chapter six

**Cassandra's POV**

"Bind her and tie her to the horse!" he ordered through clenched teeth, his eyes locked on me, full of hatred.

A large brown wolf, marked by a scar crossing his left eye, threw the shackles to the ground. Other men hurried to put them on my wrists. The moment my hands touched the cold metal, I felt a searing pain, as if my skin were burning. I took a deep breath, biting my lower lip to stifle a scream. The shackles were polished silver, and I knew the walk to the pack would be long and excruciating. Under the scorching sun, the silver would burn my skin until it was raw.

"Take the prisoner and deliver the contract directly to Alpha Sebastian!" the man in polished armor ordered firmly. I looked back as I was pulled away, feeling a tear silently roll down my face.

"This is the contract I enforce with all the packs under my domain. Clause 14 stipulates that if the contract is violated, I can take whatever I want and eliminate whomever I desire!" he declared with a cruel smile, his eyes fixed on Emily's belly. "In this case, Cassandra will remain with me forever as a slave and prisoner of my pack. This will be her sacrifice. You will hand over your former Luna in exchange for the safety of everyone else. This is the price for all to stay alive and continue paying tributes to me." He finished, handing the pen to Sebastian, the disdain evident in his gaze.

Sebastian looked up to meet my eyes for a brief moment, while Emily clung to his arm, her voice trembling with fear. "Please, Sebastian, we have no choice. We must save our son!" she pleaded, her hands shaking, pretending weakness to the point of nearly fainting, throwing herself into his arms.

I merely rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the pathetic scene as Sebastian, his expression hardened, signed his name on the contract, selling me like a mere object.

"Excellent!" Xavier exclaimed, satisfied. He held the contract and walked towards us, ready to mount the black horse to which I was chained. Suddenly, desperate screams broke the silence around me, making me instinctively turn my head back.

"Please, don't take Luna Cassandra! She doesn't deserve this!" Amber's voice echoed across the field as she ran desperately after us, trying to reach the horse that was relentlessly dragging me away.

My eyes filled with pain, but I kept my head held high, trying to suppress any sign of weakness. Every step, every scream that echoed around me, reminded me of the cruel reality in which I was trapped. But despite the despair and pain, I knew this was far from over.

"Please, take me instead of her, please!" I heard Amber's voice grow more distant, and quickly, two men grabbed her, preventing her from coming after us, while they whipped the horse to make it run faster.

I felt my feet leave the ground... and no matter how much I tried to keep up with the pace, it seemed impossible to stay on my feet; I was merely dragged by the force of the horse, my skin covered in scratches and bruises as my body was dragged over the rough ground.

*

We had been away from the pack for over forty minutes, and I could see nothing but the dirty, muddy ground and the green grass covering my feet when, suddenly, my body was violently thrown forward. When I opened my eyes, I realized we had stopped in front of a huge house, and a blonde woman emerged from the place, running towards us.

"Xavier... I'm glad you returned..." I heard her whisper before they sealed their lips in a kiss. "Who is this?" she pointed at me with disdain, looking at my dirty clothes and deplorable state.

"She'll be your new toy; I brought her as a gift for you!" he laughed, caressing her flushed cheeks.

The young woman breathed deeply, slightly satisfied, and gritted her teeth in my direction, signaling for the maids to take me to the room. At that moment, one of the guards approached to remove my shackles, and I felt agonizing pain, my wrists red and blistered, indicating that I had sustained second-degree burns.

"What is your name, slave?" The woman in front of me approached, holding a small whip in her hands, her eyes shining with a cruelty that made my stomach churn.

I tried to lift my head toward her, but my body was too exhausted to obey. My knees buckled, and the strength needed to keep me standing seemed to be slipping away. Everything around me spun as if the world were collapsing, and the image of the woman became an indistinct blur, obscured by shadows that threatened to engulf me.

"Didn't you hear? Your mistress is speaking to you!" Another woman's voice sounded merciless, as cold, slender fingers gripped my wrist with brutality. "Answer, slave!" The pain radiated from the point where she held me, and I barely managed to groan in response, my body surrendering to the weakness that overtook me.

"I... my name is..." The words escaped my lips, little more than a whisper before something worse happened. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I felt a warm liquid flow between my legs. I looked down and, with horror, realized I had not yet expelled the remains of the placenta. "Damn..." I muttered, my blurred vision forcing me to face the harsh reality.

My breathing grew heavier, and everything around me darkened. My body, already fragile and weakened, finally gave in to the weight of pain and exhaustion. My eyes closed against my will, and the last thing I heard was the muffled sound of the women around me before I fell to the ground unconscious.

"Sebastian..." I murmured, my lips pale, and my voice as weak as a whisper. "I... I can't die now... not like this..." My voice faltered, almost inaudible, as desperation clung to me like an unbearable weight. "I... I need..." The words escaped me, fragile and faltering, as I smelled something strong and chemical invading my nostrils.

Before I could react, a cloth was pressed against my mouth, muffling any attempt to scream. "I can't die... without getting my revenge!" I groaned in pain, terror pulsating through every cell of my body as the darkness consumed me once again.