Chapter 6

The fear gnawed at me, relentless and all-consuming. I couldn’t even remember how I managed to complete my chores—or if I’d done them properly. My hands moved mechanically, scrubbing, wiping, organizing, but my mind was elsewhere, trapped in the echo of his words. “Your time in this pack has come to an end.” The phrase looped in my head like a cruel mantra, each repetition cutting deeper. What did he mean? Was he going to cast me out? End my life? I hugged my knees tightly to my chest as I sat in the corner of the slave quarters, trying to steady the tremors coursing through me. Tears blurred my vision, and my breaths came in uneven gasps. The bond—this awful bond that tied me to him—felt more like chains, heavy and suffocating, dragging me into a dark abyss. He thought I wanted to be his mate. The idea made me feel sick. Never! If he had rejected me on the spot, I would have welcomed it with open arms. But now? Now, I was stuck in a cruel limbo, unsure of what to do or what was coming next. The day dragged on in a blur, the world moving around me as if I wasn’t even there. Every sound, every footstep in the pack house made my heart race, thinking it was him. I couldn’t stay here—not with the constant threat of Magnar looming over me. What if he tried to kill me? By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, my nerves were frayed, and my instincts screamed at me to leave. I didn’t know where I would go, but anywhere was better than this suffocating house. Grabbing a thin shawl to ward off the night’s chill, I slipped out quietly, avoiding the main corridors and keeping to the shadows. The fresh night air hit me like a balm as I stepped outside. My feet moved on their own, leading me to the only place that ever brought me a shred of peace—the lake. The moonlight shimmered on the surface of the water, casting a silvery glow over the area. The soft rustle of leaves and the gentle lap of the waves against the shore were the only sounds. Here, at least, I felt safe. I found my usual spot under the old oak tree, its sturdy trunk a comforting presence behind me. Sitting down, I leaned back against the rough bark and stared out at the water. For the first time all day, I allowed myself to breathe, to let the tension drain from my body. But even here, the storm inside me wouldn’t settle. Magnar’s voice lingered in my mind, his cruel words weaving through my thoughts like poison. I closed my eyes, letting the cool night breeze brush against my skin. Maybe here, under the stars and the watchful gaze of the moon, I could find the strength to figure out what to do next. The low, menacing growl from behind me sent ice racing through my veins. My body tensed, and I turned slowly, my pulse thundering in my ears. There he was. Magnar, in his wolf form, stood just beyond the tree line. His massive frame was bathed in silver moonlight, his glowing golden eyes locked onto me with a seething intensity. His sharp teeth bared in a snarl, and I could see his claws digging into the earth. Even his wolf hates me. I took a shaky step back, but my movements only seemed to provoke him further. He shifted in an instant, the cracking of bones and rippling of muscles sending shivers down my spine. In seconds, he stood before me, human once again, and completely naked. His powerful frame was taut with rage, his hands clenching and unclenching as though he was barely restraining himself from lunging at me. The look in his eyes confirmed my worst fear—he planned to kill me. “Alpha Magnar?” My voice was barely above a whisper, trembling as I forced the words out. He didn’t respond, just stared at me with an expression so wild and unhinged that my knees nearly gave out beneath me. I stepped back instinctively, but I knew it was futile. There was no way to escape him. He was the future Alpha, faster and stronger than I could ever hope to be. “Alpha Magnar, please…” I begged, my voice cracking. “Please let me go. I—I won’t tell anyone about us. I’ll leave this place. I swear I’ll disappear.” His lips curled back into a sneer, and he growled low in his throat, the sound sending chills down my spine. “Leave?” he snarled, taking a step closer. “So, are you trying to insinuate that even as a slave, it’s easy for you to leave your mate? To abandon the bond? You think it’s easy to survive like that? Or are you pretending you don’t care about your mate, about my position and my status?” His words made no sense to me. The confusion must have shown on my face because his sneer deepened, his gaze burning with fury. “I-I don’t understand,” I stammered, my voice barely audible. Why would I care about his position or status? I was a nobody in this pack, a slave—what could I possibly have to do with him? “You’re lying,” he hissed, his eyes narrowing. “You think you can just walk away, pretend this bond doesn’t exist? That I..... don’t exist?” My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. The moonlight glinted off his tense, sculpted muscles, his body vibrating with barely restrained rage. “I-I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” I said desperately, my voice breaking. “Please d-don’t kill me, if you want me to bow down and beg you then I'll even do that, please just let me go.” His eyes flashed dangerously, and he tilted his head, considering my words. “Whatever I want?” "Huh?" "You'll do whatever I want?" He questioned. I nodded hesitantly, my body trembling. Magnar stepped closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. “Good,” he said, his voice a sinister rumble. “Because from this moment on, you’ll wish you were never born.”