chapter 5

Cara

My vision was blurry as I woke to darkness, the world around me hazy and unclear. Gradually, my eyes adjusted, and I realised I wasn't alone. The old nanny who called herself Debby was sitting beside me. I let out a frustrated sigh, noticing I had been moved from the main room to one of the smaller ones. My body felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and weakness as I dragged myself out of bed.

"My lady, please," Debby pleaded, her voice laced with concern. "You need to stay in bed until you're strong enough."

My head began to clear, and the memory of what had happened flooded back to me. The beast had marked me…

The thought was bitter as it echoed in my mind. Hot tears welled up in my eyes and slid down my cheeks. I reached up to touch my neck, feeling the tender spot where his teeth had sunk into my skin like a bloodthirsty predator. The pain was still raw, seared into my memory.

Sitting quietly, I reflected on everything that had happened, the reality sinking in with cruel clarity. "So I’ve finally become a plaything," I thought bitterly. It was almost ironic, escaping my former pack only to fall into the clutches of someone even worse. Someone who took what he wanted without a second thought, without care for the life he was destroying.

I thought of Alice, wondering what she was doing without me. And Alex… how would he react if he knew what had happened to me? They probably thought I was dead, killed by the rogues who had attacked our village. No one would search for me or even notice I was gone. Only Alice and Alex where my friends

With a heavy sigh, I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the present. The deed was done. I touched the tender spot on my neck again, the reminder of my new reality. I have been marked by a stranger.

In our lives as werewolves, being marked is supposed to be a joyous occasion, a celebration of love and unity. It’s supposed to be of happiness, shared between two mates who love each other. It’s a claim, a bond that no other wolf dares to challenge. But this… this was nothing like that. This was a violation, a mockery of everything I had ever hoped for.

I turned to the old woman, trying to piece together my scattered thoughts. "Where is this place?" I asked, my voice shaky. "I… I want to go… home," I added in a whisper, though the word ‘home’ felt foreign on my tongue. Where was home now? Did I even have a place called home?

Debby reached out, cradling my head against her bosom as she tried to comfort me. But the comfort felt hollow, the dreams of finding my true mate now shattered by the beast who had marked me. The warmth of her embrace only highlighted the cold emptiness inside me, the place where hope had once lived.

"My dear, don't fret," Debby said, pouring tea from a nearby desk. I eyed the cup suspiciously, still unsure of everything around me. "It’s just tea, my lady," she assured me, taking a sip herself before offering it to me again.

My stomach growled embarrassingly, and I flushed with shame. "Oh, I forgot your food!" Debby exclaimed, rushing to the other room. She returned with trays of food, all neatly arranged. My mouth watered, but I tried to maintain some semblance of composure. After she tasted each dish to show it was not poisoned, I couldn’t wait any longer. I devoured the food, driven by a hunger I couldn’t control, as if eating could somehow fill the void inside me.

“You’re in our kingdom, my lady…” Debby began after I finished eating, her tone cautious.

“Will you just stop calling me that?” I snapped, cutting her off. “I’ve had enough. Don’t remind me of my suffering, please,” I begged, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions.

“I’m so sorry, my…” She caught herself, looking at me apologetically. “The mister is our leader. It’ll be difficult to stop calling you ‘my lady,’ even if I respect your wishes. Others won’t dare do otherwise,” she explained, a faint smile on her lips as if trying to ease the tension.

“Others? Are you saying there are others like him?” I asked, shocked by the possibility. The thought of more creatures like him sent a chill down my spine.

“There are no others like him…" Mister is different,” she replied, her voice filled with something akin to reverence.

“Why are you serving him? Why do you take him as your master?” I pressed, confused by her loyalty. How could anyone willingly serve such a monster?

“Because he saved my life. He gave me a purpose. Mister showed me the world, and I owe him everything,” Debby answered with a fanatical look in her eyes, a look that both scared and saddened me. She believed in him, truly believed, and that made her just as much a prisoner as I was.

A heavy silence fell over the room. I could tell she had said more than she intended, her emotions getting the better of her. She quickly busied herself, avoiding my gaze.

“I’ll be back, my…" dear,” she said hurriedly, leaving the room in a rush as if fleeing from her own words.

