08

ISBERLT.
My eyes go wide as I stare down at my ripped gown, then back into the eyes of the feral alpha that stands before me.
"Kneel!"
He growls, his eyes turning a darker hue, and without having to be told twice; I go down on my knees before him, my eyes trapped on the smooth tiles that rest beneath the skin of my knees, and my hands on my bent lap; clenching my torn dress to my body so I'm not flashing my naked body to him.
"Raise your head, wolf. "
He speaks again, and I immediately lift my gaze to meet his; my heart racing a bit faster than normal against my chest, and my grip on my lap tightens— fingers digging into the skin, probably bruising it— as he steps closer to me, closing the small distance between us, and his hand wraps around my chin, raising it higher.
The silence in the air grows more suffocating as he trails his finger down the skin of my jaw, tracing the dollar that rests against my neck and I gulp in at the way I react to him immediately, shivers running down my spine from that one small contact. I say it's as a result of staying away from men for the past years.
"Don't you think I should punish you right now?"
He whispers, his gaze holding mine intensely, and for the first time, I have no words. Not because I'm scared that he will severely punish me for being said I should not talk back to him; but because the position he currently have me in, and the way my body reacts strangely to his touch, makes me completely speechless. "You have been a very disobedient wolf, and you have a quite the mouth. You disrespect me and got into a fight with one of the dangerous pack members that could have you killed within a blink of an eye. You should be punished, Isberlt. "
Punished? Why does that word coming from his mouth make my body tremble?
I didn't think my heart could pounce any louder than that, until he starts to lean in; his breath covering my face, and his face only inches away from mine.
Up this close, I can count the specks of gold that surrounds his eye, and how there's a birthmark right next to his nose; giving him the perfect look.
How can someone be so beautiful, and then so scary at the same time?
I grip tighter onto my skin as his gaze moves from mine, to another part of my face. Down to the skin that's exposed from my torn gown, and my cheeks heat up in embarrassment that he can see my naked chest from this angle.
Punishing. Is this what I think it is? Is he going to... Is he going to have sex with me?
"Stand up!"
He suddenly snaps, withdrawing his hand away from my face, and I almost trip; coming to the realization that I was leaning half of my body against his touch. What the hell is wrong with me?
"I said up, Slave!"
He growls, and I'm quick to get on my knees, biting down on my tongue to restrain the words that are at the tip of my tongue from my anger rising. What the hell is wrong with him? Why is he so fucking mad? I didn't do anything wrong!
"For picking a fight with a member of the pack; you'll be working throughout the entire time at the moonball, and you're not allowed to utter a word to anyone. You must appear at the event till it's done, even if there's nothing for you to do. That is your punishment. Go against my words, and I'll have you tied in chains for the men to go down on you till you learn how to respect me. "
I want to tell him to go fuck himself. I want to yell at him that the prick was the one sexually harassing me, and yet I'm the one getting the punishment. But the fear, and the knowledge that he can, and will truly do what he just said have me shutting my mouth.
Lay low, Isberlt. Lay low.
"Okay. " I say instead, and he tilts his head to the side, crossing his arms behind him.
"Okay?" He repeats, and I lift my gaze to meet his again, knowing what he wants me to do.
"Okay, Alpha King. "
I tell him, and he chuckles, shaking his head. "It's not alpha king for you, Slave. You call me master, do you understand me?"
I grip tightly to the side of my torn dress, calming down my breathing before saying. "Okay, Mas—master. "
Seeming satisfied with me, he nods before walking away to his desk. "You may take your leave, I expect to see you at the event. "
"Yes, Master. " I say again with gritted teeth, before making my way out of his room, holding the dress to my body, and even at that— it barely covers any skin. The door opens from the other door before I have the chance to, and I jump back in shock as a man with black hair, and silver eyes with a strong aura surrounding him walk through the door.
He gives me a look over, before walking fully into the room, and I bite my lips in embarrassment before stepping through the door; hoping not to attract any eyes as I walk down the hallway that leads to my dungeon.
My wish isn't answered.
THEODORE. (THE ALPHA KING. )
