Chapter 13
ORELIA
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Idiot. I was such an idiot! Perhaps it was my guilt that had clouded my judgment. Or perhaps I was too tired to think clearly. I had blamed myself for running from the cage alone, and then blamed myself for being the main reason all those women had ended up at Alpha Koen’s mercy. And now, I had made sure they were safe, forgetting that my situation could be far worse than theirs…
Alpha Koen studied me with unhidden amusement. Bastard. It would have been easier if every inch of him. weren’t so captivating. His looks, his voice, his scent–they all worked as the perfect tools of seduction and manipulation. I craved him and feared him. This combination was dangerous, and I knew I had to hold on to every shred of reason not to submit to my wild urges.
I had to be wiser from now on. I had to choose my words carefully and note every word he said. I drew a deep breath, trying to clamp down on my fear. Then I looked into his eyes. “I heard that I’m yours now. Doesn’t that mean that your soldiers can’t touch me?”
“They won’t touch you,” he said before giving me a cold smile. “If you please me tonight, they won’t.”
A shiver coursed down my spine, and suddenly I wished I were that ignorant brunette who had less than three cells in her brain, but somehow had the art of love stuffed inside them. Unlike her, my experience was limited to the awful kissing session I’d had once with my partner from the training camp…
Then again, why was I even considering pleasing him? I should have been planning my escape. Biting my lip, I looked around, noticing more than a few sly glances Alpha Koen’s warriors cast my way. Then I recalled every detail I had seen from the hill…
A long line of curses formed on the tip of my tongue. As much as I wished to deny it, sticking to Alpha Koen might be my safest option here. Perhaps I would even need to seduce him, make him lower his guard, and then… slowly carve a way to my freedom.
“Come on, Little Mouse.” Alpha Koen grabbed my wrist and started leading me through the path between two
rows of tents.
I winced every time I stepped into sticky mud. The ground was cold and wet, and by the time we reached the end of the row, my legs were already coated with a thick layer of dirt. I began to think he had done it on purpose, so I would know exactly what my route of escape would look like.
“This is where you’ll sleep.” He pointed at the tent, at least twice the size of the other warrior tents we had passed. He grabbed the large flap and tied it to the side, then gestured for me to enter.
Drawing a deep breath, I cautiously stepped inside, immediately finding it warm and dry. I instantly noticed a pit formed in the further part of the tent with still–burning coals in it. A sleeping part with furs and blankets was on one side. The other was separated by a thin curtain. I could only guess that the other part functioned as a bath chamber. It must have been the most luxurious field tent I had ever seen.
“Go ahead,” Alpha Koen urged. “Behind the curtain, you’ll find two basins, freshly filled with water. A washcloth should be there, too. You can find your clothes and shoes on the pile, by the blankets. No need to hurry. Take your time.”
8:01 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 13
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He moved to the sleeping area and pulled his shirt over his head. My breath caught in my throat, but before I could admire the perfectly carved muscles on his back, he grabbed a fresh shirt and put it on. Then he turned to me and extended his hand. “I will need my jacket back.”
“O–of course!” A nervous chuckle slipped free as I realized how tightly I had it wrapped around me. “I’m… sorry.” I hurriedly took it off and handed it over to him.
He hummed a laugh. “Normally, I wouldn’t mind you wearing my clothes.” His eyes roamed up and down my body, and a surge of heat travelled down to my core. “This time, however, our clothing options are quite limited.”
I nodded, giving him an awkward smile. He put on the jacket and pivoted to the still–opened tent flap. “Where are you going?” I blurted.
He looked over his shoulder and smirked. “I have a few urgent matters to handle. It might take a while. If you feel tired, lie down. I will wake you up when I return.” With that, he stepped out of the tent and closed the flap behind him.
For a moment, I stared at the place where he’d stood. To say I was confused would have been a huge understatement. He’d said I was his slave. He’d wanted to intimidate me. And yet, he had given me clothes, a place to wash myself, and a place to sleep. He hadn’t forced himself on me, even after letting me know I belonged to him. He’d even submitted to my demand…
I pressed my hand to my chest, soothing my wildly pounding heart. I took a few deep breaths before stepping toward the flap and tugging it enough to form a crack. No sentinels stood outside to guard me, but with dozens of warriors wandering around, it would have been impossible to leave this place unnoticed.
I released a heavy sigh. Escape was still my priority, but I wasn’t suicidal. Not to mention that I was weak and my stomach kept growling, demanding food. Honestly, I had forgotten the last time I had eaten anything aside from stale bread.
I closed the flap and walked behind the curtain. Just like Alpha Koen had said, two basins with water were prepared for me to use. A small mirror was placed beside them, and someone even put a brush for me to comb my tangled hair.
