Chapter: two

“Your Majesty, I beg you to listen—”

A burly man slammed his fist onto his throne in a fit of anger. “No! Our laws are clear! She trespassed on our territory! There are no exceptions!”

His words were icy, laced with venom.

“She’s a werewolf, Your Majesty. She didn’t mean any harm. We found her stuff not far from where we caught her.

“She’s running from something.” The wolf was doing his best to defend Aylin, but his efforts were falling on deaf ears.

“Doesn’t matter!” the king roared. “Quill, you know what you have to do. Execute the prisoner!”

“Your Majesty, if I could—”

The king shot a deadly glare at the man to his left.

“Quill knows our laws inside out. He’s our top warrior and tracker. Maybe there’s something about this prisoner. He wouldn’t just do something like this.”

The king let out a frustrated sigh, roughly running his hand through his hair. He knew his beta, Angus, wouldn’t lead him astray.

Even though Angus knew the laws, he wouldn’t risk his life for just anyone. “Alright. But Quill, if this is a waste of my time, you’ll pay the price.”

Quill bowed, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. “I understand, Your Majesty.”

The moment the king stood, everyone made way for him to pass.

Fear gripped everyone, especially Quill, who knew his life would be over if his hunch was wrong. A palpable tension filled the air as they all walked closer to the cells.

When they reached the main door to the cells, the king stopped dead in his tracks.

He lifted his nose, catching a scent that made his eyes dilate and turn black—a haunting blend of jasmine and roses.

He pushed the door open so hard the knob almost got stuck in the cement wall.

“Where is she?” the king bellowed.

“This way, Your Majesty,” Quill responded.

The three men came upon the dim cell, seeing Aylin’s shadowy figure, hands chained to the wall, her eyes closed, breathing shallowly.

Taking a deep breath, the king inhaled the scent coming from this prisoner. He clenched his fists and glared at her. “Where was she found?”

“We found her about a quarter mile inside our eastern border. She probably didn’t know where she was. Seemed lost,” Quill answered.

Angus and Quill noticed the tension in the king. “Majesty, are you okay?” Angus asked.

Aylin shifted slightly, and her scent filled the king’s senses even more. Every muscle in his body tensed.

Seeing the sleeping wolf in his cell angered him. Not because she was locked in a grimy, filthy cell, but because he knew what this woman’s scent meant—the one thing in life he had always tried to avoid.

“Mate,” he whispered.

***

Opening her eyes, Aylin saw three shadowy figures standing on the other side of the bars, staring at her, each one bigger than the last.

A sudden scent filled her senses, a beautiful mix of pine, musk, and cinnamon. She tensed immediately, the silver chains burning her already wounded flesh.

~“Mate?”~ Kaia squealed in her head.

~“That’s impossible,”~ Aylin responded. It was the first time in weeks Kaia had shown up since she was blocked out after she left the pack.

Quill and Angus both stared wide-eyed at their king, then at Aylin. “What should we do with her then, Majesty?” Quill asked.

“Bring her!” the king roared.

He stormed off with Angus trailing closely behind him.

The clanking sound of the lock made Aylin shrink back as the third man approached her. Pulling her knees to her chest, she tried to make herself as small as possible. Maybe he would leave.

“Take it easy. I’m not going to hurt you,” the man assured her.

Whimpering, Aylin didn’t believe a word from a stranger who had chained her to a wall.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she started to struggle against the chains in a futile attempt to escape from her captor. “Pl-please,” she pleaded.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but the sudden clanking of the chains hitting the floor made her eyes snap open. Lifting her head, she saw the man was still crouched in front of her.

He reached out his hand, and she noticed how large it was. Hesitant, she placed her small hand in his. When she tried to stand, she stumbled, catching herself against the wall behind her.

Taking a step forward, Quill put her arm around his shoulders, and he picked her up bridal style, seeing how weak she was.

Aylin was shaking violently in his arms. “Don’t worry, little one. You’ll be okay.”

His kind words helped her to relax a bit, but fear was still gripping every part of her. “You may be the answer.”

Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

***

Aylin woke up surrounded by silk sheets and a goose-down comforter. Sitting up abruptly, she fell out of bed, wondering where she was.

The last thing she remembered was being carried out of the cell, but she didn’t expect to wake up in such a plush place.

The walls were a deep blood-red, with dark wood furniture and a four-poster bed with the same deep red silk hanging all around the top. She had never seen anything like it.

“I was wondering when you would wake up,” a deep voice said.

Standing up, Aylin backed up into the wall after seeing a muscular man sitting in a chair near the bed.

He had shaggy brown hair, hazel eyes with yellow flecks, black slim-fit jeans with black boots, and a tight white T-shirt.

Aylin continued to back herself into the wall behind her. The unknown man chuckled slightly, seeing her panic. “Relax, little thing. You’re safe.”

