CHAPTER FOUR
1060 Words
“I was asked to meet you here,” I said, and Damon turned. He looked incredibly handsome in the dark hoodie, black pants, and boots he wore. I noticed he dressed entirely in black, almost as if he were in perpetual mourning.“Yes,” came his voice. He studied me for a moment, shaking his head with an unreadable expression. “Do you know the punishment for trespassing here?"“You told me earlier—torture,” I said, annoyed. He nodded.“Aye.” He nodded to one of his guards, who then brought out a sword. My heart pounded, but the huge hulk of a guard just handed me the sword.“Have you ever had proper battle training, little pup?” Damon asked, and I shook my head. Truth be told, I was pretty good at sword fighting because I practiced with Patrick, who was ruthless as ever.“I practice with my brother,” I said, and the guards around Damon chuckled, but he silenced them with a single look.“Oh well. I’m not going to be torturing you, but my pack has the right to pick who you’ll fight. If you defeat him, you’re free to go.” He said this so casually, and I stared at him in surprise. The famous ruthless Damon wasn’t going to kill me?“And if I don’t?” I countered. Damon grinned wickedly.“Then your opponent kills you. If he doesn’t, you’ll be locked up here forever. Anyone who fights well enough can buy you and, you know, have his way with you.” He said this with such cruel indifference that I was horrified.“Why not just torture me, then kill me?” I asked, and Damon’s eyes darkened. “I’m not Ken. I don’t go back on my word twice,” he said coldly. Then he turned to his guards.“Get her proper armor and a suitable sword. She’ll fight by moonlight, under the eyes of the Moon Goddess, who is ever fair,” he said, nodding to me before walking away.“Who am I going to fight?” I asked, but no one answered. If anything, they looked at me with disdain and hostility.“You guys can at least tell me who I’m facing,” I begged, but I was met with stony silence. One of the lead guards dropped armor and a wickedly sharp blade onto the ground in front of me.“How do I put this on?” I asked. I had never worn armor in my life.“Figure it out, b***h,” he spat, and I growled at him—or maybe my wolf did. Either way, I hated being called a bitch.“Call me that again, and I’ll rip your throat out,” I seethed. He grinned, and the other guards laughed.“You know what, b***h? Maybe I’ll bang you right here, then kill you. Save the alpha the trouble of watching you die in combat. The Moon Goddess would be pleased after I offer her your t**s as a sacrifice,” he said. Enraged, I grabbed the sword and swung it at him. He dodged, but I managed to slam a fist into his nose, breaking it.He yelled in pain and surprise before backhanding me, sending me crashing to the ground. Through my fuzzy vision, I saw him coming for me, likely to finish me off, but—“Enough,” came the familiar voice. Damon’s raw alpha power washed over me, and I relaxed on the ground. I could hear Jason’s footsteps approaching. I raised my head to stare at him, my stomach did its butterfly thingy. He looked so handsome, his dark hair had been styled to the side and I could make out the hint of a day’s growth of beard.“Leave her be, Jason,” Damon ordered, pulling me up. Despite the situation, I felt a strange comfort seeing him, and so did my wolf.Damon helped me up—not gently, but not so roughly that it hurt.“You shouldn’t provoke Jason. He’s quick to anger,” he said, and I scowled at him.“Your bodyguard’s a prick,” I shot back. Behind us, Jason growled, but Damon was clearly trying not to smile.“You shouldn’t have attacked him. He’s a wolf. What do you think your wolf side would do if attacked?” Damon asked. I sighed in frustration.“Damn you. Forget it. I can’t wait for the battle—at least I’ll die in peace,” I muttered. Damon nodded respectfully.“It’s sunset already. The moon will be out early today. I can sense it,” he said, and I stared at him.“How?” I asked, surprised. He shrugged, crouching to gather the armor pieces before dumping them into my arms.“I’m the alpha. Some alphas can sense nature. Now, get yourself ready, little pup. It’s going to be a bloody, gory, and quick battle if the Moon Goddess deems you guilty,” he said before walking away. Jason gave me one last menacing look before following Damon. I plopped down on the grass, staring at the horizon. I missed home. I missed Patrick. I wanted to see Ken, to be in his arms—not die in some stupid, barbaric combat.Would the alpha be looking for me now? Surely, they would have followed my scent and found me, except... Damon had removed my scent, cleared any trace of me. For years, people had tried to find the notorious Damon and his pack, but no one had succeeded.I had grown up hearing rumors that Damon was a complete psycho. He led raids, looted, killed, terrorized. But ever since I’d been with him, all he did was make witty remarks or threaten me—none of which he had followed through on.I exhaled deeply and stood. Life sucked. It was time to suck it up and fight. I wasn’t going to die like an invalid.The guards returned, now dressed in full battle armor, with intimidating wolf helmets.“It’s time,” one of them said. I glanced at the sky—it was dark already. In all my thoughts, I hadn’t even noticed I was alone in a grassy field, contemplating my impending death.
- Writer
