/-Zara-/

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

That was the only thing echoing in my head as I thrashed in the water.

“Help!” I cried out. It was the only thing I could do at that moment. Even if it meant getting caught.

Being torn to shreds and drowning to death, I wasn't sure which was worse but I desperately needed to get out of this water.

“Help please!” I cried out again.

“Stupid,” I heard a rich silky deep voice rumble. “Why did you jump in if you couldn't swim?”

My body tensed for a second, momentarily forgetting that it was drowning as I tried to pinpoint where I heard the voice from.

I thrashed more, feeling my self sink.

“Helppppp…” the water swallowed me up and almost immediately I was yanked out of the water and tossed aside like rag.

I honestly didn't mind. As long as I was alive. I coughed out as much water as I could. My throat and lung burned.

“Who are you?”

I froze immediately as my brain fully began working again.

“Where did you jump from?” The deep baritone asked again. I pushed my wet hair off my face and turned to meet the most mesmerizing set of grey eyes I have ever seen. His tousled brown hair looked like he had run his hands through them a hundred times.

But that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the fact that he was wearing a royal regalia. And there was not even a single drop of water on his robe.

Did he just stretch and grab me?

I sprang to my feet almost immediately. That was when I realised how tall he was. Probably 6’5 or something. I was just a miserable 5’5.

But that didn't matter now. What mattered was the fact that he was royalty.

His expression grew impatient and I immediately bowed.

“Forgive me, your highness,” I bowed immediately, praying to the goddess that he was just a random member of the royal family and not the Alpha himself. “I got a little ahead of myself but I promise you it will never happen again.”

I whipped around, hoping to run away quickly and escape this but his voice stopped me.

“Are you walking out on me?”

I turned around quickly and bowed repeatedly. “No! No! I will never do such a thing. I just thought my presence might irritate you.”

His eyes narrowed at me. “You are irritating, no doubt, but could you stop bowing?”

Right! I straightened up immediately, fiddling with my fingers as I waited for him to dismiss me.

“I think I know you are,” he mused and my eyes widened in panic. That was in fact the one thing I couldn't have him knowing. “You are the princess, aren't you?”

My throat went dry. Was he the Alpha? Goddess, this would be a very terrible first impression.

“Yeah…” I gulped.

“Then your room would be on the second floor…” he paused as realization hit him. “Did you jump from the second floor?”

My cheeks grew hot from embarrassment.

“I… I uhm… the thing is…” I stuttered, unsure of what to say. It sounded very insane. “I'm sorry. I freaked out and jumped.”

“Even though you couldn't swim? How dumb can you be?” He retorted and I bit my lip. “Come with me.”

He began walking away, leaving no room for arguments.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked quietly.

“Where you should be,” he said simply. It was a vague answer but I was scared he would snap at me if I got on his nerves any further. And I still didn't know he was.

“Are you taking me to see the Alpha?” I asked again and he suddenly stopped walking. As I tried to halt quickly, I slipped on the water dripping from my dress and hit the floor with a thud. I winced as my butt ached.

“Where did Zak get such a clumsy creature from?” He muttered under his breath. “Draven is going to kill us both.”

My eyes widened at the mention of that name. So he wasn't the Alpha after all. Relief washed through me. This simply meant there was still hope for me to escape.

He resumed walking without bothering to help me up. I quickly got up and hurried after him. He seemed like the cold dismissive type but it was too early to decide that yet.

We headed towards a separate building and I became very skeptical. It looked like an abandoned tower. My heart was slamming hard against my rib cage as I feared the worst.

“Where are we?”

He glanced at me with an annoyed expression. “What does your mind tell you?”

I gripped my dress to hide my trembling hands. “Does the Alpha stay here? In this tower?”

“Are you afraid?” He asked me instead and I swallowed.

I had to be crazy not be afraid. With the rumors I heard about that man, only an insane person would want to be near him.

“Don't worry. The moon isn't out until next week. You are safe,” he assured me and walked in.

I hesitated for a brief second before following him. The tower was so dark that I could barely see a thing even when I adjusted to my wolf sight.

There was no single window or candle in sight. Not to talk about electricity. It smelled very irritating too. I couldn't imagine anyone staying here. Was he really that dangerous that they had to keep him in the dark?

I couldn't even imagine how terrifying that must be. We finally got to a room and he flicked the lights on. I was stunned because I didn't expect any form of electricity in this place. I also expected to see the Alpha, maybe chained up or something.

But I was wrong. Dead wrong.

The intense foul smell hit me and I wanted to throw up badly.

The floor was littered with bones and decaying bodies in fancy dresses. I shivered in fear as my eyes widened in horror.

These were all women. Women who probably came here, excited to be mated to the wealthiest Alpha in the region, only for them to end up like this.

Why did he bring me here?

I glanced at him with fear and confusion as he stared emotionlessly at the bodies.

“All the women you here were given one task. They all failed and now, I have a different task for you,” he looked at me for the first time since we entered this place.

If these number of women, who were most likely Alpha princesses, failed, how much more me? A common omega.

“I know you are no princess,’’ he said plainly like he had read my mind and I flinched. “I smell no royalty in you. Just the lowly omega blood running through your veins.”

My heart was racing now. Was he going to expose me ? Punish me?

“I don't care your reason for doing this but you will be sure beheaded when you are discovered,’’ he stated and I flinched. “Which is why I am going to make this deal with you.”

“W… What deal?”

“Kill the beast before he transforms and you will be rewarded handsomely,” he said. “Once I am made Alpha, of course.”

He has lost his damn mind!