"You devil! Let me go!" She cried, struggling against him with all the strength she could muster. But her resistance only seemed to amuse him. His free hand moved to her breast, squeezing possessively, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.
She was going to be violated, used, and discarded by a man who held not a shred of respect for her. If she had known this would be her fate, she might have willingly married one of the men her foster parents had arranged for her.
"No, slave," he murmured against her ear, his chuckle sending a shudder through her. "There is no greater joy than stripping the dignity from an angel."
Her stomach twisted, fear and disgust churning within her. And yet, buried deep beneath the terror and revulsion, something else stirred. Something she could not name.
"I would rather die than let you have me!" She spat, still struggling against his hold.
He abruptly pulled her against his chest, the warmth of his body searing against her skin. One of his hands slid lower, cupping and fondling her buttocks.
"Naive little slave," he murmured, his deep, commanding voice reverberating through her. "I will not take you by force. I will make you submit. And when you do, I will be the only thing you think of every single day."
Her breath hitched and for the first time, the full weight of his words settled upon her.
"Nothing will ever make me submit to you! Kill me now!" She said, her voice sharp with defiance.
Zayd only chuckled darkly. "You won't be the first to say that. But it matters not…I am not giving you a choice. You are my slave and you will submit."
With that, he released his hand on her neck and bent her over the table. Before she could react, his palm struck her backside with a sharp smack.
A gasp escaped her lips, more from shock than pain.
"You maniac!" She hissed, twisting in his grip, but he only spanked her again.
"Please, stop!" She finally pleaded, her voice trembling as her struggles weakened.
Zayd smirked at her surrender and released her, stepping away without another word.
Lilith collapsed onto the floor, her body trembling with a mixture of humiliation and exhaustion. She heard his footsteps retreat, the door opening and closing behind him.
Alone at last, she curled in on herself, silent tears slipping down her cheeks. She could not believe how drastically her life had changed. If she did not escape soon, she feared she would not survive him, no matter how strong she thought she was.
She sat there, sobbing quietly until the tears refused to fall any longer. Taking a shaky breath, she straightened and pushed herself up, then drifted toward the window once more.
The longer she remained in this pack, the greater the danger became. He hadn't forced himself on her today, but there was no telling how long that restraint would last if she continued to resist. It was now or never.
Determined, she grabbed the thin gown she wore and tore it at the sides, freeing her legs to move more swiftly.
Her gaze flicked to the guards below, silently assessing their numbers. If she could escape without passing through the front door, they would never catch her.
Steeling herself, she turned from the window and crept toward the door. Opening it slightly, she peeked out, tilting her head both ways to scan for movement. Confirming that the corridor was empty, she slipped out and closed the door gently behind her.
Recalling the path she had been brought through, she began making her way in that direction, only to freeze as she turned a corner and nearly collided with a group of guards.
Her breath hitched. Heart hammering, her eyes darted around for an escape. Then, she spotted a room to the side.
Without a second thought, she rushed inside and shut the door behind her, pressing her back against it as she tried to steady her racing heart.
A sharp, metallic scent filled her nose. Frowning, she inhaled again, and the heavy stench of blood overwhelmed her senses. Dread pooled in her stomach as she slowly lifted her gaze toward the room's interior.
And when she saw what lay before her, she swallowed hard.
A massive man was chained to the wall, his battered and bloody body a testament to prolonged captivity. Her pulse quickened. What had he done to deserve this? And more importantly, what was it with Alpha Zayd and chaining people? She suspected there were more rooms like this with more prisoners locked away.
She turned to leave, but the man's hoarse voice stopped her. "You reek of fertility… has he had you yet?"
The dangerous undertone in his voice sent a chill down her spine. Ignoring him, she grabbed the door handle, eager to get away.
"If you truly wish to escape," he added, his voice thick with amusement, "you can always come looking for me."
Then, he burst into laughter, a deep, unsettling laughter that sent an uneasy shudder through her.
Lilith didn't wait to hear more. She stepped out, slamming the door shut behind her.
Sighing, she glanced around before continuing down the corridor, only to find herself at another passageway that made her hesitate. She didn't recall seeing this part of the pack house before. Had she taken a wrong turn?
Biting her lip, she considered retracing her steps to find another route. But with security tight, going back might only increase her chances of getting caught.
Steeling herself, she made a decision and stepped into the unfamiliar corridor. A few minutes later, she spotted an opening and wasted no time slipping through it.
The moment she emerged into the open, laughter bubbled from her lips, she had made it into the forest.
Though the night was thick with darkness, she would rather face the dangers of the wild than return to a life of servitude under a maniacal Alpha. Without a backward glance, she bolted into the trees, ignoring the eerie sounds that echoed through the forest.
Lilith ran and ran, but the deeper she went, the more endless the forest seemed. Finally, she came to a stop, panting as she scanned her surroundings.
If her sense of time was right, she had been running for nearly twenty minutes yet there was still no sign of a road. Was it a trap?