I watched her go, surprise etched on my face. The door shut behind her, and I was left alone with my thoughts. But I couldn’t dwell on them for long. There were more pressing matters, like how I was going to escape and where exactly I was.

The silence in the room was deafening, pressing down on me until I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I needed to get out, to move, to do something before I lost my mind. Rising from the bed, I began to explore the cottage. It was larger than I expected, with three rooms, a kitchen, and a parlour. The walls were dull and bland, and everything inside was simple and unremarkable, a stark contrast to the chaos swirling inside me. The kitchen looked like it hadn’t been used in years. Every pot and plate was neatly packed away, untouched by time.

Peering outside, I was met with darkness, the night alive with the sound of insects. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I remembered the night it happened.

I was five years old, living with my parents in my old pack before it was destroyed. My mother would tell me bedtime stories during quiet nights like this. Stories of brave wolves and beautiful mates, of love that could conquer anything. Stories I had once believed in.

It felt like it was just yesterday. I could still see the fear in my mother’s eyes as my father fought against the rogues that attacked us. They swarmed our pack like mindless ants, feeling no pain, their eyes glowing with pure evil. That was the first time I encountered rogues. They killed my father, but not before my mother hid me in a cellar. She fought for me, her only daughter, and even in death, her eyes were filled with an unwillingness to leave me behind.

That was the day my parents died, the day my life changed forever. Tears filled my eyes as I missed them both so much. The pain of losing them was still as fresh as the day it happened, an open wound that never healed.

“Why did you leave me?” I whispered to the night, my voice cracking with emotion. “Why did you both have to leave me alone in this cruel world?”

Suddenly, a sweet fragrance wafted in from outside, snapping me out of my despair. It was the most intoxicating scent I had ever smelled, a mixture of pine and ash. My wolf, who had been silent for so long, stirred within me, excited by the scent. She perked up, her ears twitching in anticipation, her tail wagging with a happiness I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I followed the fragrance out of the cottage, my heart pounding in my chest. My breathing quickened, and if I were in my wolf form, my tail would have been wagging furiously. The scent pulled me deeper into the clearing, further away from the cottage, and I didn’t care about the dangers. I was consumed by the tantalising smell. It was like nothing else mattered but finding the source of that scent, as if it could erase all the pain and fear that had taken root in my heart.

As I drew closer, I saw him. His back was turned to me, but something about him was familiar. My heart skipped a beat, a mixture of fear and anticipation flooding through me. My mate stood there with broad shoulders that made me want to run my hand through them, to feel the strength that lay beneath.

Then he turned, his movement so fast it broke the wind, and my anticipation and happiness died immediately.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him, my mouth agape in shock. It was him. The beast. The Wolfman who had marked me. But instead of the warmth and connection I had felt earlier, there was something else in his eyes, something that made my blood run cold.My anticipation and happiness died immediately.

No…,” I whispered, my voice barely audible as the realisation crashed over me like a tidal wave. He was my mate, yes but why was he looking at me like that?

Those piercing blue eyes stared back at me, the eyes of the Wolfman who had marked me against my will. I can see that look, I can recognise that look and relate with the look. It's a look I have received all through my life. Looks like disgust, hatred, and pity.

“H…ow did this happen?” I heard him say slowly, almost to himself, but I could hear him thanks to the mind link we shared when he marked me as his. His voice was filled with confusion and disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend what had just occurred.

I felt my wolf on the verge of sinking into despair, she was heartbroken already that our mate doesn't value us. My heart trembled as I looked at my mate, who continued to stare at him. He was the half man half wolf. He marked me the first time we met. But why was he acting like he never knew me?

My heart threatened to seize, and the world started closing in on me. Have I been marked not to be wanted forever? Hot tears spilled from my eyes, I reached for him, yearning for that feeling I felt earlier, that intoxicating and mind-numbing feeling that ran through my core.

And then, as if the world hadn’t already crumbled beneath me, when i was hoping with a flicker of hope for my mate to run to me, to hold me and whisper to me while chuckling about how i have misthought,

He turned his back and immediately ran. He ran away, leaving me standing there, my heart shattering all over again.