Chapter 3

The smell of dust mixed with rust, leather, and purple hyacinth fills Nana's nose as she feels the creature getting closer. Her body tenses with fear, knowing that death is near.

The scent is sweet and strange, but she quickly pushes the thought aside. This isn’t the time to focus on smells; she’s about to die—killed by some strange-looking monster.

The creature starts sniffing her neck from behind, its breath hot against her skin. Nana's whole body shivers, and fear grips her heart.

Her mind races with terrifying images—would it rip out her veins? The thought makes her tremble uncontrollably. Her teeth grind together as she closes her eyes tightly, readying herself for the last moments.

A stinging agony shoots further into her flesh, like a needle piercing her neck. The sensation of her blood being drained is familiar now, but then something strange happens.

The pain fades, replaced by an overwhelming, sensual feeling. Pleasure ripples through her veins, down to her most sensitive parts, and her body quivers. She leans in without realizing it, drawn toward the strange sensation.

Suddenly, she hears the creature groan clearly.

"Mate!"

Nana's eyes snap open. Did she hear that right? Mate? How could that be? She looks over her shoulder at the strange creature, unsure if she’s imagining things because she’s so close to death.

"You smell like berries and mango, mate!" the creature groans again, this time even clearer.

The realization hits Nana—she’s been surrounded by this sweet smell all along. But how can this thing call her mate? It’s all too confusing.

"Mate!" Lana, her wolf, responds from within, her voice strong for the first time in a long while. Nana can feel the sudden surge of energy in Lana, a strength that’s been missing for so long.

"Lana?" she whispers in her mind, her heart racing with confusion and fear.

Before Lana can answer, the creature leaps off her. Nana turns to see it charging at five warriors who had arrived to help. It growls loudly, its movements savage and violent as it snaps the heads of the warriors in the blink of an eye.

Nana freezes, horrified by the sight. Blood spills across the forest floor and the bodies of the fallen warriors lie motionless.

"Who let the monster out of the cage?!" Marco's voice booms in the distance, furious and loud. He shifts into his wolf form—a massive black wolf with glowing red eyes.

The red eyes, a rare trait in Alpha generations, show just how dangerous and powerful Marco is.

Marco’s wolf lunges at the creature, slamming into the side of its face as it feeds on the last warrior.

The creature barely flinches and flings Marco’s wolf away with one swipe of its claw, sending him flying into a large tree with a loud crash.

Marco shifts back into his human form, his face twisted with rage. The creature roars, rumbling as it turns and advances toward him, its eyes locked on Marco with deadly intent.

"Alpha!" Stephen, Marco’s beta, yells as he throws a gun at Marco.

Without hesitation, Marco catches the gun and fires five shots in quick succession. The creature howls in pain, its body jerking from the impact of the bullets.

It staggers backward, groaning louder and louder, before sprinting off into the night with just two powerful leaps.

Nana gasps, clutching her ribs and shoulder. A sharp pain shoots through her body—the exact spots where the creature was hit. Her head spins, confusion clouding her mind.

Why does she feel the same pain as the creature?

She turns to look at Marco, who is now on his feet, his eyes blazing red with fury. His chest heaves with heavy breaths, and his gaze locks on her. His eyes are full of rage, moving toward her with an intensity that makes her heart pound even harder.

"Marco…" Nana whispers, her voice shaking as fear rises in her chest.

His eyes narrow, and he storms toward her, his expression unreadable but full of anger. Nana instinctively backs away, her mind spinning with everything that just happened.

Was that creature really her mate? How could it be?

Nana is still lost in her thoughts when she feels a sharp yank on her hair. Marco grabs her roughly, dragging her across the rough forest floor.

Every bump, every stone, and stick cut into her skin, leaving trails of blood on her pale legs and arms. The pain is unbearable, but she tries to hold onto Marco’s hand, desperately trying to loosen his grip.

"Marco, it hurts... please," she cries, her voice trembling with fear and pain.

But Marco doesn’t care. He doesn’t even look back at her as he continues to pull her along, his anger boiling over.

"You will explain what you were doing out here in the woods. And why that fearsome, forbidden monster is loose and killing my warriors!" he roars, his voice so loud it feels like it’s vibrating inside Nana’s body.

His eyes burn bright red with rage, and Nana can feel every rough pull of his hand as her scalp stings. The pain radiates through her whole body, and she’s bleeding badly from the cuts and scrapes. Tears stream down her face as she cries harder than she ever has before.

They soon arrive at the center of the pack. The whole scene feels like a nightmare. Pack members, including Melissa, are gathered around, watching her being dragged and humiliated under the full moon. Nana's heart sinks as she realizes how low her life has fallen—there’s no escape from this cruelty.

Before she can catch her breath, Marco’s hand comes down hard on her face. The force of the slap sends her head spinning, and the inside of her lips and tongue tear open. She tastes blood as she groans in pain.

"Tie her up! Strip her naked! She’ll learn her lesson tonight,"

Marco commands, his voice icy and filled with contempt. He pulls out chains—chains usually used for punishing the worst offenders.

Nana’s heart races with panic. "Marco, please! I just needed some time alone. I didn’t know something like that was chained there!"

she pleads, her voice breaking as she tries to explain. She knows what’s coming, and the thought of being whipped and humiliated in front of everyone is too much to bear.

"And your bad luck led you to free the Lycan Prince who has been caged for 25 fucking years, Nana?" Marco’s voice roars with even more anger. As he wraps the chains around his hand and hits her with it, the cold metal slices into her skin, and she feels the sting of fresh cuts.

Nana screams, her body shaking violently from the pain. It’s too much—too much for anyone to endure.

"Are you trying to carry on your father’s betrayal, you worthless bitch?" Marco’s voice is filled with venom as another lash of the chain lands across her back. The sharp pain rips through her body, leaving her breathless.

Nana’s mind goes blank with pain, her vision blurring as the agony overtakes her. She wishes for death—anything to escape this torment.