Chapter 4

Damian's POV

The car engine hummed softly as the convoy moved down the quiet road that went through the outskirts of the city. I sat in the front seat, scrolling through the file Ethan had sent me. It contained everything about Aria.

Age: Twenty-four.

Bloodline: half werewolf, half human.

Parents: Both deceased.

Abilities: dormant.

Her uncle had sold her to clear his debt.

I studied the details though every word stirred something sharp inside me. Her parents had once been connected to one of the royal bloodlines before they vanished. There was more to her than just beauty or a tragic story. The more I read, the more questions I had.

I glanced at the rear-view mirror, she was still asleep, lying awkwardly against the seat. Her wrists were red where the ropes had been, and her head rested against the window. The movement of the car made her hair fall across her face. I could sense the faint hum of her heartbeat; it was slow but steady.

“Keep your eyes on the road,” I said to the driver.

“Yes, Alpha.”

The guards in the back were silent, alert. Their eyes never left her. I had given them strict orders no one was to touch her or speak unless necessary.

After a while, I returned my focus to the file, flipping through the reports. “No wolf form detected,” It read. “Possible suppression or genetic anomaly.”

That explained her inability to shift, a hybrid too human for a full transformation, but too wolf to ever blend in with normal people.

I closed the file, my mind circling back to the moment she had tried to reject me. The sound of her pain, the blood on her lips, the defiance in her eyes all of it stayed with me.

“Stubborn girl,” I muttered under my breath.

Behind me, there was movement. I heard a faint groan, followed by a soft gasp.

“She is awake,” one of the guards said.

I didn’t turn immediately. “Keep her calm.”

Aria shifted, her breathing was quick and uneven. “Where am I?” she asked weakly, her voice was hoarse.

“You are safe,” one of the guards said without looking at her.

She blinked around, realizing she was in a moving vehicle. Her hands moved instinctively to her wrists and she winced when she touched the sore skin. Her head turned toward the window, the trees outside were blurring past.

Her voice came again, it was quiet but desperate. “Please, I need to use the restroom.”

The guard in the back looked uncertain. He leaned forward. “Alpha?”

I glanced over my shoulder, she was sitting upright now, her expression was tense, her eyes wide. She was trembling slightly, but her tone sounded believable.

“Pull over,” I said after a pause.

The driver slowed the car and stopped by the side of the narrow road. Two guards stepped out immediately.

“Watch her,” I ordered. “She doesn’t go out of sight.”

They nodded.

Aria climbed out of the car slowly, she wrapped her arms around herself, her bare feet touched the cold ground.

One of the guards pointed toward the trees. “Over there make it quick.”

She nodded and started walking into the woods. I watched from the open window, my instincts were sharp. My wolf was restless inside me. It was uneasy.

Seconds passed, then a minute,too long.

“Go check,” I said quietly.

The guards called out her name once, there was no answer, then another shout, still silence.

“She ran!” The guard shouted.

I was out of the car before the sentence ended. My vision sharpened, the world narrowing into scents and sounds. The bond flared inside me; it was faint but there, tugging in one direction.

“Spread out!” I ordered, my voice was low but full of command.

The guards shifted partially, using their speed. I stayed in control, though the growl was building in my throat it was hard to suppress. My wolf wanted to leap out furious that she had dared to run again.

The forest was dense, full of noise, I could smell her fear, sweat, the faint trace of blood from her wrists. She was fast, but not fast enough.

Hours passed, the sun was leaving when the radio crackled.

“We found her, Alpha.”

I followed the signal until I reached them. Two guards stood over her. Aria was on the ground, breathing heavily, her clothes were dirty, her face was pale, she tried to push herself up but couldn’t.

“Please,” she whispered. “I just wanted to leave…”

I stopped a few feet away, my eyes met hers, she froze when she saw me.

“I warned you,” I said quietly.

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “You can’t keep me like this, I can’t live this way.”

“You made your choice when you ran.”

“Because I’m not your prisoner!” she shouted, her voice breaking.

I looked at her for a long moment, I could have yelled. I could have tried to explain so she couldn't understand but none of that mattered now, she had disobeyed a direct command.

“Hold her,” I said.

The guards hesitated. “Alpha-”

“Now.”

They obeyed, holding her arms as she struggled. Her voice filled the air, begging, pleading. “Please, don’t- I won’t run again- I swear!”

But I had already made up my mind. “Bring the silver,” I ordered.

One of the guards looked shocked. “Alpha, that will-”

“Do it.”

He swallowed hard, then brought the chain forward. The metal gleamed faintly in the light. Even before it touched her, the scent of silver filled the air; it was sharp, burning.

Aria’s eyes widened. “No! Please, Damian-”

The chain wrapped around her wrists, the sound of her scream echoed through the woods. Smoke came from where the metal met her skin, her flesh blistering almost instantly.

She fell to her knees, crying out, trying to pull away. “It burns…please… I can’t-”

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay still. Every sound she made cut through me, but I didn’t move.

“You should have obeyed,” I said coldly. “Maybe next time, you will listen.”

Tears ran down her face as she looked up at me. “You are a monster.”

“Maybe,” I said quietly. “But you are still mine.”

Her breathing was ragged, her skin trembling against the silver. One of the guards finally spoke. “Alpha, she won’t last much longer.”

I turned slightly. “Give her the serum.”

They hesitated again. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

One of them pulled out the vial and syringe from the medical kit. Aria shook her head, panic flooding her face. “No, please… please don’t-”

“Hold her steady,” I ordered.

She tried to fight, kicking weakly, but she was already too weak from the burn. The needle pierced her arm, and she gasped within seconds, her eyes began to close.

Her voice faded to a whisper. “Why are you doing this…”

I looked down at her, my expression was unreadable. “Because you left me no choice.”

Her eyes fluttered, then the tension in her body disappeared. She slumped forward into the guard’s arms, unconscious again.

My phone buzzed, glanced and saw the screen lit up. It was a message from Ethan.

‘Alpha, there is movement in the East, Adrian Draven is back in the city.’

My grip tightened on the phone.