CHAPTER 2

 AURORA

A sharp gasp escaped my lips as rough hands shoved me to my knees, the force sending a dull ache through my legs.

My breath hitched as my eyes darted upward, only to lock onto the one person I never thought I would see again.

There was something in him; something I couldn’t quite understand. He no longer looked like the Damon I knew eight years ago.

Yet, here he was, no longer the boy I once knew but the Alpha king, a man I vowed never to face again.

The weight of my circumstances returned in a crushing wave, and I quickly bowed my head, forcing my gaze to the floor.

I had rejected him all those years ago, and now, fate had cruelly placed me at his feet, not as an equal, but as a slave.

Suddenly, a soft, unexpected warmth brushed my shoulders, breaking my spiraling thoughts. I flinched slightly, startled, before realizing it was a scarf being draped over my torn dress.

My fingers instinctively clutched the edges of the scarf, and I didn’t dare look up, I knew. Damon had ordered it.

“My king, we have brought ten women for you,” one of the men announced proudly, his voice echoing through the grand hall.

My heart sank at his words. I had no idea what kind of man Damon had become in the years since I last saw him.

Was he still the sweet, kind boy I once knew? But then again, how could he be? A kind man wouldn’t command his warriors to kidnap innocent women and force them into lives of servitude as whores and concubines.

This wasn’t the Damon I remembered. The Damon I knew would never hurt a woman. I had made some changes to my looks though.

Surely, he wouldn’t recognize me. But the thought only brought me more dread. If he didn’t realize who I was, he would treat me like the others; just another woman to be used and discarded.

“Show me the women you’ve brought,” Damon ordered, his deep voice calm yet authoritative.

My heart pounded in my chest as the men moved around me, pulling the women to their feet one by one.

My fingers tightened around the edges of the scarf still draped over my shoulders. I couldn’t stop the flood of panic now consuming me.

One by one, the women were dragged forward and introduced to Damon, the Alpha king. Each time, he studied them with a cold, calculating gaze, deciding their fates with just a few words.

“Slave quarters,” he would say for some, condemning them to a life of servitude.

“Alpha’s quarters,” he declared for others, sealing their fates as his concubines.

The air in the room was suffocating, thick with fear and despair. Finally, it was down to me and the young girl from the carriage; the one that was crying and had called me a witch.

The Alpha’s piercing blue eyes studied the girl for a moment, his expression unreadable. “My quarters,” he finally ordered.

I couldn’t help but wonder why it had taken him so long to decide. As the guards began to lead her away, she suddenly dropped to her knees, “My Alpha, I have a request.”

Damon raised an eyebrow, his gaze narrowing slightly as he gave her a curt nod. “Speak.”

The girl pointed a trembling finger directly at me. “My Alpha, since I am one of your concubines, I request that this witch be killed!”

My blood ran cold, my body frozen in place. Would he grant her request? Would he end the life of his best friend? I couldn't tell. His silence was deafening, as I dared not look up to see the verdict in his eyes.

“You don't have the right to tell me what to do! Now keep quiet or you will be punished!” Damon’s voice boomed across the room, cutting through the tense silence.

The young girl gasped in fear, her face pailing. She shot one last venomous glare at me before the guards dragged her away.

A rough shove from one of the men sent me stumbling forward. I bowed my head low, my heart pounding so hard it felt like my chest was about to explode.

“Aurora is her name,” the man announced.

Damon’s cold blue eyes fixed on me, and for a moment, I felt the weight of his gaze bearing down on me like a crushing force.

“Ah, the witch, I wasn’t expecting you to be among the women.” he said, his tone sharp and indifferent.

Tears stung my eyes, blurring my vision. He joined them; to call me a witch. The word echoed in my mind, tearing at my heart.

I wasn’t a witch; I had never practiced witchcraft; but no one cared about the truth anymore. Damon leaned on his throne, studying me.

“I have heard alot about you, some people want me to kill you. So, what do I do with you now?” he said, his voice calm but laced with menace.

My heart sank further as the truth hit me like a blow to my chest. Damon didn’t recognize me. To him, I was just another nameless, hated woman brought before him.

My silence spoke volumes, but inside, I was screaming. How could fate be so cruel? How could the boy I once knew have turned into this ruthless Alpha king?

Despite the fear clawing at me, I dared to hope somewhere within him, the kind and loving Damon I remembered still exists.

“My king, I think you should consider doing what the people want.” An elderly man standing beside the throne said.

“Keep quiet!” Damon cut him off.

My heart raced as Damon’s footsteps stopped directly in front of me. I held my breath, my gaze glued to the floor.

The weight of his presence was suffocating, and my trembling hands clutched the fabric of my dress.

Then, his hand tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet his gaze. I gasped as our eyes locked, my chest tightening at the intensity of his stare.

His touch was firm but cruel, yet it sent jolts through me that I couldn’t ignore. The look in his eyes sent shivers down my spine.

Recognition burned within them; he knew who I was. He had known all along. But what I saw there wasn’t the warmth or affection I remembered from eight years ago.

His eyes, once filled with love, were now dark pools of hatred, mixed with something I couldn’t decipher.

“Aurora,” he said my name, a low murmur that made me shiver. It was a sound I hadn’t heard in years, and it cut through me like a blade.

His voice, his presence, and the storm of emotions in his gaze told me everything I needed to know; this Damon was a stranger to me now.

“You, my witch, is going to the dungeon.” he spat the word like a venom.