(Ariel's POV)
Year: 2200, Werewolves ruled over humans, and humans could only exist as slaves to the werewolves.
"Are you guilty?" I flinched as the whip lashed against my back.
"Hmph," I gasped, releasing a groan. My body was drenched in blood, and I could feel it dripping down from me. My head was spinning, and I felt a chill in my spine.
"Are you guilty?" Jack, the werewolf warrior, repeated, his voice laced with fury and impatience.
I remained silent while I shook my head. What wrong have I committed?
He gritted his teeth while he punched me with all his strength on my stomach. Sweat and blood clouded my vision. I had been tied to this cross all day, standing atop the shredded remains of history books that spoke of human freedom. Tears scrolled down my face as I looked at the torn pages of the books. Just because I read those books?
I had been accused of reading banned books, violating one of the Four Iron Laws of the werewolves: engaging in acts that threatened their rule over humanity.
Fifty years ago, the werewolf race, with their immense strength and unique abilities, took control of the cities, establishing their absolute dominion. Humans, oppressed and marginalized, were confined to strictly regulated districts, each overseen by an Alpha. All Alphas answered to the one and only Alpha King, who was at the top and made these laws, making human lives worse than an ant's.
Each district imposed stringent laws to prevent human rebellion, and reading banned books was among these restrictions. While education for humans was allowed in some districts, the reading list was tightly controlled. After all, how would they dare to let humans read these books where humans lived peaceful without being a slave to anyone? It'd plant seeds of revolution in them, after all.
Humans remained at the bottom of society, even below the Omegas, treated as slaves, playthings. The only chance humans had to change their fate was to be chosen as a mate by a werewolf.
This was why my sister Alice reported me. I gritted my teeth in anger. She craved the attention of the werewolves, hoping to become one of their mates. But I would rather die than live under their control.
"Ariel."
I glared at the traitorous wench, Alice when I turned my gaze away. She clung to the whip that was being used on me like a spineless creature.
"You should apologize," Alice said coldly, her gaze filled with disdain. "You know you broke the law. You hid banned books, and read them!"
I laughed, mocking her, before I shot a mouthful of saliva in her direction. How dare she bring this up? It was her who led me into this mess, handing the books I had hidden under my bed to Jack, the werewolf warrior. She had always been desperate for his attention because of his status!
I glared at Alice with hatred. As my sister, I had always protected her, but now she had joined forces with the werewolves—our enemies—to betray and punish me.
"Ariel, I forgot to mention," Alice said proudly. "Just yesterday, Jack discovered that I am his mate." She lifted her shirt, revealing the mark on her neck.
"This is why you betrayed me?" I roared in anger as I tried to pull my hands away, but it was futile. They were tied to the cross. Alice let out a sigh, shaking her head.
"Ariel, you don't understand. You can't resist it when you find your mate. You'll see just how impossible it is." Alice tried to defend herself.
"Why did you have to report me?" I despised werewolves, but I wouldn't interfere with her choices. I would cut ties with her, though. Furthermore, I would not live alongside someone who sided with the wolves!
Alice rolled her eyes while I stared at her in disbelief. How could she betray her sister just because she became a werewolf's mate?
"Ariel, I couldn't let you ruin everything! No one hates werewolves as much as you. We've accepted their rule over humanity! It's been fifty years! We can now get food freely, we can bear their pups, become part of them—it's not so bad!" Alice gritted her teeth as she spat those words at me. Each of the words coming from her felt like a dagger in my heart. She knew why I hated werewolves much, but she still decided to tell me this!
I was stunned speechless. I looked at the crowd of humans below me. Their eyes were hovering around my battered body. Some looked scared, while others seemed to enjoy watching me suffer. I could hear their mocking laughter as they stared at my torn clothes and exposed scars. No one stepped forward. They all wanted me to die—for the sake of keeping themselves safe, and not ruin this so-called peace between the humans and the werewolves.
Neither Alice nor the crowd understood that when humans became werewolf mates, they were nothing more than breeding tools. The werewolves still despised humans for our lacking strength. They needed human mates to bear offspring, but once the childbearing was done, human females were treated even worse.
"Before the werewolves took over, humans lived freely, just like them," I rasped, glaring at Alice. "They don't even bother putting these banned books in public libraries. Yet, in just fifty years, you've given up on independence and the chance to learn just because they banned education."
"Shut up! Do you even know what you're saying?" Jack shoved Alice aside and gripped my throat tightly, his voice seething with rage. "You're so stubborn. Do you think anyone is going to save you? No one will. Every person here—whether human or werewolf—wants you dead. Alice is right. Your very existence threatens the peace between humans and werewolves."
