Chapter 20 Starve her
I stood frozen in place as Miss Daniella's words echoed in the air. The thought of facing Alpha Jaden again, especially after everything that had happened, sent a chill down my spine one that wasn’t just fear but a sharp reminder of how fragile my human skin felt in this cold, immortal world. Around me, the werewolves’ cold, sharp faces and eyes that glowed faintly with an otherworldly light marked them as something far beyond mortal. Their presence was like a stillness in the air, as if time slowed when they moved, their steps soundless and graceful, predatory shadows slipping through the darkness. My heart, still pounding like a frantic drum, reminded me that I was the only one whose blood pulsed with warm, fleeting life vulnerable and temporary amidst their endless night.
I glanced at Harriet, her smug, bloodied face unsettling in the flickering torchlight of the chamber. Her satisfaction was clear she knew I was about to face his wrath, and her werewolf smile, sharp and cruel like a set of onyx daggers, gleamed with predatory delight. I could already imagine the punishment, the cold fury of Alpha Jaden’s gaze, the weight of his judgment like the crushing silence of a crypt. I had barely survived the last time, and now it seemed I would have to endure it all again survive this cold world where I was the only heartbeat among eternities.
Before I could utter a word, two guards entered the room, summoned by Miss Daniella’s demand. Their tall, lean figures moved with the effortless grace only alphas of age and strength could grant. Their skin was pale as moonlight, almost translucent, with faint veins like delicate blue threads beneath the surface. Their eyes shone with a faint amber glow, cold and piercing, as if able to see right through to my very soul.
"Take her to the Alpha," Miss Daniella ordered, her voice crisp and final, leaving no room for argument. Her eyes briefly flickered to mine, calculating—an immortal predator sizing up fragile prey.
The guards flanked me, each gripping an arm tightly. Their fingers were cold as the grave itself, sending a shiver that traveled deeper than just my skin. I didn’t resist—it would only make things worse. As they dragged me out of the room, I caught Harriet’s triumphant smirk. My blood, warm and quick, boiled beneath my skin, but I kept my face blank. I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break—of showing how human I truly was, exposed and vulnerable in this ruthless immortal world.
The walk to the Alpha’s chambers felt like an eternity. The stone walls seemed to close in, their coldness pressing against me like the weight of my mortality. My mind raced with every possible scenario. Would he punish me harshly for standing up for myself? Or would he finally acknowledge that his pack members were pushing me too far? More than anything, I wished for a sign that beneath the immortal cruelty, there was some flicker of understanding—something that remembered the fragility of a human heart.
The guards shoved the door open, revealing Alpha Jaden seated at his massive desk. His piercing gaze, almost supernatural in its intensity, lifted from the ancient parchments before him, settling on me with a sharpness that made my skin crawl. His eyes were an unnatural shade of midnight, reflecting a hunger and power no human could withstand. His presence filled the room like a dark storm ready to break. He leaned back in his chair, exuding authority and power like a shadow that could swallow light whole.
"What's this about?" Jaden asked, his voice calm but carrying an edge sharp enough to cut through bone. The timbre of his words was like velvet laced with venom—both intoxicating and terrifying.
"This rogue attacked Harriet," one of the guards reported, his tone laced with disdain. "Miss Daniella requested you handle her."
Alpha Jaden’s eyes locked on mine, searching for something beyond the surface. For a moment, his expression was unreadable, then his brow furrowed. "Is that true?" he asked me directly.
I straightened my spine, the human part of me trembling but trying to stand tall against immortal judgment. "She provoked me, humiliated me, and laid her hands on me first. I defended myself."
Jaden’s lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw tightening as if restraining a beast beneath the surface. He turned his attention to the guards. "Bring Harriet here."
The guards hesitated but eventually left the room to retrieve her. The silence that followed was suffocating, the kind of silence that felt alive, like the quiet before a storm. Jaden’s eyes never left me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but his scrutinizing gaze made me uneasy—like a wolf sensing the warmth of a fragile heartbeat, calculating whether to crush it or protect it.
Moments later, Harriet entered, her cheeks still flushed—unnatural for a werewolf, but she wore it like a mask. She looked every bit the victim, her eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears that held a strange unnatural stillness, like they could freeze time itself.
"Alpha," she said, her voice trembling yet practiced, like a siren weaving lies into truth. "I only asked her to unclog the drain, and she attacked me out of nowhere! Look at what she did to my face!"
“Why did you do that?” He asked me.
I flinched slightly, hurt that he decided to choose the wolf over his only human mate, but I didn’t let him see. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hold onto the remnants of my dignity like a fragile candle flame fighting the eternal darkness.
“Why do you think?” I replied, my voice steady despite the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. “She provoked me. I didn’t start it, Jaden. You know I didn’t. I’m done being a punching bag.”
Jaden’s jaw clenched at my words, his back still to me. I could feel his muscles tightening under the sleek black fabric, the anger barely contained like a storm just beneath the surface. But there was something else there too—a hint of frustration, maybe even something like... regret? It was hard to tell, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down. After all, I was human—fallible, exposed, and fighting to survive in a world of immortal predators.
“Harriet doesn’t provoke anyone without cause,” he said, his voice sharper now, colder. “You should’ve ignored her. You’ve been through worse. You’re supposed to be better than this.”
I swallowed hard, his words cutting deeper than I wanted to admit. He was right, in a way. I should’ve walked away. But the thought of Harriet mocking me, of them treating me like nothing more than prey in their endless game… it had pushed me too far.
“I’m not your perfect little slave, Jaden,” I snapped, my words biting as I stepped closer to him. My breath was human—warm and shallow—visible in the cold air between us. “I’m not just some thing you can control. You don’t get to tell me how to react to their cruelty.”
Jaden turned then, his eyes dark and intense, reflecting centuries of power and pain, his expression unreadable. I felt a shiver run down my spine under his gaze, but I didn’t back down.
“You think I want to control you?” His voice was low, dangerous—like a growl rumbling beneath the surface of night. “Is that what you think I’ve been doing all this time?”
I froze, not expecting that response. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of his words. Was he angry? Or was there something more beneath it all?
“You… you’ve treated me like a thing,” I said, my voice quieter now, but still filled with frustration. “A human. A slave. You’ve kept me in a cage. You didn’t care about me, Jaden. You’ve never cared.”
The words left my mouth before I could stop them, and the anger I’d been holding onto for so long spilled out. I felt a sting of regret as soon as I said it, but the bitterness was already out there, and I couldn’t take it back.
For a long moment, Jaden just stared at me, his face expressionless—a mask carved from centuries of darkness. Then, slowly, he stepped toward me. My breath caught in my throat, my heart racing in its fragile human cage.
"I care—but you put this on yourself. I'm gonna break you until you accept being my breeder," he growled, his voice thick with menace and something dangerously close to desire.
“I’m not one of your toys like that Harriet, Jaden, and I won't accept being your sex slave,” I said, my voice breaking slightly as my anger shifted into something more vulnerable—something only a mortal could feel in the presence of immortal power.
Jaden didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he took another step toward me, closing the distance between us. I could feel the heat radiating off his body, a supernatural warmth that both terrified and pulled me in, as his hand hovered near mine—poised between threat and tenderness.
For a brief, intense moment, I thought he might touch me. But instead, he spoke softly, almost as if he was wrestling with his own emotions buried beneath centuries of cold control.
"You going to be starved for three days," he hissed, then turned his attention to the guards.
"Tell Daniella to starve her for three days."