Chapter 13 Not like other women
Hitting the ground knocked the breath out of Rue, but fortunately, the beast who slammed into her cushioned her and took the brunt of the fall.
She opened her mouth to scream, prepared to struggle and escape when her eyes fell on the familiar dark fur and blood red eyes.
Her heart slammed heavily. It was Thane. How the hell did he find her?
She started to crawl away from him when one furry arm locked around her waist and pulled her back.
"NO!" She screamed, sinking her nails into his arm. But it was futile. His grip was firm and unbreakable.
He rose smoothly to his feet, taking her with him. Then he shifted.
The eerie sound of bones snapping into place filled the air until he was standing before her, his arm locked tight around her waist.
His brows pulled into a deep scowl. "I warned you not to try anything stupid!" He snarled.
Grabbing her arm, he turned and stormed back in the direction of Eryndor.
\[Alpha?\] Henry's voice reached him through the mind link.
\[Put an end to the hunt, Henry.\] He replied sharply. \[Return to Eryndor.\]
\[What happened?\] Henry asked further.
\[Nothing!\] He snapped and closed the link, trying not to curse at Rue. Her struggles agitated him. Her scent threatened to drown him, making his beast go wild with excitement. He was on the verge of losing control.
Rue kept trying to free herself from the iron grip around her arm, but it was impossible. Thane was like an immovable brick wall.
As he walked past the same path she just ran through, panic filled her. She couldn't go back there, not after risking everything to escape. And this time, he would definitely punish her.
"Please." She resorted to begging. "Please just let me go. I'll pay you back the money you used in buying me. I just need my freedom."
All her pleas fell on deaf ears. There was one thing with Alpha Thane, and everyone knew it, including Rue. Once he claimed something as his, he never let it go, no matter what.
And she had crossed a line this time. The more she defied him and tried to escape, the more determined he was to keep her with him.
A few meters away from Eryndor's gate, Rue grew desperate. This time, Thane would keep her under constant watch. She wouldn't get another chance to escape. So she did the unthinkable.
She let her body go limp and fell, pulling him down with her.
The moment his body covered hers, she lifted her knee and struck him in the groin.
"Fuck!" Thane hissed, his entire body going rigid. His grip loosened and Rue seized the opportunity.
She jumped to her feet and made a mad dash for another path, her entire mind set on escaping.
She hadn't gone far before a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and spun her around.
She lost her footing and dropped to the ground, pulling Thane with her a second time. It was becoming a habit, their struggles and fights.
She tried to free herself, arms flailing, feet kicking, but she was no match.
Thane grabbed both her hands with one of his and pinned it above her head. He straddled her, trapping her thighs between his until she was unable to move.
All she could do was breathe, chest heaving, lips parted.
"Tired?" Thane mocked. "With all the aggressiveness you've shown me, I expected much more from you."
"Screw you!" Rue hissed.
To her surprise, Thane laughed, almost like he was enjoying her frustration.
"You amaze me, Rue." He continued, his voice turning low. "Of all the women in my harem, you're the only one who has the boldness to repeatedly defy me."
He gripped her jaw, gently but firmly, puckering her lips.
"I told you what I would do to you if you tried to escape, and you did just that. Do you think I am incapable of punishing you?"
He released her jaw, waiting for an answer.
Gulping softly, she replied. "Maybe I'm not like the other women in your harem."
"Maybe you're not." Thane repeated. "But this time, you'll certainly be punished. That would teach you to remember that you're my property now. You're not escaping me and you will obey me!"
He suddenly realized how intimate they were. He was pressed against her in all the right places.
The moment he realized this, his cock twitched. Rue gasped, her eyes wide open. They both stared at each other for a moment.
Then abruptly, Thane moved away and pulled her up, a muttered curse leaving his lips. What the fuck was wrong with him? Why did it feel like he had no control whenever he was around Rue?
As for Rue, she couldn't get that feeling out of her head. That thrill when she felt him twitch against her, right at the sensitive spot between her thighs, it was exhilarating.
She didn't need to touch her face to know it were hot. She could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks.
As he took her hand to pull her back to the path, the familiar golden thread of light appeared again, this time brighter.
They both stood frozen, watching as it swirled around their hands and formed a bond.
Rue looked up, noticing Thane staring at the thread like he was terrified of it.
"What does this mean?" She whispered. "Are we bonded?"
That statement pulled him to the present. He let go of her hand, like her had been burned, and took a step back.
"Never say those words to me." He growled. His eyes which were gentle a moment ago now looked terrifying.
Rue was shocked at the sudden transformation. As she opened her mouth to speak, she heard approaching footsteps.
Thane looked up, realizing Henry and the rest of the Elite Knights were returning. He didn't want them to find him there.
In one swift move, he lifted Rue and threw her over his shoulder, then turned and headed straight to Eryndor.
...
That night, Thane locked Rue up in a cage in his room.
At first, when he stepped into his room, Rue thought he wanted her to spend the night with him.
She started to protest. But then he dragged her to the cage in the corner of the room, the cage she hadn't noticed the first time she woke up there.
"What are you doing?" She began, pulling back as he dragged her forward.
"Did you think I wouldn't punish you?" Thane retorted. "A night spent in here will teach you a lesson."
"I'm not some dog you can lock in a cage." Rue snapped, and this angered Thane.
He shoved her inside and slammed the gate shut, locking it from the outside.
"Talk rudely again and I'll make you spend a week." He growled. "And don't flatter yourself. You're worse than a dog. You're an omega, and you're wolfless."
The words stung Rue. She gripped the cage tightly, a retort forming on her lips.
Then a loud knock sounded from the door.