"Peace?" I spat blood, laughing bitterly. "Is that what you call peace? Treating humans like slaves? Like pests?"
"As a human, the weakest species, you should be honored to serve us. We are far superior to you worthless humans!" Jack screamed, tightening his grip on my neck.
"Look around. Look! Who here wants you alive?" Jack yanked my hair, turning my head. "Your own sister betrayed you. Isn't that proof enough that no one wants you alive?"
I clenched my fists, biting my tongue as I glared at Alice from head to toe. I didn't need him to remind me of that bitter truth. Shutting my eyes in disgust, I muttered, "I don't need anyone to save me."
"Good. I must've let you roam free for too long—you've forgotten how powerful werewolves are." Jack's claws extended, tearing the skin of my neck. Blood immediately poured down to my chest.
Jack sneered, using all his strength to press me against the iron bar while choking me. "Ah… ah…" I whimpered. Is this the end for me? Is this how I die?
As Alice moved closer to Jack, I bit my lip, a tear rolling down my cheek. "Stop, Jack!"
Jack turned to her. "You want to save her?"
Alice frowned. "Jack, you can't kill her. Elijah Jaeger, the werewolf king, is coming to collect blood samples and find his mate. If something happens, it'll be a trouble for the pack. Ariel is a registered human female—she can't disappear."
Jack scowled but finally released my throat reluctantly as I gasped for air. The world around me seemed to spin, but I clearly heard the name Elijah Jaeger.
Elijah Jaeger—the ruthless and cruel werewolf king responsible for turning us into slaves. Rumor had it he had yet to find his mate. He had searched all other districts, and ours was his last chance.
Unlike the other unpaired human females, I would rather die than become his mate. If the tests had shown I was his mate, I would grab the gun I had hidden in Ron's medical room and blow his head off.
Even if it meant my death.
Biting my lip, I raised my head and looked at Alice. My voice was hoarse yet determined as I screamed, "I will never accept a werewolf as my mate!" I gritted my teeth while adding, "Even if I am paired with one, I'll reject the bond!"
"YOU?."when a smile automatically formed in my face.Jack punched me hard in the face again, and my vision immediately became blurred.
"I… will never… never…" I repeated before collapsing to the ground, everything fading into darkness. I… lost consciousness.
(Ariel's POV)Time: 2200, six days until the new round of genetic testing."Ugh…" I groaned as something scratched against my skin. Frustrated, I rubbed my face and turned to the other side, but then I felt the scratching again, this time on my neck. "Ah!" I screamed, sitting up suddenly, confused and frowning. "What the hell?" I yelled as I rubbed against the tickling sensation."Ariel." I flinched at the sound of Ron's voice and looked around, realizing I was in the town's hospital. Ron was frowning, his expression tense. "Did you hit your head? Did you forget what happened?"I sighed, rolling my eyes as I accepted the water bottle Ron handed me. "I thought I was going to die.""You were." Ron scoffed, his tone mocking. "You've been unconscious all night. You have only woken up just now. I thought you were dead, so, I decided to check whether you would wake up or not."I shook my head, frowning as I muttered, "Thanks…" Hesitating, I rubbed the cool surface of the water bottle with m
(Ariel's POV)Time: Year 2200, five days until the next round of genetic testing.I glared at him with the corner of my eyes as I fumed with anger, and a gush of disgust ran down my body.Mark smiled and pulled up my chin, "What do you think about my proposal?"I gritted my teeth and tried to shake him away but his grip only tightened. "You're the perfect candidate to be my surrogate."I looked away, scoffing. "Let me go; otherwise I'll report you for cheating."Mark laughed aloud when I flinched, and he approached me closer. "Do you think anyone would believe you? You're the slave, and I'm the owner."I bit my lips while clenching my fist as I glanced down. It hurt me, but this was true. There was no one who would believe me over him. He was the rightful owner, mated to the Beta."Don't you feel ashamed to cheat on your mate?" I gritted when he pulled me closer."She's barren, and fret not, you'll be nothing more than a surrogate to me to bear my child. You're the perfect candidate f
(Ariel's POV)My face turned pale as I turned to look at the door. My palms were slick with sweat, and my thoughts raced. I glanced at the clock on the wall; it wasn't even 8:00 p.m. yet.Ron, standing beside me, shifted nervously, his eyes flickering between me, the strange man and the door, a bit panicked."Go hide now," I looked around and pointed towards a dark corner of the room, telling the stranger to hide. When he hid in the corner, I threw a large blanket over him, concealing him. Then I turned to look at Ron, nodding at him.Ron swallowed hard and went toward the door. As he rushed to open, my breath caught in my throat as a thousand worst-case scenarios played through my mind.The door swung open.The Alpha's guards stepped in immediately, looking around the room."Good day, Misters. What do you require?" Ron stepped back, allowing them in. Ron lingered his eyes around the room, trying to check if he was hidden perfectly when I nodded at him, reassuring him.My heart throbb
