Mate's Claim

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Ironhaven Asylum.

"Your blood will make me stronger and the most powerful in the lycan world," his voice echoed relentlessly in her mind, like a chilling reminder of her fate.

Valtor’s icy blue eyes locked onto hers, glowing with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. "You're mine! No matter how hard you try, you can never escape me, Gaia." His voice was low, but it held an authority that shook her resolve.

Gaia squeezed her eyes shut, as if by doing so, she could block out the sight of him and the unsettling world she was trapped in.

This place was unlike anything she had known, the forest stretched forever in all directions, trees with grass-like bark, and leaves that had sharp teeth. Shadows in this place didn't stay still. They slithered along the ground, their shapes shifting into things that shouldn't exist.

Here, Gaia could understand the language of animals and speak to humans with claws like those of wild predators. It was a world she never wanted to experience again, yet it haunted her, dragging her back each time.

"You won’t speak?" Valtor growled, his voice thick with frustration. "I want you to say something!"

Gaia shook her head, refusing to give him what he wanted.

With a furious snarl, Valtor closed the distance between them, grabbing her face roughly. His claws dug into her skin, and she winced from the sharp sting. "I am your Alpha and mate. You don’t stay silent when I talk to you!" His voice was cold, each word a command.

But Gaia’s frown deepened, not because of his words, she didn’t fully understand them, but because of the intense threat it carried.

Valtor, with his broad shoulders and sharply defined jawline, possessed a strikingly handsome appearance. His dark hair fell in messy waves, framing a face that radiated power. His sharp features were both alluring and terrifying, especially when anger twisted them.

Seeing her defiance, he turned away, revealing the strong muscles of his back, frustration evident in his movements.

Gaia couldn’t help but stare at Valtor’s hard body, feeling a mix of fear and fascination. Slowly, she shifted her gaze to meet his piercing eyes when he turned to face her, something she had avoided until now. "I want you to stay away from me. I don’t want to see you anymore," she declared, her voice trembling but firm.

Valtor’s thin lips twisted into a sinister smile as he closed the distance between them, each step measured and predatory. "That can only happen if you tell me where you are. I've searched the entire planet for you and still can't find you. Where are you hiding?"

Gaia remained silent, a lesson she had learned in these confrontations—silence was her safest weapon.

Valtor's voice dropped into a menacing growl. "You need to tell me where you are right now!"

Despite the growing intensity of his aura, Gaia kept her lips sealed as he advanced. His eyes burned with fury, and his claws grew longer, threatening to pierce her eyeballs.

But just as the tension reached its peak, a soft voice broke through the air. "My Gaia! Mama Maggie is here to check up on you."

At the sound, Gaia's eyes fluttered open, returning to the comforting reality of her surroundings. She let out a sigh of relief, grateful for the interruption that had pulled her back from the edge of fear.

A frail woman entered the room, her sweet smile a warm contrast to the earlier tension. She carried a tray filled with a nourishing meal, its aroma inviting.

Gaia managed a weak smile as she accepted the tray from Margaret. "Thank you, Mama Maggie."

Leaning in closer, Margaret’s expression shifted to one of concern as she noticed a bloodstain on Gaia’s cheek. "Don’t tell me you’ve cut yourself again, Gaia." Her voice held a gentle warning, a frown lingering on her face.

Gaia's heart sank at the thought of revealing the truth. That was Valtor’s doing, she pondered, biting her lip as she smiled apologetically at Margaret.

Margaret placed the tray on Gaia’s lap, her eyes softening as she sat on the edge of the bed. "You’ve barely eaten these days, Gaia. You need your strength, my dear."

Gaia nodded, taking a small bite, though the taste of the food barely sank in. "I’m trying, Mama Maggie. It’s just... hard sometimes."

Margaret sighed and patted her hand gently. "I know, child. But you must fight through it. You’re stronger than you think. Don't let whatever demons haunt you take that away."

Before Gaia could respond, a loud knock echoed through the room. The peaceful moment shattered as a group of men appeared at the door, their expressions stern and unforgiving. "Gaia," one of them said, his voice cold, "you have a visitor."

A tall, dark man in a black uniform stepped forward, his face devoid of emotion. Without a word, he roughly cuffed Gaia’s slender wrists with iron shackles that clinked ominously, the weight of them sending a chill through her.

Gaia’s lips curled into a sad smile, accepting the cruelty that had been her companion for so long. A life I’ve lived since I killed my parents... A torture I’ve endured for all of my seventeen years.

As the men led her down the dimly lit passage, the sounds of the asylum overwhelmed her senses. Gnashing teeth, desperate screams—it was the symphony of broken souls, each locked away in their numbered cells. The numbers seemed to be the only thing that mattered here. Names were irrelevant in this place, lost along with their humanity.

Gaia kept her head low, her mind drifting to the nightmare of her existence, wondering if escape, whether from this world or Valtor—was even possible.

She reached the office entrance, her steps faltering as a voice froze her in place.

The security officer behind her impatiently pushed the door open, forcing her forward. As she stepped inside, her gaze immediately locked onto the figure she had hoped never to see again.

Her heart dropped, and her chest tightened. Her eyes grew wide, filled with fear.

"This can’t be happening to me," she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible. Her pulse raced, her heart clenched in fear, and all the air seemed to leave the room.