We're leaving. Now," Kelly snapped.
He didn't wait for an answer. He reached out and grabbed my hand, his grip like iron as he hauled me forward. I stumbled after him, my heart still racing from those three silent vibrations in my pocket. I wanted 'no', I needed to reply to Chris' messages.
The world was spinning, and my head felt like it was about to snap right off my neck. He was walking with these long, effortless strides—the kind that didn't even look like he was trying—while I was practically coming apart at the seams. My left arm felt like it was going to fly off and stay behind on the pavement. Honestly, I think my joints were just giving up. With every step he took, I felt another piece of me disconnect.
"Could you walk any faster?" he asked, his voice cool and bored.
I forced my head to turn, squinting through the blur of motion. I gave him a look of pure, exhausted confusion. My left hand flailed, trying to sign something—anything—to make him understand. *Are you serious? You're literally dragging me. I don't have the stamina for this!* But all I could do was gasp for air while he kept moving, like a force of nature that didn't care if I broke in the process.
He dragged me through the long, dim hallway, past the male wolf chambers. Every head turned. Every eye followed us. I felt their heavy, predatory stares crawling over my skin. What are they even looking at? I wondered, a spike of irritation cutting through my fear. I wasn't some perfect, polished Luna. I was just me.
"See something you like?" I challenged. I didn't back down. I rolled my eyes and stared right back into their sockets, hitting them eyeball-to-eyeball. In a fit of pure, stubborn defiance, I used my free hand to adjust my top, shifting my weight to flaunt what I had right in their faces.
Kelly's growl was a low, dangerous vibration. He yanked me closer to his side, his body radiating a sudden, sharp heat. "Could you be any more lady-like?" he hissed, his voice shaking with a mix of anger and disappointment. I could see his eyes almost falling out of their sockets . "You are about to stand before the Alpha, and you're carrying that nasty attitude with you."
I felt the sting of his words, but I didn't let it show. My body began to tremble at the mere mention of the Lord. The mystery guy, the notifications, the heavy stares it was all too much. My heart was a drum, and my skin felt too tight.
"Here we are, keep your manners straight ok" he said as he pointed out to where the light skinned figure sat.
I stared into the distance, and then I saw him. The Lord.
I remembered him from the day he handed me the kitchen keys. Back then, my head wasn't clearer coupled with the mess with his Luna, everything felt heavy and tangled.
A thick lump formed in my throat as I watched him. He was holding an empty glass, just staring at it. Honestly, it was creepy—like the glass itself was trembling under his gaze. I caught myself thinking, *What a weirdo. The wine is gone, just refill it or something.* He sat there with his legs crossed just enough to let me know I was stepping into his world now. His territory.
"Humff."
He took one deep, heavy breath. I watched his chest rise and fall in that single, slow rhythm.
It was like a silent command. I jolted forward, my legs moving as fast as they could manage in their shaky state. That one breath felt like he had reached out and pulled me toward him.
But then, almost on autopilot, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I didn't even think; I just started typing a reply to Chris' message.
"In my presence?"
His voice was low, sharp, and dangerous. It sliced right through my focus, making my heart skip a beat. I froze. A heavy, spiritual pressure slammed into my shoulders, forcing me toward the floor. I tried to look up, to see who was pinning me down with just a word, but the air felt like thick lead.
Then, in a blur of motion, he was there. Right in front of me.
The spiritual pressure doubled, dragging my gaze down to his boots. It was him. The Lord. My heart hammered against my ribs, and my tongue felt like a dry stone in my mouth. "I'm... I'm..." I stammered, the words tangled in my throat. I felt small, humiliated, and terrified. Was this why Kelly had dragged me here? To be broken by this man?
"I'm sorry!" the words finally burst out of me. But he didn't move. He didn't speak. The silence was so heavy I could hear my own pulse. "How can I serve you today?" I rushed to say, hoping to end this nightmare. "I'm sorry for whatever I did to offend you."
"Is that why you are here?"
My breath hitched. He knows. I sent up a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess, promising her a whole herd of bulls if she just got me out of this alive.
"To serve me?" he stepped closer. "I called for you, and you were on your phone." Oh he doesn't, I calmed a bit.
Then, with a sudden, violent movement, he grabbed my phone and smashed it. CRACK. Pieces of plastic and glass scattered across the floor.
Something inside me snapped. The fear vanished, replaced by a white-hot, jagged rage. That was my only connection to the world. To the guy who had finally replied! I fought back, pushing against his pressure with my own until I was free. My fangs slid out, and my claws extended to their full, lethal length. I didn't care who he was anymore.
I lunged.
I tackled him to the floor, my weight pinning him down. I sank my teeth into his arm, tasting the metallic tang of his blood as it bloomed across his skin. I threw my head back and howled, a raw sound of fury that echoed through the hall. I pinned his wrists above his head, staring down at him with eyes full of bloodlust.
"First you dared pull me down with spiritual pressure?" I growled, my fur standing on end. " Now you think you can break my things to showcase your power? You will buy me ten phones before the moon rises tomorrow. If you don't, I will rip you apart limb from limb and toss your head at the Northern Border gates for wolves to see. Do you understand?" I roared into his face, expecting him to fight back, to snarl, to do something.
But he just lay there.He didn't move. He didn't look afraid. He just stared into my eyes with an unblinking, unreadable expression that made my skin crawl in a way I didn't expect. Suddenly, my anger felt shaky. I felt... shy? Why was I the one feeling embarrassed when I was the one on top?
"Did you hear me?" I shouted, trying to find my footing again. Nothing. No reply.
Giving up, I started to pull away, my claws and fangs retracting as the adrenaline faded. But before I could stand, his hands shot up. He grabbed me and hauled me back down, pinning me against his chest.
I blinked, looking from his hands to his face, and back again. My heart wasn't racing with fear anymore, it was racing for a completely different reason. Was he crazy? Or had I finally met someone as wild as I was?