ELORA’S POV
If I had stayed with Beta Hunter a minute longer, I wouldn’t have had to face my mate with his slut in his arms once again. Obviously, my wolf was hurt. Unexpectedly, so was I…
I wanted to curse the mate bond for feeling this way and yet I knew that this was a bond with divine origin. It was created by the moon goddess herself, making it both sacred and indisputable.
So I guess I had no choice but to deal with this shit, not until I found a way to run away from this hell.
Yeah, that’s the plan.
And so, I continued walking. I paused and curtsied when I became nearer before dismissing myself with my head held high. I almost heaved a sigh of relief when Alpha Dominic didn’t say a thing but my nightmare was far from being over.
“What is that smell?” Ashley asked, walking toward me and sniffing deeply. Seconds later, her face lit up. “I knew that smell, it was from Beta Hunter. Wait, don’t tell me you moved your interest in him now? Did you flirt with him?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. It was pointless to deal with this ambitious woman. The more I talk, the more she gets provoked, and so I remained silent and held back my anger toward her. But it was already too late as her remarks already piqued the Alpha King’s interest.
“What were you doing with Hunter late this night?” the Alpha King queried.
Our gazes met, and I could see how he was annoyed with the reason that only he, knew what.
“Speak when I ask you,” he demanded. This time, anger filled his voice.
Realizing that he would never let me pass without getting an answer, I finally stated my reasons. “Hunter and I just talked.” My gaze went to Ashley, who narrowed her eyes at me. “Unlike some women, I am not a whore.”
Then, I turned my gaze to the Alpha King. “He just consoled me, Alpha King. He soothed me after some man told me vile and unacceptable things.”
Alpha Dominic made a low growl. Under any other circumstance, I should fear his sudden show of aggression. And yet, I was too tired to think about it. This had been a long day. All I want was to lay on my bed and sleep.
I was about to walk out, but Ashley grabbed my arm tightly. Seriously? She wasn’t done getting on my nerves to think that it was already midnight.
“Let me guess, you can’t take the Alpha King on your bed, so you tried to seduce his Beta!” Ashley exclaimed. “You are acting like a saint but deep inside, you are a slut who would use her body for her advant—”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, my lady, but I am nothing like you!” I interrupted, full of sarcasm. “Don’t compare me with your ways. I had survived this life without spreading my legs to anyone who would be willing to fill my needs.”
“You bitch! How dare you disrespect me like that!”
I scoffed. “Why? I am only telling the truth, didn’t I?”
She growled and raised her hand. Her nails grew into sharp claws, ready to strike my face with it. But before she could hurt me, Alpha Dominic grasped her hand to stop her.
Ashley’s eyes were filled with shock, and she turned to the Alpha like a hurt kitten. “What are you doing, Alpha? This rogue insulted me in your front. She deserved to die!”
But instead of saying something, Alpha Dominic just shook his head. Hesitantly, Ashley put down her arms. I could see that she was utterly disappointed but didn’t dare to oppose the Alpha King’s wishes.
Alpha Dominic’s eyes turned to me. His brows were furrowed, and I could sense the impending danger in the way he looked at me.
“From now on, you are not allowed to leave your room without my permission,” he remarked with finality.
My eyes widened at what he said. “No, you can’t do that to me!”
“Oh, yes, I can, rogue. So deal with it,” he said coldly.
He looked at me disgustingly, a constant reminder that he would never accept me as his mate. Without looking away, he called the two wolf guards near us and commanded them, “Don’t let this rogue out of her room. Make her and you will both lose your life.”
“Roger that, Alpha King,” the two guards exclaimed in unison.
My eyes burned with tears as I glared at Dominic. His bed warmer seemed satisfied in yet another torment in my life as he escorted her out of my sight. I bit my lower lip until I tasted rust inside my mouth. And then, I uttered some words I promised to keep until I die.
“Time will come that you will crawl my arms to ask forgiveness. And when that time comes, I, your mate, will never give it to you.”
*****
Just a while back, I thought that I would fall into slumber the moment I lay on my bed. But unexpectedly, my eyes remained open thinking about what had happened earlier.
There was no doubt that the Alpha King succeeded in destroying my self-esteem, as I feel like I was nothing but a piece of trash that he would never grow to love. It was a tough pill to swallow but I should start teaching myself to accept it.
