Chapter 7 Prize in Prison
Varek
I’m seething as I walk back to my commanders. That princess is far more wily than I’d been giving her credit for. Well, I suppose I’ll have to keep that in mind before I allow anyone else to approach her for any reason.
“Well done, Alpha,” Lucien says when I rejoin the small group that was about to meet to discuss the journey back home. “No one else could’ve captured her.”
I ignore him because I’m not in the mood to have my ass kissed right now. Seldom do I care for my cousin’s banter. “We need to let the men rest,” I say to the others. “We’ll let them camp here. All lead commanders will stay. The advisors and the royal guard will continue on the way to the castle. I don’t want to leave our prize out in the open any longer than necessary. I won’t sleep until she’s locked up safe and sound in Snowfall Castle.”
“Yes, Alpha,” all of my commanders say together. Ronan and Lucien stay with me as I go to order the cart hauling the princess to move out.
Once they are on the road, I tell the commander of the royal guard, Starky, that we are heading out. We all shift and accompany the carriage as it continues to climb up the mountain.
If we were running without the carriage, which is being pulled by enormous draft horses, we could make this trek in less than three hours, but with the cumbersome carriage, it will take twice as long. The weather is worsening. Flakes of snow mingle with ice and ping off my fur as we continue to climb. I will not complain, and neither will any of the wolves with me because they understand the importance of this mission. The princess almost escaped once; we cannot allow it to happen again.
My wolf takes over, and I let him. It’s far easier to run up the mountainside without my human consciousness noting every detail. Everything is a blur as my wolf's paws step steadily from one rocky patch to another.
While my wolf navigates, my mind wanders to the scene in the castle. I honestly didn’t think it was going to be so easy, taking the princess from her homeland. But it was one of the simpler tasks we’ve ever completed. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the fear in her eyes when my wolf stood before her, lowering my head to look into her jade eyes. She tried to hide it, to pretend like she was strong, but it was quite clear to me she was afraid–as she should have been.
Well, I won’t allow her to lose that fear. I will dominate and command her in every way. She is a strong woman, a proud woman, one who has trained as a warrior. I will break her–and I will enjoy every moment of it.
The sun’s first rays light the sky in the distance as Snowfall Castle comes into view. Up here, the air is thin, the wind is wild, and the temperature is frigid. She will hate it here, and that makes me laugh as best I can in my wolf form.
“Take her around her back,” I tell the carriage driver. We enter through the high castle gates, met by dozens of guards, and I follow. I can’t allow anyone else to fuck this up.
So… I trail behind, and when they arrive at the back of the castle where the door closest to the dungeon is located, I shift and hurriedly throw on some clothes one of the guards who was left at the castle hands me.
The princess is grabbed by her wrists and dragged from the carriage roughly. She jerks her arms, trying to break free, but my men are far stronger than her, especially in her near frozen state. She has ice hanging from her hair, and her flesh is as pale as snow.
I hope I didn’t fuck around and give her hypothermia.
“Take her to the dungeon,” I order. She turns and looks at me, her eyes wild and glowing. Every footstep into the castle is a fight; Every stair down into the dungeon, she fights. She’s full of piss and vinegar, and it makes me roar with laughter.
She’s taken to a cell and tossed inside. I follow her, and the guards close the gates behind us. I reach out my hand, and the keys to her cuffs are dropped into my palm. I unhook them. She stares at me with a death wish in her eyes. “I’ll have the healer come check on you,” I say.
“Don’t bother,” she spits. “I’m fine.”
“You look like death. You’re freezing.”
“Whose fucking fault is that?” She glares at me.
Part of me wants to press her up against the stone wall behind her and remind her who the boss is here, but I don’t. I only laugh, and it drives her mad. “From now on, everything that happens to you will be my fault, and I will revel in the knowledge that you find me unbearable, Princess.”
She bares her teeth at me, but she says nothing more. She’s shivering, and her knees keep buckling like she will soon collapse.
I turn to go, knowing the sooner I’m away, the more quickly the healer can get here to take a look at her. Hopefully, she just needs to be warmed up and eat something, but if I’ve done any permanent damage, I will regret it. She’s not nearly as valuable missing fingers and toes.
The guards open the gate to let me out, and she rushes them, trying to force her way around me. I don’t know where she thinks she’s going to go, especially when she’s half frozen. I easily grab her shoulder and pull her back, shoving her behind me. She stumbles but doesn’t fall. Once I’m out, I take the keys and lock her cell myself. “I’ll see you soon, Princess Fiona.”
“Burn in hell, you fucking devil!” she spits.
All I can do is grin at her. “You know me better than you should, it seems.” I look into her defiant green eyes. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you.”
She spits at me and misses. I smile at her one more time and then turn to go. I’ve brought my prize home, but it’s not time to play with her. Not yet. Soon.