Chapter 11 The Predator’s Game
I walked around all night.
I couldn't sleep. Each time I shut my eyes, Ryker popped up on that screen, covered in blood. Those silver spikes stuck through his shoulders kept flashing back.
Save your strength, Freya snapped inside my head - rushing won't help. Moving fast just wastes time. Stalking prey means waiting quietly.
I'm not out chasing anything, I said softly into the silence. I can't move - I'm stuck here
You’re stuck only when you act like helpless prey, Freya snapped. Because he’s on his way - Kade believes you belong to him now. But show him that idea’s dead wrong.
I stared at the mirror on the dresser. Hours went by while I rubbed the metal brush’s handle on the bathroom floor - back and forth, slow and steady. Not a blade, sure, but pointy enough to stab someone in the eye. Slid it under the cuff of this stiff white gown the guards shoved me into.
The dress felt like a slap. Sheer, weak - almost naive - it clung awkwardly. Meant to paint me as someone pure about to be thrown into chaos.
Beep.
The latch of the metal door snapped shut.
I froze. Right there in the middle of the room, hands held tight - just to cover how they shook.
Hold on, Freya said. Don’t give him a chance to sense what you’re feeling. Instead, catch his scent first.
The door opened.
Alpha Kade stepped inside.
He seemed annoyingly flawless. After freshening up, he slipped on a navy-blue suit - same shade as his eyes. In one hand, he carried white roses, neatly arranged.
He seemed ready to take me out on a night under the stars, yet it was anything but - more like a locked-down match made by rules I never agreed to.
The door shut after he left. Now it was just us.
Kade grinned - half-dazed, almost dreaming. His expression hung there, blurry like old film.
Elara,” he said, barely above a whisper, gaze moving slow across me in that thin dress. You’re stunning - really. He paused, then added, white was always your color, way more than black ever was
Hello, Kade," I muttered, tone dull.
He moved toward the little table, placing the blooms gently on top. "Got these for you - figured you’d enjoy roses."
"I like freedom," I said. "Did you bring that?"
Kade’s smile faltered. He sighed, running a hand through his golden hair. "You're still angry. I understand. You’ve been through a lot. Ryker... he brainwashed you. He turned you against your own pack."
"Ryker is my husband," I said coldly.
"Ryker is a corpse walking!" Kade snapped. The nice guy mask slipped for a second. "He is in the pit, Elara. He is going to die there. Forget him."
He moved closer. Yet I stayed put, though every instinct said run.
"I did this for us," Kade said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Don't you see? The Emperor promised me. If we produce an heir - a strong pup with your bloodline - he will let us go back to Silver River. We can rule together. You will be my Luna. It’s what you always wanted."
I looked at him. In truth, he bought into it completely. His pride had clouded everything - so much that he didn’t notice we were stuck in the same trap.
"You rejected me," I reminded him. "In front of everyone."
"I made a mistake!" Kade shouted. He closed the distance between us, grabbing my shoulders. "I admitted it! I’m an Alpha, Elara. I’m allowed to make mistakes. But I’m fixing it. I’m here to claim you. To mark you properly."
He bent close, pressing his face into my shoulder. Then he breathed in slow.
"You still smell like him," Kade growled, disgust coloring his tone. "Like blood and dirt. I’m going to scrub that scent off you."
His hands moved down my arms, then grabbed my waist. After that, he yanked me close - his hips pressed into mine. I felt it - the hardness there. That’s when nausea climbed up my throat.
Right now? I said to Freya.
Not just now, she murmured. So he settles in. Maybe he believes it’s over.
I made myself go loose. But I stayed right there, not moving back. Then I peeked up at him from under my eyelids.
Kade," I whispered, kinda quiet-like.
He stiffened, caught off guard by how fast I gave in. His gaze dropped to mine, a spark of hope flickering in his stare. "Yeah?"
"If I do this..." I paused, letting my voice tremble. "If I let you mark me... will you promise me something?"
"Anything," Kade swore. "I will give you the world, Elara."
"I don't want the world," I whispered. I raised my hand, resting it on his chest, right over his heart. "I want you to tell the Emperor to stop torturing Ryker. Kill him if you must. But stop the torture."
Kade's gaze turned cold, edged with envy. "Still got feelings for that guy?"
"I pity him," I lied smoothly. "He is a monster. Monsters should be put down, not played with."
Kade smirked. It stroked his ego to hear me call Ryker a monster. "Fine. Once we are mated, I will ask the Emperor to execute him. Just for you."
Thanks,” I said softly.
Kade gave in - his mouth slammed into mine.
It felt damp, heavy. Kissed me as though I belonged to him. His tongue pushed into my mouth. One hand wandered down my spine, feeling around, trying to find where the dress zipped up.
I just stayed put, lifeless, while he leaned in to kiss me.
Ugly, Freya hissed. Finish it off.
