Chapter 2

Sabrina’s POV

I woke up to a violent splash of cold water and I curled up on the floor.

“Pour another one on her since she doesn’t want to get up!” A familiar voice ordered.

I wiped my face with my palm and sat up before another bucket could be emptied on me.

I blinked countlessly as I struggled to see clearly. My vision became a bit clear. Two masculine figures stood before me. One held a bucket while the other one stood without nothing. But it didn't take me a second to sniff out Charde's scent. And my eyes welled up with tears as I called out his name.

“Charde!”

“You don’t need to scream, I’m right here,” he uttered, his voice colder than ice.

He inched closer and squatted before me.

“What led you into working for our enemies, darling?” He asked, caressing my jaw as he lifted my face, “How much was the bribe? What were you promised?”

“Charde, I don’t—”

He banged my face on the floor and raised it back up. My eyes went wide, blood trickling down my nose.

“Address me as Alpha Charde,” he growled with disgust, “you filthy being.”

“A-alpha C-c-charde,” I stammered, unable to believe that he had already become the Alpha just a few hours after his father’s death.

If there was something I knew, it was that Charde wasn’t yet prepared mentally for that position. Yes, he was strong, agile and talented in combat, able to fling heavily built men on their backs with just one arm. But that wasn’t all there was to it. He easily got sentimental, manipulated, and I could swear someone was pulling the strings on him.

“Now, are you willing to tell me who you work for?” Charde sneered, “that’s the only thing that could make me reconsider executing you. Spill it now or consider yourself dead by tomorrow.”

“Charde— I-i mean, Alpha Charde, the last thing I can do is betray you," I cried, "Please believe me, I didn’t poison your father, and I’m not an ally to any enemy."

“You see, Sabrina, crying won’t save you,” he coldly said, “if you insist on not speaking the truth, then save your prayers for the executioner’s blade by dawn.”

He stood up and turned around to leave, but stopped when I muttered something.

“What did you just say?” He turned around and asked.

I stood up to my feet. He could do his worst for all I cared.

“I gave you my fucking virginity, Charde! I gave you myself last night, and this is how you pay me back?!” I roared, “ all my life, I cherished you, pledged my loyalty to you, made myself a slut in your chamber just to please you. I stripped my goddamn clothes whenever you wanted and entertained you with the view of my naked body, went on my bloody knees before your couch and sucked your fucking soul out. I thought I was doing all that for a man I could put my faith in, but look at you lingering on the threads of a puppet master and crushing the little faith I have in you!

Grinding his jaws rashly, he marched back to me with quick bold steps and seized me by the throat.

“Your virginity,” he snarled, gritting his jaws as if he was trying hard not to say more, “your mouth and every goddamn thing I made it swallow… None of it matters! None of it fucking matters!” He yelled, “You killed my father, you bloody bastard!”

“It’s a fucking accusation! I drank some of that wine right after serving your father and that was why I decided to bring some for you. Would I have brought it to poison you and I?”

“I see you’ve grown some balls talking back at me,” he muttered.

“For crying out loud, come back to your senses, Charde!”

“I’m in my fucking senses!” He yelled and angrily pushed me to the floor. Then, he turned around and stormed out of the cell, “pray to the goddess I don’t see you in my dream tonight. I’ll strangle you to death.”

He spat on the floor and stormed out, leaving me all alone to the cold metal bars of the cell and the discomforting gaze of the warden.

Two minutes after he left, my wolf purred softly.

“He doesn’t seem to have noticed it, does he?” My wolf asked.

“Not yet,” I responded, “his head is still boiling hot. And even if I told him now, he wouldn’t possibly believe me.”

“But we have to tell him before it’s too late, so he can reconsider,” my wolf urged.

However, going back on his decision to execute me seemed to be an impossible thing for Charde, especially with the death of his father triggering paranoiac behaviours in him.

The cell was silent for a long while before the warden who had been gazing at me for a long while, finally decided to speak.

“Your execution was announced last night,” his voice rang from behind the helmet he wore, “What is your favorite meal? I could do you the grace of sneaking it in for you, just like I’ve done for some execution candidates in the past. By the time the sun is out, your soul should have left your body.”

My heart sank to the sole of my feet. Beads of sweat trickled down my spine, and my eyes teared up at the thought of me kneeling down before the whole pack, about to get my head chopped off.

“I need to talk to Alpha Charde,” I begged, “That’s all I want.”

“But he just turned his back on you some minutes ago. What more do you want to tell him?”

“I need to let him know that—”

One of the doors swung open and a group of soldiers trooped in. Their leader glanced in my direction and pointed, “That’s her.”

Immediately, my heart sank to the pit of my stomach. The skull and axe tattoo on their faces. It was the executioners.