.

"So what if I am from the enemy's territory?" I asked defiantly.

"Do you really expect me to answer that?" he retorted, and I let out a frustrated sigh.

I had no clue about the relationship between Bluemoon and Crystalmoon packs, and I couldn't risk digging my own grave with the wrong answer.

"What if my former pack and yours aren't enemies?" I questioned.

"In that case, I will send you back home immediately. You're a little too young to be running away from home, don't you think?" he said, and I deadpanned. If it came to that, I'd rather choose death than return to my pack and face a shameful death penalty for supposed betrayal.

"You know nothing about me, so you don't have the right to assume I'm too young for anything. I'm not as young as I look," I retorted, and he chuckled.

"As much as I'd enjoy bantering with you, I don't have time for that. If you refuse to say anything, then I can't help you. Let me know when you're ready to talk," he replied, his patience wearing thin. But at this point, I couldn't care less about his impatience.

"Can I at least get a chance to pee?" I requested, and he stared at me for a few moments before answering.

"Yes, you will but don't try anything funny or you're dead," he warned, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not exactly eager to die, but make sure your wild animal out there understands the reason. The first thing I'll do if I ever get out of these chains is snap his head off his neck," I told him, and he chuckled lightly.

"That is if you don't end up dead first," he replied with a sly smirk before leaving the room.

As soon as he left, his beast-like underling entered, wearing his usual deep frown that made him look even uglier than he already was.

"You're lucky the Beta is in a good mood today, baby girl. I can't guarantee he'll be the same tomorrow," he said, and I couldn't hide my irritation.

"I don't recall asking you anything, you fool, so avoid talking to me if you don't want me to make your life hell," I warned.

"And how exactly are you going to do that? You're tied up, you dumb bitch!" he hissed sharply, a wicked grin adorning his horrible face.

"You know what? Let's save this unnecessary talk for never. Just take me wherever you're taking me so I can finally ease myself," I said tiredly. With grunts and growls, he slowly began to unchain me, and as expected, he literally dragged me all the way to the restroom.

It had already been two days since the last time Damon appeared to interrogate me, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't already frustrated. The chains were starting to hurt really bad, and sitting for so long made my back feel stiff.

According to the guy he left with me, whose name I found out was Owen, Damon had other engagements and might not be seeing me anytime soon. This meant I might have to remain tied up here for the rest of the week, and the thought of being bound to these chains for another day crushed my fighting spirit on the inside.

"What are you thinking about?" Owen asked, curious.

"I'm thinking about my next life and how I hope to be born in a pack where I won't need to escape," I replied, and he laughed.

"Don't tell me you actually believe in having a next life? Isn't that one of the many ways humans tend to deceive themselves?" He retorted sarcastically, and I scoffed.

"I would respond to that if I thought your opinion actually mattered, but fortunately, it doesn't. So, I'm going to let you believe whatever you want, and I'll do the same," I answered sharply, with no intention of being insulting or rude.

Owen and I had found a way to coexist peacefully, so I had stopped cursing him out every ten seconds, but I still loathed him very much.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No, I don't have an appetite. I just want to know my fate so we can get this over with," I responded, frustrated, and he remained silent.

His phone suddenly rang, and he hurriedly walked out of the room to answer the call, only to return in less than a minute with a worried expression.

"What is it? Is he coming?" I asked hastily.

"He's already here, but I'm afraid he didn't come alone," he replied, and I could have sworn that my heart skipped a beat.

"Who is with him?" I asked, but he didn't get a chance to respond as the sudden sound of creaking doors interrupted us, and I didn't need Owen to tell me who it was I was about to face.

Owen immediately excused himself from the room, and the next minute, Damon walked in. There was a much larger shadow standing right behind him, but I could barely make out his face in the dark room.

"Hello there," Damon's calm voice said as he approached, allowing me to see his face clearly. However, the person with him remained still and obscured in the shadows.

"I guess it's time for you to finally decide my fate," I stuttered nervously, watching as the shadow behind him slowly walked closer to where I sat.

"Oh, I won't be deciding anything, little lady. Rather, he will," Damon replied with an arrogant smirk, pointing at the person behind him.

"The name's Alpha Hunter, and let's just say, I'm here to decide how exactly your life's going to end." The voice introduced himself with a touch of sarcasm before moving closer to me. The moment our eyes met, my heart seemed to stop.

"MATE!" We both whispered quietly, our eyes widening in realization.