"Flouting these rules will only earn you excruciating punishment." He concluded without any emotion.

I could only stare in utter disbelief at his words. Without hesitation, he turned his back to me, heading to the door.

"W-Why?" I asked breathlessly, in pain and tears. "Why Killian? I am your mate." No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't think of a plausible reason why he despised me so much. He stopped moving for a minute and turned to face me. In a flash, Killian was before me, his large hand on me, but not the way I would have wanted it. His firm grip squeezed my neck, slamming my back against the hard wall.

"K-Killian?" I choked, unable to breathe, while my hands fell on his.

"I warned you; it's Alpha to you." His hold tightened, and I was gasping for air.

"Please... you are hurting me," I could barely hear my voice, staring into his eyes, which were glowing a streak of bright yellow or golden. But he didn't let go.

My hands clung to his tightly, pleadingly. I could feel the tingling sparks that erupted at the mere contact. "Please, Alpha," I whispered, a tear rolling down my eyes.

Reluctantly, he let go, dropping me on the floor. I clutched onto my neck, swallowing as much air as I could in tears.

"You will spend the rest of the night here, serving your punishment." He stared down at me like I meant absolutely nothing. Casting one last glance at me, Killian stormed out of the dungeon, leaving me again in a dark and cold space.

I curled up on the floor, shedding tears. After a while, the wooden door squeaked open, and a plate of food was tossed inside. I finished my food, waiting in silence. These were the worst hours of my life, being locked up by my own mate. I slept for some time, even though my body seemed very much alive the whole time. It was a sleep full of my usual nightmares, which always made me wake up scared.

The wooden door opened again, allowing a ray of sunlight into the room, accompanied by a familiar face. The young woman I met outside the Castle.

"Hello, do you remember me? I am---"

"Brielle," I said, recalling her name. She gave a small smile.

"The Alpha asked me to take you to your chamber."

I stood up on my feet quietly, without saying a word. Brielle led me out of the dungeon.

I was finally escorted to what looked like my own chamber. Brielle locked the door, looking at me thoughtfully. "Oh, my lady, why did you pick a fight with Thea? Didn't the Alpha tell you?"

"About his lover? No." I shook my head truthfully.

She sent me a pitiful look. "Well, that's it. Thea is like the Alpha's most favorite person in the Castle,"

I felt a pain in my chest.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just wanted you to know that he cares deeply about her."

I could barely form a word.

"I'll run you a warm bath, my lady, and then send someone to fetch some food for you. Meanwhile, if you need anything, just let me know, my lady. " She hurried past me, but I stopped her, holding her hand.

"Thank you. And please, call me Sheila."

She smiled. "Alright, Sheila."

She went to the lavatory, and in a few minutes, she was out. She was about to say something when a knock came at the door.

A young lady strutted in. She looked younger than me, with black hair that framed her heart-shaped face perfectly.

"Ah, this is Riannon, and she'll be serving you," Brielle informed me.

The young girl smiled, bowing her head in respect. "At your service, my lady."

"Please just call me Sheila," I said, feeling uncomfortable with formalities.

She smiled, glancing at Brielle. "If that's okay, my lad-" She paused. "Sheila,"

"And I'm going to call you Ria."

"By the way, the Elders are here," Ria said in haste, turning to Brielle.

The Elders? As in the Council of Elders? Every Alpha in the North was a part of the Council, including the Alpha of the Crescent North Pack, Killian, my mate. The Council was a circle that consisted of several supernatural kinds, each having a representative within the Council. The Council Elders are the oldest wolves and represent our kind in the Council.

I looked at Brielle, whose frightened eyes held mine, then at Ria.

Why are the Council Elders here?