(Ariel's POV)Time: The day of genetic testing.It was the day of the genetic test. It had, of course, come faster than I wanted it to and this filled my heart with a mix of dread and anticipation.Alice stood there, showing off the mark on her neck, proudly showing it off. "Ariel, I hope you get chosen."I looked away in anger and disdain when Alice laughed and reminded me, "You'll be dead otherwise.""If a human doesn't get picked, their fate will be miserable, you do know that." Alice replied as she turned to look at me. "As your sister, I hope that you can get mated, Ariel," she scoffed, causing my lips to twitch in anger.I stood there wondering why she wanted the mark so badly. It was true that the mated females were treated slightly better than the animated humans, but to me, they were still being used. Used by the werewolves for breeding, they were nothing more important to the werewolves. Only used as a breeding tool. And, I never wish to be used as a tool for breeding."Not
(Ariel's POV)My heart raced as I reached into the pouch of my dress. My hand fumbled around instinctively and found the gun.My new invention!My fingers trembled as I gripped the cold metal. At the same time I was heartbroken. Ron's betrayal hit me like a dagger to the heart. I had trusted him, believed in him, and now that trust shattered, hitting me with a hard blow.My finger hovered over the trigger, but before I could pull it, I felt an overwhelming force wash over me. It felt like an invisible pressure, pressing down on me."Stop," A voice echoed in my ears. My heart began to pound, and my pulse seemed to increase at the same time, my mouth became dry and my bones stiff, I couldn't move an inch!"Stop this!" The voice continued to echo in my head as I forced my eyes open.There he was standing tall and hovering over me. His presence, so powerful and dominating, sent a wave of cold crashing over me. "Stop this farce, Ariel," he commanded, his voice thick with authority.I froze
(Ariel's POV)"Strip," Elijah commanded with a grin on his face. I glanced away from him when I suddenly felt the pheromones swallowing me. It was different this time. It was gentle and addicting, like a drug, making me lose my mind.I gulped."Strip, Ariel." He repeated when I slowly took off my bra and dropped my panties. Elijah grinned and grabbed my hips, carrying me to the bed.He sat down on the bed and placed him on his lap. "Have you ever ridden a horse?"My cheeks turned hot, and I couldn't understand what was with his sudden question. Frowning, I nodded, slightly annoyed and confused. "So this is somewhat similar. Roll your hips against me." I blushed when he pulled me toward me. I took a deep breath and tried it, rocking my hips, I felt his cock shift deep inside.A strange feeling, tingled inside my body and I could feel my slits turning hot and warm as Elijah continued to guide me. I didn't know why, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't help but follow his commands."That's it
(Ariel's POV)In The Punishment Execution Ground.The rope dug into my wrists. No room to twist, no space to breathe, and the weight of the chains were suffocating. My back pressed against the splintered wood of the cross, and this time… I was not alone but with all the humans living in the pack.All tied in ropes beside me."Rebels!" A werewolf yelled at us.My heart throbbed in fear as I watched them. I was the only one who broke the iron laws. The only rebel, but the other humans had been dragged into my mess. They were being punished for my actions. Alice was beside me, silent, trembling, her face pale as she fired me a sharp evil look."It's all because of this darned bitch," I could hear the humans curse me while they were trembling and staggering in fear."Ariel," a voice growled from behind me, low and mocking. The Alpha King. Elijah. His boots crunched across the dirt as he stepped closer, his face expressionless.I clenched my teeth, staring straight into his eyes. "You want
(Elijah's POV)I watched her, lying there unconscious, and for a moment, I allowed myself to take her in. Her petite body, so delicate, looked like it could break under the slightest pressure, and yet she had been strong enough to stand against me.That alone pissed me off. I wanted to hate everything about her, to despise the way her dark hair framed her face and fell in waves around her shoulders, but I couldn't. It drove me insane. My heart throbbed to look at the direction of her.Her rejection, the way she resisted me, infuriated me more than anything. But as much as I hated her audacity, I couldn't deny how stunning she was. Those blue eyes—when they weren't glaring at me—were like shards of ice, cutting and beautiful. But when she glared, even though I hated her resistance, I was unable to resist them — the fire in her eyes.It was as if every part of her was designed to push me to the edge, to make me want her more. I had never felt like this. This was the first time I felt. F