A Prisoner Once More
1354 Words
Thalia’s POV.
I woke up to the scent of burning wood. It didn't feel suffocating; instead, the smoke smelled strangely comforting.
My eyes fluttered open, but for the first few seconds, all I could see was black. I tried to lift my head, but I immediately felt a dull ache behind my head.
Where was I? How did I end up here to begin with? And most importantly, who brought me to wherever ‘here’ was?
All these questions danced around my brain like she-wolves in heat on a mating ceremony night.
I turned my head, trying to find any pack symbol or marking to identify where I was. There was nothing. The room was completely barren, looking like a corner of some long-abandoned pack territory.
I tried to recall the previous night, but I kept seeing flashes and static. The last thing I remembered was being cornered by Adonis’ guards…
Adonis’ guards…?
The realization jolted me, and I threw myself off the sleeping mat. The sudden movement loosened the bandage wrapped around my head.
Wait, bandages?
If the last thing I remembered was being at the mercy of his men, that means I was either… Panic flared in my chest. No, no, it couldn't be. There was no way I had ended up as their s*x toy. The only other option was that Adonis himself was holding me hostage.
I scanned the tiny hut and spotted a broken spear lying near the mat. I grabbed it, my fingers tightening around the wood when I heard footsteps approaching.
I took a defensive position and waited patiently for whoever was about to walk into the hut. I could see the shadow of the person lurking around the entrance.
“f**k…” I whispered to myself.
It was definitely one of Adonis’ guards. I tried to get a whiff of the person's scent, but whoever it was was really good at masking it.
The person stepped inside, but with his back facing me. I immediately noticed how extremely tall he was. With his back still facing me, he had his hands raised as if claiming surrender. His aura was so calming and familiar that it made me lower the spear.
“Who are you and where am I?” I demanded, my chest heaving as I stared at his back.
He didn’t reply immediately.
“Whatever Adonis instructed you to do to me,” I spat, trying to sound braver than I felt, “trust me, it won’t be worth it.”
The man finally turned around. A sharp gasp caught in my throat; my fingers went slack, and the broken spear clattered to the ground.
Standing before me was the wolf that had saved me two years ago. In an instant, the memories from last night started flooding in.
“YOU!” I yelled.
How is that possible? How did I end up here? With him?
“How…Why…?” I stuttered badly, unable to form the words to express my confusion.
He walked further into the room, and his towering form immediately made me feel small and defenseless. I moved back unconsciously, and his expression darkened; he eyed me as if I had just insulted him.
Without a word, he set down the bowl of steaming water he’d brought inside, then stretched his hand out toward me. I was drawn to him immediately, like a sailor to a siren’s call. I had to will myself to keep from reaching out and gripping his muscular-looking hands.
What the hell is wrong with me?
How could I be drawn to a stranger the same way I was drawn to Adonis and Caspian?
When he noticed my hesitation, he sighed. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He finally spoke, and the sound of his voice sent tingles down my spine. “If I wanted to take advantage of you, I would have done so already.” His gaze slowly went down my body.
I followed his eyes on my body to find that I was only in my undergarments. My cleavages were exposed, and my legs were on full display. I hugged my body with my hands, a miserable attempt to try and cover up my shame.
Goddess, he had definitely taken his time looking at me.
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not as appealing as you think you are,” his raspy voice echoed through the cramped space. “The females were the ones who changed, bathed, and dressed you.” He said those words with so much disinterest, but his eyes betrayed him because they still lingered on me longer than they were supposed to.
Even though his presence offered a strange kind of comfort, I kept feeling this burning sensation that felt like something was clawing inside of me.
I swallowed against the pain. “Thank you for your hospitality since last night, but I need to leave now.”
I had to get moving. If Adonis ever found me here, we’d all be dead. I refused to let him catch me unprepared. Adonis was brutal on a good day, but if you were on his blacklist, he was a monster.
He turned to face me, raising a single brow. “How long do you think you’ve been asleep?”
“I was being chased last night…”
He shook his head, cutting me off. “You’ve been asleep for five days.”
My head jerked back in shock. “You’re lying. That’s impossible.”
“And what would I gain by lying to you?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off.
“The only reason I saved you is that your screaming and wailing were disrupting my hunting session. I had to cut it off before you scared all my prey away.” He clicked his tongue in irritation. “So don’t think you’re anything special because you’re still alive.”
“But…”
“And besides, I only patched you up in case there was a reward for your safe return. But it seems there isn’t.”
The sheer coldness of his voice left me speechless.
After a while of silence, he stretched out his hand again. “Your wounds still need to be attended to…”
I slowly shook my head, backing away. For some reason, I felt something in me would explode if our skin ever touched.
His nostrils flared. “FINE THEN!” he roared. “Do whatever the hell you want and see if I care.” He stormed out of the hut, kicking the bowl of hot water in the process.
I didn't care about his temper. I just wanted to leave. I took three wide steps toward the door to try and find my way to the Northern region when something held me back. I looked behind me to find that my leg had been chained to the ground.
You have got to be kidding me.
“IS THIS YOUR DEFINITION OF HELPING SOMEONE?!” I screamed at the empty doorway, but of course, there was no response.
I was forced to stay in that hut for an additional three days without any outside contact. Whenever I woke up in the morning, there was always food, water, and clothes prepared for me, but I never got to see anyone. To make matters worse, I still didn’t even know his name.
Whenever I caught the muffled sound of movement outside, I screamed until my throat was raw, but no one ever answered. It felt exactly like being locked in Adonis's cells all over again.
On the fourth morning, someone finally moved close enough to hear me.
“Please, help me!” I begged, my voice a desperate whisper. I could see their shadow hesitate before moving closer to the door.
“We want to help you, but the Alpha strictly forbade it,” the voice whispered hurriedly. “Hang in there. We’ll find a way to make him release you.”
“Who is your Alpha?” I pressed, but the person was already gone before the question could be answered.
- Writer
