Selene's wrists burned because of the rough ropes biting into her skin. Both arms were folded tightly at her back, and so were the legs that staggered into the nakedness ahead. While the wolves flanked her on all sides, silent and menacing, their eyes glinted at her with feral intention. Her mate, the leader of this farce, Ronan, strode ahead of them, moderately measured, but his very presence was suffocating.
The journey through the forest had been endless, The huge trees cast a shadow so long that it felt like cages were closing in around her. Above the gloomy sky was the sun struggling to break through a blanket of gray clouds.Every step took her farther from freedom, deeper into the unknown.
Physically, her body complained, most likely due to the injuries caused by those attacks earlier. To add to that, there were bruises, which ached even as she moved. But it was probably nothing compared to the memories of his verbal assassination.
"You are mated to me."
Just thinking about him made the contents of her stomach churn, anger simmering beneath the surface. He had done it again. Who the hell did he think he was? He was no savior. He was not her protector. Rather, he would become the architect of her imprisonment, and his frigid lifestyle served as a constant reminder of the chasm that divided them.
The dense trees opened up finally before them, leading into a clearing where enormous stone strongholds loomed over them. Ronan's territory. The building was a relic of ancient times and barbaric. Its facades shot up, high and menacing, casting shadows over the entire land. Torches hummed dimly along its perimeters in poor attempts to soften the dreary atmosphere.
They walked forward and pushed open gates that groaned with rust before entering a bustling courtyard. Purposeful wolves in human form moved around, their eyes quickly darting towards her. Whispers followed her as she was dragged into the heart of their domain, but no one dared to challenge Ronan's authority.
He led them inside without a word, his towering frame cutting through the murmurs like a blade. The interior of the fortress was as cold as the man who ruled it—gray stone walls, minimal decor, and an air of unyielding power.
Selene was shoved into a dimly lit room, her knees hitting the cold stone floor. She bit back a wince, glaring up at the wolves who stood over her.
"That will be all,Ronan's command came as a whip crack to the tension. The wolves immediately withdrew, leaving the two of them behind.
Exhausted and defiant, she struggled to her feet. Selene turned to him, squared her jaw, and felt her heart pounding against her ribcage.
"What in the world do you want from me?" she spat, the venom hiding the fear that tinged just under the surface.
Ronan leaned back casually against the wall, arms folded over his chest, while his icy blue eyes scrutinized her with clinical detachment, like she was just a tool to be examined and used.
"You should really be thanking me," he said coolly. "Without me, you'd be dead by now. Or worse."
Her laugh was harsh and bitter. "Is that what this is? A rescue mission? Because it sounds as if it is more of a kidnapping."
His gaze darkened, and the atmosphere in the room felt as if it cooled along with it. "Call it what you like," he said. "You're here because you're useful to me. Nothing more."
Selene took another step forward, her hands still tied behind her back, her chin tilted defiantly. "Useful? You don't even know me."
"I do know you." Ronan 's voice was dangerously soft, his words as ominous as the calm before the storm. "The seer told me everything I needed to understand about you."
She held her breath. "Seer?"
Ronan pushed off the wall and began to circle her, steps slow and deliberate. "A very ancient seer. Older than you can imagine. She foretold me about my mate-about you-long before I ever laid eyes on you."
Selene stiffened, her brain busy. A seer? What kind of prophecy could hold her to this cold, heartless man?
"She told me that my mate would be cursed," Ronan continued, his voice devoid of any warmth. "That she would be powerful. Dangerous. That she would change everything." He stopped in front of her, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "And she was right."
Selene had trouble breathing, but she wouldn't show any signs of weakness. "If you're convinced of all this, then why this? Why don't you just deny me and let me go?" His lips twisted into a cruel smirk, a sight that made chills race down her spines.
"Because I don't need a mate. And I don't want a mate. But you..." He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. It was cold, calculated. "You are too precious to let go. Your curse is the key to power, which I intend to use.
" She recoiled from his touch, and fury flared in her breast. "You're a monster." "I've been called worse," he laughed, the sound devoid of any genuine humor. Ronan stepped back, his expression hardening. "I reject you, Selene," he said, ice slicing through his voice.
"As far as I'm concerned, the mate bond means nothing. I will never accept you. I will never care for you. You are here because of your power, and that is all you will ever be to me."
Selene tasted the words as a caustic substance stabbing into her mind; they pressed down upon her like a vice. But she wouldn't let him see her shatter. She threw her shoulders back, jaw jutting upward defiantly. "Good," she said, sounding steady despite the turmoil within her. "Because I would never accept someone like you, either."
For a moment something flickered in Ronan's eyes - perhaps surprise or irritation - then it was gone, replaced by his usual cold indifference. "Good," he echoed mockingly. "Then we understand each other."
He turned away from her, marching toward the door. Before he went out, he gave one last glance over his shoulder at her. "Your training begins tomorrow," he said. "I suggest you rest while you can. You'll need all the strength you can muster."
The door slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing through the room like a gunshot.
Selene sank to the floor, her body trembling with a mixture of rage and despair. She was trapped, bound by fate to a man who saw her as nothing more than a tool. But as the weight of his rejection settled over her, so too did a spark of determination.
He thinks he can control me? He's wrong.
She would find a way to escape, to break free from his grasp. No matter what it took, she would never let him win.