Chapter 13 never surrender to you
When the Alpha moved more closer, the knife trembled in my hand, but I didn't let it drop. My chest heaved as I stood my ground, glaring at the Alpha. His eyes bore into mine, sharp and calculating, as though he was deciding whether I was worth the effort of subduing or breaking.
The room felt colder under his gaze, as if his very presence sucked the warmth from the air. His skin, pale and almost translucent under the dim light, seemed to shimmer faintly like the thin sheen of frost on glass. A subtle pulse throbbed at his temples, the telltale sign of a predator whose thirst simmered just beneath the surface. My own heart pounded fiercely, blood rushing through my veins, reminding me how fragile I was among these creatures of night.
"I won't go back," I growled, my voice shaking but determined. The tremor wasn’t just fear, it was the strain of being the only human here, flesh and bone surrounded by werewolves whose strength was unnatural, whose senses were razor-sharp. "I'll fight until my last breath before I let you or anyone else control me."
His smile faded, replaced by a cold, stoic mask. "You're brave," he said flatly, his tone devoid of emotion. "Braver than most. But bravery doesn't mean much here." He stepped forward, and I instinctively took a step back, only to feel the solid presence of the guards closing in behind me.
The guards themselves moved with an eerie, silent precision. Their eyes gleamed faintly red in the shadows, their elongated canines flashing briefly as their lips parted in silent snarls. I swallowed hard, the dryness in my throat threatening to choke me. My skin prickled, every instinct screaming at me to flee, even though I had nowhere to go.
"Stay back!" I shouted, thrusting the knife out in front of me. "I swear I'II—"
"You'll what?" Jaden interrupted, his voice laced with a chilling calm. "Kill me? Stab a guard? Run?" He shook his head, almost pityingly. "You're playing a dangerous game. Do you even know what you're up against?"
His voice was hypnotic, calm, but carrying the weight of centuries. I could feel his power pressing down on me like a heavy cloak, suffocating in its intensity. The faintest scent of iron and something darker like blood mixed with nightshade wafted from him. I tightened my grip on the blade, ignoring the sweat slicking my palms.
"I know enough," I spat. "Enough to know I'm not staying here. Not for you. Not for anyone. You don’t deserve me."
A flicker of irritation crossed his face, but it was gone just as quickly. He raised a hand, and the guards behind me halted, their boots scuffing against the floor as they waited for his command.
"You think you're strong," he said, taking another step closer. His eyes glinted with an unholy light, sharp and almost glowing in the dimness. "But strength isn't about waving a dull knife around or screaming defiance in the face of power. Strength is knowing when to fight... and when to surrender. I also don’t deserve a person like you and in the end you will be submitting to me, begging for my mercy."
I clenched my jaw, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it. My pulse raced in my ears a painfully human rhythm while his beat was steady, cold, and unyielding like a drum in the darkness.
"I'll never surrender to you and I will never beg you."
"Good," he said, his tone shifting unexpectedly. There was almost a hint of approval in his voice, though it was laced with something darker. "I don't want you to surrender, not right now. I want you to survive and I break you till you will beg me to kill you."
The words caught me off guard, but I didn't dare lower the knife. The blade felt heavy in my hand, almost like an extension of my will. "What does that mean?"
"Will you kill me before or after using me as your whore?"
Jaden tilted his head, studying me like I was some sort of puzzle. His eyes glowed brighter for a moment, reflecting a deep, ancient hunger I couldn’t hope to satisfy. The scent of death and power clung to him, making my stomach churn.
"You have no right to ask me such questions." He spoke then he gestured toward the guards. "Take her in my premises. Take her. Carefully. No bruises, she has had enough for tonight."
"No!" I shouted, swinging the knife wildly as the guards closed in. One of them lunged, and I slashed at his arm, drawing blood. His skin was unnaturally pale, and the scarlet that welled from the wound looked almost like molten rubies against his ghostly flesh. He hissed in pain but didn't stop. Another grabbed my wrist, twisting it until the knife clattered to the floor.
