CHAPTER THREE: Shackled to Death
1351 Words
MAIA POV
The night was freezing, but it wasn't just the cold that got to me; it was the raw betrayal.
I begged Ronan to reconsider. I screamed until my voice was gone, fought until the silver shackles on my wrists cut into my skin. But the Alpha had made up his mind.
No waiting until dawn. No trial to prove my innocence. Zero mercy.
He'd changed the rules, saying morning was too good for me. A traitor, he declared, should spend her last night face-to-face with death.
So, they hauled me out there – two guards grinning like maniacs, weapons in hand. My bare feet dragged on the rocky path. The moon hung in the sky like a disapproving parent.
The pain from my torn-up ankles? Didn't even register. The cuts on my knees, the bruises blooming on my arms, the ache in my ribs from when they kicked me for fighting back… none of it mattered.
Only one thing ever did: my child. The one I knew I carried, the one they insisted didn't exist.
“Thought she'd be Luna,” one of the guards sneered, shoving me towards a sharpened stake. “Now she's just wolf bait.”
“Should've kept her legs closed. Probably whined for Kael, the little slut,” the other one said, laughing.
I spat right in his face. “You'll pay for this,” I managed to snarl, even though I was shaking with fear. “I swear to the moon – you all will…”
My legs gave out as they slammed me against the post. Splinters dug into my back. They wrapped rope around my wrists and ankles, so tight my fingers started to go numb.
Tying my arms above my head, they looped the rope around my waist and yanked it so hard I gasped for air. I was left hanging there, like some broken prize for the pack to gawk at.
The stars above swam in my vision. My eyes burned, but it shed no tears.
My heart, though… my heart was breaking. My body ached for the baby they said I never had, for the life I was supposed to have. For Kael, who swore on the moon to be with me, only to toss me aside like garbage.
“Moon goddess,” I whispered. “If you're listening, help me. Please, help me now.”
Silence.
Just the wind against my skin and the shame eating me alive.
I don't know exactly when the tears came. Maybe when I thought about Kael's lips on mine. Or when I remembered us making promises under a blood moon. Or maybe when the sky seemed to whisper that this – this execution – was the end of me.
But in the fog of pain, exhaustion, and tears, I felt something… no, someone.
A scent hit me, familiar but stronger than before. It was him. Kael. My body went haywire, craving him, needing him. My wolf was restless, practically starving.
Yeah, it was Kael. I knew that smell anywhere – dark pine and wet stone.
But then… there was something else. Earthy, ancient, with so much power it felt like it could snuff out the stars.
And a third scent. Spicy, like fire and shadow. My wolf whimpered, recognizing it.
Growls echoed in the distance. Low, rumbling growls.
Not one. Not two. Three.
Everything went still.
The air stopped moving. The forest held its breath. Even the guards shut their mouths.
Then a howl ripped through the night.
My heart jumped.
No. This wasn't Kael. This wasn't from Ronan's pack. This was… something different.
From the trees, they appeared. Huge. All muscles. Wicked.
Three Lycans.
Not just regular wolves – kings.
Their eyes glowed like liquid silver. Claws sharp enough to slice through anything. Power rolled off them in waves, distorting the air.
The one in the middle stepped forward. His eyes locked on mine.
“Mate.”
The word was a growl, a claim.
The other two repeated it. “Mate.”
I gasped as the ropes binding my wrists snapped like string, torn apart by claws I didn't even see moving. They freed my ankles next, catching me before I could fall. One held my arms carefully. Another supported my legs.
“W-who… who are you?” I choked out, barely able to breathe.
They didn't answer, and didn't need to. Their presence was loud enough.
The night swallowed us as they carried me into the forest. Leaves brushed my face. Branches snagged my skin. But in their arms… I felt warm again. I felt… safe.
Was I losing it?
Were Kael and Ronan testing me? Was this a trick? Were they trying to see if I was loyal?
Or had fate… changed its course?
I managed to turn my head, looking at the one holding me. His face was hard, sculpted from stone. A scar cut across his eyebrow. His chest rose and fell slowly, but his muscles were tight.
Where are you taking me? I asked.
He finally looked down at me. Where you belong.
A shiver ran through me.
“Who… who are you?” I repeatedly asked.
“I am King Theron Varkal,” he said.
Another voice. “King Darius Nightbane.”
The third leaned in, his breath on my ear. “And I am King Malrik Fenmore.”
The three Lycan Kings.
The stories. The monsters. The legends.
And all three had come for me.
“Mate,” they growled again, all at once.
A rush of heat spread through me, overwhelming and wild.
What was happening?
What did it mean?
Why now?
The wind was rustling through the trees, making the forest feel full of shadows and hidden things. But what was really strong was the feeling between us.
They didn't talk much after saying their names—Theron, Darius, and Malrik—but the way they touched me said everything. They were being careful and kind, like I was something special.
Theron, who had cut me loose, gently helped me sit down by a rock covered in moss. “Rest for a bit,” he said, his voice deep and a bit rough. “You've lost too much blood already.”
“I can’t,” I whispered. “I'm still… shaking all over.”
Darius got down on one knee next to me and brushed a leaf off my face. “Then let us help you calm down.”
I didn't get what he meant until Malrik moved behind me and put his big hands on my shoulders. I could feel his warmth sinking into me.
It wasn’t like he was trying to own me, just trying to make me feel better and keep me safe.
I took a breath, still shaking.
I could smell them all around me—dark smells, like a storm coming and like a warm fire burning. It made my wolf inside me wake up.
I made a soft noise, like a cat, without even meaning to. It had been so long since I’d done that. I closed my eyes as Theron took my hand and put it on his chest, right over his heart.
“You're safe now,” he whispered. “You don't have to do this by yourself.”
The forest felt like it was breathing with us.
I opened my eyes and saw them looking at me like I was something amazing.
“Why me?” I asked, my voice all shaky. “Why is this happening now?”
“We felt the bond, pulling us to you, Darius answered.
“So we came," Malrik added.
Theron got closer and kissed my head softly. It was just a quick kiss, but I felt it all the way inside.
“You don’t belong to any Alpha," he said. “Even Kael and Ronan are no match to us.”
Malrik took my hand in his. “No pack tells you what to do anymore.”
Darius lifted my chin so I'd look at him. “You belong with us. WE OWN YOU!”
- Writer
