Chapter 54

“How long is it gonna take?” I asked Damien while munching on the Doritos.

“We’re almost there.” He replied while veering the car to the left.

I nodded and shifted my gaze back to the window. We were driving through a dense forest and instead of being a romantic ride, it was simply boring. The weather was clement but it wasn’t appealing for me as my mate was being grumpy. Damien had chosen silence for the ride as he was simply focused on driving and I was continuously switching the songs in his playlist to pass my time.

I was donning a pink tee, blue jeans, and a black leather jacket with high black boots. Damien’s ministrations reduced me from a gorgeous lady to a simple teen.

While gazing at the scenery outside suddenly my mind drifted back to the time when I was in his apartment. As soon as I removed the dress and changed into comfy clothes, I felt energetic.

Something was fishy. When Damien was kissing me, indeed I had my fair share of pleasure but my body was weakening. I wanted to push him away but my body wasn’t responding. And it happened as soon as I pulled him for a kiss.

I glanced at Damien whose eyes were focused on the road. I decided to confront him but my jaw dropped watching the view in front of us.

“Wow!!”

My eyes shimmered in delight watching a beautiful valley that was bedecked with verdant grass and exotic blossoms. I also spotted a lake on top of which a wooden bridge was built. The water was like crystals and the area around it was rich in vegetation. Northern White cedar, maple trees, and yellow birch became our new friends as they were lined through the pathway.

“I never knew that your house will be this beautiful.”

Words slipped on their own as I admired the exquisite scenery. Damien grinned and ruffled my hair.

“This is your house, Em. It is Scarlet Mountain. Northen Valley is a few meters ahead.” He replied.

Oh, so this is my house.

“But isn’t this your territory?” I asked innocently but God knows how badly I was suppressing my rage. Damien nodded.

“Yup. It’s ours and soon you’ll be too.” He said and winked at me. I nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile before turning my eyes back to the window.

‘Dream on moron. What’s yours will soon return to its original owner.’

Soon, a beautiful villa came into our view.

That’s my destiny.

I looked at Damien as he pulled over the car. He took off the seatbelts and opened the door. I mirrored his actions and got out of the car. He handed the keys to a man who assumed was his servant as he bowed to him and headed to park the car.

Damien then rounded to my side and removed the hair strands from my face. “So, let’s go.” He said and grabbed my hands to head inside but I pulled him back.

“I-I am scared.”

I was genuinely scared. Not of the monsters hiding behind those metallic gates but afraid of my outburst. What if I lose it and attack Xander Knight? I have zero tolerance and now that I am back in the town where everything started, it will be hella difficult for me to sit back and bite the bullet.

Damien understood my predicament. Heaving a sigh, he unzipped his jacket and fished out a pair of platinum bracelets that were studded with diamonds.

“What’s that?”

He didn’t reply and undo their locks.

“Give me your wrists.”

I hesitantly extended my wrists forward. Damien then hooked the bracelets on both of my wrists before bringing me closer to him.

“You’ll be fine, trust me. As long as you have me by your side, no harm can touch you.” He said and intertwined our fingers. Bringing my palm near his lips, he planted a soft kiss on the back of my palm. I smiled back and kissed him.

Damien then extended me his right arm. I coiled my hand around it as we both headed to meet his family.

“Why did you ruin the dress you gifted me; the bracelets would have matched it. Don’t you think?” I shot a question at him while eyeing the shining bracelet.

“I agree but it was necessary for you to change.”

His words left me confounded. I glanced at him only to see his eyes trained ahead.

“What do you mean?”

“Alpha”

I recognized that voice. We both turned to our left only to find the familiar pair of forest eyes gazing at us intensely.

“Zion” Damien greeted him with a curt nod. Zion then jogged to us and stood in front of us.

“So, you finally brought her here.” He said and then glanced my way. The taunt in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by me.

“Wait, Damien, you said that you didn’t tell your pack about my arrival. You said that it will be a surprise.” My pitch rose as I eyed the two males who were talking through their eyes.

I waited patiently for his response when Damien all of a sudden tightened his hold around my left wrist.

“Damien, let go. You’re hurting me.”

Wincing, I tried to snatch my hand back but he didn’t give me time and started dragging me inside the house.

“DAMIEN!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??” I screamed but he paid no heed to my cries and continued hauling me inside as if I were some sort of animal. I flitted my gaze around only to see people, his people watching us curiously while Ryan and Zion followed our trail.

‘What’s going on?’

We both then entered a lavish hall. I was busy checking out the baroque furniture and antique vases when I was roughly thrown on the silk carpet. The impact knocked the air out of my lungs.

“WHAT THE-HOW DARE YOU??”

Yelling, I lifted myself on my elbows and was about to turn behind when the sound of claps resonated in the room, grabbing my attention. Lifting my head, I was confronted with a man who was glaring at me with piercing eyes. His salt-and-pepper hair, murky eyes, and wrinkled skin but branded clothes were the perfect innuendos.

He was Xander Knight.

Beside him stood a woman wearing a Prada gown and sipping wine while gazing down at me. Her red-tinted lips curved in a malicious smirk.

Xander halted at an arm’s length from me and spoke in his heavy voice.

“You always make me proud son. Just like always, you accomplished your mission.”

The world stopped around me.

It was a mission.

I shuddered and looked at Damien over my shoulders only to find his eyes already set on me.

“I told you, Dad, I wouldn’t let you down.”

That was it.

No sooner those words escaped his mouth than I pushed myself from the ground and pounced on him. But Damien grabbed my neck, stopping me midway.

“HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME?? You said that you’ll help me. You promised me. You asked for redemption and I gave you a second chance only for you to backstab me.” My voice cracked.

But my tears didn’t faze him a bit. I was shocked to find the iciness in his eyes. He lacked emotions as if he was a corpse.

