Chapter 7

As soon as the men are gone, it's just me and him in the room, a heaviness filling my chest as he watches me. He doesn't say anything to me at all, instead, he continues to watch me, analyze me, every detail of me. A frown suddenly appears on my face as I try to decipher what could be going in through that sick head of his, and when I've finally had enough of the silence, I decide to speak up.

"What the hell do you want with me?" I demand, breaking the silence. I've had enough of this—enough of their glares, their questions, their assumption that I owe them anything. "Speak, damn it."

He raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Be silent." The command is cold, like ice water down my spine, but I hold my ground. I then watch him as he slowly walks around his desk and approaches me.

"You're a rogue, clearly..." he continues, as if I'm not even worth the effort of conversation. "But there's something about your scent... something different from all the rest..." he tells me and that's when I stare at him with a raised eyebrow, trying to figure out whatever exactly he could be talking about.

I don't react. I won't give him anything, but inside, his words send a chill through me. Different. That's what everyone always said... That my scent was.. different, but never quite able to explain why... I keep my face blank, meeting his gaze with a steady glare.

"Tell me what pack you belonged to before you became a rogue," he says, his tone more of a demand than a question.

I feel a flash of anger, the defiance rising up in me like fire, suddenly becoming defensive as I think of my family. "I will never tell you." I snap at him

He squints his eyes at me and crosses his arms, his expression unchanged as he continues to look at me. "Very well. You have one last chance to tell me why you ended up here. ."

I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. "I told you before. I was simply passing through. It's not like there are signs that tell me I'm on Raven Moon territory. I have no business with your pack." I can feel the tension building in the room, like a storm about to break. "You can interrogate me for days if you want, trust me, I've been through much worse. But I'm telling you the truth."

He watches me, his eyes dark and unreadable, but there's something in his gaze—a flicker of something I can't name, something that makes my skin prickle. Finally, he nods, his voice calm, almost contemplative. "Hm... it seems you are."

I feel a sliver of hope, a sense of victory that I've made him believe me. "So... does that mean you're letting me go?"

His lips curl into a faint, humourless smile. "No... not at all."

The words hit like a slap, wiping away any trace of relief. I grit my teeth, the anger bubbling up again. "Why not? You just said I was telling the truth. Or is that not enough for the almighty Alpha of Raven Moon?"

He stands, moving around the room with slow, deliberate steps, his gaze never leaving mine. I tense as he gets closer, but I refuse to back down, refuse to show even a hint of weakness...

"Let me make something clear, Kaida," he says, his voice low and dangerous. "Truth or not, you're a rogue. And rogues don't walk freely in my territory. You're here because I allow it. You breathe because I allow it. You may have stumbled onto my land by accident, but your choices are now in my hands."

I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms, almost forgetting about the injuries in my hands just as I feel a growl rumble in my throat. I find myself stepping up to him, looking him dead in the eye.

"I don't care who you think you are," I snap, my voice sharp. "I don't owe you anything. I don't answer to you..."

His eyes narrow, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. "You'd do well to reconsider your attitude."

"And you'd do well to let me leave," I shoot back, lifting my chin. "If you don't have a reason to keep me here, then let me go. Otherwise, I promise you—I'll make it my mission to make your life hell."

A silence falls, tense and unbreakable, and for a moment, I wonder if I've gone too far. But I don't back down, even as his gaze hardens, his expression turning colder than I thought possible.

"You adorable aren't you?" His tone is mocking and I blink at him, not being able to believe a word he's just said. Does he think this is a fucking joke?

"You genuinely believe you're a threat." He suddenly laughs as he shakes his head at me.

"You're nothing but a lone wolf who got caught where she shouldn't be. You're no threat to me, Kaida…”

For some reason his words sting and I feel a rage course within me, one I haven’t felt in a long time. It causes another growl to rip through my teeth and before I know it, I throw a punch at him.

He swerves out of the way with ease, but I don’t stop there, instead, I unleash a flurry of attacks on him, throwing my injured fists towards him as I shriek out loud.

He is able to evade all my attacks, making it look like I’m simply hitting the air and soon, I feel him grab hold of my forearms, gripping onto them carefully just as I hiss quietly in pain, feeling my hands continue to sting.

His silence is answer enough. He doesn't intend to let me go. Not now, maybe not ever.

"You're staying," he says finally, his voice final. "For as long as I see fit. And you'll obey my commands, or you'll face the consequences."

I glare at him, my pulse racing, every instinct screaming to fight, to resist. But I know it won't do any good. Not here, not against him…

"You can keep me locked up here," I say, my voice low. "But you'll never break me."

He smirks, as if my defiance is nothing but a mild annoyance as he brings me closer to him, our faces only inches apart. "We'll see…”