Chapter 4 The Nightmare.

As I stood among the group of prisoners, trembling with a mix of exhaustion and anger, the world I had built for myself began to shatter. My body stiffened as Alpha VuK's voice cut through the din like a knife.

"Mine," he said, a single word filled with possession and finality.

The weight of that word dropped on my shoulders like a boulder, making it hard to breathe. The man standing in front of me-this monster, this tyrant who had ripped my life apart-was claiming me. Mine. The word echoed in my head, twisting, reshaping everything I thought I knew about fate and the Moon Goddess.

My knees felt weak. How could this be happening? How could the Moon Goddess, in all her wisdom, do this to me? To mate me with the very man who had destroyed my world? My throat tightened with emotion, and a thousand thoughts fought for space in my mind, but one question repeated itself over and over like a drumbeat: Why him?

"No," I whispered, barely able to form the word. My voice cracked with disbelief. "Not you."

But my words fell on deaf ears. He stood there, expressionless, as if my rejection meant nothing to him. As if my pain was irrelevant. I wanted to scream, to fight, but my limbs felt numb. Everything I had endured up until this point felt like a cruel joke, and here I was, standing face to face with the punchline.

"Take her away," Alpha VuK said without even looking at me. His voice was cold and unfeeling, as if I were no more than a nuisance to be dealt with.

Before I could even process what was happening, his beta, Logan, stepped forward and gripped my arm, pulling me away from the other prisoners. I stumbled, the exhaustion from days of running and hiding catching up with me all at once. I didn't resist. What was the point? My fate was sealed the moment Alpha VuK had spoken that word. Mine.

The air around me was thick with tension as Logan dragged me through the encampment. I kept my head down, trying to make sense of everything. The faces of my family flashed before my eyes-people Alpha VuK had ruthlessly slaughtered. And then Emma's family. Her parents, her little brother. Gone, because of him. And now, somehow, I was mated to the same man who had taken everything away from us.

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked, my voice breaking the oppressive silence that hung between us.

Logan didn't respond. He kept walking, his grip firm but not painful. My heart raced in my chest, pounding so hard I thought it might burst. My mind went into overdrive, searching for any possible way out of this nightmare. I could feel the power of the mate bond beginning to stir deep inside me, pulling me toward Alpha VuK, but I fought it with every ounce of strength I had left. I didn't want this bond. I didn't want him. How could I ever feel anything for the man who had torn my world apart?

"Where are we going?" I asked again, my voice trembling with fear and desperation.

Logan finally glanced back at me, his face unreadable. "And why would we kill you?"

His words only confused me more. Why would they keep me alive? What did they want from me? I clenched my jaw, refusing to let the tears that burned behind my eyes fall. I couldn't show any weakness, not now. Not after everything.

"You took everything away from me," I hissed, the anger bubbling up inside me. I wanted to scream, to lash out, but Logan's indifference only fueled my rage. They had no idea what they had done, the lives they had ruined.

"Well," Logan said as we turned down a narrow, hidden corridor that seemed to lead away from the main encampment, "you are his mate. He wouldn't kill you."

His mate. The words made my stomach turn. As we moved further down the passage, I realized this path wasn't meant for just anyone. It was secluded, hidden away from the rest of the camp. My heartbeat quickened with unease. Where were they taking me? What was Alpha VuK planning?

We reached a large mansion that stood at the end of the hidden path. It was grand, more so than anything I'd expected to see here. A stark contrast to the harsh conditions I had been forced to endure in captivity. The building was pristine, its walls towering over me like a symbol of power and wealth. Everything about it felt wrong, felt like a prison made to look like a paradise.

Logan stopped in front of a door and opened it without a word, ushering me inside. I hesitated for a moment, my instincts screaming at me to run, to fight, to do anything but step into that room. But I didn't have a choice. I was too weak, too tired, and I knew that running would only make things worse. I walked inside, the door closing behind me with a soft click.

The room was luxurious, furnished with soft-looking couches and a large bed that took up most of the space. The windows were covered with heavy curtains, blocking out any light from the outside world. It was eerily silent, and I couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped.