I wasn’t sure when Alpha Koen would return, but I figured I should make the most of my moment of privacy. Drawing a deep breath, I grabbed a washcloth and braced myself for what I was about to see in the mirror…
Well, it was worse than I expected. The silver poisoning had left its mark, painting dark shades all over my pale face. My wolf spirit had done her best to heal me, but I needed food, water, and a proper rest to fully return to the land of the living.
I kept glancing at the tent flaps as I undressed and began to scrub my body, trying to get rid of the layers of dirt and dried blood. Luckily, I managed to clean myself without any interference. Then, I grabbed the long tunic and a pair of thick leggings and almost moaned in pleasure when the soft fabric touched my chilled skin. I barely finished dressing up when I heard someone stop outside the tent.
“My lady, can I come in?” a gentle, male voice sounded.
Not knowing what to expect, I withdrew my claws in one hand before I asked, “Who is it?”
“My name is Silas. I’m a healer. I’ve come to check on your back wound.” I was about to say that I was fine, but
Chapter 13
then he added, “I brought food.”
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My stomach made a sound impossible to ignore. “Um… come in,” I muttered, quickly hiding my claws.
The flap slowly lifted, and a man with long, gray hair entered the tent. His brown eyes found mine, and a wide smile spread across his face. “You haven’t eaten for a while, have you?” He walked over to a small wooden block in the center of the tent and carefully put down a tray with a steaming bowl of something resembling a stew and a few slices of bread.
“It’s been a few days… I think,” I murmured.
He nodded before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a water flask. He placed it on the tray and looked at me. “Go ahead. Eat. And don’t worry. No one would have dared poison your food.” A low chuckle slipped free, as if he knew exactly where my thoughts went.
A faint smile curved my lips. “Thank you.”
I grabbed the bowl and some bread, then sat on the blanket and took a whiff of the meaty delicacies. It smelled divine. I hurriedly dipped the spoon in it and shoved it into my mouth.
Silas kept his eyes on me as I devoured the stew to the last drop, his smile widening. “Hope it’ll help you properly.”
I smiled back at him. “You’re my lifesaver.”
He laughed. “If only lives could be saved that easily.”
“Well, you certainly saved mine now,” I said, putting the empty bowl back on the tray.
heal
He took a careful step toward me. “I assume the wound on your back healed, but do you mind if I check the rest of the symptoms of the silver poisoning?”
He smelled like herbal mixtures and healing potions, so I guessed it wouldn’t hurt if he examined me. I gave him a nervous smile and nodded. He stepped closer, then checked my pulse and the color of my skin. Finally, his focus shifted to my face. He surveyed every inch, humming and making mental notes until his eyes
zeroed in on mine…
“Such power,” he breathed. “You’ve been blessed with magic, haven’t you?”
I gasped. No one, not even the most skilled healers in Verendell, had ever noticed my gift by looking at me. I stumbled back. “H–how did you know?”
Silas quickly raised his hands in surrender. “I can see one’s spirit, or rather… I can feel it.”
“I see,” I murmured, wondering if he was going to tell Alpha Koen about it.
He must have seen the restlessness on my face since he offered me a bright smile and said, “Your secret is safe with me.” He looked into my eyes again, and his smile faded. “But… whatever happens in the future, be sure to stay away from King Zyran and his Priests.”
My brows drew together. “Why? I mean… I know that King Zyran has always been interested in those gifted,
8:01 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 13
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“Just trust me.” His voice was firm this time and laced with a strange dose of anger. “It’s for your own good.”
I nodded slowly, then muttered, “Fine. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good.” He drew a deep breath before reaching for the tray and walking toward the flaps.
“Um…” I stopped him as he was about to exit. “Do you know when Alpha Koen will return?”
“Who?” He blinked, then burst into nervous laughter and scratched his head. “You mean our Alpha… well…” He cleared his throat. “Not sure. It might take a while.”
“I see.” I gave him a weak smile. His answer sounded odd to say the least, but I had no strength left in me to analyze it. “Well, thank you for the food and everything.”
“You’re welcome, my lady. Try to get some rest.” He gave me a curt bow before stepping out of the tent.
The second he left, the exhaustion knocked me down on my ass. There was no sense in denying that I needed to rest. I barely managed to crawl under the blankets and furs before sleep claimed me…
I woke up hours later, noticing a faint daylight sneaking through the piece of thinner fabric on one side of the tent. Heart pounding, I jerked up to sit, but then I looked around the tent. I was alone. The rest of the blankets remained folded as they’d been before.
Alpha Koen hadn’t returned.
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