The moment she walks through the door, I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding; my hands curling into fists as I bang it against the table; heart pouncing loudly.
Why? Why the fuck did it had to be her? Out of every wolf that I could have been paired with; my mate had to be one that I despise for too many reasons, other than the fact that she's done nothing but causes harm to our kind.
And the most annoying part is how I can't get her face out of my mind. I thought punishing her for her crimes, and not being close to her would make my desire for her die down, but even from doors away to my room; her scent remains so high in the air, and her voice and cries become the only echoes in my ears. Even as I bury my cock deep inside another woman; the only face I see in her.
And I shouldn't. It shouldn't be so. I do not want her as a mate. I can not have her as a mate. It's a doomed bond that should never be created— for so many reasons.
"Till how long are you going to ignore your bond with that woman?"
Eric laughs as he collapses on my bed, and I sigh before whirling around in my chair to face him; lips pressed into a thin line.
"I don't know. Till as long as I have to. Do you have any news for me?"
I raise my brows at him, and he stares weirdly at me before shrugging.
Eric is one of the eight Alpha's joined together with me to form the biggest alliance and pack that's ever been formed in centuries.
After the ugly war that went down between Alpha's from the eight continents; I managed to bring four together with me; comprising of powerful Alpha's— Eric. Joe. Aiden, and Andrew— and strong-willed members— turning us into the strongest pack that's ever been formed. The five moon pack.
Unfortunately, two refused to join the alliance as they would rather stand on their own, and the last which is the northern pack continues to be a pain in all of our asses.
"The entire proximity seems safe, and the Southern parks are more than willing to join us for the moonball party. I've had my men go up north just in case, but there seems to be no movement from them either, so I guess we are up to go for tonight. "
He nods, and I do the same, drumming my fingers against the table. "And how about the humans?"
"No movement from them so far. They don't seem to be in a rush to find out about what happened to their experiments, and their wolf assistant. "
He chuckles, and my anger grows at the mention of the experiments.
"The experiments? How are they faring? "
Eric shakes his head at that, a long sigh leaving through his lips, and I know whatever he's going to say is something I won't like. "I don't think I've ever seen a wolf that beastly, Theo. There is no ounce of humanity left in them, they have turned completely to their wolf side, and they are ten times stronger than normal wolves. I don't know what the humans had hoped to achieve by doing this, but it's not looking good. I don't know what to do with them, or how to turn them back into their normal selves, but they are locked in the underground dungeon, surrounded by cells laced with wolfsbane. Let's see how long that will wear off their powers. "
I nod, "Let's just focus on getting through the moonball with no disruption from the hunters, and the northern packs. We will see what we can do to the lost wolves once we have crossed this bridge. "
"Perfect idea. I'll have them check the borders once more. "
He says, rising from the bed, and I hum to his words before focusing back on the screen before me.
The Sera.
They turn peaceful existing wolves into beasts that they can have at their disposal, and yet they are the good ones?
"Theo, " Eric's voice interrupts my thoughts, and I turn back to him with a raised brow.
"You can't resist her for long, you know. The harder you resist, the stronger the desire gets. "
"You said it yourself, Eric. They have been turned into complete beasts with no rational side against their own choice. She helped them with doing that, and I will never forgive her, nor take her as my mate for that. "
He leans back against the door, crossing his arms against his chest.
"Is that truly the only reason you're refusing her? Or there are more?" He raises his brows, and I know exactly what he's talking about.
"Isberlt Queen will never be my mate, Eric. It's final. "
"Even if another tries to claim her; you'll do nothing?"
I grip to the edge of the desk, feeling my control slip away, and Eric notices; his ever-annoying smirk falling to his face. Son of a bastard.
"She's my slave. She belongs to me, and no man else. "
"Exactly. She's yours. " He whispers, erupting into a laugh from my reaction. "See you at the moonball, Alpha. "
He winks with a sly smile before walking out of the room, and I sigh, leaning back against the chair.
She's my slave, and nothing more.
Isberlt Queen will never be my mate.
Even if it kills me.

***

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