Chapter eight

The next day, I jolt awake to the sudden grating noise of the Silver cell’s gate opening, and I slowly flutter my eyes open to watch the main lead in my most recent terrifying nightmare arrive inside the confined space with Hunter.

“It’s not a good morning for you, Princess. I heard from your lover here, that you still haven't eaten anything. Your hunger strike game will not move my heart.” The Black Pack Alpha declares in a deep cold voice, his penetrating gaze on me like my existence is a stress to him.

“Alpha Damon, this is a misunderstanding. My brother would never send assassins to kill you. He's not that kind of person. Please, stop torturing me.” I beg, desperately trying to explain that it's all a misconception.

Instead, he looks at me unwavering with his penetrating cold, dangerous eyes. “How do you know about this?” He asks, an undercurrent rage in his tone.

“How I know about this doesn't matter. Matthias is not responsible for whatever you assume on your own. You have no evidence to indict, else you will kill me, the very first day I got here.”

Alpha Damon lets out a short, derisive laugh, “Are you accusing me of lying about him?” He demands menacingly.

“I’m telling you the truth. My brother is not someone who can do something as cruel as that. This is all a misunderstanding,” I attempt to explain to him, despite how dangerous he sounds, because I need him to believe me.

I know I never want a mate, but finding him and watching him do horrible things to me because of a misunderstanding is too hard for my heart and soul to bear.

“Damon, you need to believe me, my brother really—”

“Who are you to call me by my name? I am Alpha Damon to you!” He growls coldly, his intense amber eyes spitting with anger and irritation that sends tremors down my spine. “If you ever call me by my name, I will rip your tongue out and make sure you never get to say a word again in your entire life.” Alpha Damon’s words take me by surprise, and my heart plummets under my chest as I listen to them.

I instantly shut my mouth, gasping rapidly in fear.

“You think I am a bad, cruel, and wicked Alpha, right?” He asks, but I lower my eyes to conceal the honesty in them.

His question sounds too dubious to me, and I begin to doubt if he knows that he is really a bad, cruel, and wicked Alpha.

After noticing my lack of response, he chuckles and roughly lifts my chin, causing me to meet his eyes. “I am not as wicked as your brother, who sent you here as a sacrifice, am I?”

He continues chuckling, “I heard from a little bird that he plans to become the Alpha King after my demise, but I'm alive, too bad for him,”

I also let out a short laugh in his face, and I responded firmly, “My older brother would NEVER willingly dump me here as a sacrifice.” I glance from Alpha Damon to Hunter with a piercing glare, to make myself clear despite the dizziness enveloping me.

I am experiencing intense hunger pains because I haven't eaten in days, and I still won't eat anything until I get to the root of this. It might seem like a foolish approach, but hunger strikes are my last resort to getting my way. It has proven to be effective when I need to achieve my goals over the years.

“Oh, so you came here on your own because of the letter?” Alpha Damon asks in a tone bordering on the ridiculous as he releases my chin and slowly walks away from me.

“Yes, I came to know why you claim that I'm your mate when we’ve never met, and also why you threatened to attack any random Packs if I didn't show up in the Black Pack in two days. Mind you both, I left without the knowledge of my brother. But then, I was abducted a few miles away from the Cyan Pack’s border, and when I regained consciousness, I found myself in your mansion.”

“Some men from the Red Pack brought you here. I even welcomed them into my mansion for a week as envoys. Don't you dare tell me that your brother didn’t know you were here?” Alpha Damon scoffs in disbelief from where he is standing and turns to look at Hunter.

“You met those men from the Red Pack too, didn't you?” He asks and Hunter nods.

“Yes, they all wore a badge with a small, intricately carved wolf's head, and the eyes are a vivid shade of red. That’s the Red Pack’s emblem,” he adds.

A subtle smirk curls on Alpha Damon’s lips as he returns to face me. “My men in the Red Pack say that you were escorted from your Pack, and brought to the Black Pack, so your brother had indeed sent you here as a sacrifice.”

Unable to bear any more of this, I panic and exclaim, “So what if my brother sent me here? Are you any better than him? You want to use my blood to rekindle your bond with your first mate!” I counter Alpha Damon’s remark, and within the blink of an eye, he slaps me across the face.

“Damon!” I scream out, my lapse in remembering not to call him by name accompanied by the sharp twinge of his hard slap.

Pain engulfs my entire body, and my vision blurs instantly.

“That’s just a slight punishment. If I ever hear you defend your brother again, I will rip out your tongue,” he threatens and I gasp from fear. “Who told you I would be using your blood to rekindle the bond between me and my first mate?” He demands in a dangerous voice as he glares coldly at me.

Blood dripping from my mouth, I subconsciously flicker my eyes towards Hunter, and Alpha Damon traces my gaze. “Oh, you told her, hm?” He asks with a dark chuckle, slowly approaching Hunter.

