Chapter 5
Aaliyah
A shudder ran through me as Tristan stared at me. Every breath I took snagged, my chest rising and falling. Bile formed in my throat, and I swallowed it, trying to push down the rush of emotions.
He tilted his head slightly, his dark brows furrowing as his gaze swept over me. My stomach churned, something cold settling inside me.
I forced myself to stand, my legs trembling as I rose. The wound on my back burned, and I staggered, nearly losing my balance when strong arms caught me. I looked up, recognizing the person as Tristan.
"Let go of me," I hissed, trying to pull away. The effort was futile as he didn't release me.
"You should be more careful," he whispered. "Always falling. You're not as strong as you think, little mouse."
I glared at him, my hands clenching into fists as memories of Jack being killed by Tristan flashed through my mind.
"You killed him," I spat.
"He tried to kill you too."
"He was still my brother. He was the only family I had, and you took him away from me."
Tristan's expression darkened, but he remained silent.
"Do you even care?" My voice cracked, a bitter laugh escaping me. "I didn't believe it was you at first. I healed you in the woods, thinking you were an Alpha, but you're the Lycan King."
His grip on me tightened, and I saw something flicker in his eyes. He didn't regret it. There was no remorse for his actions. What kind of man was he?
"Your brother deserved—"
"Don't you dare," I snapped, my eyes stinging with tears. "Even though he tried to kill me, I can't blame him. His mate was dead. He was the only one I had left. And you... you..."
Tristan let out a slow breath, leaning closer. "If given another chance, I would kill him slowly. Like I said, I won't tolerate anyone touching what belongs to me."
"I don't belong to you," I snapped.
For a moment, I stood there, feeling his heavy breath on my skin.
"Why are you really here?" I demanded.
"What do you think?"
"You came here just to kill my brother and put someone else in as Alpha."
"Yes, but you're not exactly right."
"Then tell me," I said.
"I came here to take you as my wife," he said. "We're getting married."
Wife? I wanted to laugh, thinking he was joking. We'd met briefly in the woods, and now he wanted me as his wife?
"Wife?" I asked. "You think you can come here and claim me after everything? I haven't even found my mate yet."
I shot him a glare. "You are not my mate! How dare you act like I belong to you?"
"Then I choose you as my mate."
"No... no... I reject you," I said, shaking my head.
"You may not have found your mate, but I don't care. You became mine the moment you healed my wounds," he said, glancing briefly at Jack's lifeless body. "I can't leave you here. Not after what happened. The people—"
"They're my people too, and you took their Alpha," I spat.
"Are we really arguing about this?" he asked.
"You killed him. He's dead because of you," I said. "And now you want me just because I healed you."
"Not just that."
"And what if I don't want to be your wife? What would happen then?"
"It doesn't matter what you want, little mouse," he whispered. "You belong to me, and you're coming home with me."
"Let go of me!" I fought again, my body weakening in his grip.
"Even if you reject me, I've already chosen you in front of everyone. The people now know you belong to the Lycan King, and that news will spread quickly. They'll have eyes on you. I have enemies, little mouse, and they'll come for you, wanting to use you against me."
His words echoed in my head. The pain in my back intensified, and I felt my legs going numb. I wanted to push him away, to scream, but every bit of strength was draining out of me.
"I don't want this," I whispered. "I don't want to be your wife."
Tristan's arms tightened around me as he began to lead me toward the black Rolls-Royce.
"It doesn't matter what you want. Whether you agree or not, you're coming with me," he whispered in my ear.
Tears stung my eyes as I looked up at him, too weak to protest and too tired to fight back.
"You... you... you..." I trailed off, my vision blurring as the weight of everything pressed on my chest. The loss of my brother, my only family, and my freedom now slipping away.
He said nothing as he opened the car door and placed me inside. As I settled into the cool seat, the pain in my back seemed to worsen. I groaned, clenching my hands.
As Tristan slid in next to me, he removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. I tried to hold on, but my vision was blurring, tainted with black. As the darkness consumed me, I felt my body slump against Tristan, and he held me.
"Sleep, little mouse," he murmured. "We have a long journey ahead of us."