Berrilyl's POV “Where is my mate? What did you do to him?” I screamed at the top of my lungs. A few hours ago, I was perfectly happy. I was married to my childhood sweetheart and brother's best friend, Owens. Although we were not true mates, we couldn't ask for anything better. One minute, I was in a carriage, following his to return to his pack, and the next thing, my carriage stopped suddenly, and we were surrounded by masked men.There was no familiar face in sight and my heart was drumming wildly against my chest. Until they started lining up the bodies of guards before me. The sight of blood made me want to throw up, but I was more concerned about Owens.“Answer me, dammit! Where is he?” I screamed. “Quiet, princess. He will be here soon,” a deep baritone snapped but since they were all in masks, I couldn't tell who was speaking. Owens was pulled in by two masked men, and my breath hitched. I tried not to panic as his blue eyes met mine. At least he was alive. That was a
Berrilyl's POV The man’s expression darkened. "Feel free to punish her as you see fit," the masked man muttered, walking away.The burly man stepped closer, towering over me. "From now on, you’ll call me Master Cain. Disobey, and you’ll regret it."“Or what?” I challenged, defiance surging through my exhaustion.The slap was brutal, sending me sprawling to the ground. Before I could recover, Cain ordered whips to be brought, and the lashes came fast and cruel. The pain was unbearable, tearing screams from my throat.“Are you ready to comply?” he demanded.“No,” I sobbed. “I won’t do it.”“Double the whips,” he growled. The beating resumed with relentless ferocity until a voice cut through the air. “You will either comply or die!” “Then kill me! I don't care!” I yelled.“That’s enough.”The guards froze. I looked up through my tears to see a man clad in royal blue, his face concealed by a mask. The Alpha.“What’s going on here?” he asked coldly.“She refuses to join the slaves, Alpha
Berrilyl's POV As soon as I stepped out of the mines, I was seized by the guards. “Wait… wait… where are you taking me?” I asked, struggling to break free from their grip but my efforts were futile. “I have done nothing wrong! Where are you…”“Quiet! The Alpha wants to see you,” one of them snapped. “You could have just said so instead of grabbing me like an animal,” I muttered, and their heads snapped to me. I didn't need to see their faces to tell how much they wanted to strangle me. I couldn't blame them either. I was way too outspoken for my own good. Owens always jokingly said my tongue would be the death of me. Now, I didn't doubt him. By the time I arrived at Alpha Cage's chambers, my mind ran with several thoughts on what he could possibly want from me. On arrival, the guards stopped outside the door and signalled me to go in. I hesitated for a few seconds before turning the knob and stepping in. The room was dimly lit but a beautiful sight nonetheless with dark colour
Berrilyl's POV The raw pain in his eyes told me that it was a memory he'd rather keep buried. But if he was going to punish me, I deserved to know, right?“Cage, I don't what happened to you or why you have those paintings of me –if it is me, that is, but you're going to have to open up at some point. Otherwise, all this is pointless,” I told him.“Fine!” The iciness in his tone startled me. “You came into my pack, pretending to be a wolfless human with no memories. We found you lying at the pack borders and I took you in…”“I hate to interrupt you but now, I am more than certain that wasn't me. First, I am not wolfless and I've certainly been in any form of distress my brother cannot take care of. I have lived in the palace all my life,” I cut him short. “You ask questions, and then argue with the answers,” he hissed, irritated.“Because you seem to have all the wrong answers! Whatever happened to you, I had no hand in it. If this is your revenge, then it is a waste!” I retorted.“
Berrilyl's POVI looked at Liah with disgust as she uttered those words, where was the princess in me now? I was as tattered as they were although not tattered enough to eat that kind of stale food. I was nothing more than a slave to this place."Don't give me that look. This is our world and we are welcoming the lovely princess" Sha said smiling."It's so not funny. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It is the worst. We work tirelessly so we can eat and in the end, we get this. This stale thing that not even a mad person would want to eat" I rebutted."See princess, that means that all of us here are more than mad because all of us eat this stale food. We need it to survive" she said. "I didn't mean to call you guys mad" I said but I still couldn't find it in my heart to believe that this was the food she had to hide so it wasn't eaten by others. "Okay, princess. Well, you have to get used to eating this stale food or you'll die of hunger" "Die of hunger" I repea
Berrilyl's POV"W... w... what do you want... from me?" I stuttered but kept a straight face, I was dying of fear inside."Oh, my darling hypocrite why don't you guess?" He said grinning. I started to think of something that he would want me to do. Perhaps dancing or does he want me to strip like Cain did? Was that going to be my new life– dancing and stripping? The thought sent chills through my bones but I soon dismissed the thought when I remembered what Liah said about him not being with any woman but still he did ask me to dance yesterday."What are you thinking about hypocrite?" He teased "Can't come up with something yet. Is your brain capacity so small that you can't even guess a thing?" He chuckled irritatingly. He stepped closer and I wanted to move back but it felt like my body was attached to the floor with fear.He stood tall looking down at me like he was going to crush me with his feet. I felt uneasy. He had been insulting me and now only goddess knows what he was going
