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Chapter 2
My feet barely touched the ground as they dragged me out the door, my screams lost in the echoes of the night. They shoved me into the back of the sleek black car, slamming the door shut.
Trapped between two men, I knew there wasn’t any escape. Furious tears stung my eyes as the engine roared to life, the car speeding off into the city’s darkened streets.
I pressed myself against the front chair, every muscle tense. This couldn’t be happening. This was some kind of nightmare.
But the cold leather beneath me and the steady hum of the engine made it real. Too real. I’d been sold—by my own flesh and blood.
We pulled up to Arthdal Strike. From the outside, it looked like just another club, the kind you’d pass by with a second glance—big building, neon lights flickering, a line of expensive cars parked out front. But as they hauled me out and led me through the entrance, the truth of the place hit me.
The inside was worse than I imagined. Dim red lights bathed the room in a sleazy glow, and the air was thick with the scent of sweat, alcohol, and something darker.
Women draped in scant clothing strolled across the floor and the big stage while men, dressed in tailored suits, sat in leather chairs, watching like vultures. Their eyes followed me, assessing and calculating.
I fought the urge to shrink back, to run, but there was nowhere to go. The man with the scar pushed me through a side door into a dim hallway.
The air felt heavier here, more oppressive. He turned to me, his grip finally releasing my arm. "Welcome to your new life," he said with a cruel grin.
The reality of it sank in—this was my new prison. And there was no escape.
I didn’t have time to think, though. I was shoved through another door and into what seemed to be a backstage area. Before I could catch my breath, a woman in tight leather pants and a heavy layer of makeup grabbed my arm and started tugging me toward the dressing room.
"Change. You’re up next," she said, her voice flat and bored, as if this was all routine.
"Up? Up for what?" I demanded, trying to shake her off. "I didn’t agree to—"
"Doesn’t matter what you agreed to, sweetheart," she cut me off, shoving a barely-there outfit into my hands. "You’re Arthdal’s now."
Her words hit me like ice water.
I wanted to speak when a tall, slender-looking man with shoulder-length blond and dazzling green eyes walked up to us. The atmosphere chilled at his presence.
He had a cigarette between his thin, red lips, unlit. His eyes raked me and I'd never felt more exposed in all my life than that moment.
“Hey,” his baritone made me shudder as the glint in his eyes sharpened. “Get dressed and get on that fucking stage now.”
I shook visibly. But my defiant nature, which by now I'd realised would land me in hot soup, forced my lips. “B-but I'm not a dancer. Uncle Jackson said I'd tend to tables here like my old job.”
Scoffs and snickers flowed around me. He stepped forward and I felt small. I literally had to strain my neck to look into his eyes.
“I don't care what Uncle Jaxwax said. He ain't running this club. I am.” I felt his gaze darken and I held my breath.
“Besides, waiting tables is a job for…” he paused, as if searching for the right words, then darkly added, “those who have advanced from dancing with a few exceptions. Also,” he drawled, hooking a finger underneath my chin and I smelt him, fucking good, “who would waste a beauty and sexiness like yours on tables when you can bring more up there?”
His eyes never left mine, as though teasing the life out of me, checking if I'd break. I did my best to stand my ground.
He let me go, walking past as though the exchange between us didn't happen, only to stop at the door, both hands tucked into his black trousers pocket.
“Now, if we have an understanding, get dressed and bloody earn, rabbit.”
I didn't catch his name but the next voice made me jolt as Scarface whispered in my ear. “Good job on annoying Boss Xander on your first hour here.”
I fumbled with the zipper, my hands shaking as I changed into the revealing outfit at a corner. No fucking freedom!
The dim lights of the dressing room seemed to close in around me and my mind raced with thoughts of escape.
But how? The place was heavily guarded, keeping its reputation. I was in over my head to even think that.
Before I knew it, I was being led out toward the stage. The lights blinded me, the music pounded in my ears, and the leering faces of men watching me from the shadows made my skin crawl. I stepped forward, my legs trembling beneath me.
The announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers, but I barely heard him. All I could feel were hungry, predatory, and cold stares.
I froze on stage, the spotlight burning down on me. I felt like prey, standing there under the gaze of the city’s most dangerous men.
I scanned the room, searching for some kind of escape, some way out of this nightmare, when I felt someone’s piercing gaze bore a hole in my back.
'No, no, no, no, no! Please don't look, don't be interested,' I yapped internally.
I gulped, too scared to look in that direction and to catch anyone’s attention. But my curiosity got the better of me and I looked from the corner of my eye.
Seated at the right corner, shrouded in shadows, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my stomach turn.
Before I could make sense of the moment, the music started, and the crowd's attention fell on me.
“Dance!”