“Care to share what you are thinking?” It was the familiar, sweet, innocent voice of Maira that led me back to my senses.
“Why are you still awake? It’s already late,” I asked after turning to her side.
“I can hear you gritting your teeth. Did something happen earlier?”
A sigh escaped me. “The Alpha King has insulted me again and this time, he imprisoned me in this room. If only there was a way to get back at him.
“There is,” Maira exclaimed, “inside your head”
I laughed so hard at her joke, making me forget my misery for a short while. Maira and Beta Hunter had been nothing but kind to me. I felt bad that I would be leaving them tomorrow but this was for the best.
Shutting my eyes, I prayed to the Moon Goddess to bless my decision. I prayed for a better place, somewhere where I could live in peace regardless of my social status. The face of Alpha Dominic showed up in my mind, along with the deep, seething pain that lingers inside of me.
‘You still have time to think about it, Elora. What if one day Alpha Dominic realizes his mistakes and wants us back—’
I shook my head at Arwen. Waiting for the Alpha King to change his ways was wishful thinking. It would never happen!
‘Elora…’ Arwen sobbed in my mind.
“Our mate let us down multiple times. What’s the point of staying in this hell? It is better to live as a rogue than to live like this,”
After a few minutes, my eyelids felt so heavy that I could no longer open them. Meanwhile, Maira continued to talk but the call to sleep was more powerful to actually understand what she said.
“An Alpha will be visiting the Alpha King tomorrow. I bet everyone will be so...”
My mind could no longer take it so I let the darkness engulf me. Tomorrow was yet another day of torment so I better prepare my body for it, especially with my plans on leaving.
ELORA’S POV THE next morning, I was greeted by an empty room. Maira was no longer on her bed. She probably woke up early to do her chores. Meanwhile, I silently thanked the goddess for this opportunity. It would be hard for me to prepare for my journey if Maira was still around. Without wasting any more time, I started packing. I couldn’t contain the happiness I was feeling. For today, I would be leaving this place, making everything that happened in the past few days nothing but unwanted memories. ‘Are you sure you wanted to leave? Is there anything I can do or say that would change your mind?’ Arwen asked. Her face was a picture of sadness. I shook my head and continued packing my things. “Start forgetting him, Arwen. He’s not worth it.” When I was done packing, I tiptoed near the door. As I pressed my ears to the hard, wooden door, I heard some footsteps on the other side. The earthy, manly smell indicated that the guards assigned to watch over me were just standing by. My
Elora’s POVI had gone from hell and back since my parents died. And today, it made me remember all that.My breath hitched as I tried my best not to let my sobs hear. It had been a while since I last heard my uncle’s voice but the memories it imprinted on my mind were as clear as water. My nightmares were filled with his croaky, cold vocals. I thought I had forgotten it but obviously, I didn’t. Now, my system was filled with unwanted memories. All because of him. ‘Calm down. Your uncle hasn’t seen you in three years. He might have forgotten how you smell.’The words of my wolf gave me some assurance. She was right, three years was quite a long time for him to remember how I smell. I also shifted to my wolf form around this time so it affected my scent. Arwen got a solid point about her argument. ‘Breath, Elora. You can do this,’ Arwen added. After a few seconds, my heart rate became normal and I could feel that my body was no longer tense. Thank the goddess, I had a reasonable and
Dominic’s POVI slammed the papers on top of my desk, frustrated that until now, the paperwork didn’t seem to end. I had been scanning my eyes through this the moment I woke up and yet, nothing seemed to enter my head. Lazily, I leaned my back in my office chair and looked at the ceiling. I had been an Alpha King for years and the administrative tasks were part of my life. I ate mountains of paper for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if there was no training, pack convergence, or out-of-the-pack trips I had to attend. These never bored me, for I took my duties and responsibilities very seriously. Some even joked that I was married to my post, which I didn’t mind for it was the truth. So what’s wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way? I only started acting strange ever since Victoria Collins entered my pack. Ah, that woman. She hadn’t been here for a week but the damage she inflicted was far beyond any rogue had done to the Royal Cavern. She constantly quarreled with sweet Ashley, the
