Meeting Darius

I froze in my spot. I recognized that booming, authoritative tone instantly. The last time I heard his voice, he made his disdain for me crystal clear.

"Alpha," Ma Corinne breathed out, immediately bowing her head. Terror rolled off her in waves.

I knew exactly why he was here. He came for me.

"You face me when I am talking to you," the former Alpha demanded. He stood right behind me, an imposing shadow blocking out the kitchen light.

Every cruel word he had hurled at me rushed back. I turned around slowly. Torin’s father towered over me, radiating a lethal aura.

"Torin can’t fight his own battles?" I pushed the words out, aiming for a sarcastic joke. Inside, my stomach tied itself into knots. Under his blistering gaze, I was terrified.

"Cassia!" Ma gasped, her eyes wide with panic.

I worried I might actually give the poor woman a heart attack.

"Leave us," he growled. He spared Ma a brief, dismissive glance. He had never spoken to Ma with such raw hostility. The severity of the situation crashed down on me.

"Alpha," I murmured, bowing my head out of pure survival instinct.

"I overheard the exchange with Valerie. Look, stay away from her." His voice dropped an octave. The heavy weight of an Alpha command pressed against the air, thick like suffocating smoke. It didn't force me to my knees since I didn't possess a wolf, but I felt the distinct, crushing pressure of his raw power.

"Does she know?" I asked. I tried to keep the attitude out of my tone, but my anger bled through the cracks. "Does she know you people are just using her? That once you get what you need, you’ll discard her like a piece of trash?"

Amusement danced across his scarred face. A cruel smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Is that what my stupid boy told you?"

He let out a dark laugh that sent a shiver down my spine.

"I don’t think you grasp the reality of your situation, human. Torin chose her. He will mate with her, mark her for life, and produce a strong heir for this pack. You?" He looked at me, his eyes raking over my form with blatant disgust. "You are nothing more than a convenient vessel. A tool to satiate his wolf. You exist solely to keep the beast tame so it doesn’t go feral from losing its true mate. That’s all."

He took a step closer, sizing me up. "Hmph. Guess you actually serve a purpose after all."

The more Torin’s father spoke, the more bile rose in my throat. I had spent my whole life admiring him. Now, hatred took root in my chest.

"You’re lying," I shot back, my hands curling into fists. "He said he wanted me by his side! He chose me!"

My outburst didn't shake him. He just laughed again, a harsh, grating sound.

"Believe whatever delusion helps you sleep at night. I came here to give you a simple warning. Stay. Away. From. Valerie." He punctuated each word with a jab of his finger in my direction. "If you ruin this for him, or for the pack, I will snap your little neck."

The unadulterated hatred in his eyes matched the fire burning in mine. The feeling was mutual. He could drop dead right now, and I wouldn't spare his corpse a second glance.

He spun on his heel and marched out of the kitchen, taking the suffocating tension with him. I slumped against the counter, feeling more drained than my time in the infirmary.

Ma rushed back into the room the second the door clicked shut.

"Why do you always have to run that sharp mouth of yours?" Her eyes swam with unshed tears. She looked like she might shatter into a million pieces.

"It’s fine, Mum."

"No! It is not fine!" she cried, gripping my arms. "The Alpha just threatened to snap your neck! Do you think he bluffs about murder? You have to be careful! I can’t lose you." She pulled me into a desperate, bone-crushing hug. "You’re all I have."

I hugged her back just as fiercely, burying my face in her shoulder. "I’m sorry, Mum," I whispered.

I apologized because I knew the truth. I was leaving her behind. Watching the man I loved parade around with another woman was tearing my soul apart. I needed space before I lost my sanity. "I'm sorry I put you through so much pain."

I forced myself through the day. Everywhere I turned, I saw Torin and Valerie together. I caught Torin staring at me, his gaze lingering whenever we crossed paths, but he never approached me. It drove me insane.

I did my chores, went to school, and ignored Brina. I noticed the pity in the eyes of the other wolves. I heard their whispers about how Torin and Valerie would consummate their bond soon.

Some wolves thought I lied about the relationship for attention, claiming an Alpha would never stoop to my level. Others called me delusional. The rumors cut deep.

By the time I reached home, I was drained. I collapsed onto the floor. I couldn't face another day of this torture.

A strange, intense heat sparked in my chest. The temperature in my blood spiked.

"Great!" I groaned, tilting my head back to glare at the ceiling. "Why don’t you just let me die already? Haven’t you punished me enough? Why do I suffer while he gets off scot-free? Just let me die!"

I screamed my plea to the empty room. No one answered. My heart kept beating. My lungs kept drawing in air. The pain magnified with every ticking second.

The heat turned into a raging inferno. I dragged myself across the floor, crawling toward the bathroom. I turned the cold water on full blast and threw myself over the porcelain edge, plunging into the rising water.

The icy shock dulled the burning, but my insides felt like they were being shredded.

"You can’t live with it, Cas. Perfect time to let go," I muttered to the empty room. I embraced the pain. If this was how my story ended, I welcomed it. I forced a smile through the torture tearing me apart from the inside out. I let my heavy eyelids fall shut. I sank deeper into the cold water and surrendered to the dark.

A sudden gasp ripped from my throat. My eyes shot open.

I wasn't in the bathroom anymore.

I stood in a place that defied logic. Vibrant, glowing flora surrounded me. The air smelled crisp and sweet. "So this is what death looks like," I whispered, a serene smile forming on my lips. It radiated peace. The beauty of the realm left me speechless.

"Unfortunately, no."

