Chapter 21: You lied to me

Rue's heart slammed with terror as the warriors dragged her into Thane's room.

Her eyes darted around, searching for him. Then she found him. He stood in the shadows, away from the light. His eyes glowed eerie red, fixed on her.

"Leave us." He commanded. His voice sounded different, deeper, like something out of the ordinary.

Rue watched the warriors leave, wishing she could go after him. With her back pressed against the wall, she watched as the massive doors shut close, trapping her inside and sealing her fate.

Her breath came out shaky as she turned and stared at Thane. He remained in the shadows, just staring at her in a way that unnerved her.

Then he moved, stepping into the light. His red eyes found her. Wild, feral and hungry. He had never looked at her that way.

This wasn't Thane, the man that had breakfast with her and held her hand. This was a totally different person.

He walked towards her, a predator sizing up its prey. His muscles rippled beneath the royal robe he had on, torso gleaming like polished marble.

Moving slowly, he peeled off the robe and tossed it aside. Now he stood before her in just a pair of dark pants.

"Do you know why you're here, Rue?" He asked. He spoke calmly, but his voice sent fear through her. This was the first time she felt real fear towards him.

She shook her head.

"Use your words."

"No." She whispered.

He moved closer until he closed the space between them. His body brushed against hers, and through her fear, she felt something else bloom at the pit of her stomach. A low heat that made her thighs tremble.

"You lied to me." He said.

A soft frown creased her brows. "I don't understand."

"I know you're not an omega."

Her eyes widened in complete shock. How did he find out?

"Rue Lowell, princess of Bloodhound pack and heir to the throne." Thane went on. "Accused of murdering her parents."

She shut her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks, but Thane firmly held her jaw and lifted her head.

"Look at me." He murmured.

She breathed shakily and opened her eyes. He looked possessed, his eyes roaming over her face and down her body. Beads of sweat dripped down the side of his face.

"Do you know the punishment for lying to an Alpha, Rue?" He asked next.

Rue swallowed and nodded. "Yes." Of course she knew. Yolanda had told her about it.

"Say it." He whispered in her ear.

Shivering from the warmth of his breath, Rue turned her head to the side. "Death. But I didn't mean to lie. I was just..."

He pressed a finger on her lips, silencing her. "It's a little too late for that."

Her tears flowed freely as she looked at him. "Please, I beg you. Don't kill me."

Thane reared back in surprise. "Kill you? No, I have no plans of killing you."

Rue felt relief for a moment. He wasn't going to kill her. Then what did he want?

"You're not... going to kill me?"

He ran a finger over her lower lip, then down the curve of her throat to the soft swell of her breasts.

He ran his finger over her nipple in a circle, and she gasped, surprised at the sensation.

Before he could tell her what he wanted to do, a loud, shrill scream echoed from outside the castle.

He turned towards the window sharply, his expression turning serious. The lust faded from his eyes, replaced with a deadly rage.

He looked back at Rue and moved away from her.

"Wait here." He ordered, moving towards the window. Right there in the middle of the courtyard, several creatures moved in the dark.

He recognized them instantly. Skinwalkers. They were back.

Henry's panicked voice suddenly echoed through the mind link.

\[Alpha, we're under attack!\]

\[Gather the warriors and wait for me. I want the harem and the rest of the kingdom projected.\] Thane ordered.

\[Yes,Alpha.\] Henry replied and swiftly closed the link.

Then Thane moved quickly, grabbing his shirt from the bed and his belt which held his daggers.

As he walked towards the door, he paused and cupped Rue's chin.

"The kingdom is under attack." He said. "Wait here. Don't step out no matter what."

Rue nodded rapidly. "Okay."

He released her and stepped outside. A moment later, she heard the lock click as he locked her inside.

She ran to the window and peeked through the window, wanting to catch a glimpse of the creatures.

Screams echoed, followed by guttural snarls. Terror seized her as she leaned against the window and strained her neck to see, yet all she saw was darkness.

Giving in to her curiosity and disobeying Thane's instruction, she opened the door that led to the terrace and stepped out. Strangely, the moon in the sky looked strange. It had a reddish tint, making the sky eerie.

She crawled on hands and knees towards the edge of the terrace and peeked out. And she saw them, the same creature she saw the night she tried to escape.

Misshapen and contorted figures with sharp claws and teeth. She spotted Thane as he fought with one of them. She had only seen his wolf form twice, but she would know it everywhere.

She started to retreat when one of the creatures looked towards her direction suddenly. It seemed to sense her presence, and it roared in her direction.

Rue realized it had seen her. The moment the creature lunged towards the terrace, she turned and fled back to the room.

She was just about to reach the room when the creature burst out and landed on the terrace. Its weight shook the landing as it bounded towards her.

Rue saw her life flash before her eyes. She tried to scramble away, but fear had seized her limbs. She couldn't move.

The creature towered about her, its twisted form leering closer. It lifted its claws to strike her, and Rue screamed the first name that came to her mind.

"THANE!"

From where he was fighting the other creatures, Thane froze and looked up. He had clearly heard Rue's voice.

When he saw the creature up on the terrace, he let out a terrifying growl. He turned, crouched low and leaped upwards.

Unaware that he had come to save her, Rue struggled with the creature as it tried to snap its teeth around her throat.

One of its claws pierced her shoulder, ripping a scream of pain from her.

In that split second, her eyes flashed a bright gold. The creature convulsed above her and splattered into a mass of black blood.

Thane, who had been so close to saving her, witnessed the whole thing. He saw the glow in her eyes before it dimmed out, and he stood frozen, shocked at the sight of it.

As for Rue, the pain in her shoulder made her dizzy. She tried to get up, but her vision faded as she fell unconscious.

The last thing she saw was Thane lifting her into his arms.