Freedom or Fear

Aria's pov.

"How dare you run from me!" His voice was sharp, echoing against the walls. I flinched, but I forced myself not to bow my head. If I did, it would be another victory for him.

Still, my chest was heaving and my breaths uneven. My heart slammed against my ribs, and I could barely keep my body from trembling.

Zac stepped closer, towering above me, his jaw tight, his hands clenched into fists. 

"Do you think you can embarrass me like this? In front of my pack? In front of my ally? You dare run?" His voice filled with fury, and I saw the vein at his temple pulsing.

I tried to stand, my legs weak beneath me. "I wasn't..."

"Silence!" he barked, cutting me off. His voice was raw, cruel, carrying that weight of an Alpha who expected absolute obedience.

Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I held them in. He wouldn't see me beg, not anymore.

"You belong to me until I say otherwise," Zac continued, his voice lowering but sharper, more dangerous. "And now you try to run like a coward? For that, I should have you locked in chains and thrown into the cells where you'll rot until I decide what to do with you."

My heart dropped into my stomach, the cells. The cold, dark, filthy cells where no sunlight reached. My throat closed up at the thought of being trapped there, treated like less than an animal.

Zac's lips curled into a bitter smirk as he watched me pale. "Yes, that's where you belong. Not out here, thinking you have choices. You have none, Aria. Do you hear me? None!"

My lips parted, but no words came out. I felt small, crushed under his glare, under his rejection and cruelty. Before Zac could say more, another voice cut through the room.

"That's enough."

The words were calm, deep, yet it carried power. Everyone turned and looked at who was talking. Damon, the Winchester Alpha, stood with his hands tucked behind his back, his expression unreadable. His dark eyes flicked between Zac and me, and though he didn't raise his voice, the authority in it was impossible to ignore.

Zac turned to him, frowning. "This is my pack. I will decide her punishment."

Damon stepped forward, slow but firm, his gaze never wavering. "No. She is mine now." His words were smooth, final. "And if she belongs to my pack, then I'll decide what happens to her."

The room went quiet . My heart jumped into my throat. His. I was his now.

I could swear Zac's jaw tightened. For a second, I thought he would explode again, but instead, he sneered. "She's a runaway. She disrespected me. She disrespected you. You should let me deal with her properly."

Damon shook his head slightly, calm as ever. "She's no longer your concern."

The tension between them was heavy, sharp enough to cut through the air. I stood frozen, my hands clutched against my sides, waiting for Zac to fight back. But after a long pause, his shoulders stiffened, and he looked away.

"Fine," he muttered through clenched teeth. "She's yours. Do what you want with her."

My breath caught. Both relief and dread tangled inside me. Zac's gaze returned to me, and it was so full of hate I had to look away.

"Get her out of my sight," he spat.

Damon gave a slight nod to his men, he looked at me. His eyes were still hard, still unreadable, but there was something different about his face. Not hate, not the disgust Zac had shown me.

"Come," Damon said simply.

My legs felt like lead, but I moved. The guards released their hold, and I followed Damon, clutching my bag tight against me. My chest ached with every step, but I kept going, afraid Zac would change his mind if I lingered.

Outside, the air was cold, biting against my skin, but I welcomed it. It was fresh, not suffocating like inside. Damon walked ahead of me, silent, his tall frame steady. His men opened the car doors, and he gestured for me to enter.

I slid into the backseat, my bag on my lap, my eyes fixed on my trembling hands. The door shut with a dull thud, and moments later Damon entered the other side. The engine roared to life, and the car pulled away from the mansion that had been my cage.

But it didn't feel like freedom yet. Not when my chest still burned with Zac's words. Not when my entire life felt like it had been stripped away.

I leaned my head against the window, watching the trees blur past. My reflection looked hollow, my eyes red, my skin pale. A stranger stared back at me.

After a while, Damon spoke, his voice steady. "I won't take your freedom."

I turned my head slowly, confused. He was watching me, his eyes calm, his tone matter-of-fact.

"I'm not Zac," he continued. "I won't chain you or hurt you. Whatever you think, that's not who I am."

My chest tightened, I wanted to believe him. I wanted to cling to the hope in his words but trust wasn't something I could give anymore. Not after Zac, not after I've been sold like I was nothing.

I shook my head. "You don't have to lie to me. I know what I am now, a tool for your sexual pleasures." My voice break on the last word, but I forced myself to keep my gaze steady. "You don't have to pretend."

He didn't argue. 

He just watched me quietly for a few seconds before turning his eyes back to the road. Minutes passed before the car slowed down. My brows furrowed as Damon pulled over near a small, dimly lit train station at the edge of the woods. He parked the car, then turned to me again.

His eyes held mine, dark but steady. "If you want to walk away, you can."

I froze, blinking at him.

"You're free to leave now," he said simply. "No one will stop you. Not me. Not my men. The choice is yours."