A deep, soothing voice echoed behind me. The sound carried a calming frequency that settled my heart.

I turned around. The man standing there possessed long, white hair that caught the ethereal light. His features held a delicate grace, yet his sharp jawline commanded presence. He wore a pale robe that draped over his frame. He was beautiful. An impossible kind of beautiful.

"Are you done staring?" A knowing smirk curled his lips. Curiosity danced in his bright eyes.

"I’m... I’m sorry." I quickly bowed my head, my cheeks burning. I stared at the vibrant grass beneath my feet. Even the blades of grass looked flawless.

"You are pretty close." He took a slow step forward, stopping a mere two feet away.

"Huh?" I lifted my head, my brows knitting together. "I... I don’t understand."

"I am Darius," he announced, executing a dramatic, theatrical bow.

"Why am I here?" I glanced around the endless expanse of glowing nature. "Am I dead? Is this the afterlife? Are you the moon goddess? I mean... god?"

Darius let out a rich, musical laugh. He shook his head, his white hair swaying. "No. You are very much alive. I brought you here because your mortal body requires a recharge. I didn't want any unfortunate complications."

I stared at him, the confusion thickening in my mind. "Who are you?"

"Come, let's go. You should be waking up soon," he said, waving off my question with a flick of his wrist.

"But I—"

The world shifted. The vibrant colors bled into pitch black.

The icy chill of the water hit me like a physical blow. I gasped, my arms flailing as I sat up in my bathtub. Water sloshed over the edges and spilled onto the tile floor. A lingering, warm presence wrapped around me like a heavy blanket, then slowly dissipated into the humid air.

"What the fuck just happened?" I muttered, my voice echoing in the small space.

I gripped the edges of the tub and pulled myself up. A strange surge of energy pulsed through my veins. The agonizing pain from earlier vanished. I felt refreshed, invigorated, stronger than I had ever felt in my life.

Before I could process the sudden change, the bathroom door exploded open. The wood cracked against the wall.

Torin stood in the doorway.

His chest heaved. His knuckles were white from gripping the doorframe. His irises burned with a brilliant, predatory gold. The wolf was at the surface.

His golden eyes locked onto me. I stood in the middle of the tub, drenched from head to toe. My soaked clothes clung to my skin like a second layer. The thin fabric turned translucent under the harsh bathroom light, putting my dark areolas and hardening nipples on full display. The damp material molded tightly against my crotch, leaving nothing hidden from his intense stare.

Torin’s gaze trailed down the length of my body, devouring the sight of my exposed skin beneath the wet cloth. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"I sensed magic coming from here. I came to check what was happening," he said, his voice dropping into a harsh, gravelly timbre. He blinked, forcing the golden hue out of his eyes, and schooled his features into a mask of cold indifference.

I crossed my arms over my chest to cover my breasts. "What?"

The accusation hung heavy in the air. Playing with magic carried a death sentence. As a human, I didn't even possess the capacity to access it.

"Don’t play dumb, Cas," Torin growled, taking a deliberate step into the bathroom. The air around him crackled with tension. "Are you..."

"No!" I shouted, cutting him off. "Oh my days, I can’t believe you’d even think I would do something like that."

He stopped. His piercing gaze locked onto mine, searching the depths of my pupils for any trace of deceit. He scoured my face, looking for a lie, but found nothing. The suffocating silence stretched between us.

Finally, he gave a curt nod.

"Dinner is ready," he stated bluntly.

He turned on his heel and walked out, leaving the bathroom door wide open. A second later, the heavy thud of my bedroom door slamming shut rattled the mirrors.

I stood shivering in the tub, the phantom heat of his stare still burning against my wet skin. He suspected me of using magic. The accusation alone could get me killed in this territory. The danger was escalating by the second.

Dinner proved to be another circle of hell.

I sat at the end of the long wooden table, picking at the roast meat on my plate. The food tasted like dry sandpaper on my tongue. All around me, the pack members carried on with their meals, casting covert glances in my direction.

"Did you see her looking at the Alpha?" a female wolf whispered loudly to her neighbor. "Such a desperate attention seeker."

"I know," the other replied, not bothering to lower her voice. "Look at Valerie. She looks so perfect sitting next to him. A true Luna."

I lifted my heavy gaze to the head of the table. Torin sat in his massive wooden chair, projecting power and authority. Valerie sat right by his side, a bright, triumphant smile plastered on her face. Her hand rested possessively on Torin's thigh. He didn't push her away. He engaged in conversation with the elders, ignoring my existence entirely.

My chest tightened. The isolation crushed me. A few weeks ago, these people treated me with kindness. They supported my relationship with Torin. They smiled at me in the halls. Now, it was as if those kind, loving people had been wiped from existence. Replaced by a pack of wolves eager to tear the weak human apart.

The former Alpha sat a few seats down. His dark eyes met mine over the rim of his glass. The unspoken threat lingered in his gaze. Snap your little neck.

I set my fork down. I couldn't do this anymore. I refused to sit here and let them strip away my dignity. I refused to let Torin's father turn me into a vessel for Torin's wolf.

I took a slow, deep breath, pulling the cool air into my lungs. The frantic panic that usually clouded my mind vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity.

My decision was final. I wasn't just thinking about leaving anymore. I was doing it.

Tonight. At midnight.

I mentally calculated the guard shifts and blind spots along the pack borders. I had a few hours to gather my belongings and vanish into the woods. If they caught me, Torin's father would kill me.

The danger was immense, but the alternative was a living death. I tightened my grip on the edge of the table, solidifying my resolve. I would escape this nightmare, or I would die trying.