Chapter 3

1486 Words
Delphine The world felt like a hazy blur as I stumbled past the bridge and into a dense forest. Every step was agony, each pulse of my broken blood oath sending shockwaves through my body. I didn’t know where I was going, all I knew was that I had to keep moving. Somehow, my feet carried me forward, even as my mind wanted to stop, to surrender to the earth beneath me. But my instincts pushed me forward, whispering that there was a sliver of hope somewhere. I didn’t realize I had crossed a pack’s border until I heard the growls. Shadows emerged from the trees, guards, bulky and snarling with their eyes gleaming with suspicion. I froze, realizing too late that my presence here was a terrible mistake. “You! State your name and purpose,” one of them barked, his eyes scanning me with deadly precision. I raised my hands in surrender, my voice barely a whisper. “I’m... I’m just passing through,” I managed, throat raw from dehydration and fear. “Passing through?” he sneered, his gaze shifting over my battered form. “A rogue stumbling into our territory doesn’t just pass through.” He turned to his companions, gesturing for them to close in. “Take her. She’ll answer to the gamma.” Panic gnawed at me as their hands clamped down on my arms, pulling me farther into their territory. I begged and pleaded with them to let me go, but my words fell on deaf ears. They soon took me to a stone dungeon with cold, slippery walls and the smell of stale blood in the air. I was pushed into a poorly lit cell and had my hands chained to the wall. My heart was racing, and I became acutely aware of my complete helplessness. Soon after, the cell door squeaked open, and a massive figure, a man with dark eyes and a sly grin, came in. I could see that this was their gamma. The low light that seeped into the cell was blocked by his huge frame as he towered over me. I fought to keep my expression neutral, to hide my fear. “So, a rogue wanders into our territory and expects mercy?” His voice was a low, dangerous growl. He ripped the sleeves of my shirt off and took one look at the annoying crest on my forearm before letting out a growl that rattled the cell “Tell me, what’s a Black Fang pack member doing here?” “I… I escaped,” I stammered, barely able to keep my voice steady. “I’m not a threat. I just want to be left alone.” His lips twisted into a sneer. “That’s what they all say. Maybe that bas***d Cassian sent you as a spy. What were you planning to do, huh? Sneak in and report back?” “No, I swear, I didn’t come here to spy! I don’t want anything to do with Cassian!” I pleaded, my voice cracking. “Please… just let me go.” He laughed, a cold, harsh sound. “Let you go? Do you think we’re fools?” He grabbed my chin, applying so much pressure, and forced me to look into his icy eyes. "Tell me the truth, or I'll make you regret all of your lies." I flinched, the bruises and cuts across my face throbbing under his grip. “I told you the truth! I escaped, I’m just trying to survive!” The gamma’s eyes narrowed, and without warning, he struck me hard across the face. Pain exploded in my cheek, and I tasted blood. He didn’t let go of my chin, pulling me closer so I could see every glint of hatred in his gaze. “From the Black Fang pack, huh?” His voice was a low snarl. “Then you’re better off dead.” He released me, only to deliver another blow to my stomach. I doubled over, the chains clinking as I gasped for air. “Please… just listen…” I rasped, barely able to keep my voice steady. But he was relentless. His fists, his kicks, his sneers all pounded into me as he demanded answers, accusing me of every crime he could imagine. I could feel myself breaking, my spirit shattering under his merciless assault. In the back of my mind, a small voice reminded me of how I had been forced to run, of how Cassian had left me with no other choice. And now here I was, facing yet another tormentor who cared nothing for my suffering. After what felt like hours, he paused, his gaze cold and disdainful. “Execution at dawn,” he spat, his words slicing through the silence. “You’re nothing but a worthless rogue. We don’t take kindly to Cassian’s rejects.” Desperation surged through me, and I found myself begging. "Please don’t do this. I’m not a spy. I was just trying to escape!” My pleas echoed through the cell, but the gamma’s expression remained unmoved. Behind him, I heard some of the guards murmur, their voices uncertain. “Are you sure, Gamma Kyle?” one of them whispered. “She could just be a runaway…” “Does it matter?” Kyle shot back. “She’s rogue scum. And with the king away, it’s my call.” My heart plummeted at the mention of the king, I finally realized which pack I had stumbled into. The Royal Oak Pack’s reputation was legendary, especially when it came to rogues. Rumors of their brutality were whispered throughout the werewolf word. The Alpha King was a well-known figure for his ruthlessness that Cassian himself seemed tame by comparison. And now, of all places, I had ended up here, at the mercy of this merciless pack. Kyle glared at me one last time before signaling to the guards. “Prepare her for beheading.” My heart seized with terror. My vision blurred as the weight of my situation crashed over me. This was truly it, Cassian had hunted me even beyond his own borders, driving me into the jaws of death itself. I wanted to cry, to scream, but all that came out was silent, shuddering breaths as the guards began pulling me to my feet. And then… everything changed. A new presence entered the room, its power so intense that I could feel it reverberate through my very bones. The air thickened, and I looked up through my tears to see him, the king. His aura was overwhelming, a mix of authority and something darker, a presence that seemed to still the very air. For a moment, his gaze swept over me, his eyes an unreadable shade of stormy gray. Then he turned to Kyle, his voice cool and commanding. “What’s going on here?” Kyle hesitated, visibly nervous in the king’s presence. “A rogue, my king,” he said, voice taut. “She stumbled into our territory from the Black Fang pack. I suspected she was sent by Cassian.” The king’s gaze flickered over me again, his expression hardening. “And you decided to execute her without evidence?” “She’s a rogue!” Kyle snapped defensively. “Cassian’s rogue.” The king’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, his focus now fixed entirely on me. I couldn’t breathe under that intense scrutiny, his eyes seemed to strip away every layer, seeing past my bruises, past my terror. I felt my wolf stir, a strange comfort radiating from her at his presence, a comfort that defied every fear pulsing through me. I expected him to turn away, to leave me to my fate. But then his expression shifted, a faint flicker of recognition lighting his gaze. “What’s your name?” His voice was a low rumble, softened only slightly as he addressed me. I swallowed, barely able to speak. "D...Delphine," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Please... I don't want to die..." Something changed in the king's eyes, but his expression remained unreadable as he regarded me. Without a word, he stepped forward, gesturing to his guards. “Release her. Now.” Kyle gaped at him. “But, my king…she’s a rogue! Cassian’s rogue spy!” “Do you question my orders, Kyle?” The king’s tone was deadly, and Kyle instantly fell silent, his face paling. The guards hesitated, then moved quickly to unlock my chains, their eyes a mix of confusion and awe. My heart raced, unsure of why this powerful, commanding stranger had spared me. My wolf’s elation seemed to pulse through my chest, her joy at his presence both comforting and terrifying. As soon as the chains fell away, exhaustion and pain overcame me. The world spun, but before I lost consciousness, I saw his face one last time, ruggedly handsome yet almost... familiar. And then darkness took me.
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