Enzo
I had been watching Arabella ever since we stepped into the carriage.
My back rested comfortably against the leather seat while I slowly adjusted the black gloves covering my hands. Across from me, she sat quietly, her posture stiff and obedient. She had not spoken a single word since we left Silver Moon Pack.
Most of the time, her head remained bowed in
silence.
My gaze drifted over her again, just as it had countless times that evening. My eyes traced the curve of her shoulders, the way her dress clung to her frame. The garment was still far too short, exposing far more of her legs than I deemed appropriate.
Her legs were pressed tightly together, her fingers nervously gripping the edge of her dress.
I didn't know why it irritated me so much.
But it did.
A part of me wanted to cover her up, to hide her from the eyes of others. The thought alone annoyed me even more. I kept my expression calm, refusing to let my thoughts show on my face.
Just then, a knock sounded on the side of my carriage.
The sharp sound pulled my attention away from the little vixen sitting in front of me. I turned my head toward the window and pushed the curtain aside.
My Beta rode beside the carriage, still mounted on his horse.
"There is a small village ahead," Lucian said, his voice firm but respectful. "It would be best if we stop there tonight. The horses need rest and feed before we continue the journey tomorrow."
I studied the dark forest surrounding us before giving him a single nod.
Night had already fallen.
There was no safe place to rest in this part of the forest. We had been riding through the Dark Forest for more than five days without stopping. The Dark Forest was considered an off-limits zone for both werewolves and Lycans.
And for good reason.
It was filled with rogues, outcasts, and creatures that thrived in darkness. The twisted trees and endless shadows made it the perfect place for an ambush.
A scream suddenly tore through the night.
"Rogues!"
My hearing sharpened instantly.
Snarls and vicious growls echoed through the forest.
Wolves that did not belong to my pack were surrounding us. I could hear bodies shifting, claws scraping the ground, the sound of bones cracking as wolves transformed.
The carriage came to an abrupt stop.
I already knew what was happening.
"Don't move," I ordered Arabella coldly. "Remain inside the carriage until I return."
Her eyes lifted toward me, confusion and fear flickering within them as if she wanted to ask what was wrong.
I ignored her.
Opening the carriage door, I jumped down onto the forest floor.
"There are too many of them!" Lucian's voice rang out from the chaos.
My eyes searched the battlefield until I spotted him. He was already in the middle of the fight, his claws digging into a rogue wolf's neck. With brutal strength, he tore the head clean from its body.
The lifeless head hit the ground with a dull thud.
Most of my warriors had already shifted, their massive wolves clashing against the attacking rogues.
A rogue wolf suddenly broke through our defenses and lunged straight toward me with frightening speed.
"I need survivors," I ordered sharply.
My claws elongated instantly.
As the wolf reached me, I caught it by the neck and ripped its throat open without hesitation. Blood sprayed across the ground as its body collapsed at my feet.
I twisted my body and moved.
Speed surged through my limbs as I leaped high into the air and landed directly in the middle of the rogues.
They turned toward me.
Big mistake.
I tore through them mercilessly.
My claws sliced through the first rogue's chest. I grabbed the second by the throat and snapped his neck with a single motion. Another lunged toward me, but I moved faster, my claws ripping across its skull.
Bodies dropped around me one after another.
Then suddenly,
My eyes caught a glimpse of movement.
Arabella.
She was on the ground several feet away from the carriage.
A rogue wolf stood before her, muscles tensed as it prepared to pounce.
I didn't know what came over me.
Something inside my chest snapped.
A rush of adrenaline surged through my body, hot and violent. I tore through the rogues blocking my path like a madman.
Or perhaps a mad Lycan.
Within seconds I appeared in front of her.
Sophia, the girl Arabella had begged me to spare earlier, was standing between her and the rogue wolf, trying desperately to fend it off.
Behind her, Arabella crawled backward across the ground, terror written all over her face.
The rogue leaped.
But it never reached her.
I met it halfway.
My claws tore straight through its throat, ripping it open. Blood splattered everywhere, soaking my clothes, the ground, and even Arabella herself.
The rogue collapsed lifelessly beside her.
Arabella's eyes were wide with horror as she stared up at me.
Slowly, I stepped toward her.
"I specifically asked you to stay inside the carriage," I said coldly. "And yet here you are."
She didn't answer.
"Do you know what I hate the most, Arabella?" I asked quietly.
The moment the words left my mouth, she scrambled to her feet and bolted toward the carriage.
I moved faster.
Before she could reach the door, I blocked her path.
She froze.
Her back pressed against the carriage while my hand slammed against the wood above her head, trapping her in place.
Her eyes lifted slowly to meet mine.
"I hate disobedience," I said darkly. "And I hate people who run from me."
"It's not my fault, okay?" she said quickly, pointing toward the dead wolf behind us. Her voice trembled slightly.
"That wolf came for me! I only ran out of the carriage because it tried to attack me. Sophia tried to save me."
Her eyes darted everywhere except my face.
"And do you know what else I hate?" I continued softly.
"People who lie to me."
Her body stiffened.
"One last chance, Arabella," I said, my voice dropping dangerously low. "Why did you disobey my order?"
Silence.
"Or were you trying to use this little distraction to escape with your sister?" I continued. "Or friend. Whatever she is to you."
My blood was boiling now.
Her head slowly lowered in defeat.
"I hate disobedience," I growled softly. "And liars."
"What part of you belonging to me did you not understand?"
A small growl escaped my throat.
"I'm sorry, my king," she whispered softly. "It won't happen again."
"Cut the act," I snapped. "Was this both of your plans all along?"
I listened carefully to her heartbeat.
It told me everything I needed to know.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," I said coldly.
"But you belong to me now."
"And you are not going anywhere."
My voice turned colder.
"And if Sophia tries to help you pull something like this again, I will personally behead her."
Her shoulders trembled.
"And you will watch."
"Yet you will still remain my woman."
By now, Arabella was shaking badly.
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as her head bowed in submission.
"It will… never… happen again," she stammered.
"It better not."
I removed my coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Only then did I realize how cold she was.
"Get inside the carriage," I ordered. "You will be punished."
"And so will your friend."
She nodded silently.
I stepped aside and opened the carriage door. She climbed inside without another word.
Turning around, I noticed several of my men watching me. The ground was littered with the bodies of dead rogues.
Lucian stood a short distance away, staring at me with one brow raised as if he was trying to understand what had just happened.
Truthfully,
I didn't understand it myself.
The mere thought of Arabella escaping had filled me with a rage unlike anything I had ever felt before.
My gaze shifted.
Sophia was kneeling on the ground nearby.
I walked toward her slowly.
"I will spare you this once," I said coldly. "But when we return home, you will receive your punishment."
"Do not force my hand again."
"I will not be so lenient next time."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said quickly, bowing her head while still kneeling.
"You may rise."
I turned toward Lucian.
"Do we have any survivors?"
"Yes," he replied. "Two of them. They're tied up."
"Good."
"They will be questioned when we return home."
Lucian's voice suddenly entered my mind through the mind link.
"Something bothers me."
"What is it?" I asked.
"The number of rogues," he replied slowly. "There were too many for a random attack."
He paused.
"It felt… precise."
"Like they were waiting for someone."
"For you."
I watched silently as Lucian began giving orders. My warriors mounted their horses while the remaining bodies were cleared from the road.
Finally, I steppe
d back into the carriage.
As the carriage began moving again, my eyes settled on the she-wolf sitting across from me.
Arabella.
Her head was bowed, her posture quiet and obedient.
As if she hadn't just tried to escape moments ago.