My heart skipped at those words.
branded,
I could not let that happen. Slaves who were branded were bound to their masters forever such that even if they escaped they would always be captured and brought back to their owner. The only time they could be free of such a bond was if a higher creature or someone from a nobler status was interested in the person. In that case, the brand will be transferred and the person will still not be free only to belong to a different person.
"Why? The word seems to frighten you, huh?" Alpha Cyrus gave a wicked smile which made me swallow. In spite of my fear I matched his cold gaze with a fierce one.
"Do your worst, it will only prove how much of a sick twisted monster you are," my words were followed by a slap across my face while the slap stung and tears cascaded my cheeks. I held my gaze with Cyrus.
He was the first to break the gaze we held. He paced round the room until he stopped suddenly and cursed under his breath. He returned to where I stood backed against the wall and lowered his head so we were face to face.
"We're going to go back out there like nothing happened. I haven't figured you out yet but I swear I will until then you will not tell anybody about things between us. If you do, I assure you your siblings will pay for it dearly," he said with a stoic face and a serious tone. I did not reply to him.
"Do you understand me?" he had my neck in a chokehold this time and I had no option but to nod my response.
We were quiet for a while then without warning he traced the bruises he had inflicted on my neck down to my chest in the most tenderly manner. I heard a moan escape my mouth and I flush in embarrassment. I could not understand myself; I clearly hated this man but my body seemed to crave his touch.
His hands stopped just above my breast and he removed them to take a scarf from his shirt. He tied it around my neck in the fashion I had seen noble women do in pictures. I had yet to meet one in real life but I was positive it would not be long before I did.
"Don't forget my warning," he said it so tenderly that if I had not been looking into his eyes I would have thought he cared for me.
He led me out of the dreary room he'd dragged me into and we made our way to what I could only guess was his throne room. It was very majestic as it was gloomy. I guessed it had been designed to fit the mood of the very owner of the throne.
"All rise for His Majesty," someone said and in uniformity they all stood up and accorded Cyrus with the respect that was befitting a king.
Cyrus took his seat at the highest throne and I was motioned to sit on the floor beside him.
A man I identified as Theo was speaking.
"The governor has been tried your Majesty; Lord Salmon was quick to disown him; however investigations are underway to determine if he had nothing to do with the funds."
"Have the funds been recovered?"
"The only reason the governor has not been executed yet is because he is holding out. He won't say what he has done with the money," Theo responded.
Something bothered me about Theo though, while he spoke to the Alpha his eyes were on me the entire time as if I was a code he was trying to decode.
"I see, I would pay him a visit tonight. Let's schedule the execution for tomorrow morning," said Cyrus.
"Your Majesty?" the voice belonged to a woman. Even from up here beside Cyrus I could tell she was exceptionally beautiful. She was tall and regal looking; had a calm demeanor, large blue eyes that danced like an ocean and a heart shaped face; I needed no telling, she was a noble woman.
"Andraina?" I could detect a mild respect in his voice that I had never noticed Cyrus could have. Whoever this woman was she meant something to Cyrus or at least was well respected here.
"May I speak?" she quipped.
"Of course," came the response.
"Your new slave, she has your scarf," it was a question although she had not intoned it.
"She does," Cyrus replied with the same tone.
"You should brand her if you want to mark her; I know someone who can do the trouble for you," she said it with such grace that one would never have considered that she was saying something to inhumane.
"It is not necessary, she won't be alive for long," Cyrus said it so casually that it gave me chills. I had come to learn in these last few days that human life meant nothing to them. Did that stem from the fact that they aged rather slowly? And compared to them our lifespans were like a few months?
"Just a suggestion; you can never know with these humans. I had a human slave who ran off with my valuables, if I had not marked her I would have lost heirlooms that were passed to me from generations," she replied, I wanted to tell her that not every human was that way and as was evident with the trial of some corrupt governor werewolf, werewolves were greedy too. It did not make them all greedy people.
"I will consider it then," replied Cyrus noncommittally.
"She seems untamed too. She has been glaring at me the whole time, I can tame her for you if you want me to," she said this looking directly into my eyes.
I did not bow my head.
Untamed?
I liked that better than subservient.
The worst thing that could happen to me here was to lose my individuality.