Uncaged Spirit

CHAPTER 5

My heart raced as I stood beside him; his words echoed in my ears. The summons had taken me by surprise. My mind had been racing with questions and anticipation, but hearing him say that in front of them jolted me to my core.

I tried to maintain composure, though a sense of unease swept through me. Stormie and Alpha Alistair’s girlfriend watched me curiously. I had never been the center of attention before, and the weight of expectations bore heavily on my shoulders. This moment, I sensed, would change everything.

"Mikaela," he announced, his voice dipping with authority. "You are my chosen mate."

Shock reverberated through my body upon hearing him say it again. My mind was unable to process the implications of his words. Mate? My heart fluttered wildly, its delicate rhythm shattered by this revelation. I'd felt it during our night of passion, but it was one of those things I just couldn't accept as reality, so I'd done the sensible thing by shrugging it aside, but hearing him say it now in front of them made it real. The Alpha is being mated to me. Impossible!

But before I could gather my thoughts, the Alpha's voice tore through the air once again, void of any warmth or compassion. "However," he sneered, his tone dripping with contempt, "I find myself repulsed by the idea of claiming you as my mate. You are nothing more than a mere disappointment."

The words pierced through my soul, the humiliation and sorrow crashing into me like a tidal wave. Anguish welled up within me, threatening to overwhelm my senses. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision as I struggled to comprehend the cruelty.

He seemed to revel in my despair, mocking me further. "You thought, Mikaela, that you were deserving of me? Of the honor of being my mate? How pathetic!"

“But we—” My voice was barely above a whisper.

“So what did we have a passionate encounter with? It was nothing but a moment of weakness on my part, and it also helped me confirm this hideous twist of fate.” His words rattled me to my core, shaking the foundations of my existence.

I tried to speak, but I was incapable of doing so. My mouth opened and closed several times as I muttered empty nonsense.

The weight of my agony became too much to bear, and I turned on my heels, desperate to escape the suffocating presence of the Alpha and the humiliation that engulfed me. Tears streamed down my face as I hastily made my way out of the grand chamber, fleeing from the rejection that pierced my heart.

Stormie called after me, his voice filled with concern. Yet, I couldn't bear to face his pity or the reminder of my shattered hopes. I ran, allowing the cool outdoors to embrace me, offering solace.

I didn't know where I was going, and I didn't care much about it. All I knew was that I had to get as far away from there as possible.

Stopping under a bridge, my body jerked as I relaxed against the cold gravel walls. I pressed my body deeper into the wall, willing it to swallow me completely, erasing me from existence.

I cried so much that my eyes burned feverishly. The hard, painful lump in my throat and the pain in my heart were the only things keeping me from being numb.

In my despair, I failed to notice that I was no longer alone. The men circled me, and before I could attempt to scream, they were on me, and the last thing I remembered was fighting against a strong smell as one of the men pressed a rag against my face. Darkness claimed me, and I moved willingly into its cool embrace.

When I stirred awake, the first thing I felt was cold wetness around the floor. I struggled to sit upright, but I couldn't find my equilibrium. The drug they had used on me was still working. I tried again, but it was no use.

I decided to wait a few minutes, and when I tried, I was able to get up, but the effort made me sweat. It didn't take long for me to realize I was surrounded by walls and a steel bar. I was locked in a cell!

Panic gave way to fear, and I screamed out, hoping to get help.

“Hello! Is anyone there?"

A man dressed in black overalls came over, and I knew immediately I had made a grave mistake. He eyed me with evil intent as his teeth flashed in a sneer.

“You'd better behave yourself, or I'd be forced to come in there and help you behave."

The threat in his voice and words was too real to ignore. I scrambled away from the steel bars and settled quietly in a corner.

I spent hours trying to think about who would be cruel enough to have me locked up like an animal. No names came to mind, but one thing I was sure of was that it had something to do with Alpha Alistair. I could think of nothing else.

Everyone hated me because of my low status, and being an orphan didn't help matters, but as far as having dangerous enemies went, I was exempt. Yet someone dangerous had paid these men to kidnap me and keep me locked up in this godforsaken place.

I thought long and hard, but it only made me confused. One thing was for sure: My k********g happening moments after Alpha Alistair rejected me couldn't have been a coincidence. I didn't believe in coincidences.

The answer to my question came in a few minutes.

later, when the iron door leading to my cell opened. I listened intently and heard the slow approach of heels. Expensive lady heels. It's a woman!

Cold, icy chills moved down my spine as Alpha Alistair’s girlfriend turned the corner and stopped right in front of me. She had a smile on her face that would have given the devil nightmares.

“You!" I yelled as I rattled the bars.