Elora’s POVMy feet went to a sudden halt hearing him utter my real name for the first time. I remained rooted in my spot, still trying to figure out what I should do next. ‘He already knows the truth, Elora. What are we going to do?’ Normally, Arwen was the one who would tell me what to do. But now, even she was caught off guard by the turn of events.A few hours ago, I was so sure that I would be leaving this pack for good. But now, my very existence was being threatened by the truth that I was desperately hiding for three years. There was no point in hiding the truth from Dominic. He was an intelligent wolf and probably read between my lines. I wanted to scold myself for being so emotional. Maybe, I wouldn’t be caught lying only if I hid my emotions expertly in front of the Alpha King. Yeah, I screwed up, and would probably be the end of me. But, no! I wouldn’t let myself be handed over to my evil uncle that easily. I would not give him the satisfaction. If I had to fight Domini
Silence engulfed us over the next set of minutes. I turned my head on him, and he did the same. Our eyes met in the process. Lub-dub!My heartbeat became louder. It was like my chest was going to explode. I knew to myself that I hated the Alpha King but at that moment, I saw something different in his eyes making me think twice about what I felt for him. Is that a hint of concern? Compassion? I have no idea. His eyes remained fixed on mine, making me uncomfortable. It was different from the way he looked at me in the past. His gaze was full of warmth. Finally, he moved. He lifted his hand and began caressing my upper arm. In a normal circumstance, I might have shoved his hand away. But this moment was different. No, it was he who suddenly became different.Is he beginning to sympathize with me? ‘Can’t you feel it, Elora? Dominic’s heart is aching for us’ Arwen stated.‘How did you know? Have you talked to his wolf?’ I asked her back in my thoughts.‘No, I haven’t,’ Arwen answered
Elora’s POVIt had been two days since that confrontation with the Alpha King Dominic about my troubled past. Contrary to that fateful day, the next set of sunrises and sunsets were typically boring. I heaved a deep sigh, looking at the ceiling, staring at it blankly. I haven’t seen anything aside from the four corners of this shabby quarter for two days straight. And as a rogue who lived in the woods for three years, this was lowkey torture. ‘I’m bored, Arwen,’ I told my wolf inside my head. ‘I want to get out of this barless jail.’‘You know you can’t do that until the pack convergence is over, right?’ Arwen answered. I could see her sitting in a corner and grooming herself. ‘Your uncle and his men are still inside the royal pack land.’‘Yeah, I know,’ I responded, covering my head with a pillow. ‘I just need…company. I want to talk with another individual, that’s all. Maira is serving in the convergence from dusk until dawn. She barely has time to chitchat with me before bed beca
Elora’s POVI fastened my steps and wasted no time changing into my omega uniform. I almost forgot to tie my long hair but good thing I remember. The omega leader hated to see the omegas with messy and untied hair. The last thing I wanted was to have unnecessary confrontations with her for something as trivial as untied hair.Careful not to make any sound, I pressed my ears to the wooden door and listened if the guards were still there. I cussed on the wind after hearing their irritating laughter. It was almost midnight but they seemed to not let me have even a tiny opportunity to leave this room. Perhaps this was one of the many distinct qualities of a royal guard. They treated the Alpha King’s order very seriously. So, it led me no choice but to use the rope I hid under my bed. It was the same rope I used when I attempted to escape and ran away last time. Good thing I decided to keep it for emergencies like this.After tying the other end to one of my bed’s legs and the other end
Dominic's POVJust like any other day, I was back to my study and thinking about the things that happened in the past days. I shook my head in disbelief whenever I think about how an ordinary pack convergence turned into something very complicated. I had known Alpha Lucian Knightlock of the Moon River Pack since time immemorial. He was an ally to my father and a loyal subject of the royal pack. I had seen him quite a few times here at Royal Cavern during the days of my father’s reign. He was there when we held my father’s last rites during his funeral. He was also one of the alphas who personally witness my ascension ceremony. So to cut the story short, he was a constant figure in my life and bore no ill feelings toward him. But my perfect depiction of him shattered when I heard my mate’s story. Never in my wildest dream that I pictured him to be as ruthless and merciless as how Elora described him to be.The goddess knew how much I restrained myself from clawing his face out wheneve