Chapter 2: The Fevered Beast
650 Words
The basement was damp, cold, and windowless.
Alina curled up in the corner, back against the icy stone wall, her wrists bound, lips pale.
She’d lost track of how many days she'd been locked down there. No one spoke to her. The servants who brought food wouldn’t even look at her—just kicked the plate into the room and walked away.
She bit down, enduring it all. Every minute felt like a slow roast in hell.
Then suddenly—the door opened.
She instinctively looked up.
He stood there, framed by the doorway, dressed in black, silver wolf mask still covering half of his face. He walked in slowly, his footsteps echoing against the stone, like the rhythm of an execution.
“Still alive?” His voice was like forged steel, laced with a mocking smile.
Alina stared coldly at him, saying nothing.
“Your parents ran away. Left you behind,” he stepped closer. “You think I’d go easy on you? No. I’m just curious how long you’ll last.”
Her jaw clenched, eyes burning with rage.
“You came all the way down here just to laugh at me?”
“Of course,” he said, glancing down at her disheveled state. “You’re worse than a dog now.”
Alina stood up sharply, glaring at him. “And you’re nothing but a coward hiding behind a mask.”
He didn’t get angry. He smiled.
“Good. You still have strength to shout.”
But in the next second, that smile froze.
His breath hitched. His body swayed violently, hand slamming against the wall for support. His face turned pale, twisted with pain.
Alina froze. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Get out…” he growled through clenched teeth. “Don’t… come near me.”
But she didn’t retreat. Instead, she took a step forward. “Scared?”
He suddenly collapsed onto his knees, both hands gripping the ground. His whole body was burning, veins pulsing at his forehead, guttural breaths dragging from his throat.
“Leave… or I’ll lose control…”
Her eyes narrowed, watching his body convulse. And then—
A wild idea flickered through her mind:
This man… finally wasn’t a god above her.
She slowly crouched down, lifted his chin with her fingers, and whispered, “Aren’t you the strong one? Weren’t you the one who wanted me on my knees?”
He looked up, pupils contracting like a beast’s, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
Alina suddenly smiled—just a little. A little provocation, a little revenge.
Then, with a sharp movement, she pushed him down, straddling him, her body pressed to his burning skin.
“I want to see,” she whispered near his ear, “if a beast on the edge will beg.”
His gaze darkened completely.
“You’re asking for it.”
A second later, he growled and flipped her beneath him, slamming her against the stone floor. His arms caged her in, and his lips crashed down on hers.
The kiss was violent. Explosive. Like a volcano unleashed.
She gasped into his mouth, her body melting under the heat of his breath. The iron chains clinked against the ground as she struggled, only to be held tighter.
His tongue invaded her, his breathing growing more frantic.
His pain was fading.
But his hunger—was only growing.
Her collar was tugged open, revealing a sliver of pale shoulder. His fingertips slid across it, hot like fire.
Alina tried to push him back—until he growled, low and shaking: “Don’t move.”
She stilled.
There was dominance in his voice.
But also… trembling.
He wasn’t fully conscious. He was holding back—and yet falling deeper.
His forehead touched hers, his breath ragged, his voice a shiver against her lips:
“You came to me… now don’t even think about running.”
- Writer