****************The moment I saw the picture, my blood boiled. Kaia was with Shawn. And not just anywhere—at a fucking restaurant.The image was clear. Shawn was kneeling, his expression desperate, while Kaia stood in front of him, looking down with an unreadable expression.Crystal’s message followed right after.Crystal: Looks like wifey’s been busy. I thought you should see this, cousin.I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening around the phone as irritation curled in my chest.What the hell was she doing meeting with him?After everything, after all the shit we had been through—why the fuck was she entertaining that bastard?The worst part? I shouldn’t have cared. I shouldn’t have felt this tight pressure in my chest, this irrational need to grab my keys, track her down, and drag her back where she belonged.But I did. And I hated it. I tossed my phone onto the table, pacing the living room.Kaia would have to explain herself. And God help her if she lied to me.****************Late
**************~Kaia’s POV~The next morning, I stretched lazily in bed, my body unusually warm and relaxed. I blinked drowsily, my mind still foggy with sleep—until my gaze landed on my phone.A notification.I reached for it, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I unlocked the screen.And then—I saw it.The picture.Blaze. Kissing. Shyne.My stomach dropped.I sat up abruptly, my heartbeat hammering against my ribs as I zoomed in on the image, my fingers tightening around the phone.The angle was perfect. Shyne’s hands were on Blaze’s shoulders, her lips pressed against his. It looked… intimate. Familiar.A cold wave of jealousy curled inside me before I could stop it.I gritted my teeth. No. No, I wasn’t going to do this.I wasn’t going to let myself feel this way. Blaze wasn’t mine.He never was.I sucked in a sharp breath and forced myself to think rationally.Would Blaze really kiss her? Just like that?I thought about last night—about how he held me. How he pulled me against him i
*****************~Arianna’s POV~My breath was ragged, my pulse thundering in my ears. My entire body trembled—not from exhaustion, not from pain, but from the sheer weight of what I had just seen.My past. My parents. My real identity.I yanked my hand away from Iris, my heart slamming against my ribs as I stared at her in disbelief.“You,” I spat, the single word laced with betrayal, fury, and shock.Iris didn’t flinch. Instead, she grabbed my wrist again, tighter this time.Before I could react, the world around me shifted—sucked into nothingness.I blinked, completely disoriented. One second, we were in the dimly lit cabin, surrounded by flickering candles. The next, I stood in a vast, endless white space, floating between reality and the unknown.Iris stood before me, her black dress flowing unnaturally, her eyes glowing with ethereal power.“I know,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “I left them. But there was nothing I could do.”My hands clenched. My wolf stirred, a low growl
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A strange whisper brushed against my mind, soft yet insistent, like a breeze carrying a secret only I could hear.I stiffened.I turned sharply to Iris, my heart hammering against my ribs, ignoring whether or not I’ll startle Damon. “You… you just mind-linked me.”Iris’s lips curled into that familiar smirk. “Of course I did.”My jaw tightened. I wasn’t stupid—witches didn’t just reach into someone’s mind for fun.She wanted something.I tried to hold back the urge not to fold my arms across my chest. “What do you want?” I asked in my mind.Her voice was light, almost playful, but beneath it lay something deadly serious. “Remember, you owe me a favour.”I narrowed my eyes. “You want it now?”Iris shook her head. “It is a promise.”A beat of silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. I knew Damon wondered what was going on but I just smiled and beckoned him to lead the way.Then she said it, mind-linking me.“Promise me you will find the ones that
*****************~Arianna’s POV~My breath was ragged, my pulse thundering in my ears. My entire body trembled—not from exhaustion, not from pain, but from the sheer weight of what I had just seen.My past. My parents. My real identity.I yanked my hand away from Iris, my heart slamming against my ribs as I stared at her in disbelief.“You,” I spat, the single word laced with betrayal, fury, and shock.Iris didn’t flinch. Instead, she grabbed my wrist again, tighter this time.Before I could react, the world around me shifted—sucked into nothingness.I blinked, completely disoriented. One second, we were in the dimly lit cabin, surrounded by flickering candles. The next, I stood in a vast, endless white space, floating between reality and the unknown.Iris stood before me, her black dress flowing unnaturally, her eyes glowing with ethereal power.“I know,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “I left them. But there was nothing I could do.”My hands clenched. My wolf stirred, a low growl
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A strange whisper brushed against my mind, soft yet insistent, like a breeze carrying a secret only I could hear.I stiffened.I turned sharply to Iris, my heart hammering against my ribs, ignoring whether or not I’ll startle Damon. “You… you just mind-linked me.”Iris’s lips curled into that familiar smirk. “Of course I did.”My jaw tightened. I wasn’t stupid—witches didn’t just reach into someone’s mind for fun.She wanted something.I tried to hold back the urge not to fold my arms across my chest. “What do you want?” I asked in my mind.Her voice was light, almost playful, but beneath it lay something deadly serious. “Remember, you owe me a favour.”I narrowed my eyes. “You want it now?”Iris shook her head. “It is a promise.”A beat of silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. I knew Damon wondered what was going on but I just smiled and beckoned him to lead the way.Then she said it, mind-linking me.“Promise me you will find the ones that
*****************~Damon’s POV~Of course, she moved again. Witches were paranoid by nature, and Iris was no exception. If anything, she was worse. Always running, always hiding.I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Send me the location.”“Already did,” Xander replied. “But I should warn you—she’s not exactly thrilled about visitors. The last guy who tried to force his way into her place is still missing.”I smirked. “Good thing I’m not just anyone.”Xander let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get cursed or something. See you soon.”The line went dead.I tucked my phone back into my pocket and turned toward the stairs. Arianna had disappeared into her room the moment we got back. I hesitated for half a second before pulling out my own phone and dialling her number.It rang twice before she answered. “Hello?”“Get ready,” I said. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.”There was a pause, then a quiet, “Already?”“Yes. We found Iris.”The call went silent as though Arianna was contemplat
*****************~Arianna’s POV~“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Before I could steady my racing thoughts, a strange sensation washed over me. Then—suddenly—her eyes snapped open, glowing white.A startled breath escaped me. Before I could react, my own vision blurred, my body stiffening as a rush of overwhelming energy coursed through me. My fingers tightened around hers involuntarily, and then—The world around us disappeared.I saw a vision of my earliest days, a memory that felt both foreign and achingly familiar. I saw myself as a tiny inf
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A crystal ball sat atop a blackened silver stand between us, swirling with faint tendrils of mist inside. The moment Iris tapped her finger against the glass, it pulsed with a bright, ethereal glow. My breath hitched.“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Before I could steady my racing thoughts, a strange sensation washed over me. Then—suddenly—her eyes snapped open, glowing white.A startled breath escaped me. Before I could react, my own vision blurred, my body stiffening as a rush of overwhelming energy coursed th