Berrilyl's POV“I’m writing about me and you?” I asked incredulously, staring at him as if he had lost his mind. “What exactly is there to write about? The fact that you loathe me and were responsible for my husband’s death? You claimed it was nothing compared to what my brother and I did!”“Calm down,” he said, a sly smile creeping across his face, deepening the unease fluttering in my stomach. I could feel his intentions oozing with mischief. “There’s more to write.”The next words slipped from his lips, and I felt my heart drop. “You are writing about me and you planning to live together forever.” My heart raced, and panic set in.He had just stated he hated me, so why was I supposed to write anything about our supposed future? It felt as if he was playing with fire, tempting fate to ignite something dreadful.“Me? With you?” I exclaimed, exasperated. “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. And coming from you, it’s just plain ridiculous! Are you even hearing yourself?” My voi
Berrilyl's POVHis eyes gleamed with malice as he watched me dance, my anger fueling every step. "Twist that waist of yours better. Hypocrite," he said, but I didn't obey him. He gave me a death stare, and My legs trembled beneath me, but I forced myself to stand tall, refusing to give him the satisfactory "I see, you're still as strong-willed as before, but that won't be good for you if you want to live in less torture" he said.I started twisting and turning in all ways I could when he talked, I knew he would not only torture me but also my dead husband, who didn't do anything to him."Good girl", he said, laughing, and then he closed his eyes, and it seemed like he was focusing on the mu, sic, and then little by little, the cunning look on his face was replaced with an angered one. I continued dancing nonstop even though I thought of stopping since he closed his eyes."Get out!" He shouted, and I looked around to be certain I was the one he was talking to. It didn't seem like he wa
Berrilyl's POVI stood stiffly in the corner, the tension in the room thick enough to cut through with a knife. I could feel my heart thump as Cage took one stride forward, his gaze piercing cold upon the spies' blood-smeared forms kneeling at his feet.Who sent you?" Cage's voice was quiet, almost detached, but the weight of command behind the words left no argument.The spies didn't answer. Their heads were still hung low, their swollen lips leaking blood onto the floor. Watching them, a weird feeling twisted in my tummy, I didn’t know if it was pity and anticipation mixed up. Were they terrified or just too loyal to be sensible?When Cage spoke again, his words sent a shiver down my spine. “And while we’re at it,” he said, his eyes narrowing dangerously, “tell me if there’s another spy in this room.”There was a brief, strained silence in the room before my gaze turned instinctively to Grace. She was standing to the left of Cage, her face was blank, but I noticed her jaw stiffened
Berrilyl's POVThe cold, damp walls of the cell were growing all too familiar. I leaned against the rough stone, trying to block out the ache in my back and the faint stench of mildew clinging to the air. My wrists still showed the faint bruises from the last time they'd dragged me here, but it wasn't the discomfort that bothered me, it was the bitter taste of humiliation.Again and again, I was cast aside as if my words were but empty air.Steps rattled through the corridor; it was so narrow. I came straight up and then flicked a strand of hair away from my face. A small window on the cell door slid open, showing me an expectedly familiar face, Grace.She came into the room, her head held high, as always superior, her footsteps deliberate. This time, she didn't carry a tray of food with her just that knowing smirk, that set me on edge."You really can't help yourself, can you?" she said, crossing her arms. "Your mouth is going to get you killed one day."I let out a short, bitter lau
Berrilyl's POV After the pandemonium had subsided, Cage stood his gaze looking carefully through the scene. The two men who laying dead on the floor had already been taken away. The attack had come without warning, and the deaths of his men were a painful reminder of how vulnerable they could still be.“Secure the perimeter,” Cage ordered. His voice was firm, carrying authority. The guards nodded and scattered to follow his orders. There was no time for grief now; they needed to know if there were more enemies hiding nearby, waiting to strike.He turned to the soldiers who had gathered the bodies. “Make sure the dead are buried properly. Both of them,” Cage added, his voice softer now. It wasn’t just his men who had fallen, but they were his responsibility, and that meant giving them a proper burial, no matter the circumstances.Jake, who had stood next to him, observed the men leaving. His face was strained as he turned to face Cage. He whispered, "I don't trust anyone," as he glanc
