Chills ran down my spine, and everything inside me froze. “That's... that's your offer?” I choked out.Alpha Kaan nodded. “You must know that they can either join my army or die. I doubt that they'll choose to join so…”My whole body began to rattle. All my life, I wanted to be free. I thought that I had regained that freedom three years ago, and now I was going to lose it again? I looked at my cuffed hand and suddenly felt as if I were underwater, drowning. Was I bound to live my life in chains? As this man's PET? I fisted my hands and shook my head. “That's not enough,” I said, locking my eyes on his.He held my stare for several heartbeats, then chuckled. “Not enough?”I sucked in a sharp breath. “You have to release at least a dozen people for me to stay.”He laughed hard and loud, and I flinched. I knew that I was playing with fire. I had no value for him. He wanted me because of a whim. But if I was about to lose my freedom, I had to try.There was a beat of silence before his m
I stared at the long line of chained prisoners standing several steps away from me. How many were there? Forty? Fifty? How could I possibly choose a mere twelve and sentence the rest to die?!A knot formed in my throat as my eyes caught Ellaria's. Even from a distance, I saw her trembling and shaking her head. She must have been confused and terrified to see me stand next to Alpha Kaan himself. I tore my gaze away from her and stepped closer to the General. “Can I”—I swallowed, staring into his dark eyes—“talk to them?”One side of his lips curled up. “Go ahead, little one.” He gestured, allowing me to walk toward them.Goddess… I wished I could use the mind link. Even though I was allowed to approach them, I was fully aware that everything I said might be overheard. Alpha Kaan raised his hand, and the whole field turned silent.Cursing under my breath, I stepped forward. The General's army watched me like hawks, ready to strike and kill their prey. Ellaria's eyes widened as I walked
I was forced to watch that sick bastard walk to his new squad with a faint smirk curving his lips. He joined the other four who had already proudly joined Alpha's Kaan army. Those who unquestionably deserved to die lived while those who remained loyal were brutally ended by a few of the General's bloodthirsty soldiers. I struggled to follow Beta Caspian's advice. Fury stormed within me, and perhaps only Caspian's firm grip kept me from darting to the other side of the field and clawing Kylar's eyes out. Again, I wished I had my daggers with me.“You did good,” I heard Caspian whisper as the last corpse hit the ground.A humorless chuckle escaped me. “Because I didn't vomit yet?” I asked, doing my best to ignore the coppery odor filling the air.He snorted. “That too. I'm kind of impressed.”I looked at him with a crooked smile. “Thank you?”“Any of them friends of yours?” he asked dryly, pointing at the bloody pile of corpses.I shook my head. “I didn't know any of them,” I said and f
Restlessness paralyzed my body, forcing me to sit on the damn bed and stare at the door. My stomach growled a few times already, reminding me that I hadn't eaten for... Actually, I wasn't sure when the last time I had eaten was, and the apple the old woman had given me during the whole beautifying process didn't do much to silence my overly loud stomach.The voice at the back of my head kept repeating that I would be safe in Alpha Kaan's presence, but the rational part of me didn't seem convinced. Of course, Caspian words rang in my head as well, and that didn't help me lessen my worries either.I had already checked the windows and any other route of escape twice, and I knew that my chances were nearly nonexistent, especially without any weapon. Shit. This entire place had been built like a fortress, and with those freaking magical wards and soldiers guarding almost every wall, I'd have better chances of running away from the center of the crowded battlefield than from this chamber o
KAANThe Fates had always found the cruelest ways to ridicule me, and perhaps I shouldn't have expected this situation to be any different. The Goddess must have cursed me when I was born. All my life, I felt as if I had been tainted by a demon's mark, bringing nothing but death to those closest to me.A few years ago, I had learned that the cure for my curse existed. I had been trying to find it ever since, and I had almost lost hope… until the one who might be the key to righting all the wrongs in my life literally broke into my chamber.I would know for certain in about two and a half months, and I had time until then to convince her that I was more than the monster the world believed me to be. Unfortunately, I might not have had enough time to gain her trust, especially when she still believed she was my prisoner, and I didn't know how to explain why I needed her to stay by my side.I wanted to make sure she felt comfortable around me… and I had to pay a painful price for her comf
ASENAEyes widening, I pulled the sheets closer to my chest. Why did he want me to witness all that cruelty?! I didn't think I could stomach watching innocent people die while I sat and did nothing. Not to mention that I would observe it all from the side of our enemies. I felt sick just thinking about it. Goddess knew that if I only had my bow and arrows, I would have gladly shot every fucker from Kaan's army.“Please… don't force me to go there,” I whispered.His features hardened as if it pained him when he said, “I have to. I know that it is hard for you to understand it all, but the safest place for you is by my side.”I lowered my head and swallowed a thick knot that rose in my throat. A sudden burst of anger spread a searing wave throughout my body. It felt almost like an itch that rose until it began sneaking through the pores of my skin. “Why are you loyal to that tyrant? Do you have a conscience at all?” I strained through my teeth, mustering my coldest glare.He moved back
I had hardly seen Kaan for the entire next day since he was busy preparing another attack. My stomach churned every time I thought about what he was doing, and I felt a crush of guilt whenever I realized I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop the slaughter. Thinking about it was slowly driving me insane, and the fact that I was locked in the chamber did little to redirect my thoughts elsewhere.Fortunately, Kaan hadn't left me without company. The two women dressed in gray robes took care of my meals and made sure I didn't lose my mind while sitting in Kaan's warded rooms. As I now knew, the older one, Delmira, used to serve at Shadow Mountains Pack's castle, and the younger one, Lelah, was Delmira's niece.“We prepared your clothes for the travel and something to change while you're in the tent,” Laleh said, placing a long cream-white gown and a hooded cloak trimmed with fur on the bed.My lips twisted into a wry smile. “The clothes are beautiful, but can't I ride in pants? Wearin
“I will not ride with you!” I mustered my best glare while my heart began to thunder at the sole thought of being so close to him for countless hours of riding.“That's not up for discussion, little one,” he said curtly, taking Than's reins from Caspian and turning him toward the main gate. “You can climb on his back on your own, or I will put you there.”Frustration within me rose. “Please, can we just—”Kaan scooped me from the ground and settled me on Than's back before I could even gasp, leaving me with no choice but to grab the pommel of the saddle and swing my leg over the horse to sit astride. He joined me a heartbeat later, quickly positioning himself behind me, so close I could feel his warmth on my back. Then he leaned forward, grabbing the reins with one hand and placing the other on my stomach. My whole body turned rigid.A soft chuckle escaped him, his breath fanning the shell of my ear. “It'd be much more comfortable if you relax and lean against me.”Relaxing was curren