7: Another one

Natasha’s POV

The inside of the car was quiet— too quiet. The kind of quiet that made your breathing hitch. I sat stiff in the backseat, hands folded tightly on my lap, eyes glued to the floor mat like it held the answer to everything. I didn’t dare look up. Not at him or at anyone else. My thigh brushed against the edge of the seat every time the car turned, but I didn’t move. My head stayed down. My body froze. My thoughts loud.

What was he thinking?

Why was I even in this car?

What does he want to do with me?

I didn’t know if this was punishment. Or something worse. Maybe he brought me along to remind me what happens to girls who try to run. Maybe he was taking me somewhere quiet so he could deal with me himself—far from the palace, far from my mother, far from anyone who would care. That thought made my throat tighten. I swallowed hard, fingers curling against the fabric of my dress.

I could feel his presence beside me. Heavy. Thick. It filled all the space between us. I didn’t need to look to know his eyes were probably on me again. They always were watching, studying. Like I was something strange he couldn’t quite place.

The car bumped slightly. I flinched.

Up in the front seat, the Beta kept glancing back at me through the rearview mirror. The driver too. Not obviously. Just little glances. Quick. But I saw them. Their eyes looked like they knew something I didn’t. Something they weren’t saying. My heart kicked hard in my chest.

Why were they staring like that?

Was I bleeding? Was something wrong with my face? Did they know where we were going? Did they know what he planned?

I didn’t know what to do with myself. I adjusted my hands, then stopped. Lifted my head a little, then lowered it again. I felt like I was being watched from every angle. Like a rabbit trapped in a cage full of wolves. The silence dragged on longer. My thoughts kept running ahead of me. Fear, shame, confusion—everything fought to be louder.

Then he spoke.

His voice came out deep and low.

“If your thoughts are that loud, why not just ask me directly instead of stressing your poor mind?”

I froze. My heart skipped.

He wasn’t even looking at me, but I could feel the weight of his words like a hand pressing against my chest. My lips parted, but nothing came out. I stared at my lap, suddenly too aware of everything—my breathing, the sound of the tires, the way his words cut through all of it.

I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what I was allowed to say. But then I understood. Why did the Beta keep staring? Why did the driver glance at me like that? They could hear me. Not just hear me breathe—but hear me think.

I forgot Lycans had sharper senses. Some could hear beyond what was natural. Some could pick up emotions like they were sounds in the air. Maybe mine were too loud to ignore.

I shifted in my seat, suddenly feeling more exposed than I ever had. I looked up slowly, just for a second. His face was turned toward the window, but I saw his reflection in the glass. Calm. Cold. Still. Like nothing surprised him.

I looked back down. Swallowed the lump in my throat.

The car rode on. The silence came back. But this time it was worse.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the car slowed.

We passed through a large black gate. It creaked open with a sound that echoed even inside the car. I peeked up. The road changed—smoother, darker stone. Trees on both sides. Tall walls rising in the distance. Lanterns burned low along the path, casting soft light that made everything look older. Older and richer. Like history clung to every brick.

Then we stopped.

The driver got out first. Opened his own door. The Beta stepped out too. Then the King moved.

He didn’t say a word. Just opened his door and climbed out. I followed slowly, unsure, my legs shaking as I stepped onto the stone path. The air here smelled different. Like earth and pine. And something stronger I couldn’t place. I glanced around—tall towers, thick ivy crawling along the walls, golden torchlight flickering against dark stone. The Lycan Kingdom.

He said nothing to me.

But as soon as he stepped forward, another man appeared from the shadows.

He didn’t come with us. I hadn’t seen him in the car. Maybe he’d been waiting. Maybe they all had.

The King looked at him. The man stood still. Then something passed between them. No words. No movement. Just silence. Then the man nodded. Once. Sharp and sure.

I didn’t hear anything. Not even a whisper.

They must have used a mindlink.

I watched closely, trying to understand what the nod meant. Was it about me? Was I being handed over? Passed from one hand to another like a parcel?

Then the guard turned his head slightly, just enough to speak.

“Let’s go.”

He didn’t look back. Just started walking.

My feet moved. Not because I wanted to but because they had to. I followed behind, keeping a bit of distance. My hands were still clenched. My breathing shallow.

We walked into the building. Thick wooden doors opened wide into a long hallway. The walls were polished stone, smooth and glowing under soft light. Paintings lined the halls—people I didn’t know. Rooms I couldn’t name. I didn’t see any other guards. Just the silence. The long stretch of corridor. And then—

Two women stepped out from one of the side doors.

They looked only a little older than me. Not much taller, not much stronger. But from their uniforms—dark grey dresses with white sashes—I could tell they were maids. Their hair was neatly tucked in buns, faces bare, eyes quiet.

The man beside me stopped walking.

Without looking at me, he said, “You go with them now.”

That was it.

No reason. No warning. No kindness.

He walked away.

The two women looked at me, not unkindly, but not warmly either. One of them tilted her head toward the hallway ahead. I followed.

The hallway narrowed as we walked. The light dimmed. The scent of old stone and something floral drifted through the air. Their shoes made soft clicks against the floor. Mine barely made a sound. I walked behind them, my eyes darting from one wall to another, my steps shaky, my stomach twisting in knots.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Where are we going?” I asked, voice low.

They didn’t answer.

I tried again, a little louder this time. “Why does the King want me?”

Still nothing.

I stopped walking. “Please. Someone tell me something. What’s going on?”

They stopped too.

One turned around. Her eyes were tired. Not cruel. Just tired.

“You ask too many questions.”

“I just want to know—”

“You really think you’re the first?” she cut in. “You’re not.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

She looked at me fully now. Her face didn’t change. Her voice didn’t rise.

“We’ve lost count of how many girls he’s brought here. Pretty ones. Sexy ones. But they all end up forgotten once he’s bored.”

I stared at her. My chest tightened. My lips parted but no words came out.

The other maid spoke then. Her voice was gentler but just as firm. “Don’t feel too special. It never lasts.”

Then they started walking again.

I followed, but slower now.

Their words stayed with me.

I thought of the way he looked at me.

The way he watched.

The way he hurt the guard without blinking.

Did he also do all that for the other girls?

My legs felt heavier. My heart slowed. The corridor stretched longer, the silence louder.

And somewhere deep in my chest, I felt something fold in on itself.

A quiet kind of dread.

Like I’d escaped one cage only to walk into another.