Chapter 13 Chapter 13

Eliara’s pov

I ran with everything within me. I wasn’t going to be caught by anyone. 

The moment I had noticed I wasn’t being guarded by anyone, I had freed myself from the cell with the keys stolen from the guards while bursting out with everything within me.

I was sure they would be mad but before they would come after me, I was sure I would be out of the pack.

I heard something behind me as I noticed I was being chased.

“Oh please moon goddess. Save me,” I prayed while slipping in and out of the bushes.

I ran into a clearing and hid behind a tree, keeping my breathings steady. I was scared that I would be caught.

I gulped, then took in deep breaths before turning around, just to see three huge men before me. They weren’t wearing shirts, but their shorts looked like they had gone through hell. I could see their faces, their eyes glowing, and their hands had their claws already out.

I gulped, raising my hands up in surrender.

“Please, I don’t want any trouble,” I said.

I started to take steps back as they followed me little by little before giving off a heavy laughter. The one in the middle came close to me, grabbing me by my wrist as I punched him, but broke my hand in the process.

He laughed.

“You don’t look like someone who will be missed.”

I screamed for help, but no one heard me as he used his other hand to grab on my neck and raise me off the ground. My legs dangled in the air as I tried to kick him and scratch his face, but all my attempts to escape were futile.

While trying to escape Alpha Kael, I had ended up in the hands off these rogues.

They were brutal. 

“Let me go!” I yelled.

“There’s no need for you to beg for your life. We’re not going to do anything much to you. Just keep you in our little gathering and have our way with you.”

I clasped my hands and started to plead.

“Please, let me go. Please, I’m begging you.”

They laughed in a loud manner, then stared into my eyes.

“I wish it was that simple, baby girl, but as you can see, it is not.”

He dropped me to the ground and turned to the others. “Take her home.”

The two men beside him dragged me away from the clearing and we walked for miles until we got to a camp.

I counted around two hundred men and women going around, laughing and drinking in the night, with campfires all around. These were rogue settlements.

I had entered trouble.

“Please I beg of you let me go.” I pleaded to the man by my side but he ignored me.

I was dragged into a tent and tossed there.

“Stay here and don’t move,” he growled before walking away as I gulped and nodded quickly.

I looked around the tent to see blood smears on the floor. 

Soon the flap opened with their leader coming in.

“Welcome home, sweetheart. From now on, you’re mine. And I’ll make sure I use you however I want. You are now a rogue. You either learn it or you die.”

I spat at him, then knelt properly as I looked into his eyes with defiance.

“I’d rather die.”

He shrugged.

“Suit yourself. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who would love to have pieces of you for dinner. But for now, get comfortable. After a week, we’d know how defiant you are. Until then, enjoy your stay in my home.”

He then walked out, leaving me alone as two men got inside with whips that had barbed wires around it. They smiled evilly, then raised it up as I closed my eyes to feel the pain lashing all over my body.

---

Kael’s POV

I punched the wall of the dungeon as it shook. Then I looked at Dorian, my beta. He stared at me with careful eyes as he raised his hand.

“I had no idea this was going to happen.”

I growled.

“You were supposed to look after her. You were supposed to make sure nothing happened…”

“And I was!” he yelled back at me, which caught me off guard, because he was my beta and he wasn’t supposed to raise his voice at me.

He rubbed his temple, then gestured towards the dungeon.

“I had around ten people stationed here. Ten! And because the dungeon was empty, I would have reduced the number to like two, but you wanted everybody gone. And I did what you asked! If only you had listened…”

“Watch your mouth,” I said in an authoritative tone. “I am still the Alpha. Don’t disrespect me.”

He shrugged.

“I don’t know what to think, Alpha. Is your head in the game? Because ever since you woke up from that near-death experience, you have been acting weird. Everybody knows you’ve been acting weird. It’s not news. It’s just very tiring at this point, and I just want to understand why you want her dead. What has she done to you? Can you explain that to me?”

“What she has done to me is none of your business.”

“We have more pressing matters. And now that you’ve brought in your wedding and mating rights, and we are almost a few days to the wedding date, I think you have more pressing matters as well. You have to focus on your wedding. Focus on Selene. Leave Eliara. She can be lost for all we care. Your problems are solved. They are gone.”

“You don’t understand,” I growled.

He then walked up to me.

“Then make me understand. What seems to be the problem?”

I felt this itch within me, almost like Eliara was in danger, but I chose to ignore it. Whatever necromancy she had done to tie me to her so that I would have feelings for her was soon going to be eradicated. 

I would soon kill her and be done with her.

The moment I thought that, I felt a little rumble of laughter within me. That was Black, my wolf, mocking me.

‘Selene is not your mate,’ he said.

I scoffed.

“Watch your tongue.”

Dorian looked at me with narrowed eyes.

“Excuse me?”

I sighed. I hadn’t realized that I said that out loud.

“I have had enough to drink, and I will be going back to my study to sleep.”

“You mean your room?”

I nodded.

“Just don’t come after me and find her.”

He was about to retort as I raised my hand to stop him.

“Find her,” I said again, then walked away.