CHAPTER FIVE

“What do you dream about?” he asks.

A voice pulls me out of a deep sleep that it feels like I’ve been trapped in forever.

I try to move, but I’m reminded that I’m in a cage. I’m in a nightmare. There’s no moving. No escape.

“Or maybe it was a nightmare,” he chuckles. “Considering everything that’s happened to you lately, I’m sure it was a nightmare.

“So, what are your nightmares about? Am I in them? Do I haunt you even when you close your eyes? I hope I do. If I don’t yet, I will soon.”

It’s him. It’s the Alpha who led the charge that slaughtered my pack. He watches me like he’s trying to figure me out. Probably so he can figure out the best way to break me.

I’ll never let him break me. I can’t imagine living while the rest of my pack is dead, but I will. I’ll stay strong so I can get revenge for them.

“You know, you’re the only survivor of that fight,” he says.

I try not to react outwardly, but I flinch and he notices. It makes him happy to see my weakness. It makes my stomach churn to know I’m exposing my vulnerability, but I can’t seem to hide it all under his prying gaze.

“To be fair, I wasn’t expecting any survivors,” he continues. “I almost had you killed too once you were knocked out. But when I saw you fight…” he shakes his head. “I was too impressed to let you die.

“It’s not often that you see warriors like that. I’ve rarely seen such skill, such strength, such determination in anyone. It’s rare. And I knew I had to keep you. I couldn’t let that go to waste.”

“Keep me?” I ask. I regret saying anything the second it slips from my mouth but I can’t seem to hold it in. I’m giving him the reaction he wants.

“Yes,” he smiles, glad I took the bait. “Keep you.

“You see, as shocking as this is, I still don’t have a mate, Sasha. It’s not because of a lack of interest from others, of course. I’ve yet to meet a woman who wouldn’t be happy to be with me.

“Rather, it’s because I’m picky. I want a strong mate, a woman who can lead a pack. I want a mate who will be submissive to me but won’t back down to others.

“I want you, Sasha. I want you to be my mate.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He can’t be serious. He slaughtered my whole pack. How can he think I’d ever be his mate?

“I’ll make you my queen,” he continues, seemingly unaware of how delusional everything he says is. “You’ll have everything. I’ve already proven the strength of my pack to you. And your strength matches ours. This is where you belong.”

“Never,” I say. I know I shouldn’t react, but I can’t stand listening to this nonsense any longer. “You’re delusional if you think I’ll ever agree to be your mate.

“You killed my whole pack. I despise you in the fiercest way possible. I hate you more than I’ve ever hated anyone else in my life. I’d rather die than be with you.”

To my surprise, he smiles. “Harsh,” he says. “But I get it. The deaths of those you love are still new. Your heart is still raw. It’s not an easy thing to go through and I feel for you, I really do.

“You’ll change your mind though. Once you get settled in. You will fall in love with me. You’ll see that I’m the best thing that ever happened to you.”

“Never,” I insist.

“Never?” he asks. He walks up to the door of the cage and suddenly, I’m afraid.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been so persistent. There’s no way of getting away from him here. If I’ve made him angry enough, he can kill me.

Or worse. He can torture me. He can draw out my death in the most painful ways.

He opens the door and shuts it before I can even think of escaping.

Before I can move away, I feel a sharp tug that brings tears to my eyes as he grabs me from behind my head. I smother a scream of terror as he forces me to look at him.

I’m used to being the strongest of my pack. I’m used to having their respect.

He overpowers me so easily though. There’s no way of getting away from him. If I try to fight him, he’ll always win.

“You should know that I will kill you if you ever try to escape,” he growls. I believe him.

“I don’t want to kill you though,” he continues. “I really don’t. I like you. I want to keep you.

“So, I’ll let you choose. You can either marry me and be my mate, or you can accept death. You can join your pack in the afterlife and give up your chance at a better life here.”

I want to join my pack in the afterlife. The shock of everything that happened weighs heavily on me. My heart breaks for them. I can’t imagine life without them. I’d rather die than marry this Alpha.

But they also deserve to get revenge. Their deaths can’t just happen unpunished. I need to fight for them like I’ve always fought for them. I can’t bow down and break now.

I see the key hanging from the Alpha’s waist.

“You want my answer?” I ask.

He smiles. “Of course,” he says.

I walk closer to him in a way that I hope is charming and distracting.

“I choose…”

I touch his shoulder. His skin his hot under my fingertips. He’s caught off guard.

In one swift movement, I pull him down close enough so I can kick him in the face. He’s left reeling as I reach for the keys.

He grabs my waist before I can get away and I know I’m in trouble. I underestimated his speed and strength.

He snarls as he picks me up easily with one arm.

“You’re going to learn your place,” he says. “One way or another you’re going to learn the rules and you are going to obey them.

He slams me to the ground, hard.

My head bounces back against one of the bars and the world turns blurry.

Darkness quickly descends upon me and I’m terrified. I can’t afford to black out now. What will he do to me?

I try to fight it but I can’t as I fall unconscious.