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2024-10-29 19:42:56Inayah woke to bitter cold thrashing across her bare cheeks, drying them. She cracked open her fatigued eyes and peered at the slightly lit room.
A low mournful sound sang across the empty room followed by slight hammering sounds. Another gust of cold crossed the woollen blankets piled over her shivering form, offering little to no heat. She blinked hard and forced her attention towards the source;
The cabin’s front door was gaping open, beating against the wall each time wind surged through from the outside. From where she lay, Inayah was able to make out the whiteness that piled beyond the barrier. Soft flakes having drifted inside and settled on the rags, along with frost spreading like a fog on the wooden door.
Snow.
It was snowing.
How long had she been asleep?
Inayah struggled to bring a thought to completion but could not, she still felt terribly ill and her mind addled like soup, swilling about the confines of her s
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The Alpha's Slave 32
Lycus circled the mauled bear thoughtfully, his muzzle and paws were wet with blood and melted snow.The kill had been effortless and easy. Perhaps what had been the most difficult part was tracking the hibernating animal so far off into the forest and the further he walked, the more hesitant he grew over the human girl who currently was passed out on the cot.He did not know whether she would dare escape again, though it was obvious that was more hesitant knowing he could easily track her. The forest was large and she did not know where they currently stood.She was foolish enough to escape once.His brothers on the other hand… Lycus’ wolf growled lowly before his bones began to snap and realign themselves, fur sinking in on itself. He straightened with a sigh, rolling his stiff shoulders back and cracking his neck sideways.His body was sleek with blood, bits of flesh and fur stuck between his teeth from
The Alpha's Slave 33
You and I are mates.Mates.Inayah lay awake on the bed, wide eyed and staring at the ceiling above in mute contemplation. Lycus’ words had left a sudden dryness to her mouth, and her heart had not ceased its nervous beating throughout the night.The past two days had gone by rather calmly, and he seemed -unlike her- quite at ease despite confessing his never ending feelings and utmost loyalty to her.I belong to you.No one had ever spoken such words to her, an oath that seemed to bind one person to another. He barely knew her, and yet there he stood with honesty dripping from his tone, claiming to be her everything if she would let him.She flipped onto her side, tucking a hand beneath the pillow.No, that would be wrong. What would Salem do if he found out?Doesn’t Lycus fear him?His own audacious confidence scared her to no end. Inayah turned over onto her side and sta
The Alpha's Slave 34
Inayah lay on the snow laden earth. The coat she wore was large, hood draped over her head allowing only her eyes to peek through from beneath. Her breaths came in misted forms of heated clouds by her flushed lips and cheeks.Her eyes quietly drifted across the stretch of land before her. It was silent, eerily so. The only sounds that could be heard was her hammering heartbeat and crunching of snow each time she tried to shift about in search of a comfortable position.Inayah scowled as time passed by and Lycus had not yet shown.She considered getting up and walking away but he made it clear that she was not to move. Inayah blew out a breath of exasperation and checked her nails for dirt. He had brought her to a field of snow and instructed that she lay on her belly, unmoving, before leaving her.Inayah peered up at the grey sky. A flake of snow drifted onto the tip of her reddened nose. It was getting cold and her clothes were growing so
The Alpha's Slave 35
Lycus stood by the hill’s edge along with his mate.He watched her silently as she stared at the drift of life below. Despite the cold, darkened weather, it was easy to spot the slant of roofs in the short distance, the thin billows of smoke that rose from chimneys. Occasionally, the bleating of sheep that triggered his hunger reflex, unconscious piling of saliva between his cheeks.He swallowed with a sigh then forced his attention from the sheep and back towards Inayah.She had crouched low, elbows balancing on her knees, hands cupping her cheeks. Her eyes remained fixated on the silhouettes of people moving about, drifting laughter of shrieking children as they played. A slight glaze overcame her eyes, almost serene and satisfied. Yet beneath it, he saw slivers of longing.Lycus shifted onto his other foot. “Do you have any family?”“No,” Inayah replied and a breeze sighed past them, stirring loose strands of hair that fell f
The Alpha's Slave 36
“Three hundred silver coins?” Lycus heard Inayah’s incredulous voice as she counted the coins set on stone by the steaming bath’s edge.He hummed in acknowledgement.“Three hundred silver coins,” she repeated, then shifted, the sound of water splashing her movements, “Kade paid you that much to find me?”“He did.”“Oh,” another shift. The tone of her voice had Lycus lifting one end of cloth placed over his eyes. He peered at her with one eye. She sat a few meters from him, steaming water rising up to her neck, sodden hair held up in a loose ponytail.The bag of coins he had given her was now open, coins spilled over the bathhouse edge. Her chin was set on the edge, flushed fingers pushing them aside one at a time.Lycus picked a stray coin and flipped it towards her. It landed with a soft plop beside her; “Penny for your thoughts.”
