Rhiannon's POV

The moment those words rumbled from his throat, my breath stopped.

“Mate”

My heart skipped a beat, the world around me freezing. I looked around, my breath hitching, was this real or just a fragment of my fucking imagination?

I shifted my gaze to Knox and saw as his lips parted in disbelief, his face twisted into something I could hardly fathom….rage and surprise, maybe? His mother on the other hand clutched her pearls as though she had just seen the worst abominable act.

But, amidst the noise and chaos, the only sound I could hear clearly was the rapid thumping of my heart and my shallow, hoarse breath. I still found it hard to believe.

Mate?

No, that could not be right, it couldn't be him, not now, not even me.

I fell on my knees, my body sinking into the muddy earth, filthy clinging onto my skin as the silver shackles clattered when they met each other. And against my collarbone, the blood had already dried up. The ceremonial silk was already ripped in half, stains in every part of it.

I was a prisoner, branded a traitor by my own pack. And him….the almighty Rael Throne, was death itself in human skin, a legend, told in every wolf province to warn wolves about rebellion. I didn't think I heard well, he didn't say right….he didn't mean what he said.

But, the thick, suffocating air didn't lie. I held my breath, dreading whatever came next.

Just as I was still reeling in shock, trapped in my own thoughts, a warrior suddenly rushed out of the crowd, brave and at the same time foolish. “She's not your mate!!” He sneered, pointing accusing fingers at me. “She can never be! She…she's a snake, a liar…..”

He never got the chance to finish his sentence.

Rael Throne said nothing, he didn't even spare him the slightest glance.

Just lifted one gloved hand and gave a signal to his beast.

I could swear I saw the beast nod and then move with deadly violence,. it's black scales and fangs elongated. One second, the young warrior was still talking, pointing accusing fingers at me, the next, his arms were on the ground, chopped off clean, blood splattering across the marble dais, painting it red.

Screams and gasps of fear and panic erupted in the hall, some people shifting backwards but none dared to run.

But Rael’s expression remained cold, he didn't even flinch a bit.

His voice then rumbled out again, calm and deadly, sending shivers to the spines of whoever heard it.

“The next wolf that dares breath without my permission joins him”

Almost immediately, the hall went silent, a pin drop could literally be heard.

Even the oldest healer present lowered her gaze.

I saw as Knox took a step backwards, his face pale and filled with dread. He had lost his composure and calm demeanor.

Rael had just commanded the room, stealing everyone's freedom to breathe.

He didn't have to roar, just a low command that every soul present in the hall had to obey.

And I? I fucking hated it.

The guards dragged her feet towards me to remove the shackles I was bound with. As they removed it, their hands trembled violently, their gazes low, no one dared look me in the eye as though doing that could incur their death too.

The metal feels from my wrists, hitting the ground with a thud. As I felt the weight release, a deep sigh escaped my lips, my arms falling freely to my side. My skin was bruised, filled with red blisters and blood.

Then, Real brought up his hand, reaching for me, not to comfort, but to observe.

His finger caressed my jaw, shifting my face to the side and then tilting it upwards as though he was inspecting a broken blade.

His touch on my skin was deadly and cold, making a shiver run down my spine, my blood turning icy.

He snarled, looking down at me as though I was nothing…or maybe, a mistake.

Then, in a low growl, he spoke up. “You look literally nothing like her” he muttered under his breath, speaking more to himself than to me. “That's a relief”

I furrowed my brows with confusion. Her? Who?

His words left me confused, but I didn't dare ask who he meant by ‘her’

Finally, I felt my wolf move after what felt like an eternity. She growled under my skin, not too loud, just low enough to tell me she was cautious.

I didn't feel any connection to Rael, at least not fully. Just a low pull towards him and a deep feeling of dread that just wouldn't leave me.

His scent didn't arouse me, he didn't feel like my mate.

But it felt like my ruin.

*****

Knox finally spoke up. "You can't have her!" It sounded weak. He jumped forward, his eyes burning with anger, and his voice was rough. "She's mine….she was mine! You can't just take her! She's from Stormfang, and you have no right!"

Rael's monster growled softly, and the air changed again. But this time, Rael just looked at Knox, and that look alone made my arm hairs stand up.

"You rejected her," Rael said quietly, like he was listing a wrongdoing. "You let your wolves treat her like an animal and drag her through the dirt. You let her bleed for your pride. The Moon gave you a gift, and you threw it away."

Knox's mouth opened and then closed. Rael took one step forward, and the ground seemed to shrink away from his feet. "Now I'll do what you couldn't," he said, his eyes fixed on Knox. "I'll own her.”

The last word hit hard, like a shock. Knox's Beta stood in front of him, hands up. Even the council members jumped back, whispering quietly.

Nobody went against Rael….nobody dared to question the King of Beasts. The throne no longer belonged to Knox, not in terms of power, presence, or fear.

*******

After what had happened back in the hall, I thought Rael would at least take me inside and give me answers or anything that could explain what the hell was going on.