Kade stepped away, gasping for air. His gaze was hazy, full of desire. "You belong to me now, Elara. At last."
His hand slid toward the edge of my dress. Then, without warning, he meant to tear it open.
"Wait," I whispered.
"No more waiting," Kade growled.
"I want to see you," I said. "Take off your jacket."
Kade blinked. After that, he smiled. "Excited?"
He dropped my arm and slipped out of his jacket. It hit the ground without a sound. After that, he tugged at his necktie to loosen it.
He got sidetracked - yet still acted sure of himself, though deep down he wasn’t holding it together.
NOW! Freya screamed.
When Kade came toward me once more, I stayed put - then stepped ahead.
I pulled the pointed metal rod from my brush - slipped it free from inside my sleeve.
Kade stretched out his arms, reaching for a hug.
I jammed the iron rod into his shoulder.
I went for the tender area just below the neck, near the shoulder - exactly where those nerves bundled up.
"ARGH!"
Kade yelled out loud. Not mad - just totally stunned, his voice cracked high-pitched. Instead of rage, surprise shot through him like ice water.
He staggered backward, hand tight on his throat - blood sprayed across the clean white fabric of his shirt.
You're a liar!" he choked out, looking at me like I'd stabbed him in the back.
I didn't stop.
The second he tripped, I handed control to Freya.
I stayed put - shifting wasn’t an option, the room blocked it - but claws weren’t necessary. Anger was enough.
I took the thick glass vase full of pale roses off the table. Right before Kade got his balance back, I hurled it as hard as I could.
CRASH.
The vase smashed into his temple. Water sprayed out - glass shards flew - roses scattered across the floor.
Kade hit the ground like a heavy bag. Groaning, he lay there dazed - blood streamed from his head, while more seeped through his shirt near the shoulder.
I stood above him, gasping for air. His blood had sprayed across my white dress.
You..." Kade mumbled, stumbling back. "Man’s wild...
I moved toward him. Then I struck his side with a strong kick. Right away, he gasped, folding himself up tight.
I bent low beside him. Then I caught a fistful of his blond hair, jerking his face up - eyes locked on mine.
His eyes - blue, wide with fear - locked onto mine. At last, he noticed me. Not some trophy. Not just prey.
The Queen.
Look at me, Kade," I said real quiet. My words shook with a deep, edgy tone - just like that inner sound.
"You rejected me because I was weak," I hissed. "But you forgot one thing. I learned how to survive from Ryker."
I moved in close, my mouth grazing his cut ear.
"If you ever touch me again," I promised, "I won't use a hairbrush. I will use my teeth. And I will rip your throat out."
Kade whimpered.
I got to my feet. Then I moved toward the exit, knocking hard.
"GUARD!" I shouted. "Get this trash out of my room! He’s bleeding on the carpet!"
The door swung open right away. Then, two Royal Guards charged inside, guns ready. Yet they froze once spotting what was there.
The frail one stood straight, soaked in red stuff. Meanwhile, the tough guy bawled on the ground, surrounded by shattered shards.
"He tripped," I said coldly, meeting the guard's eyes. "Take him to the infirmary. And tell the Emperor I am not in the mood for visitors."
The guards stared at me differently - like they were scared, but careful now. Instead of ignoring me, they yanked Kade up by his wrists and hauled him away fast.
"Elara!" Kade sobbed as he was dragged away. "You'll pay for this! Valen will make you pay!"
The door banged closed.
I found myself by my own once more.
I dropped down when my legs just quit. The bed took me in, fingers jittering like crazy.
Good job, Freya whispered inside my head - felt nice.
“He’ll return,” I said softly, cleaning Kade’s blood from my skin. Yet Valen’s gonna hate it
Let them come," Freya said. "We’ve got a bit of time now - so go check under the bed.
"What?" I asked.
The loose rock - Freya said so. As you walked back and forth, a breeze hit my nose. Under the bed, one stone shifts. Another person came through earlier. That one wanted out.
My heart missed a step.
I fell onto my knees, then crept beneath the huge bed frame. My fingertips brushed the chilly stone, just past where the rug ended.
There.
A single rock sat crooked. Yet I jammed my nails into the gap, yanking hard. Though weighty, it shifted loose.
Beneath the stone sat a tiny, shadowy gap. Not a single item rested inside - just one object lingered.
A tiny, wrinkled scrap of paper.
I took it out, then spread it open - old paper, stained and pale. Three words stared back at me, scrawled wild, like someone panicking:
THE SEWERS. MIDNIGHT.
Beneath it sat a name - froze me straight through.
\- Adrian Vale.
Ryker's dad. Used to lead the Blood Moon crew. Thought he’d passed quietly in bed two decades back.
He’d stood right here before - trapped inside these very walls. Once locked up, stuck in this same cramped space.
He’d figured out an escape route.