"Stay here," Logan said, his voice flat, as if this were just another day at work for him. "Someone will come to attend to you."

And then he was gone, leaving me alone in the room. The silence that followed his departure was deafening. I stood there, frozen, trying to process everything that had just happened. The walls seemed to close in on me, the weight of my situation pressing down until I felt like I could hardly breathe.

I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, my mind reeling. How could this be happening? How could the Moon Goddess, in all her supposed wisdom, mate me to someone like him? I pressed my hands to my face, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. This wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Mate. The word echoed in my head again, but this time it wasn't Alpha VuK's voice I heard. It was a deep, primal part of me that recognized the bond, that wanted to accept it despite everything. But I couldn't. I wouldn't. Not with him.

I don't know when I fell asleep, but exhaustion must have overtaken me at some point. My dreams were dark, plagued by memories of my family, of Emma, of everything I had lost because of Alpha VuK.

Suddenly, I woke up with a start. At first, I wasn't sure what had pulled me from sleep, but then I heard it-footsteps, loud noises, shouting. My heart leaped into my throat. Something was happening.

I bolted upright and immediately ran to the door, grabbing the knob. Open. Relief coursed through me. I didn't think twice. I threw the door open and stepped into the hall, my eyes darting around to make sense of the chaos unfolding.

The scene that greeted me was worse than anything I could have imagined.

There was blood. Everywhere. The stench of it hit me first, thick and metallic. My stomach turned as I took in the sight of bodies-wolves and humans alike-strewn across the ground. Werewolves, in their massive, snarling forms, clashed in brutal combat. The sounds of growls, snapping jaws, and desperate cries filled the air.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was a battlefield, right outside the mansion. Wolves fought savagely, tearing each other apart. I saw a head roll across the dirt, its lifeless eyes staring up at me. I gagged, turning away quickly, but the horrific image was burned into my mind.

Women were screaming, clutching their pups as they tried to flee from the bloodshed. Some of them fought too, desperate to protect their children, their mates. Pups cried out in terror as they huddled behind their mothers or under whatever cover they could find. It was complete chaos-an all-out war.

I couldn't just stand there. My instincts kicked in, and I started running. I didn't know where I was going; I just knew I needed to get away from the carnage. But I had barely made it a few steps when I heard a deep growl behind me. My blood ran cold.

I turned my head, and my heart sank. A wolf-huge, with fur as black as night-was charging straight toward me. Its eyes glowed with murderous intent, its lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. It was coming for me, and it wasn't going to stop.

Panic surged through me, and I ran. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The wolf was gaining on me. I could hear its paws pounding against the ground, feel its hot breath on the back of my neck. I pushed myself harder, but no matter how fast I ran, it was always right there, just a step behind me.

I stumbled, my foot catching on something-a fallen body, maybe-but I couldn't stop to look. I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Before I could even push myself up, the wolf was on me. I rolled onto my back, my heart pounding in my ears, and stared up at the beast towering over me.

It raised a massive paw, its claws gleaming in the dim light. I tried to scramble back, but there was nowhere to go. I was trapped. I braced myself, squeezing my eyes shut as the wolf swung its paw down, ready to tear me apart.

But then-BANG. A loud noise shattered the air, and everything went still.

I jolted awake, my heart racing. I wasn't outside. I wasn't being attacked. I was back in the room. Safe, or as safe as I could be here. My mind was spinning, disoriented by the sudden shift from dream to reality.

Someone was knocking on the door. The sound was steady, not frantic, but firm enough to pull me fully from the nightmare I had just been trapped in.

I sat up, still trying to calm my breathing. My body was trembling, my skin clammy with sweat. The dream had felt so real-the blood, the terror, the feeling of the wolf's claws about to rip into me. I shook my head, trying to clear the lingering dread as I swung my legs off the bed.

The knock came again. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to my feet. My limbs felt heavy, as if the fear from the dream had left a physical weight behind. I crossed the room, hesitating for a moment as I reached the door. Who could it be?