“Wh-where am I?” Aylin stuttered.

He rose from his seat, and she was amazed at how tall he was, at least six foot three. “You’re in the castle of the Rogue King at the Royal Outland Silver Blood Pack,” he answered coolly.

“Rogue King?” she echoed.

Quill shifted awkwardly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he flushed slightly. “Yeah. You’re lucky to be alive.”

Deep down, she almost wished the king would end her life. “Then why am I still breathing?”

Quill was taken aback by her question. What had happened to this girl that she would ask such a thing? It tugged at his heart.

“I decided to bring you back here after we found you in the woods. Where did you come from?”

“Nowhere,” she murmured, rubbing her arm self-consciously. “I’m nobody.”

Quill’s brow furrowed. He wasn’t sure if he should probe further, but curiosity won. “Why would you say that?”

She didn’t respond, didn’t even lift her head.

Looking at her thin frame and the dark circles under her eyes, he could tell she’d been alone for a while.

Something had happened to her, something that had shattered her so deeply she welcomed death. “Are you a wolf?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“Yes.”

Quill sighed, deciding not to press her further. He knew he wouldn’t get anywhere. “What’s your name?”

“Aylin.”

“Nice to meet you, Aylin. I’m Quill, the king’s head warrior and tracker. I’m also the delta.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she whispered, her eyes still downcast.

He walked over to the wardrobe and swung the doors open, revealing clothes for her to wear. “Here are some clothes for you. The bathroom is right here.”

He opened the bathroom door for her. “The king wants to speak with you as soon as you’re ready.”

As he was about to leave the room, Aylin asked a question that caught Quill off guard. “Why did you bring me here? You should have left me in the woods to die.”

He sighed deeply, his shoulders dropping. “Because I had a feeling about you, and I hope I’m right. If not, we’re both in trouble.”

Aylin closed the door behind him. She was puzzled. What kind of feeling could Quill possibly have about her?

There was nothing special about her, nothing that would make her stand out. Especially not to a rogue king or his tracker.

She’d heard stories about the Rogue King. How he was cruel and ruthless, not just to his pack but to anyone who trespassed on his land. No one who ventured onto his land ever survived.

Most believed they were killed on sight, or the king took pleasure in doing the deed himself.

Dragging her weary body into the bathroom, Aylin decided she should be clean when she met the king.

If he was going to kill her, at least she’d be somewhat clean. Though she’d heard stories of the torture he inflicted. Whether she was clean or dirty, it didn’t really matter.

Turning on the light, she saw the bathroom was huge. The walls were red, with black stripes around the top.

A flat white Jacuzzi tub was to the right, and a shower stall was built into the left side of the room. The glass doors were clear, with a large shower head pointing straight down.

Next to her was a large sink with brushed gold fixtures and a mirror framed in gold.

Aylin was taken aback by the room. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.

Her old house was simple, left to her when her parents died. The most color she had in her house was the blue of her bedroom.

After undressing, she started the shower, letting the bathroom fill with steam. She stepped in. The hot water felt good against her aching bones.

As the water poured over her, she saw brown swirling down the drain.

Standing under the water, Aylin wondered what would happen to her. Should she take matters into her own hands? The king would kill her anyway, so what difference did it make?

Suddenly, she had a flash of Daemon and her old pack. She grabbed her hair, pulling at it, and let out a scream that echoed off the glass doors.

She screamed for everything she’d been through, for what was to come. But mostly, she screamed for the loss that still weighed heavily on her heart.

Stepping out of the shower, she grabbed the fluffy black towel on the counter next to the sink and dried off.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Aylin didn’t recognize the face staring back at her.

Her once beautiful chestnut hair was stringy, her deep-blue eyes had turned dull, and the bags under her eyes were prominent.

There was a time when she was vibrant and full of life. That time was long gone, and she wasn’t sure it would ever return.

As she walked back into the bedroom, she was startled by Quill’s sudden presence. He looked concerned. “Are you okay?”

Confused, she tilted her head. “Yeah, I guess. Why?”

“I was coming back to see if you were ready to meet the king, and I heard a scream.”

“I’m fine,” she lied. Turning her back, she looked in the wardrobe for something suitable to wear in front of a king.

“People who are okay don’t scream like that.”

Ignoring him, she sifted through the clothes.

Quill sighed, frustrated by her lack of communication. “I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”

After finding a white sleeveless dress, Aylin pulled it over her head. It was cold in the castle, but she didn’t care.

She didn’t have anything to wear on her feet, but that didn’t bother her either.

She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, trying to untangle the knots. Despite the size of the knots, she felt no pain as she pulled her fingers through.

She opened the door to find Quill standing guard, waiting for her. “Ready?”

She simply nodded, following him to meet her fate.