Kaela's POV

My eyes are shut close as I await the impact but it doesn't come. Except millions of tiny voices at the back of my head.

'Am I dead?'

"No, you're not. I caught you." Theron's voice reaches my ears and I open my eyes.

I'm alive! And I'm in his arms. I seize my trembling breaths and hurry out of his grip, planting my feet to the ground before stepping away from him.

My mouth is sealed shut, and he tilt his head. "Well, are you ready to hear me now?"

~~~

A few minutes later, we are back in the dining room. I'm shivering with dripping nostrils, wet eyes, and grinding teeth. Wan enters the room, nearing me with a blanket and a cup of tea in his hands.

Although I'm weary of his hospitality, my body definitely needs this treatment.

"I leave her with you for less than an hour and this is what you did, Theron." Wan scolds Theron with a tone that I find strange, considering Theron is his Alpha.

The two of them seems close by the time manner they speak, I suppose.

"He—he's a monster." I bark and sip the warm tea. Oh, shit, I can't stop fidgeting. I'll never forgive any of them for what they've done to me.

"Enough with all this bullshit. What are you?" Theron shoots a glare at me, leaning closer.

"What?"

"You did something to me in the woods. Are you a witch?"

I gasp, unable to comprehend or belief any of his accusations. Only a few minutes ago, he tried to kill me. If I was a witch, I'd have saved myself.

"How dare you? I almost died earlier." I yell at him, and he rolls his eyes. "You almost killed me."

"Yeah, I heard you the first time." He counters.

"And if my memory is not jumbled, you bit me!" The cold is far away now, thanks to Wan. "Here—you did this!"

His throat rumbles a low growl when I show him my neck before I cover the large mark under the blanket.

"I turned in the woods, compelled under the curse, and the beast inside of me bit you. It was drawn to you. Any other day, I'd yank off any wolf's head, but not yours. You were hurt. Badly. The scent of your body was irresistible." He holds to the darkness for a second longer as though to relieve that moment.

"And in that night, your blood against my bite lifted the curse. I got control of my wolf. How?"

I drop my gaze to the table. "I don't know what you're saying."

"All this time, your race worked with the White-Furs to eliminate us when you're the monster. Unlike you, we have conscience but the world only judges the book by its cover, does it not?" He snarls and breaks the edge of the table.

"As your throne has fallen so shall you fall on my feet. You'll beg for my mercy when loneliness and despair catches up to you, when regret and torment is your only warmth. All the evilness you've concocted with those White-Fur beasts, I'll make you regret it." His voice is like dagger in my heart.

I have no idea what he's saying but even if I speak, he won't trust me. Being with Caius has made me look like the enemy myself and no one will believe I was merely his tool. Just like Gwen believed.

Theron footsteps soon vanishes, leaving me in the room with Wan.

"He has got quite the temper, you see." Wan consoles me.

He places a plate in front of me. The moist smell of pancake invade my nose and my tongue salivates. I'll die for pancakes. In fact, give me pancakes, and I'll tell you all my secrets.

"A simple "thank you" will do. It's not that hard to say." Wan chuckles when our eyes meet.

"Thank you. I feel warm now." I return the blanket to him but I still can't bring myself to trust him.

"I laced no poison in it."

"That sounds like something you'd say if you did." My wary expression makes him chuckle even louder.

Wan stands up and say, "hurry up and go to your room. Being outside isn't safe, not when all these Lycans hate you. They'll kill you in a heartbeat if given the chance."

He turns to leave but not without finishing his statement. "But of course, Zachary will protect you."

"What..." The word catches in my throat at the sight of a hefty man at the exit. He blends so well with the shadows that I almost miss him.

All through the night I stay awake in the dining room. Yes, I'm stubborn and will never let this people tell me what to do. When it becomes unbearable, I eat two pieces of pancakes. Other than that, I stay awake.

At least that's what I believe until I open my eyes and see it's morning. My eyes are still adjusting to the curtains that are being opened when a knife digs into the table right in front of my face.

I scream, thrash, and fall to the ground. My butt hurts but not as much as the spike of adrenaline.

"Oh, goodness." I raise my eyes to see Wan and I add without thinking twice, "you peace of shit!"

"You curse. I didn't know." Wan wears a deadpan pan.

"You almost killed me, sourpuss!"

"Stop screaming. You're freaking out everybody as well as yourself."

And that's when I see that all the maids have stopped working, staring at me like I'm a madwoman. Wan waves at them to continue their work before he comes to knee in my front.

"There is much to do today, Your Highness. Against the Lycan King's wishes, I'll be taking you on a tour around the kingdom."

"I'm your prisoner. Why would you do that?"

He shakes his head and pats his face. "Just let something happen without being wary of it."

"I cannot." I yell in his face. "Dustfang was the only family I had, and you murdered him right in front of me before you took me against my consent. And you dare speak to me about trust." Spitting on the floor next to him, I sneer. "Never!"