Chapter Five
1063 Words
A sharp curse follows.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Valeria freezes. Her pulse leaps as Darius storms in, rubbing the side of his jaw where the plate must’ve grazed him. His black coat shifts with his movements, dark eyes gleaming like tempered steel under torchlight.
He looks every inch the predator she remembers from the interrogation, the coiled strength, the aura that fills the space like smoke.
“If I’d stepped one second sooner,” he growls, “you’d be scraping your Alpha off the wall.”
Valeria folds her arms, jaw tight. “You're not my Alpha and maybe you shouldn’t sneak up on women kept in captivity.”
His brows lift, disbelief flickering across his face. “You dare speak that way after nearly assaulting me?”
“I didn’t nearly assault you,” she says, voice sharp with defiance. “If I wanted to hit you, I would’ve, my aim is impeccable.”
For a heartbeat, silence hums between them. The corner of his mouth twitches...not amusement, not yet, but something dangerously close. Then it’s gone, buried beneath the frost of his expression.
“Watch your tone, omega,” he warns, his voice dropping low, a thread of command thrumming through it. “You’re not in a position to test my patience.”
“I wasn’t aware I’d signed up to be your prisoner.”
“You’re are my prisoner,” he says curtly. “Till I figure out who you are and why you were in the forest.”
Her stomach flips, but she keeps her gaze steady. “I already told you I got lost.”
Before Darius can answer, a second voice interrupts, low, warm, threaded with quiet amusement.
“You've got to admit Darius, she is one fiesty omega,” it says.
Both turn as another man steps into the room. He’s dressed in light battle wear, black and gray, his blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail. His features are sharp yet kind, his stance relaxed despite the tension humming in the air.
Valeria’s breath catches.
She knows that face.
From the countless sketches Nani had made over the years; the strong jaw, the faint scar at the temple, the steady eyes that always seemed to look right through the paper.
Nani had never put a name to the face.
Her throat tightens.
“Lieutenant,” Darius says, his tone clipped. “You find this amusing?”
Vandal gives a slight smile. “It’s not every day someone throws a plate at you and lives.”
Valeria’s lips twitch despite herself.
Darius glares at both of them, exhaling sharply through his nose. “Unbelievable.” He turns his focus back to her. “Do not test me omega.”
“I'll keep testing you till it drives you crazy. She says sweetly.
Vandal coughs to hide a laugh. Darius’s head snaps toward him, and the sound dies instantly. The lieutenant lifts his hands in surrender, but the grin remains in his eyes.
“Out,” Darius orders.
“Come on, she didn’t mean it...”
Darius lets out a deep growl.
Vandal nods, but glances at Valeria before leaving, his look warm, reassuring. “Don’t worry your pretty head. He barks more than he bites.”
“You look familiar.”
The comment slips from her lips before she can stop it.
Both men pause. Darius’s brows furrow. “You know him?”
She blinks rapidly, trying to recover. “I...uh...no. It’s just...someone I knew used to...”
Her voice trails off.
Vandal tilts his head. “Someone you knew...?”
“Never mind,” she mutters.
Darius narrows his eyes. “Explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain,” she says quickly. “You remind me of someone I used to know.”
Vandal’s eyes soften, curious but silent then he leaves.
Darius studies her for a long, heavy moment, as if trying to peel back her skin to see what she’s hiding. Finally, he turns toward the door.
“You’ll stay here until I decide what to do with you,” he says coldly. “If you’re lying about who you are, I’ll find out.”
“I’m not lying.”
He pauses in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder. “Everyone lies, omega.”
The way he says the word makes it sound like an insult.
She glares. “Don’t call me omega, my name is Valeria and I'm NOT lying.”
Something flickers in his eyes again, a flash of disbelief, maybe annoyance, but it’s gone as fast as it came.
He stalks out without another word, the door slamming behind him.
The silence that follows is deafening.
Valeria exhales shakily and slumps against the wall, her hands trembling just slightly.
Then the door creaks open again.
Vandal leans in, a half-smile on his lips. “You really shouldn’t antagonize him. He’s dangerous when he’s angry.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” she says, though her pulse betrays her.
“Good,” he replies. “Fear makes you stupid.”
He steps closer, his gaze softening as he studies her face. “You said I remind you of someone you knew?”
“She used to draw,” Valeria says quietly. “And your face closely resembles one of her sketches.”
His expression freezes, eyes darkening with something unreadable.
For a second, the air feels charged again, not unlike when her mark glowed.
Then he smiles faintly, masking it. “I don’t know who this person is, but she must’ve had good taste.”
Valeria can’t help but laugh softly. “She would’ve loved that answer.”
Vandal steps back, hand resting casually on the doorframe. “Do well to rest, Einvala ker. You’ll need it. Darius doesn’t stay patient for long, he'll come again looking for answers.”
Her brow furrows. “What did you just call me?”
His smile deepens, but he doesn’t answer.
And then, a horn blows.
The sound was low, primal, echoing off the walls.
A chorus of wolf howls rose in response, tense and urgent.
Vandal stiffened. A low, vibrating growl rumbled from deep in his chest. His features shifted subtly, a flash of the predator beneath the calm exterior.
“V-Vandal?” Valeria whispered, heart hammering.
He moved toward her, growl deepening, eyes flashing. She froze.
- Writer
