Several hours. After several hours in pure absolute terror and torture, I endured the whole night as Xerxes took me several times. He imposed his ownership not only on my body, but a part of my soul was dying the more he was degrading our mate bond. By the time he was done, the rain was just drizzling. The grey clouds had subsided and the moon was peeking through the darkness of mists.To my comfort, no wolf of his came near that hidden cave, even when morning arrived. Xerxes flee somewhere and to hide my remaining dignity, I covered myself with the shattered pieces of the dress. Xerxes returned and to my surprise, he had a piece of cloth fisted as he threw it my way. “Alpha, wolves are ready.” Just when I dressed into the shirt that looked oversized on me, Damien informed me as he stepped out of the bush. He was still wearing a pair of pants and bare feet. His eyes lowered and I realised it was because I was not wearing anything under the shirt. My cheeks flared with embarrassment.

I sat by the cold marbled floor of the bathroom, my back resting against the cool tub as my fingers ran through the bubbles. Xerxes had left the moment his eyes started twitching and breath hastening.I knew it would end up like this.Xerxes storms off the room the moment I talk about the broken relationship we had.It was one of the reasons why my loathe for him was only ascending. If your moon blessed finds your words to be irrelevant, your emotions trivial, and our mate bond undesirable, would you wish to live? Perhaps he could, but I would not be able to handle it. Somehow it felt like I was the only one suffering.When the sun finally sunken behind tall mountains, I decided to scrub off the dirt and wash. It was a startling fact that Xerxes was even letting me bathe on my own. I was not being treated as the slave I was before, but maybe this freedom was short-lived. Wrapping the towel around myself, I felt myself staring into the huge gigantic mirror. The mirror was the original

“W-what’re you doing?” Despite me being indifferent to him, our bond was something that had turned into an inescapable cage, and it frightened me. Neither his hold nor his gaze softened. Xerxes watched the eerie and tensing of my body by his touch as my eyes notice the shake of his hands and the tight clench of his jaw. He didn’t like the fact that I insulted him by defying him in front of his wolves. I swallowed my fear of him to punish me and expanded the safe zone for myself, to not become the woman he could scare anymore.“Why must you defy me, Katarina?” I glared at him, showing my frustration as I yanked my wrist back. I was not interested in whatever he had to say. “I’m trying not to hurt you, but you’re making it improbable.” “Let go. I have nothing to offer, Xerxes.” Not Ben respect. I shook my head. My lips wobbled as his eyes dilated and he inhaled my scent deeply, replenishing my essence. “That’s for me to decide, flower.” He said unhesitantly. My body tensed at the nick

It was strange hearing him address me with such a title. I had never been called that. Probably that’s why I averted my gaze from him and wrapped my arms around myself suddenly feeling cold. “Damien.” I acknowledged him as I looked uncomfortably at him. We hadn’t talked much. If there was one person who was not reluctant to my presence, it was him. He respected me and often showed his sympathy for me. He kept looking at me for a moment and heaved a deep sigh, contemplating something that seemed to bother him. “It’s…good to see you settling in the pack.” He smiled though I could see a hint of hesitation in his dark orbs. I didn’t know how truly I was to answer him. I tried to smile at him but my eyes betrayed and I licked my dry lips, unsure. Sensing my awkwardness, Damien continued. “There’re so many things I want to tell you, Luna. But I don’t think that’s my place, I am but a mere beta of this pack. Alpha…was not like this.” I frowned at his remark. Was he trying to defend him?

I eyed the horrific photos on the ground again as confusion knocked down my senses with much-needed force. Was he misunderstanding something? Xerxes scarcely paid no mind to my words as he breathed out heavily, his hands tightening around me, I felt so helpless that I couldn’t see him and did not know what he was about to do. A wicked chuckle resonated in the room.“I know what you’re trying to do,” I tried not to flinch as his rough hand collided with my bare bottom. A stinging sensation rippled through me and I bit my lips holding back a grunt. “I’m warning you, Katarina. Don’t play with me, otherwise, you’ll get burned.”I heard him unbuckling his pants as his belt came undone. My eyes widened as the cold leather was fastened around my wrists. Vulnerability mocked me.“S-stop!” My anxiousness grew as he chuckled darkly and secured the leather tightly, caging my arms in a place.“Shh…I want you to be quiet. Two spanks for every word escaping your lips.” He confided huskily pressing