I can feel the menace and danger in his steps as he hovers Hunter, as if hunting his prey.

Seeing that Hunter might be in danger, my heart tightens in pain and I speak up instantly, “No, he's not the one who told me. He doesn't know anything about this.”

My voice doesn't sound convincing and regret courses through me as I watch Alpha Damon grab Hunter’s collar, slamming him against the wall.

“Alpha Damon, please…” My heart clenches with sharp pain, and I can't hold back the desperate plea that escapes my lips, “This has nothing to do with Hunter. He's not the one who told me. He didn't tell me anything; please let him go,” I implore, the urgency and fear evident in my voice as tears begin to gather in my eyes.

Alpha Damon's maniacal laughter reverberates through the cold cell even after listening to my words. He forcefully drags Hunter against the wall, his eyes revealing disdain as he punches him repeatedly on his guts.

“You are such a useless and disloyal chief guard Beta. I shouldn't have let you live a few days ago.” He sneers, as he releases his whacked body to lungle on the ground.

I blink at his revelations and immediately speak out, “What do you mean you shouldn't have let him live? Didn't both of you plan to catch me in the act and turn me into a criminal?”

The Black Pack Alpha laughs again, his sinister amusement evident as he drags Hunter with his collar, closing the distance between us.

He stops laughing when he's only two steps away from me, and a malicious smirk adorns his attractive face, intensifying the danger emanating from him.

Throughout this ordeal, Hunter remains silent, allowing himself to be hauled without resistance. Anger and frustration boil within me; he's the chief guard Beta, why is he acting like a submissive pawn.

As Alpha Damon drops Hunter in front of me, he nods and responds.

“Yes, you are right. We planned it together.”

“But then, he became weak and got seduced by you,” He retorts in an ominous tone, his words dripping with scorn as he follows it with a brutal kick to Hunter's stomach, the force sending him sprawling through the air.

Hunter grunts in pain across the cell as he plummets to the ground, spurting out half a bowl of blood from his mouth.

“Hunter!” I cry out as pain grips my stomach.

I clench and grasp the chains and I yell out again. “Hunter, please don't die.” I beg earnestly, and my heart almost flies out of my chest when I see Alpha Damon rush to where Hunter is and kick him violently again.

“Damon, stop! You are going to kill him!” I cry, unable to believe that he is really killing him all over again.

He veers around and throws me a cold glare. “I told you never to call me by my name!”

My heart leaps with fear and I gasp when I hear him shout at me. I involuntarily close my eyes, patiently waiting to receive his attack, or for him to carry out his threat of pulling out my tongue, but none come.

The next thing that echoes in my ears is a loud groan from Hunter as he's hit by Alpha Damon again, and my eyes snap open in an instant. I glance in his direction, and I notice that he has flooded the cell with blood, and he's only living on borrowed time.

My eyes widen in outrage when the Black Pack Alpha still won't cease his wickedness .

“Stop! Stop kicking him, if you continue, he will die!” I shriek at the hateful Alpha, who can’t seem to see that he is overreacting.

“Let him die, that's the only way his family can live.” Alpha Damon retorts with a short, evil laugh without looking at me.

I realize that he really wants to kill Hunter this time, and my anger instantly flees. “Please, I will obediently be your sex slave if you still want me to be. I will do anything you want. So just please, let Hunter live.” I plead desperately, and he abruptly halts.

He turns toward me, and I almost thank the Moon goddess that he had given in until I hear his words.

“Do you wish to know why I cannot allow him to live?” He asks coldly, fixing his penetrating gaze on me.

“Why? Why can't you let him live? I've promised to do everything you want! I even promised to be your sex slave, so, why can't you let him live?” I ask in a weak voice as memories of him brutally attacking Hunter with a big rod flash in my mind.

“His worst crime is coveting you. What is mine can't be coveted by others. Even if I don't want you, I won't let any other man dream of having you.” Alpha Damon’s words ring in my ears, slowly engraving themselves in my heart.

“Alpha Damon…” I swallow, anguish tears falling from my eyes as I begin, “please, let him go. I beg of you.”

For the first time in my life, I bow my head to a man, and it tears my heart that it has to be Damon.

“Lana, no... don't lower your head for anyone. Not even Damon, he doesn't...deserve it,” I hear Hunter choking out in an unstable voice before he goes silent.

Immediately after Hunter’s words, Damon drags his body out of the cell and barks orders to his men to ensure I eat.

As the traumatic incident haunts my consciousness, and the relentless hunger gnaws at me, I remain oblivious to the approaching guards.

“I think she has fainted.”

“Who wouldn't? Didn't you hear her screams earlier? Do you think the chief guard Beta will die?”

“That shouldn't concern us. We still have to make sure she eats. Otherwise, the Alpha will kill us if she dies from her stupid hunger strike.”