The Alpha's Slave 37
When Inayah came to, she was lying on a cold hardened ground. A soft groan of agony escapes her lips as she struggles to blink then roll over, now conscious of the world all around her. She blinked again then stilled at the sound of scurrying.A rat.Inayah shot upwards and glanced around at the darkness that consumed the reeking room. She raised a hand towards her pounding head, then faltered as chains around her wrists clattered noisily.Someone had shackled both wrists and ankles.But who-Lycus.The grimace that pinched her face suddenly tightens at the thought of him. Salem. Inayah shoots to her feet and stumbles forward, hands outstretched and blindly groping for something, anything. It was not until her fingers curled around metallic bars that Inayah heard the slamming shut of doors overhead.Footsteps echoed along the open hallway, drawing closer and closer still. Inayah blinked as faint yellow ligh
The Alpha's Slave 38
There was darkness. Voices. Dreams, dark and murky. Fear, pain. So much pain.Inayah opened her eyes, but the light hurt. She winced and tried to move. She could not. She was in a room, bright and open. She saw Mathilde come into view.Her first reflex was resistance, struggling to relieve herself of the chains and shackles that bore her to the bed. But her body seemed to have a mind of its own, completely slack and hot and in pain. Only her mind seemed hyper-aware of their enemy.Mathilde's cheek was wrapped in gauze, and she walked with a limp towards the bed. Her eyes held darkness equal to Salem's and hate, so much hate."There you are, child. Why'd you go and do such a horrible thing? Master has just been beside himself, he almost lost himself completely. It's such a shame what you did to him. I'd half a mind to let you pass on in your fever dreams, but he demanded I help you heal. I did
The Alpha's Slave 39
The week of torture drifted past in flashes of black and white.Salem kept Inayah locked in the cages intermittently, allowing her freedom to use the potty and eat before locking her up again. His torture knew no bounds, from whipping to shouting and sometimes daring to suffocate her in her food.All for one question."Do you like him?" Salem asked, lifting her head with his grip on her ponytail.Inayah blinked back nauseating tears and spoke. Her own voice sounded like it was tearing and unfamiliar. "No," she admitted for the tenth time that day."What were you planning on doing?""Running away," blood dripped from her nose from the stress her body tried to put up with, "he said we'd head East-""To the ocean
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The Alpha's Slave epilogue 2
“Well,” Lycus leaned against the wooden door, raising a challenge eyebrow, “what do we have here?” “Lycus,” Inayah groaned, dropping back on the bed slightly ashamed of the talk. Her advancements were obvious, why did he have to question? She heard chuckle and a heartbeat later, the bed dipped. Hands were reaching for her wrists, gently prying them away, still she did not open her eyes. Then he cupped her face and ran his fingers through her hair and all thought was lost. Lycus seemed fascinated with her hair, with her face, her body, her soul - and he thrums as she quivered before him. He took his time, fingers moving on to her mouth and he stayed there for a bit, thumb pressed against her lower lip in mild awe. Inayah's eyes opened then, and with her gaze locked on his, she pressed a kiss on his thumb. A pleasant purr reverberated from his chest and she exhaled as he moved on, her cheeks warm and tingling. Heart pounding ha
The Alpha's Slave epilogue
Inayah woke to rhythmic swaying, like that of a mother gently rocking her child to sleep in loving arms. Her eyes fluttered open, blurry with the remnants of sleep still desperately clinging to her, but she forced them wider. As her senses gradually grew clearer, the sound of crashing traced her ears. But... it wasn’t a violent sound. It was the musical notes of water, she realised, the percussion section roaring from the surface below.Sunlight bled and warmed her face, casting streaks of ethereal gold and comforting black across the bridge of her nose. As she slowly propped herself onto one elbow, she threaded her hand through her soft tangles and peered around the room. The swaying continued along with the water splish-splashing, and her location soon dawned upon her.The room was sparsely decorated, made of nothing but a chipped, wooden table to the right of her and a closet protruding from the wall in front. Dark browns painted the floors with the only sourc
The Alpha's Slave 42
Dinner drifted by in silence. Inayah ate but could not taste the food on her tongue. Each movement was monotonous, automatic -- the rise of her fork, the clink of her knife, she did not sip her wine for it resembled Mathilde’s blood which had soaked her front and part of the table cloth.The clatter of Salem’s utensils drew her attention back to him. She stared, pale as candle wax, and unmoving. Salem sipped his wine tentatively, seeking her eyes in the process. “I wish to apologize over my past behaviour and all that I had done to harm you.”Inayah remained silent.“I know I haven’t been the best caregiver, nor master,” he paused, “nor lover. But I have tried Inayah.” On cue, his gaze slid to Mathilde’s motionless body still strung on the seat, “It was my fault for not acting earlier and assuming the relationship between both of you had been anything but malicious and for that, I apol