But instead, he snaked his hand around my waist and in one swift move, swung me over his shoulders, carrying me like I weighed nothing and began striding out of the hall.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as the whole pack stared at me. I struggled to break free from his grip, pounding his back with my fists but he didn't flinch or react…it felt like hitting iron, he didn't even slow down or care.

He kept moving, his beast trailing behind us as we passed the crowd, silenced by his aura, then through the iron gates and finally, arrived at a huge Obsidian carriage which was lined with armors and scales and in front of it stood two beasts as dark and ferocious as midnight.

Finally, we reached the door of the carriage, he yanked it open and then tossed me inside, dropping me like I was nothing.

“Ahh!” I yelled with pain as I hit the wall, gasping.

After me, I saw the beast leap in, making its way into the corner, just beside me, its golden eyes shimmering in the darkness, sending shivers down my spine.

As its enormous tongue flapped, licking its bloody muzzle, I screamed, dragging my body to the other end of the carriage trying to rush out but unfortunately, Rael held me down, bounding my wrists in chains hooked to the carriage wall…again.

Finally, he spoke up after what felt like an eternity of silence.

“Beg or fight it…” he purred, leaning in close. “But don't you dare speak unless I tell you to. I despise talkatives”

He squinted his gaze at me, his voice low guttural. “You're not my Luna”

He began closing the door, and from the little gap remaining, he spoke up again. “Not even mine…yet”

And then, he banged the door shut, leaving me all alone with his monster pet staring down at me as though I was its next delicacy.

*******

The trip was long, and it hurt. I felt every bruise, every shame, and every question that bothered me like a bad wound. Rael didn't talk to me again. He sat across from me, still and calm, quiet like a statue.

The cloak was still wrapped around his shoulders, and the marks on his throat were barely visible in the moonlight. He didn't sleep or blink much. He just watched me, studied me like I was a bomb waiting to go off.

And I didn't talk either because I was too cold, too tired, and too angry. I didn't know what to do with all that anger. The connection between us wasn't love, desire, or even destiny.

It felt like being trapped, even if the chains weren't visible. "I don't get what you want from me," I whispered, trying to be bold. Rael didn't answer with words.

He just leaned forward a bit, his voice icy cold. "You'll do what I say," he said. "You'll obey. If you don't…." He nodded at the monster. "....it eats well."

Then he threw a rough wool cloak at me. It landed in my lap like he didn't care. I didn't thank him, and he didn't expect me to.

*******

That night, the carriage stopped inside the outer gates of Crimson Keep. The tall towers reached up into the sky, and the stone walls were darker than the night.

The air felt heavy with old, fierce power that seemed to be waiting. Guards stood along the path, but none of them looked at me….they only looked at him. Rael got off his horse, and I thought they'd drag me out again.

But Rael didn’t even look at me. His shoulders were stiff, his steps heavy, as though the air itself weighed him down. Without a word, he turned and walked away, the monster’s hulking shadow moving loyally at his side. I wanted to call out, to demand an explanation, but my voice lodged in my throat. The sound of their footsteps echoed against the stone walls until the pair reached the far end of the hall. Then the iron door creaked open with a groan, swallowing them whole as it clanged shut behind them.

Silence fell like a shroud.

I stood there, staring at that door, hoping—stupidly—that he would come back. My chest ached with the kind of emptiness that feels colder than winter. I wrapped my arms around myself, but it did nothing. The room was vast and echoing, yet I felt unbearably small inside it.

Unwanted. Forgotten.

Every thought spun like a cruel whisper, reminding me that Rael hadn’t even spared me a glance. It was as if I didn’t exist. The chill seeped deeper into my bones, and the silence pressed harder on my ears. For the first time, I wondered if I truly was meant to be here at all.

The door opened again later. A servant let me out and led me down a hallway with black stone and frost. They didn't say anything or touch me. They just pointed to a door at the end. I knew it was Rael's room.

I hesitated and my feet felt heavy. But I knew if I didn't go in, he'd pull me in anyway. So I opened the door.

He wasn't wearing armor. He stood in front of a mirror, and his bare chest showed signs of magic and pain. Symbols glowed on his ribs and collarbones…old, twisted marks carved into his skin like hot scars.

Most of them glowed dimly, a few shone faintly, but one rune in the center of his chest burned bright white. It was alive, pulsing like a heartbeat or a warning. His hand was right above it.

At first, it felt like he didn't notice my presence.

Maybe he did and chose not to acknowledge my presence, I couldn't tell.

Finally, his voice rang out, low and menacing, making the hairs on my skin rise, my heart skipping a beat.

“I need no mate…little wolf” he said in a low tone, his voice barely above a whisper but I could hear him properly. “But I need to survive”

He then tilted his head up, the reflection of his eyes on the mirror locking with mine.

“But you….” He said again, this time his voice dripping with something couldn't fathom. “You'll be my fucking curse…my ruin…”

Slowly, he sounds his heels, taking slow strides towards me. “And my cure”