Chapter 14 014
~LYKA~
“You are going to kill me if I don’t kill her?” I asked, repeating what he had just said, and I immediately felt a strange wave of awkwardness crawl over me. The words tasted bitter in my mouth as they left my lips, and my throat felt dry.
So this man wanted me to kill his loyal subject with my own hands.
Did he really have no fear?
No hesitation?
No conscience at all?
My skin prickled with goosebumps as I stared into the cold, dark eyes of the Alpha Demon. They were emotionless, void of warmth, as though he were looking at something disposable instead of a living, breathing person. There had always been rumors about him....whispers of cruelty, tales of a heart carved from ice....but I had never truly believed them.
Not until now.
The rumors were true.
He wasn’t just cruel.
He was heartless.
No… he was worse than that.
He was truly the devil’s reincarnation.
“You can’t do it, right? I thought as much,” he said calmly, his voice laced with mockery, as though this entire situation amused him.
I clenched my jaw and slowly released the girl, stepping back as my hand fell to my side. There was no way I was going to kill her. I had never planned to. I only wanted to scare him....wanted to force his hand so he would let my people go.
But as always, I had chosen the wrong move.
I always did.
Just like that night.
The memory crashed into me without warning....the night my pack burned, flames devouring everything I had ever known. The painful growls of my people echoed in my ears, their cries following me even as I ran. I had been escaping while they were dying.
I had failed them then.
And now… I had failed them again.
“Please… let them go!” I pleaded, dropping to my knees without thinking. The cold ground bit into my skin, but I didn’t care. Pride meant nothing anymore.
The man chuckled at my words, the sound sharp and cruel.
I could hear the gasps from my pack members behind me. Shock rippled through them as they watched me kneel before the Alpha. I was a princess....once. A fallen one now, reduced to begging for mercy.
“I never thought I was going....” I started, but the words caught in my throat.
‘Mate is cruel,’ Elysia purred sadly in my head, her voice heavy with disappointment.
I scoffed bitterly. Why did it take her so long to realize that?
“You failed your members,” he said coldly, his voice cutting through my thoughts, “and do you know why?”
I looked up at him slowly, my heart pounding.
“Because you are too greedy,” he continued. “Too greedy for escape that you couldn’t even assess their strength.”
My gaze shifted around us, and my chest tightened painfully. He wasn’t lying. Many of them were injured, their bodies bearing the marks of suffering. As shapeshifters, silver was our greatest weakness. Being chained with it for too long slowed our healing, leaving wounds that lingered, scars that never fully faded.
“I… I was not thoughtful,” I admitted quietly, biting my lip as guilt crushed my chest.
He walked toward me then, his presence overwhelming. Before I could react, his hands wrapped around me, pulling me up to my feet.
I shivered violently when his hands came into contact with my body. A soft, traitorous moan almost escaped my lips, but I forced it down, clenching my jaw hard. That couldn’t happen. I couldn’t let him see that he had any effect on me.
But Elysia?
She was practically celebrating.
Wasn’t she just cursing him moments ago?
“If you are thinking of escaping again,” he murmured close to my face, “just think of how much you’ll miss out on seeing this face.”
I hissed in disgust, narrowing my eyes at him. The audacity. The arrogance.
I never imagined that a man feared across the entire country, a man whose rage was sung about in hushed tones, could be this petty and self-absorbed.
He surprised me… in the worst way possible.
“Don’t worry,” I said flatly, forcing myself to meet his gaze, “I wouldn’t dare run when you’re holding such a huge leverage over me.”
My eyes flicked to Phoebe, who was restrained by the guards. My chest tightened, and I let out a quiet sigh.
“That’s good,” he replied, clearly pleased. “Looks like you and I are finally starting to see things the same way.”
I rolled my eyes as he gestured for his men to lead my pack members away. But my eyes twitched when I noticed Aiden limping, his movements sluggish.
“What happened to you?!” I yelled, rushing to his side without thinking.
My eyes widened in horror when I saw his swollen ankle. The skin was bruised, angry red and purple, and I knew immediately what had caused it....the silver chains wrapped around him for too long.
My heart ached.
“Are you okay, Aiden?” I asked frantically, cupping his face, scanning him desperately for more injuries.
But before he could answer, Derrick’s thunderous voice boomed behind me.
“Let go of him this instant!”
I jerked away with a shriek, fear ripping through me like lightning. Every organ in my body trembled. Even my wolf cowered at the sound of his voice. I wasn’t the only one affected....everyone froze.
Why was he so angry?
What had I done now?
I stepped away from Aiden quickly as a deep growl echoed behind me. That wasn’t Derrick.
That was his wolf.
Elysia must have sensed her mate’s reaction too because she was suddenly over the moon, giggling excitedly inside my head.
That simp!
“Looks like I interrupted a happy reunion,” he said sarcastically.
I forced an awkward smile, though my unease grew. Something felt off. He ordered the guards to lead them away, but my chest remained heavy.
“Stay in your room,” he commanded, “watch, and patiently wait for my order. And do not think of....”
He stopped abruptly, his attention shifting to a man approaching us. Without another word, he instructed the guards to take me back to my room.
“Let’s go,” the guards said.
This time, I didn’t resist.
I followed them quietly, exhaustion weighing me down. The room they led me to was different from the previous one, but I barely noticed. I didn’t bother assessing it. I was too tired.... physically, emotionally, spiritually.
I watched silently as the maids cleaned the room, then I sighed deeply.
There was no way I was leaving this pack. Not anymore.
It was better to accept my fate.
“Maybe staying here won’t be so bad after all…” I murmured to myself. “There’s nowhere for me to return to anyway.”
I sat on the bed, lost in thought, when a sudden knock jolted me back to reality.
I walked to the door and opened it, only to find several maids entering the room. My stomach tightened instantly.
“We are here to prepare you for the night,” one of them said, bowing slightly, “as you must serve the Alpha.”
My heart skipped violently.
“What did you just say?” I asked slowly, dread crawling up my spine.
“You heard me right, ma’am,” she replied calmly. “We are here to prepare you so you can serve the Alpha.”
My nose flared in anger.
“Serve him?!” I exclaimed, clenching my fists as fury bubbled inside me.
I cursed inwardly.
What the hell is that Demon thinking?!