Chapter 4

ADIRA

"Please help me!" I choke out a plea. My eyes waters as tears slide down the corner of my cheeks when his hands on my neck only tightens. I'm not sure if asking for help from the dangerous man in front of me is a good idea.  But I have no other choice.

"They're trying to kill me. Please let me go before they get here, please." I grab his hands in an attempt to free myself and lessen the pressure of his hold around my neck but it doesn’t budge.

“If they’re coming for you then it only means you’ve done something bad haven’t you?” He eyes me suspiciously. “Why else would you be running away? Or do you maybe have another target that you want to finish off.”

He doesn’t believe me so there’s no point in telling him anything otherwise he might just hand me over to them to kill me. 

"P-Please." I whisper softly instead, “I’m not a killer and I don’t have any target.” I add, and he slowly loosens his grip around my neck until I was completely free from his hold. I crash to the ground in an instant, gasping for air before rising back to my feet.

"Who are you?" He asks and I slowly bring my face to meet his demanding eyes. His blue dark orbs pierces through mine and for a moment there, I am left mesmerized and at a loss for words.

This man standing in front of me is nothing like I had ever anticipated. He is tall, beardless and has an appealing face that holds a certain sensuality I can’t fathom. A swath of wavy hair falls casually on his forehead and his well groomed appearance is a perfect match with his sun tanned skin. If I wasn't in this situation, I would have properly acknowledged how devilishly handsome he looks. He is the perfect example of a walking sex symbol.

Gosh! I feel bare in front of him. It is almost like he is staring into my soul. His eyes take in my almost naked body and I quickly pull the coat to cover up quickly.

"You smell strange." He mutters under his breath, eyes still fixed on mine. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He repeats, his voice a lot calmer than before despite the blatant irritation written on his face. Well, at least he isn’t trying to kill me anymore.

"Please help me run away." I blurt out almost immediately. "He's coming for me and if he catches me here, he'll kill me. I'm innocent and I don't want to be taken away into slavery."

"Who's coming to kill you?" He asks but before I can respond, the door bursts open and Richard troops into the room with the other warriors standing firm behind him, awaiting his orders. I hide myself behind the stranger's back as fear and panic courses through my bloodstream.

"Grab her!" Richard instructs the other guards but they remain rooted in their spot, not daring to move an inch. "Didn't you hear what I just said? Grab her!" He screams at them but they simply refuse.

"Hand her over to me Cullen. She's my slave and my property so you have no right to keep her away from me." He rants on but the man whom I have come to know as Cullen only glances at me instead of doing as he is told.

"She doesn't look like a slave to me so why should I hand her over to you?" He answers nonchalantly and I am left utterly dumbfounded. Who is this man and why is he talking to Richard in this manner without fear? No one ever dares to go against Richard so it made me confused.

"She's a threat to this pack." Richard states firmly and I almost can’t believe that he had said that about me. "She's a thief and a sinner so hand her over so that she can serve her punishment."

"A threat?" Cullen asks with a raised brow. "What crime did a woman like her commit?"

"This is a matter for our pack, not yours."

Cullen shrugs. "Then you might as well leave because this woman isn't going anywhere with you." He adds and brushes past Richard to grab his robe from the nearby closet.

There is something about the way he speaks and carries himself that sparks something inside me. He has an unusual kind of aura that I can’t quite place my finger on. He is different and I can tell. Is he maybe an Alpha or an important person of another pack?

"You have no right to—"

"And you think that you do?" Cullen counters. "You barged into my room unannounced and demanded that I release a woman under my custody simply because you asked me to. Are you suddenly forgetting who I am and what your place is in this pack, Richard?"

I see Richard swallow. His chest rising and falling rapidly in anger. Cullen has touched a nerve and he doesn’t like it.

"She's not who you think she is. What part of that statement don't you understand?" Richard scolds him while I remain silent, hoping that Cullen doesn't give into the pressure and release me to him.

"She stole from the pack—"

"And do you have any evidence that she was the one who committed the crime? Or have you already found the missing item on her after searching?" Cullen's voice comes out deep, gruff and mirthless. He is serious and it makes me nervous. "What makes you believe that she stole it? For all you know, she could’ve been framed for a crime that she didn't commit."

I look on, a glimmer of hope flickering from inside me. I have never seen Richard this tight-lipped in all the years that I've come to know him. Just who on earth is this man that was able to put him in this position without even lifting a finger? Who is this stranger that has a tight leash over him?

"You can't do this Cullen." Richard threatens him sternly. The angry veins of his forehead pops out visibly as he speaks. "You have no right to interfere in the affairs of this pack. She's my prisoner. I will do whatever I wish and not you or anyone can stop me."

He reaches out to grab my hands but before he can do so, Cullen catches it midway through the air and snaps his fingers which cracks his bones. He cries out in pain and crashes to the floor.

I openly gasp with a grim stare at how strong he is to be able to do that. I stand frozen, a wave of horror washing over me, a shiver runs down my spine. Cullen's strength is terrifying, absolute.

"I already told you that she isn't going anywhere with you so why do you still choose to defy me?" He finishes his statement with a growl and lowers himself to the ground to be on the same level with Richard.

"You are lucky today Richard. Don’t forget that I am only letting you go today because of how much I respect your father but let this be a warning to anyone who dares to come after her. As your king, this woman belongs to me now and no one is allowed to touch her." His tone is brittle and raw. A mixture of no emotions as he blurts out those words.

My eyes widen in shock as I take a step back. Did he just address himself as the king? Does it mean that he is an Alpha king? Oh my goodness!

Cullen dips his hands into his pockets and straightens himself properly so that he is well balanced enough to continue his speech.

"If anyone so much as dares to go against my order, I'll have you beheaded and you of all people should know that I don't bluff, Richard." Cullen hits his cheeks playfully. "So be a good person so that none of you will die by my hands."

With that being said, Cullen grabs my hands and pulls me towards the door. I look back to see Richard's hands fisted at his side as he stares back at me with a clenched jaw and I immediately look away from him.

My heart does a little flutter when we are finally out the door but that is before another thought hits me. Why is Alpha king interested in me? Why did he save me? Is he different from Richard or is he another disaster waiting to ruin my life?