Berrilyl's POVI sat still in the quiet of my room, my mind a storm of confusion and frustration. My thoughts were consumed by the same question that had been plaguing me for weeks: why hadn’t William come looking for me? I had been taken from him, kept captive by Cage, yet there had been no sign of a search. No attempts at rescue. No word from him at all.I shifted uncomfortably, trying to push the thought away, but it refused to leave me. The silence from William made no sense. He had always been protective, always there when I needed him, so why hadn’t he done anything?A part of her wondered if Cage’s explanation of the situation had some truth to it. Perhaps William was too busy with other matters, or perhaps he really hadn’t known where to look. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it, that something wasn’t right.I paced the room, the floorboards creaking under my weight. I had heard Cage mention things that didn’t sit well with me, things about po
Berrilyl's POVI stared at the food in front of me, trying to force down the disgust I felt. Cage’s words echoed in my mind—*“Only the goddess knows whose toe is inside the food.”* I could almost feel the taint of his cruel words poisoning the meal. It smelled so good, though—too good. The temptation was almost unbearable, but his sick laugh still rang in my ears. He was a monster, and I couldn’t trust anything he gave me, no matter how innocent it looked. I glanced at the door. Cage had already left, his laugh trailing behind him as he slammed the door with enough force to rattle the walls. I knew it was a challenge—a test of patience, of trust, or perhaps just another one of his sick games. Part of me wanted to dive into the food and finish it all in one go, to ignore the horror of what he might have done to it. But another part of me, the cautious part—the part that had learned from all the abuse, from every twisted trick he’d played—held me back. His words stung, and the last
Berrilyl's POVI woke up in a haze, disoriented and confused, staring at the ceiling. My head throbbed, and my body felt heavy like the weight of the world had settled on me. As my mind started to clear, I felt a presence beside me. Someone was holding my hand. I turned my head, groggy, and saw the physician by my side, checking my pulse. His face was kind, and professional. But his presence did little to calm the storm inside me. What happened? The last thing I remembered was arguing with Cage. He had been furious, warning me about Grace. The tension between us was suffocating, but everything after that moment was a blur. I shifted my gaze, and that’s when I saw him—Cage. He was standing near the physician, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed on me. His eyes burned with an anger so intense, that I could almost feel it searing through me. If his mask had covered his eyes too, I wouldn’t have known how much he hated me. “How are you feeling?” the physician asked, his voice gentle
Cage's POVAs soon as the Beta and his guards exited the room, the faint echo of their footsteps fading down the hall, my focus shifted entirely to Berrilyl. The anger I had restrained during the meeting surged forward, bubbling up and demanding release. I turned to her sharply, ready to unleash my frustration. “Who do you think you are,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous, “to imply that I need you so badly, that without you my plans would crumble?” Her response was infuriatingly dismissive. She didn’t speak a word, only rolled her eyes, the faintest smirk curling her lips. “You better listen, and listen carefully,” I warned, stepping closer. “Don’t you ever try that again, or you won’t be able to handle what’s coming for you.” She raised her chin defiantly, her voice calm yet laced with exhaustion. “Stop pretending I’m lying. You do need me. If you didn’t, you would’ve killed me long ago. You’ve had every reason to do it, haven’t you? Yet here I am, alive and standing in
Cage's POVThe meeting room was silent except for the rustle of papers and the occasional murmurs among my advisors. I sat at the head of the table, my gaze fixed on the Beta of the Goldenmoon Pack, who had just concluded his presentation. His pack’s desperation was evident, even if he tried to conceal it behind a polished and professional demeanour. Across from me, the Beta adjusted his posture, his shoulders squared and his expression carefully neutral. Behind him stood a pair of guards, their hands resting on the hilts of their weapons. They looked tense, though they did their best to appear calm. This was no ordinary proposal—it was a plea for survival. “Alpha Cage,” the Beta began, his voice steady, “our pack believes this alliance will be mutually beneficial. We offer an unparalleled supply of ammunition and weaponry, resources that your pack can put to immediate use. In return, we seek your protection against the increasing rogue attacks.” I leaned back in my chair, steep
Berrilyl's POV The tap at the door was gentle. I didn't look toward the door. My eyes, instead remained set at the ceiling, like the cracked pattern there should give answers to my plenty of questions. Another rap, loud enough this time. "Come in," I spoke finally, never raising myself up to sit.The door creaked open and Talia stepped inside, carrying a small wooden tray. Her face was smooth, yet a flicker of unease danced in her eyes as she neared. "I brought the medicine," she whispered, placing the tray down on the small table beside my bed. "Cage ordered me to help you apply it to your wounds."At her words, a jolt of anger surged through me. My fists clenched at my sides, and I pushed myself upright, glaring at her. “Cage ordered you?” I repeated, my voice dripping with disdain. Talia nodded, clearly uncertain how to respond to my tone. “He said it’s important you heal properly.”A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could check it. "Of course, he did. He's probably just