Chapter2: The King's prisoner
Chapter 2: The King’s Prisoner
Cold.
That was the first thing I felt.
Not fear. Not pain. Just cold.
It crept into my bones as I lay on the hard stone floor, my body still weak, my skin still remembering the heat of his touch.
Dominic.
The Lycan King.
The man who had bought me… and then thrown me away like I was nothing.
My fingers curled slightly against the ground as the memory hit me all over again—the way his hands had held me, the way his voice had dropped against my ear, the way my body had betrayed me.
And then—
“Throw her in the North Cell.”
My chest tightened.
A bitter laugh almost escaped me.
Of course.
What did I expect?
Men like him didn’t save people. They owned them.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.
I didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
I refused to let them see me break.
The iron door creaked open, and a guard stepped inside, his expression unreadable.
“The King wants you cleaned,” he muttered. “You’re to be presentable.”
Presentable?
I slowly pushed myself up, my legs shaking slightly beneath me.
“For what?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
The guard hesitated… then smirked.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
The bath was too warm.
Too gentle.
Too wrong.
Servant women moved around me in silence, washing my skin, brushing my hair, dressing me in soft fabric that felt nothing like the humiliation of the auction block.
It didn’t make sense.
Nothing about Dominic Volkov made sense.
One moment, he touched me like I belonged to him.
The next… I was nothing.
“Done,” one of the women whispered.
I looked at my reflection.
I barely recognized myself.
My skin glowed faintly. My eyes looked brighter. Alive.
Stronger.
A strange energy pulsed beneath my skin—something new… something waking.
“Bring her.”
The command came from the doorway.
Deep.
Cold.
Familiar.
My body reacted before my mind could stop it.
I turned—
And there he was.
Dominic stood in the doorway, dressed in black once again, his presence filling the entire room like a storm waiting to break.
His golden eyes locked onto mine.
And everything inside me… shifted.
That same pull.
Stronger this time.
Dangerous.
“Walk,” he ordered.
No explanation. No greeting.
Just control.
I swallowed, forcing my feet to move.
Each step toward him felt heavier than the last.
As I passed him, his hand suddenly shot out—grabbing my wrist.
My breath caught.
His grip tightened slightly, not enough to hurt… but enough to remind me who I was dealing with.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
My heart pounded. “What is?”
His thumb brushed lightly over my skin.
And suddenly—
A sharp pulse shot through my body.
I gasped.
My knees nearly buckled.
His eyes darkened.
“You feel that too,” he said quietly.
It wasn’t a question.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered.
A lie.
And he knew it.
His grip tightened just a little more.
“Don’t lie to me, little wolf,” he said, his voice dropping lower.
My body reacted instantly.
Heat.
Confusion.
Something deeper.
Something I couldn’t control.
“Why did you buy me?” I asked suddenly, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay strong.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then he stepped closer.
Too close.
“You think this is about you?” he said coldly.
The words hit harder than I expected.
“I bought you,” he continued, his voice sharp, “because you are useful.”
My chest tightened.
Useful.
Not wanted.
Not chosen.
Useful.
But then—
His hand moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
From my wrist… to my chin.
He tilted my face up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“And yet…” he murmured, his thumb brushing lightly against my lower lip, “your body reacts to me like you were made for me.”
My breath hitched.
I hated that he was right.
“Stay away from me,” I whispered, though my voice lacked strength.
A dangerous smile touched his lips.
“I tried,” he said simply.
And that scared me more than anything.
Suddenly, the doors behind him burst open.
“Sire!”
A guard rushed in, breathing heavily.
Dominic didn’t even look away from me.
“What is it?” he snapped.
“The Council has arrived. They demand to see the girl.”
Everything in the room went still.
Dominic’s expression darkened.
Slowly… he released me.
But the absence of his touch felt just as intense.
“Prepare the hall,” he ordered coldly.
Then his gaze returned to me—sharp, calculating.
“If they suspect what you are,” he said quietly, “they will tear you apart.”
My heart skipped.
“What I… am?”
But he was already turning away.
“Dress her properly,” he added. “Tonight… she plays a role.”
My pulse quick
ened.
“What role?” I asked.
He paused at the doorway.
Just for a second.
Then—
“My greatest mistake,” he said.
And walked out.
