The Binding Oath

"Get her out of the cage." The broad-shouldered guard barked as another slid the key into the lock. The gate swung open. A hand clamped on my arm and yanked me out, dragging me down the path. My wrists were bound tight behind my back, the rope biting into my skin. The others fell in line behind us. The sunlight stabbed my eyes. I squinted at the strange land around me, Bloodhowl Dominion, deep inside unfamiliar ground. "Take her to the Alpha. He’ll know what to do," the broad guard ordered. Someone shoved me from behind, and my bare foot scraped against sharp stones. Faces gathered along the path. Pack members stared, eager to see what kind of criminal was being hauled before their Alpha. We reached the stairs. At the top loomed two massive oak doors, guarded by men who stood like stone. "Up the stairs," the guard behind me barked, giving another shove. The broad one strode ahead. "Open the doors." The silent guards in front of it obeyed at once. The doors creaked wide, revealing a hall of marble floors, velvet walls, and gilded paintings. The broad-shouldered guard led the way to the back of the hall. A man sat waiting, casual in a golden chair, his posture calm, unshaken by our approach. The Alpha Damon Blackvale. It could only be him. Even his name spread fear. My body shook as I drew closer. He had fought more battles than anyone could count, and the scar slashed across his face proved it. But it wasn’t the scar that held me. It was his eyes. Green, deep and pulling me in. And then, my wolf stirred, restless and wild and the truth struck me. By the moons above… he was my mate. The one chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. He flinched. Barely, but I saw it. The twitch in his jaw. The faint narrowing of his eyes. Like he felt the same pull toward me. But whatever weakness had surfaced vanished in the next breath and his mask of power returned. The guard ahead lifted his hand and we stopped. "Bow before the Warlord Alpha!" he barked. The men obeyed at once, and the one behind me forced me down to my knees. The deep and commanding Alpha’s voice rolled through the chamber, "Alpftan. Why have you come?" Alpftan, the broad guard, rose from his bow. "We found this young lady in the northern woods," he said. "She claims her name is Mireya, a rogue… but I believe she belongs to the Nightfall Syndicate and spies on our territory on behalf of her pack." The Alpha rose and came toward me. Standing, he was taller, heavier, more dangerous than when he sat. His face gave nothing away. "So, Mireya…" His voice cut the air. "Do you know what happens to spies?" He leaned close, his shadow swallowing me. I shook my head, trembling with fear. "We hang them. Then feed their bodies to scavengers." His tone was deadly low. Then he straightened again. "I’ll ask once. Who are you and What were you doing nearby my forests?" "I… I am Mireya Ashwood." My voice shook, but I forced it firm. My life depended on it. "I’m a rogue, I swear H. I wandered into your land by mistake, looking for berries." His brow arched, doubtful. I pressed harder. "I’m no spy. I serve none of your enemies. I’m just a rogue in the wrong place." Silence stretched. Then to my surprise, Damon said, "I believe you." For a breath, hope lit inside me. "But what I believe doesn’t matter. My pack’s safety comes first. Until your innocence is proven, you’ll remain a prisoner.” He turned his back. "Lock her up." Guards hands clamped on my arms, dragging me away. But I was rather confused. He had spared me… for now. Was it the bond? Or his instincts? However, this was anything but the terrifying alpha I'd heard about so far. They threw me into a cell. The place was dark, damp and falling apart. I hadn’t expected better. "Have a nice stay, you f*****g spy!" One of the guards said, locking the metal door. I leaned against the wall, letting my back slide towards the floor. My thoughts went to my mother. She was all I had. My father had died shortly after I was born. No brothers, no one else. We were rogues. We lived in the woods in small bands scattered across the forests. Never too many together. If the group grew, it split. That was the only way to keep the stronger packs from hunting us down. It worked, until war broke out. Bloodhowl Dominion against the Nightfall Syndicate. We knew the forests better than anyone. That made us dangerous in their eyes. Both packs feared we’d spy for the other. And yet I still wandered nearby the Bloodhowl territory and I had to get caught. Now, I was waiting for someone else to decide if I lived or died. Even late at night, I couldn't sleep. I worried about my fate, and the thought of never regaining my freedom gnawed at my mind. But suddenly, "Aaaaah!" A scream tore through the night. Then another followed. And another, again and again, until the silence was gone. At first, I thought they were cries of joy, the kind that rose after victory or a feast. But they twisted and turned into something close to agony. "Catch them!" "Guard the place!" voices shouted through the chaos. Then I heard snarls, bones breaking, and the sound of flesh being torn. It was clear. Shifters were fighting. Flames roared next. "Fire! Put it out!" someone yelled as smoke slipped through the cracks of my cell. Light shone through a small window high above, coloring the stones orange. It was too high for me to see outside, but enough to show the fire’s glow and shadows moving across the cell. I pressed myself against the wall, my heart pounding. Something terrible was happening outside.