Chapter 4 The full moon torment

Draka struggled as his vision blurred, his body screaming in agony. The full moon's influence was unbearable, driving him to mate with a female. His chained hands strained against the restraints, but they held fast. His head fell forward, hair covering his eyes, as he panted painfully. The torment was too much, and he lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Aria had been avoiding the dungeon, but she knew she couldn't ignore it forever. She had to go there before Alpha Lucas found out about her avoidance, or she would face punishment. Gathering the cleaning supplies, she headed down to the dungeon, walking carefully to avoid detection.

As she entered the cell, her eyes met the lycan, who was slumped forward, his breathing ragged and his body slick with sweat. Aria's brows furrowed in concern. Had he fallen ill? She approached him cautiously, unsure of what to expect.

Draka slowly lifted his head, his breathing ragged and labored. His eyes locked onto Aria's, and his gaze roamed all over her face, making her skin prickle with awareness. Her cheeks flushed bright red as they stared at each other, the tension between them palpable.

Finally, Draka broke the eye contact, his chest heaving with each ragged breath. Aria's concern got the better of her, and she asked, "Are you alright?" Draka's gaze flicked back to hers, his eyes wide with a mixture of pain and vulnerability.

He didn't respond, instead looking away again and groaning softly. Aria's concern deepened, and she asked again, "Are you alright?" Draka muttered under his breath, "None of your business," but his voice was laced with pain, and he groaned again.

Aria's eyes softened as she took in Draka's obvious distress. "You look like you're in so much pain," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Draka's gaze shifted back to hers, his eyes piercing as he asked, "When does it ever not look like I'm in pain?"

As their eyes met, Aria felt a shiver run down her spine. Draka's gaze seemed to hold her captive, making her body shudder with a mix of fear and fascination. She couldn't look away, transfixed by the intensity in his eyes. The air between them seemed to vibrate with tension, and Aria felt like she was drowning in the depths of Draka's gaze.

Aria shrugged and continued cleaning, trying to ignore the lycan's gaze. However, she could feel his eyes on her, making her skin prickle with awareness. "Come here, little human," he growled, his voice low and husky.

Aria's eyes widened, and she stood rooted to her spot, unsure of what to do. The lycan's growl grew more insistent, and he repeated his command. "I said come here, girl."

Aria's feet seemed to move of their own accord, and she found herself shifting closer to the cell. She stopped in front of the bars, her heart racing with anticipation. The lycan's eyes locked onto hers, and he asked, "You want to know what's wrong with me?"

Aria managed a nod, her curiosity getting the better of her. The lycan's gaze seemed to bore into her soul as he replied, "I'm in need." His voice was husky, and Aria frowned, unsure of what he meant.

The lycan chuckled, a low, rumbling sound, and raked his gaze over her once more. "So innocent," he mumbled, his eyes glinting with amusement. Aria felt a shiver run down her spine as she met his gaze, wondering what he meant by his words.

The lycan's words hung in the air, his gaze piercing as he explained, "It means I'm in need of a woman, little human. It's the full moon, and I don't know what you're doing here at this hour, cleaning when you could have done so in the morning." Aria's eyes widened like saucers, her mind reeling with the implication. She had heard tales about werewolves and lycans going into heat, but she had never imagined it would apply to a male, especially not one as powerful as this lycan.

Aria stuttered, trying to process the situation. "I... I..." The lycan chuckled, a low, husky sound that sent shivers down her spine. "I'm chained up, so there's really nothing I can do," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "But perhaps we can strike a deal, and I'll keep your secret safe."

Aria's eyes widened further as she repeated, "A deal?" The lycan nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. "Yes, a deal. Your alpha always injects me with the wolf's bane, but little does he know it doesn't work much on me. And you, my little human, will be of great help to me."

Aria's curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "What help is that?" The lycan's smile was enigmatic as he replied, "When it's time, I'll tell you, little human." Aria's instincts screamed at her to be cautious, and she said, "If you tell me to kill the alpha, I'm sorry, but I'm going to refuse." The lycan's response was unexpected – he roared with laughter, the sound echoing off the dungeon walls.

As the lycan's laughter faded, Aria felt a sense of unease. What kind of deal could she possibly make with this powerful creature, The lycan's eyes gleamed with amusement as he asked, "What made you think you could kill your alpha?" Aria's face paled, and she looked away, unsure of how to respond. The lycan's chuckle was low and husky, and he said, "Well, that's not what it is, human. But when the time comes, you'll help me."

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the dungeon, and Aria quickly returned to her position, trying to appear nonchalant. Alpha Lucas came into view, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. "Why are you cleaning this place at this hour?" he asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Aria bowed her head, trying to appear subservient. "I was occupied with things this morning, that's why I couldn't show up to clean," she replied, keeping her voice steady. Lucas's frown deepened, but he nodded, seeming to accept her explanation.

"Seems you've gotten comfortable with the lycan in here," Lucas warned, his eyes flicking to Draka. "Be careful, he's dangerous." Aria nodded hastily, trying to reassure him. Lucas then turned to Draka, and the lycan's demeanor changed instantly. He growled, the sound low and menacing, and Lucas chuckled, though a hint of fear flickered across his face.

Lucas's taunt hung in the air, but Draka's response was far from what he had expected. The lycan's smirk grew, and he said, "Going good, too bad a woman isn't present here with me. Who knows, I could have summoned my powers and broken this chain. A woman's scent does wonders, and it would have been a motivation to break the chain and take the woman... and then come for you."

Lucas's smile faltered, and fear crept onto his face. He took a step back, his eyes darting to Adria, who had heard every word and was now flushed a deep red. Lucas's voice was laced with concern as he ordered, "Sedate him with the wolf's bane, I don't want any carelessness."

A part of Lucas worried that Draka's words might not be mere threats. If a woman had been present, would the lycan have been able to break free? The thought sent a shiver down Lucas's spine. He gestured to one of his guards, who hastily administered the sedative to Draka.

As the wolf's bane took effect, Draka's eyes began to droop, and his menacing aura slowly dissipated. Lucas let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. But Adria's face remained flushed, her mind reeling with the lycan's words. Had he truly gone mad, or was there something more to his words? She couldn't shake the feeling that Draka's intentions were far from sane.

"Hurry up and be done," Lucas instructed Aria, before turning to leave. Aria quickly gathered her cleaning supplies, her eyes drifting to Draka, who lay slumped in his cell. To her surprise, he managed to summon the strength to lift his head, his eyes locking onto hers with an unnerving intensity.

In a barely audible whisper, he murmured, "My little human... soon... soon." His head dropped back, and he lay still, the sedative taking full effect. Aria felt a shiver run down her spine as she turned to leave the dungeon, her mind consumed by the lycan's haunting words.

As she walked out into the brighter corridors, Aria couldn't shake off the feeling that Draka's words carried a promise, a warning, or perhaps a threat. The lycan's gaze and whispered words lingered in her mind, leaving her with more questions than answers.