AYLA
The maids washed me until my skin was clean and smooth like porcelain, then slipped a fresh black dress over me. My hair was silk-pressed and packed into a tight bun. They applied a little makeup to my face to hide the dark circles under my eyes and my pale skin.
The Lycan King didn’t want me to look like a pity case while he took me to his kingdom, and the maids delivered, disguising me like a bitter candy wrapped perfectly in fancy packaging. I looked beautiful on the outside, but what was inside me was as sour as a rotten tomato. I was going to the Lycan territory to suffer.
My bags were packed and loaded into the truck that had been brought, while the Lycan King and I were to ride in a black Mustang.
My father and mother watched as I was being taken away by the Lycan King to begin a miserable life, and they did nothing to stop it. What other form of betrayal could be greater than that?
"Ayla," I suddenly heard Mother call as we made to enter the car, and my heart flipped over.
I turned around to look at her, thinking she would finally show some grief over what my life was about to become, but instead, she leaned in and whispered the most confusing words ever into my ear.
"When you wake up, you’ll understand this. We had to take a double-factor authentication."
As she pulled away, she suddenly sobbed, a stream of tears falling down her face.
"My dear daughter." She reached for my cheek and gave it a little squeeze. "It’s so sad to see how you have changed. You had always been the sweet one. And because of how good you were in the past, I forgive you for what you did to your sister out of jealousy."
With that, she turned around and walked away.
Pain hit my chest, rolling up to my throat and choking out a sob. Tears streaked down my face.
I looked at Father, waiting for him to at least acknowledge me, but he simply looked away.
"I don’t have all day!" the Lycan King growled. "Get in."
I quickly turned around and jumped into the car. He slipped in right beside me, and the air inside instantly became hot.
I was about to embark on the longest journey of my life.
Alpha Ezra didn’t say a word to me, and I appreciated that, as a word from him usually meant terror. He was either threatening to kill me or threatening to make my life miserable.
I had been treated like a princess all my life, and now I was a prisoner. And not just anyone’s prisoner. The Cursed Lycan King’s prisoner.
It had been rumoured that anyone who dared to see his beast never survived. His beast always attacked and killed anyone who came its way. Without mercy. And that beast could be triggered at any time. He had no control over it.
That was who I was mated to. That was who I would have sex with. That was who I was supposed to conceive for. Even if the pregnancy didn’t kill me, the chances of his beast killing me were high.
Suddenly, the car hit a pothole. It jolted, and my head ended up on Alpha Ezra’s chest.
My eyes widened. Before I could recover from the shock, the car hit another pothole, and my entire body fell onto his lap.
I literally froze. His hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me upright, his eyes fixed on me. Tingles ran through my entire body, my heart beating really fast as I stared into those dangerous golden eyes.
What the hell was wrong with me? Stupid mate bond.
"If you cannot handle a pothole, then use your fucking seatbelt," he seethed before snapping his gaze away from me.
"I am sorry, Alpha. I..." My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and I quickly reached for the seatbelt and buckled it. That was what I should have done the moment I entered the car.
The car suddenly screeched to a stop, and I lifted my eyes to see chaos on the road. Within seconds, troops of rogues poured out of the woods, roaring loudly.
"Your Majesty, we have been ambushed," the driver said in panic.
"Stay inside the car. Do not fucking move!" the Lycan King growled, his eyes turning the darkest shade I had ever seen.
In a split second, his demeanor shifted into war mode, and he jumped out of the car, attacking the rogues who dared to ambush us.
Large numbers of them were dropping rapidly. The Lycan King didn’t even have to shift to tackle them. The difference in strength was clear as he quickly ripped the lives out of the rogues.
But the rogues kept dashing out of the woods in large numbers.
As I watched, an idea quickly came to mind. If I ever made it to the Lycan territory, then that would be the beginning of my death. This was my only chance to escape. Living as a rogue would be far better than living as the bride of the Lycan King who hated me.
I didn’t even have to think twice before jumping out of the car and dashing into the woods. I ran fast, as fast as my legs could carry me, panting heavily and hoping I was already far gone before Alpha Ezra realized I was missing.
The more I ran, the more exhausted I became, and it felt as though my lungs were about to explode. But I kept going, my hands pressed firmly to my belly to ease the pain soaring through my body from the lack of oxygen.
Then suddenly, a very tall figure blocked my way. I couldn’t tell if he was a wolf or a Lycan, as he smelled like nothing.
I didn’t want to wait to find out. I turned in another direction to continue running.
But he grabbed my hair and used it to drag me back.
"Where do you think you are going, Calista? The Gemini Wolf," he rumbled, his dangerous voice making me tremble.
He lifted my head until I could see his face. He was masked, but his visible eyes were as dark as night clouds. They told a story of how many lives he had taken.
"I think this is the perfect revenge against Ezra." He ran his tongue over his teeth.
"Who are you?" I blurted out. "Please. Let me go."
"King Silas," his voice thundered.
The fear coursing through me doubled.
The Rogue King.