"Are you telling me that something of mine is lost?" The Alpha's voice reverberated through the room, a gathering storm on the horizon. An eerie silence blanketed the office, shattered by the crash of a magnificent centerpiece he flung down without mercy.
"We... deeply regret our failure, Alpha," the subordinate stammered, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. I recognized him from accompanying Alpha on numerous occasions. What was his name again?
"Yes, spare me your apologies, General Yu, because that's what I want. Don't I?" Wei Zhang sneered sarcastically, his expression dripping with disdain. "I seek results, not your remorse for incompetence."
"We have exerted every effort. Tracking Seraphine is unpredictable; she's a gifted shapeshifter," General Yu's words quivered, drowned out by a low growl from the Alpha that sent shivers through the air. Even I cowered behind a massive vase.
"Are you jesting? The Warrior General can't locate a mere Serpent? What's so challenging about finding an illiterate, mateless Snake wandering the streets?" The Alpha's growl was thunderous, filled with unmistakable contempt, reducing his subordinate to trembling fear.
"I haven't been wandering the streets for four years," I thought, suppressing the urge to confront him directly. "I escaped your grasp while you watched, even protecting my close companion."
The memory of escaping into the river to maintain dignity still made me shudder. I drifted with the water's current, while Keira, Nyssa, and even the General's Mate Ziva pursued me. Life had irrevocably changed since then—for the worst and better!
"She's far from a fragile serpent," the Warrior General mused, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "She's become a formidable, nearly invincible Alpha. A captivating being, adept at using her supernatural abilities. She slithers. She hisses. She strikes. Above all, she's a serpent with the power to assume any form at will."
A moment of deadly silence enveloped the room, broken by the Alpha's sudden fit of laughter. He doubled over, as if General Yu had unwittingly uttered a brilliant joke.
"Why find humor in my existence?" I wanted to ask, but instead, I silently endured, as I had countless times before. If I wanted to kill him with my bare hands, I had to be careful.
The Alpha's patience was wearing thin, evident in the anticipation of finally capturing me, hanging in the air like a charged current.
Only those in the immediate vicinity caught the hint of concern in Alpha Wei Zhang's eyes. It was like a nagging itch at the back of his mind, a worry that refused to be brushed aside. Failure was not an option, and the weight of that knowledge sat heavily on his shoulders.
Just then, the door blasted open, and a pair of guards hauled me in.
"We got her, Alpha!"
"The conniving wench!"
"We caught this worthless piece of garbage."
"She must be plotting his murder!"
"Why is she here?"
With a rough shove, they nearly dumped me into the Alpha's arms. He caught me effortlessly, a cunning smirk spreading across his face.
"AND HERE WE ARE AT LAST!"
"Ugh! Let go! I swear, I'll end you, you Bastard!" I hissed, straining against the Alpha's repulsive grip. Unfortunately, it only seemed to make his hold tighten.
Even after four merciless years, I was still helpless and powerless before him.
"Not so fast, Sugar! I've poured a fortune into chasing you! I have endured the pain of being away from you. You're going to repay every cent with your own skin and blood." The threat hung in the air, clear and menacing as his index finger traced the delicate skin of her face.
It went down and down before it hovered dangerously above the red ribbon on my chest. The next second, he ripped the clothes off my body along with every ounce of modesty I've ever preserved.
The hungry wolf growled. The thought of putting my head on display at my own palace was chilling, but that has to be just a backup plan.
"The main scheme is, even more twisted." He breathed it right into my ears. "You remember our deal right? If I catch you, You'll carry my pups until you can't push out anymore," He chuckled at my trembling form before flipping me around.
"So? Where do I start from?" He taunts, feeling the warmth of mine with his bare hands.
With each stroke, each caress, each touch, my stomach twisted with a visceral blend of disgust and loathing for her own blood and flesh. It was an excruciating ordeal, undoubtedly the most abominable and degrading moment I had ever been forced to endure. And an ominous intuition whispered in her ear that this was merely the harrowing prelude to a cascade of even more torturous trials.
"Get your hands off me! Alpha, I hate you!"
Wei Zhang shot back with a mocking chuckle.