The Golden Prisioner
850 Words
The air in the valley was thick with the scent of ozone and impending s*******r. Ryker’s claws were fully extended, his shadow-aura expanding until it threatened to swallow the moon itself.
"The law is ancient, King Ryker," the High Elder spoke, his voice trembling as he stood between two Alpha powers. "If a rejected mate proves their purity before the bond is replaced, the original Alpha has one final day to seek atonement. If she denies him after twenty-four hours, the bond is severed by the Goddess herself. But for those twenty-four hours... she must return to his territory."
"Over my dead body," Ryker hissed.
"Ryker, stop," I said, my voice surprisingly calm.
He turned to me, his violet eyes flashing with hurt and fury. "Elara, you cannot go back there. He will lock you in a cellar. He will try to force a mark on you."
I stepped closer to Ryker, placing my hand on his chest. My palm was still warm from the Solaris fire. "He can try. But look at me, Ryker. I am not the girl he threw away. If I don't go, the Council will hunt us both. You have a pack to protect. I won't be the reason the Night-Star pack burns."
I turned to Killian. He was watching us, his face a mask of triumph and sickening hope.
"Twenty-four hours, Killian," I said, my voice echoing with a power that made him flinch. "I will come to your pack house. But I am not coming as your mate. I am coming as your judge. And when the sun rises tomorrow, I will watch you lose everything."
The ride back to the Blood-Moon territory was silent. I refused to sit in Killian’s car, insisting on riding in the back of the pack van with Marcus and the other warriors. Their stares had changed. Before, they looked at me with disgust; now, they looked at me with a terrifying mixture of awe and fear.
When we arrived at the pack house—the place where I had bled, cried, and starved—the entire pack was gathered.
Sienna stood on the porch, her face splotchy from crying. When she saw me step out of the van, her eyes went wide. I wasn't in rags. I was in violet silk, my hair shimmering, my presence commanding.
"Killian!" Sienna ran to him as he stepped out of his SUV. "Why is she here? You said she was being executed!"
Killian didn't even look at her. He pushed past her, his eyes locked on me. "Take her to the Luna Suite," he commanded the guards.
"The Luna Suite?" Sienna shrieked. "That’s my room! We’re supposed to be—"
"I said the Luna Suite!" Killian’s Alpha roar silenced the entire courtyard.
I walked up the stairs, my head held high. As I passed Sienna, I leaned in, my golden eyes flashing. "Keep the bed warm for me, Sienna. I’ll only be staying for a day. After that, you can have the ruins of this pack all to yourself."
The "Luna Suite" was a gilded cage. It was filled with flowers, expensive silks, and jewelry—everything Killian thought a woman's heart could be bought with.
I stood at the balcony, looking toward the North. I could feel Ryker. Even without a bond, the heat of my power was reaching out for his shadows.
A click sounded at the door. Killian entered, carrying a tray of food that smelled of the finest steaks and wines. He looked at me, and for a second, the arrogant Alpha was gone. He looked like a boy trying to fix a broken toy.
"Elara," he said softly. "I’ve cleared out all your old things. I’ve ordered a new wardrobe. The Elders will be here at dawn to witness our reconciliation. We can forget the rejection. We can tell the pack it was a test from the Goddess."
I turned to him, a cold smile touching my lips. "A test? You watched me crawl in the mud, Killian. You watched Sienna's brother beat me until I couldn't breathe. Where was your 'test' then?"
"I was confused!" he shouted, stepping closer. "The pack needed a strong Luna, and you were... you were so weak. But now? Now you’re the Solaris. We could rule the world together, Elara. Imagine the Blood-Moon with your fire."
"That's the problem, Killian," I said, walking toward him until our chests almost touched. He leaned in, thinking I was giving in, but I whispered into his ear:
"You don't want me. You want my fire. And that is why, in twenty-three hours... I’m going to leave you in the dark forever."
His face turned from hope to a dark, possessive rage. He grabbed my arms, his grip bruising. "You aren't going anywhere. If I can't have your love, I’ll keep your power. I’m the Alpha here, Elara. And by tomorrow morning, you’ll be marked, mated, and mine."
- Writer