I thrashed and kicked, but they were too strong. They pinned my arms behind me, forcing me to my knees in front of Jaden.
He crouched down, his face inches from mine, and for the first time, I saw something behind his cold demeanor, a flicker of frustration... and maybe curiosity.
His breath was cold against my skin, like a winter wind. The faint metallic scent of blood mixed with a musky undertone of something older, more primal. I shivered not from fear, but from the strange allure that came with his presence, the magnetic pull that no human should ever feel toward a creature like him.
"You'll learn," he said quietly, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "One way or another, you'll learn to be submissive. But how hard that lesson is depends on you."
I glared at him, my breathing ragged. My own warmth seemed insignificant compared to the chill radiating off his body, but I refused to show it. "You can try to break me, but you won't succeed."
He smirked faintly, standing back up.
"We'll see." I hissed at him.
With a wave of his hand, the guards hoisted me to my feet and began dragging me back toward the stairs. I kicked and screamed, but it was no use.
As they pulled me away, I craned my neck to look back at Jaden. He stood there, watching me with an unreadable expression, his silhouette framed by the dim, flickering lights of the hellish place I now realized was a fortress as much as a prison.
For a moment, I wondered if this was it if this was where my fight would end. But no. Deep down, I knew I wasn't done.
Not yet.
Whatever game Jaden thought he was playing, he hadn't won. And I would make sure he never did.
And I won’t accept breeding for him.
He doesn't even deserve a mate.
The guards shoved me roughly down the hallway, their grip like iron, and every step felt like it took me deeper into the heart of this nightmare. The harsh sounds of the building echoed around us laughter, shouting, the clinking of bottles, and the endless bass of the music. It was as though the whole place was alive with an energy I couldn't comprehend. The walls seemed to close in around me with each step, and every part of me screamed to fight back, to claw my way out of their grasp.
But I knew better than to struggle now. It would only make things worse.
They dragged me through a set of double doors and into a lavishly furnished room a stark contrast to the cold, sterile corridors. The floors were polished wood, the furniture plush and ornate. It was a room that screamed power, and in the center of it all sat Jaden.
His chair was the focal point of the space, dark leather that seemed to swallow him up as he leaned back, his fingers steepled in front of him. He didn’t move as the guards dragged me to the center of the room.
I fought the urge to cringe, but my stomach twisted. Jaden was waiting for me, his eyes never leaving my face.
“Lock the door,” he ordered. The guards did as commanded, and the sound of the heavy door clicking shut echoed in the room like a final sentence.
I was alone with him now.
His eyes glinted as he stood up, slowly making his way toward me, his every step deliberate and predatory. The faintest clicking of his polished boots against the wood echoed like a heartbeat slow, measured, deadly.
"You're a fighter," he said, his voice a soft murmur that seemed to fill the entire room. "I respect that. But you need to understand something."
He reached out, his fingers brushing my cheek gently, and I recoiled instinctively, my body tensing. His skin was unnervingly cold, like touching a marble statue yet there was a strange softness beneath it. He ignored my recoil, his touch still lingering for just a moment before he dropped his hand to his side.
"You can keep fighting me," he said, his voice low and almost hypnotic. "But you will lose. The sooner you accept that, the less pain you'll endure."
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself not to react. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much his words affected me.
"I'm not like the others," I spat, my voice rough but firm. "I won't bend. Not for you."
Jaden's lips curled into a smile, one that was both amused and dangerous. "You're right. You're not like the others. But you're here, aren't you? And you're not leaving." He stepped back, pacing in front of me. The subtle sound of his breath slightly faster now reminded me that even werewolves felt anticipation.
"I could make this easy for you. A life of luxury, comfort, no more fighting. Just accept your place, and I’ll make sure you live well. I will make sure you don't live with other humans I captured."
The thought of it made my stomach turn. "I'd rather die than be your puppet," I shot back, my voice steady despite the fear threatening to overwhelm me.
His smile faltered for a brief.