Chapter 4

Madeline’s POV

“I’ll ask you again, who are you?” I flinched from the sharpness of his words.

Forcing calmness, I looked straight into his blazing eyes. “I told you… Adeline Hansford.”

He let out a low growl, threatening, “And I believe I told you not to lie!”

Clutching my injured shoulder, I bit my lip, staying on my ground. “I’m not lying. I swear.”

He let out a cold smirk. “That’s funny because you know what I heard?”

A chill ran down my spine. Was the news about me, a princess, already spread? That couldn’t be that fast. Could it?

He crouched beside me, face leaning down. Tilting his head, he continued, “Because I heard someone went rogue and fled from the palace. And now, I find a suspicious little trespasser like you.”

Relief rushed into me after learning he didn’t know about my real identity. Knowing that I could never be a Rogue because of my royal blood, a Lycan basically owns the entire werewolf kingdom, so I kept calm.

Looking up, I dared him with a shaky voice, “Take a whiff. I’m no Rogue.”

He narrowed his eyes in contemplation before he closed his eyes and took a deep whiff.

“Then who are you?” he asked after.

“I’m no one important. I… I just came here because…” I struggled to think. I couldn’t say it’s Rogues because he could obviously know that there weren’t Rogues around in one whiff.

“Because what?” he hissed, making me jolt.

So before I could process anything, I blurted out, “Because I’m being chased by my old pack. They want me dead.”

My skin went cold after I blurted out the truth. But with me not smelling like a Rogue, I could only hope he wouldn’t manage to put two things together.

“Oh, yeah? And why’s that?” I whimpered when he grabbed my arm tightly, pulling me close to him as if he’d find the answer on my face.

Struggling for words, I replied half-truthfully, “Because… Because they think I’m dangerous.”

He let out a mocking laugh, pushing me away and making me fall to the ground, with only my arm stopping my face from falling into the dirt. “You? Dangerous?”

Pointing at my current appearance, he mocked, “You can barely stand.”

Frustration filled my soul. Sitting back up, I tried to wipe off as much dirt as I could. “I don’t expect you to understand, but I can’t go back and…”

Taking a deep breath, I looked at him, almost bedding, “I don’t have anywhere to go, and I want to live. Please don’t kill me.”

He looked at me for a long moment, making my stomach churn. How could I even try to beg a merciless man like him when he was known to be at best at killing people?

“Fine.”

The surprise I felt when he stood up and grudgingly said his next words sounded surreal to me.

“What? W-what did you say?” I asked in disbelief.

In a low, harsh voice, he dictated, “You’ll come with me to Demonmaw.”

My eyes widened. “Wait— W-what?”

All I wanted was to be spared. Maybe he could let me go, and I could go on my way once I rested enough and got back my strength. How could I possibly go to a pack known to be most dangerous?

Taking a few steps away from me as if he’d leave me if I didn’t follow him, he said, “My warriors spotted some unknown wolves lurking and patrolling a few miles away as if they’re tracking someone.”

Turning back, he sent me a glare, “And I don’t want to give anyone an excuse to start a war if your pack came and found you here.”

When he saw I had no plans to move, he angrily strode over me and grabbed me by my arm, dragging me with him.

I struggled to be free, but he was far too strong. “What will you do to me?”

“What do you think?” Those were his last words before he went harsher and carried me over his shoulder like a bag of sand back to his pack house.

Upside down, I could see us getting nearer to their main pack house. Just right at the gate, he carelessly threw me into a pile of wheat straws, making me shout in pain while the post guards’ eyes widened in shock.

“Alpha, who’s this?” The nearest guard pointed his spear at me, freezing me on the spot, not even allowing me to take a deep breath after the pain I felt as the tip of his spear was right on my neck.

Nonchalantly gesturing at me, he replied, “She’s a stray I found on the border. She’s staying until I decide what to do with her.

The other guard suspiciously stepped closer and took a look at me. “A refugee then…”

While the other one put down his spear, making me sight.

Keiran’s face immediately went dim. “More like a problem I don’t need right now.

“Nice…” I sarcastically sighed, thinking he already got far as he was speaking while walking toward the gate.

But I was wrong again.

He turned and narrowed his eyes at me, shooting me a deadly glare as he slid a knife at my neck out of nowhere. “You were saying?”