Prologue Two

18 months ago…

The shadows of the grand, oak-panelled study crept closer, as if the very walls were closing in. Lucia stood before Ryder, her breath catching in her throat. His piercing gaze bore into her, the amber flecks in his eyes flickering with a predatory intensity.

"You're failing me, Lucia," he murmured, his voice deceptively soft. "All I ask is for you to give me an heir, and yet you continue to disappoint." 

Lucia's fingers trembled at her sides, the urge to flee warring with her instinct to submit, to save herself from him. Nearly four years ago, she had willingly bound herself to this man, entrusting him with her heart. Now, that bond had become a noose, tightening around her neck.

"I-I'm trying, Ryder," she stammered, hating the weakness in her own voice. "The pack healer says - "

His hand shot out, gripping her throat in a vise-like hold. "I don't care what the pack healer says." His thumb caressed her cheek in a mockery of tenderness. "You are my Luna. You exist to serve me, to give me strong pups to carry on my legacy."

Lucia's heart thundered in her ears, her wolf howling to be free of this cage he had built around her. But the fear of his retaliation kept her rooted to the spot, her body betraying her as she leaned into his touch.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the words tasting like ash on her tongue. "I'll try harder, I promise."

Ryder's lips curled into a cruel smile, his grip tightening until she winced. "See that you do, my love." His hand slid down her neck, his claws grazing her skin, drawing blood. "Or there will be consequences." He threw her on the floor, her head smacking the wall.

12 months ago…

The howling winds whipped through the barren trees, carrying a chill that seeped into Lucia's bones as she ran. Her lungs burned with each desperate breath, adrenaline the only thing propelling her forward. Just a little farther, she told herself, heart pounding in her ears. If she could reach the border, she'd be free.

Branches clawed at her skin, but she refused to slow down, refusing to let Ryder catch her again. Not this time. The memory of his last attack still haunted her, the agony of his brutal blows, the venomous words that tore her apart.

Desperation lent her speed, but it was no match for Ryder's primal fury. A savage snarl echoed through the darkness, and Lucia's blood ran cold.

He was close. 

He was going to catch her.

Panic seized her as she risked a glance over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of his imposing figure closing in.

"Ryder, please!" she cried, the words torn from her lips by the icy wind. But she knew her pleas would fall on deaf ears. He was a man consumed by his need for control, a tyrant who thrived on her fear.

In a blur of motion, Ryder's large hand wrapped around her hair, yanking her back with bruising force. Lucia's scream of pain was swallowed by the howling gale as he dragged her, stumbling, back towards the pack house. Her desperate struggles were futile against his unyielding grip.

The journey back was a blur of terror and pain. Lucia's mind raced, searching in vain for a way to escape, to avoid the punishment that awaited her. But Ryder's hold was unbreakable, his intention clear.

Finally, they reached the bedroom, and Ryder shoved her inside, slamming the door behind them. Lucia cowered, trembling, as he advanced, his grey eyes gleaming with a dark, predatory hunger, one that she knew he’d take out on her body.

“I told you that you can never leave,” he hissed. “The only thing you’re good for is your genes.” He backhanded her, knocking her to the floor.

"You're worthless, you know that?" he hissed, his voice laced with contempt. "You exist to serve me, and you can’t even do that." 

Lucia flinched, tears stinging her eyes. 

Ryder's hand shot out, grabbing her throat, pulling her to stand and forcing her to meet his gaze. "You're mine, Lucia. Mine. And you'll never leave. Not while I'm still breathing."

He leaned down, his mouth landing over hers, forcing his tongue in between her lips, his grip on her throat tightening as she tried to stop him. He kept going, kept tightening his hold until everything went dark.

6 months ago…

The kitchen knife’s cold steel glinted in the moonlight as Lucia carefully tucked it beneath her pillow, her fingers trembling. She steeled herself, knowing that tonight would be the night she would finally break free from Ryder's tyrannical grip. The abuse… it had to end. She couldn’t take it anymore.

One way or another, she needed this over.

A floorboard creaked, and her heart leapt into her throat. Ryder prowled into the room, his grey eyes glinting with a malicious hunger. "My sweet Luna," he purred, advancing upon her. "You've been a bad girl again, haven't you? You deserve everything you’re going to get tonight.”

Lucia's pulse pounded in her ears as he grabbed her, pressing his mouth bruisingly against hers. She fought the urge to gag at his stale whiskey breath. She shook her head, trying to get away from him.

A dark chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Oh, my dear, you don't have a choice." He shoved her backwards onto the bed, pinning her beneath his larger frame. 

Panic spiked through her, but she forced herself to remain still, waiting for the opportune moment. As Ryder's calloused hands roamed her body, ripping her clothing away so he could force himself inside her, she seized the knife’s handle, the metal biting into her palm. The instant his mouth dropped to her chest, she plunged the blade deep into his abdomen, the words of rejection tearing from her lips as she did.

Ryder howled in pain, giving Lucia the chance to scramble free. She fled the room, every step laced with agony as the mate bond snapped, leaving her broken and in pain. She had to reach the border – to escape his tyranny forever. 

The trees blurred around her as she ran, tears streaming down her face. But she couldn't stop, not until she was free. Behind her, Ryder's anguished roars echoed through the night, spurring her onward.