“Aww, poor you.” Damien mocked me and pulled me to him while his fingers were still choking me, “Guess, I lied to you Em. Or, I had a change of mind when I got to know about your secret plan.” He sneered at my face.

My blood ran cold. Damien smirked at my petrified face and left my neck only to grab a chunk of my hair. I screamed out loud when he pulled me to his face level and snarled near my lips.

“Talking about betrayal, bitch. Weren’t you doing the same?”

Tears kept running down my eyes like a waterfall. Not because I was hurt but because he ruined my whole plan. Everything got destroyed and I was caught.

But I have nothing to lose now except my life. So, why not fight back instead of regretting being more cautious?

I met his glare head-on, “Let’s get down to action then.” Growling, I grabbed the back of his head and bashed it against mine.

Damien stumbled backward as he didn’t expect that and taking advantage, I ran to the door when something was sprinkled on my left wrist, and the next moment, my skin was on fire.

“What the hell-Ahh!!” I groaned and sagged to the ground unable to bear the scorching pain anymore.

With blurry eyes, I saw Damien towering over me while holding a small flask in his hand. Writhing on the ground, I looked at my wrists only to find dark red blemishes around my wrist. Those platinum bracelets were digging into my skin. I tried to remove them with my hands but screamed out loud as they only burnt my fingers.

“What did you make me wear?” I spoke with difficulty but my eyes rounded to the size of saucers when the coating of the bracelets started wearing off eventually revealing a shining metal that glared at me back, mocking me for believing this deceiver again.

“It’s silver darling. Something which can easily take down a werewolf.”

Damien spoke in his deep voice and crouched on the floor beside me. The pain was too much but so was the heartbreak. Call me hypocritic but I never knew that he would hurt me physically.

“H-How could you?”

Damien flashed me a diabolical smirk. Huffing out loud, he sat beside me before lifting my head from the ground and placing it on his right thigh. Removing my dampened silver locks from my face, he caressed my forehead gently.

“It hurts being used, right?”

He rasped and lifted me. I tried to fight back when he injected something into my system that paralyzed my whole body. My eyelids turned heavy, it felt as if he had snatched the life out of me.

Contended with his work, Damien then stood up with me in his arms and started walking to God knows where. I peeked over his shoulders only to see the guards closing the main door.

“That’s how your freedom ends,” Damien spoke watching the despair in my eyes.

“I thought you brought me home,” I spoke sadly and rested my head against his chest as I felt too weak.

“It can be only if you pass a small test.” He responded making me frown.

“Test. What test?”

He didn’t respond. The loud clanging of metallic gates rang in my ears before Damien ducked forward and barged inside.

A dilapidated and dingy dungeon came into my sight before his steps ceased which surely left me terrified.

“What? You’re gonna chain me. Is this what your master plan is all about? Promising me of making your Luna only to hold me captive in your house.” I spoke dryly.

His face remained blank but I had enough now.

Mustering up the shreds of courage left in me, I craned my neck to look into the eyes of the man whom I hate the most in this whole world.

“You think got me but I will definitely burst your little bubble one day, Damien Knight. I will make you and your pathetic family grovel before I rip your hearts out of your chest. It’s good that you showed me your true colors but mark my words, you’ll never have me.” I gritted out with clenched teeth and shoved him away.

Damien staggered back and I fell to the ground with a thud. Panting heavily, I tried to get up when my eyes landed on a familiar face that snatched the ground beneath my feet.

“Alpha Blake?”

I gasped and ran to the cage in which Blake was chained along with his wife, Ela, and son, Jasper.

“N-No, WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM??” I shouted while gripping the iron rails and trying to break them.

“That’s called leverage, Princess. It’s important to tame my kitten and for that, I will require someone dearer to her.” Damien answered as he prowled towards me.

I shot him a death glare and reverted my eyes to their bloodied and bruised faces. They weren’t even breathing and how cruel of them to hit a woman? These beasts don’t possess a heart.

I flinched and scooted backward when Damien crouched on the ground. My body jolted in fright when my back met the iron rails.

“L-Let them go, please. They’re innocent.” Stepping down from my pride, I begged him to show mercy. It was never my intention to sacrifice an innocent for my vengeance. I know Blake had been selfish but he had his reasons. He and his wife gave me shelter and parental love so the best I can repay them is not to be the cause of their deaths.

Grabbing the rails over my head, Damien ducked forward and cupped my chin between his thumb and index finger.

“That’s why they’re here Princess.” He husked and ran his thumb over my bottom lip making me quiver, “It’s all up to you now, Emma. Behave and they’ll be given the medication and if you rebel, I will shove my dagger through their chests.”

I shuddered at his words. His unrelenting gaze held me captive.

I don’t want to be his toy but I can’t let them die too. Licking my chapped lips, I continued looking at him trying to find some humanity in them. But all I could see was emptiness, moreover, his metallic shards demanded submission.

How come I couldn’t recognize this psychopath? He didn’t even look like the man who used to claim his endless love for me. His aura was dour and dangerous and the evil expression on his face can make one run for hills.

My ears perked with the sound of boots rubbing against the cold floor. I immediately looked behind but my heart sank to the pit of my stomach when I spotted Zion with a silver dagger in his hand.

“NO PLEASE”, I yelled and turned back to Damien who was watching me with a straight face, “I beg you, Damien. All right, I am willing to do anything but let them go.”

I cried and clutched his collar but not a single muscle on his face twitched watching the pain in my eyes. Is he that heartless?

Another shock struck my body when Blake let out a painful grunt.

“STOP PLEASE, WHAT DO YOU WANT??” Shrieking, I stood up on my wobbly legs and started pounding my fists on the iron rails as Zion pierced the blade deeper into his chest.

“Marry me.”

*****