The Alpha's Slave 41
Inayah stood by the kitchen counter, staring at the vast array of knives spread before her. One knife in specific was double-edged and sharp enough to slice through the skin with ease. So much ease.“Stop lazing about.” Mathilde’s voice echoed from somewhere behind her and Inayah gripped the potato in hand. Inhaling a measured breath, she began to precariously peel the vegetable, gripping the knife handle tightly as the blade swept beneath skin. She was careful enough to cut out chunks of flesh lest Mathilde injures her again.Then again… Inayah’s eyes flickered to the fire hearth with a cauldron set atop, two pokers pressed into the bright orange coals that glimmered with embers of heat. She licked the back of her teeth thoughtfully.Completing the remnants of dinner, Inayah arranged the variety of foods on a platter and as she did, her mind wandered to Lycus who was caged in the basement. With an acerbic taste in her
The Alpha's Slave 40
Inayah treaded close behind Salem's figure. She fought the urge to reach out and grasp the lapel of his coat for guidance as he led her down a winding hall, down a descent of stairs and further past the cells he had her locked in.Inayah had stopped counting after four turns and followed obediently. He halted before a metallic chamber and pulled out a set of keys, wedging it into the silver door."This," Salem stepped aside and waved a hand like a magician who had just performed a trick, "is where I keep my enemies."Inayah's eyes widened as they took in the room all around.Silver. Everything was silver, from the walls to the floor and ceiling. Stone and silver hardened to prevent escapes. Four cells had been placed, each with large silver shackled embedded to the walls and what looked like a dog plate in each.
The Alpha's Slave 39
The week of torture drifted past in flashes of black and white.Salem kept Inayah locked in the cages intermittently, allowing her freedom to use the potty and eat before locking her up again. His torture knew no bounds, from whipping to shouting and sometimes daring to suffocate her in her food.All for one question."Do you like him?" Salem asked, lifting her head with his grip on her ponytail.Inayah blinked back nauseating tears and spoke. Her own voice sounded like it was tearing and unfamiliar. "No," she admitted for the tenth time that day."What were you planning on doing?""Running away," blood dripped from her nose from the stress her body tried to put up with, "he said we'd head East-""To the ocean
The Alpha's Slave 38
There was darkness. Voices. Dreams, dark and murky. Fear, pain. So much pain.Inayah opened her eyes, but the light hurt. She winced and tried to move. She could not. She was in a room, bright and open. She saw Mathilde come into view.Her first reflex was resistance, struggling to relieve herself of the chains and shackles that bore her to the bed. But her body seemed to have a mind of its own, completely slack and hot and in pain. Only her mind seemed hyper-aware of their enemy.Mathilde's cheek was wrapped in gauze, and she walked with a limp towards the bed. Her eyes held darkness equal to Salem's and hate, so much hate."There you are, child. Why'd you go and do such a horrible thing? Master has just been beside himself, he almost lost himself completely. It's such a shame what you did to him. I'd half a mind to let you pass on in your fever dreams, but he demanded I help you heal. I did
The Alpha's Slave 37
When Inayah came to, she was lying on a cold hardened ground. A soft groan of agony escapes her lips as she struggles to blink then roll over, now conscious of the world all around her. She blinked again then stilled at the sound of scurrying.A rat.Inayah shot upwards and glanced around at the darkness that consumed the reeking room. She raised a hand towards her pounding head, then faltered as chains around her wrists clattered noisily.Someone had shackled both wrists and ankles.But who-Lycus.The grimace that pinched her face suddenly tightens at the thought of him. Salem. Inayah shoots to her feet and stumbles forward, hands outstretched and blindly groping for something, anything. It was not until her fingers curled around metallic bars that Inayah heard the slamming shut of doors overhead.Footsteps echoed along the open hallway, drawing closer and closer still. Inayah blinked as faint yellow ligh
The Alpha's Slave 36
“Three hundred silver coins?” Lycus heard Inayah’s incredulous voice as she counted the coins set on stone by the steaming bath’s edge.He hummed in acknowledgement.“Three hundred silver coins,” she repeated, then shifted, the sound of water splashing her movements, “Kade paid you that much to find me?”“He did.”“Oh,” another shift. The tone of her voice had Lycus lifting one end of cloth placed over his eyes. He peered at her with one eye. She sat a few meters from him, steaming water rising up to her neck, sodden hair held up in a loose ponytail.The bag of coins he had given her was now open, coins spilled over the bathhouse edge. Her chin was set on the edge, flushed fingers pushing them aside one at a time.Lycus picked a stray coin and flipped it towards her. It landed with a soft plop beside her; “Penny for your thoughts.”
