Chapter 04

SCARLETT

I didn’t know how much time passed before I was finally able to open my eyes and stare at the high ceiling above me. I frowned, why was the ceiling so high? I noticed the greek designs on the corner of the ceiling with yellow neon lights illuminating them.

I moved a little to feel something. Everything was a dull ache. My body was not hurting, and my senses seemed to be dead.

I kept staring at the white-painted ceiling before things started to make sense again. I was attacked, and no room in the packhouse had a white high ceiling.

Horror struck me. I finally sat up and looked around the unfamiliar room. There were four huge pillars around the bed I was lying in. My eyes took in the satin grey sheets and then the lamps placed on the side tables. There was only a huge oak door to my left and nothing else. Slowly, I looked at the other side. My eyes landed on the huge glass wall with greyish edges. I ran my gaze over the glass wall and finally stopped on the man standing with his back against the wall in the corner.

My heart leaped to my throat when my gaze settled on the dark pair of eyes. He was looking at me, and he was not moving.

This must be another one of those dreams where I kept seeing him. It had to be.

“ Does it hurt, Darling? ” He asked in his deep voice.

No, no, no.

I never heard his voice in dreams. Gasping, I tried to get down from the bed. My hands felt a harsh tug. My horrified gaze moved toward my left wrist. I took notice of the shackle around it which lead to the floor beside the side table. Then, I looked at my other hand and found that it was also bound.

My body started to shiver from the intensity of the fear and hate I felt at the same time.

Before I could start crying or yell at him, I regained my weak memories of what I had seen before I fainted.

“ Rush…” I gasped, tears pooling in my eyes.

“ You are still thinking about him? ” He clicked his tongue.

My lungs started to ache as I recalled the look in his eyes as this monster tore his arm. My body started to tremble worse than before. I tried to breathe, but it hurt too much. And my heart was about to give up on me.

“ I didn’t kill him. ” He kept talking, but I was not listening.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe a word coming from him.

He killed my parents in a war and now, I was here, tied in a bed and he stood there in a white button-up shirt and grey pants telling me that he didn’t kill the man I loved.

My chest tightened at the thought of losing one thing that kept me alive all this time. I sobbed, pulling at the restraints. No matter how hard I tried, my hands couldn’t reach my cheeks and I couldn’t break out of the chains.

I sensed him moving and instantly pushed myself back into the bed. I was shocked, hurt, and confused.

What was happening? Why was it happening? How did he take me with him?

I didn’t want to believe it was anything other than a dream but when he placed his left knee on the bed, the bubble of my disbelief shattered.

It was all real. I was here. And he was here.

“ Don’t do it. You will end up hurting yourself. ” He spoke, reaching out to my hand which was placed over the bed.

I dug my heels into the mattress and pushed myself back. “ DON’T TOUCH ME! ”

He paused, amusement lightning up the dark globes. His lips curled up at the corners, causing bile to rise into my mouth.

‘ Mate… ’ The same voice sounded in my head.

I sucked in a breath and tried to exhale but it was impossible. The voice had sounded so loud and clear. There was no mistaking it for my imagination.

“ The chains are only there until you learn to behave and don’t cause harm to anyone. ” He rolled his shoulders, staring at me.

“ I WILL KILL YOU! ” I screamed at the top of my lungs when I couldn’t even get my wrists out of the chains.

My breath was knocked out of my lungs when the realization dawned upon me. Why was I not able to do something so easy? Why couldn’t I use my strength?

“ What did you do to me? ” My voice dropped to a whisper.

“ Nothing permanent. Just some potions to heal you, and suppress your scent, and abilities. Things will become easy for you like this. ” He tilted his head to the right and his hand reached out to my cheek this time.

I held my breath, watching him. His forefinger landed on my cheek and I felt my stomach twisting in knots. Electric currents were shooting down my body in waves.

He dragged his forefinger down my cheek, to my chin, to my neck. I shivered, my lips parting with the little touch.

“ You are so beautiful. ” He whispered.

My heart skipped a beat of terror. I shook my head, wanting to have his filthy hand away from me.

“ Kill me! And get this over with. ” I hissed, my glare burning into his dark globes.

“ You think I went through so much trouble and brought you into my room…to kill you? ” He huffed, a sly smirk on his lips.

“ What do you want? ” My heart was weak with grief. I couldn’t handle another blow.

It couldn’t possibly be what I was thinking.

“ Your reaction is different from what I was expecting. ” He ran his hand through his dark hair. “ it’s almost like you know why you are here, in my bed. ”

I had a hunch but I didn't want to believe it. The voice had to be lying. It was not possible. What was even that voice? My wolf? Was I finally getting one?

“ You are my mate, Scarlett Rivera. And I don’t plan on killing you. ” He broke the last bubble of little hope I had left.

I shook my head, tears blurring my vision.

Mates were sacred, and a blessing. When you finally met your mate, you were supposed to be bounded to them for life. Hurting them would kill you. Rejecting them would drive you to madness. It was a strong bond, one that you had to carry with you your whole life.

“ You killed my parents. It’s not possible. Moon Goddess would never… ” Do this to me.

“ You don’t sound shocked. Rather disappointed. ” He arched his brow. “ why is that? Did you recognize me already? ”

“ No! ” I shouted. “ You are not my mate! ”

“ How can you recognize me when you don’t have a wolf? ” He was not listening. He couldn’t be my mate!

“ Did your Mom and Dad perhaps get your birth date wrong? ” He frowned.

I panted, tears flowing from my eyes without any control. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to disappear.

“ You ruined everything for me. I hate you… ” I whispered under my breath. “ I hate you, Izer Primeblood. I hate you. ”

“ Tsk! ” He cupped my cheeks all of a sudden.

My breath hitched in my throat as the sparks hit me at full force. I wanted to claw at my flesh, spill all my blood, and die. I felt disgusted.

Shaking my head, I tried to pry his dirty hands off my face as he wiped my tears with his thumbs.

“ I didn’t kill your Mom and Dad. ” He breathed.

I paused, staring at him. He was lying.

“ My people did. ” He shrugged his shoulders.

The disgust grew some more notches. He was a monster who felt no remorse and no pain.

“ There is no way Moon Goddess gave me a mate like you. You are a monster. ” I mumbled, staring at his handsome face. He had the face of an angel. This must have helped him hide the monstrosity.

Pain was squeezing my heart. Please, let me die. I couldn’t bear this. Why was I getting punished? What was my fault? First, my parents were taken from me, then just as I was about to become happy after three years, that happiness was snatched from me brutally and the man who had caused me immense pain throughout my life was my mate.

“ Take some time to accept this. Then, we can talk. ” He pulled his hands off my cheeks.

For a moment, I saw a flicker of some foreign emotion in his eyes. I stopped crying, and the emotion went away, the coldness returning.

He got up, and shot me a long stare before he was walking away from me and out of the door to my left.

My body was numb, and my senses were still dull. But my mind was swarmed with thoughts.

Izer Primeblood, the last surviving Lycan and the Alpha of the damned rogues was my mate. It was a curse—for me, and for him. Because if I would feel for him, it would be the same for him too.

I glanced at the door as a bitter smile rose to my lips. I would not cry like a damsel in distress when the person who snatched everything from me roamed freely.

I would make him suffer, just like he did to me. And I was going to kill him even if it killed me in the end. There was nothing left for me anyway. Mom and Dad were gone and probably…Rush…

Tears welled in my eyes as his face flashed before my eyes. My Rush. He killed him.