FROZEN VENGEANCE: MATED TO THE ROGUE ALPHA

[FIVE YEARS AGO]

DIANA'S POV

"Don't neutralize her just yet," my husband, Eric Heart, says to a group of scientists surrounding him, his voice calm but laced with obsession.

"I need to be certain she's the one."

I watch them through hazy eyes, trying to stop the tears threatening to rush down my cheeks.

I should have known from the start that Eric had never truly loved me...just like everyone else. I was too overwhelmed by the idea that someone might care for me, despite all the rumors, despite my abnormalities. I had believed he loved me, but I was wrong.

We've been married for only two years, and now he's showing his true side. It's still better than my parents, who had shown their hatred for me since I tried eating my way out of my mother's womb.

Eric turns toward me. When he sees I'm conscious, he smirks, not like the man who once pretended to love me, but like a psychopath obsessed with proving his twisted theory that supernatural creatures walk among us.

"You're awake, my love," he says groggily, walking toward me, his boots clicking against the marble floor.

My heart races as he approaches. Normally, I would have done anything for him to be near me, but now his presence unsettles me.

For the past week, he's revealed the monster he truly is.

"Don't you dare touch me," I mumble when he attempts to cup my cheek.

He stops, slides his fingers into his pocket, and lets out a cold, bitter laugh. "Oh, Diana, my love. But you'll do anything to have me touch you."

I look away, pressing my trembling lips together. Since we got married, he was rarely around. Either traveling for months out of New York or disappearing all day for work.

When I first discovered what Eric was... I was terrified. My only friend at the rehabilitation center, Catherine, had warned me to stay away from him. She said I wasn't normal and men like him liked not-normal, but not in a good way.

I wanted to believe I was normal-I am normal. I didn't want to believe I was a monster. That's why I stayed with Eric. Maybe I should've listened to Catherine.

My eyes drop to the scars on my wrist, and my heart breaks. He once kissed those scars and called them beautiful, said they were proof I had survived. Now he wants to cut me open for science.

"You know I love you, right?" he says, and my heart tightens. My hands shake, and I don't dare look at him.

He exhales. "But I love my job more. And I'll stop at nothing to get what I want. Out of all, Diana... you are my favorite lab rat."

"Is that all you ever saw me as?!" I snap before I can hold myself back.

I flinch at my own outburst. The last time I snapped at him, he smashed my face against our closet. That knocked me out cold... until today.

He bursts into heavy, cynical laughter. I feel the blood drain from my face.

Then he suddenly pauses and speaks in a blood-curdling voice. "Look at me, Diana."

My whole body trembles as I look up at him. His blue eyes are completely dark now, cold and evil. He stares with a blank expression.

He tilts his head and frowns. "Truth be told, Diana, the only reason I came to the rehab in the first place was because I heard of a six-year-old girl capable of strangling both her parents-almost to death."

"But when I saw you, I admit... I fell in love with you. It scared me, but I did. Maybe I dreamed of a life with you, hoped you weren't the monster I believed you were-"

"I'm not a monster!" I bark, bursting into tears.

His head snaps straight, making my heart pound. He scowls and grabs my chin, his fingernails digging into my skin.

"Well, yes you are," he says, a smirk twitching on his lips as I cower in pain. "When you had that miscarriage a few months after our honeymoon, the doctor confirmed my suspicion. My wife is exactly what I need to get my answers. After you killed my child, all the love I had for you vanished."

My heart races at his words. I see a flicker of pain in his eyes, and for a moment I want to tell him that I'm pregnant again, but what's the point? He doesn't deserve to know. I know Eric always wanted a child, and maybe he'd spare my life. But I'd rather die with my child inside me than let it have a father like Eric.

"Now, you're going to lead me to those creatures," he says as he backs away, smiling.

"You're insane-absolutely insane!" I scream, hysterical.

"No, no, sweetheart. You are insane." He laughs, his deep voice echoing around the cold lab.

If not for the cuffs on my wrists and ankles holding me to the bed, I would show Eric exactly how insane the world claims I am. I'd gouge out his eyes like I did to that boy at the rehab who called me insane. I'd... I'd... I'd...

I breathe heavily, unable to control my heartbeat anymore. I swear I can hear it thundering in my ears...along with Eric's. I hear the rush of blood in my veins and arteries. I can even hear the distant sound of people bickering sixteen floors below. Everything fades to black and white.

Anger claws at my jaw, and all I want is to show Eric just how insane I can be.

"Yes, my love. Let it all out," Eric laughs, looking at me with hope in his eyes... hope, instead of fear.

"I swear, I'll kill you when I get out of here!" I growl.

"I've always wanted to die in your hands, my love."

"Mr. Heart!" one of the scientists exclaims. He says something to Eric in German, and Eric's eyes widen.

"Give me the neutralizer. Now!" Eric barks, and the scientist quickly hands him a syringe filled with pink liquid.

Anxiety tears through me. I struggle against the cuffs as hard as I can. I manage to break only the first of five before Eric injects the chemical into my neck and my energy vanishes abruptly.

"How can you do this to me?" I whisper, panting as tears roll down my temples.

He puts his fingers back in his pocket and stares at me, as if waiting for something. Then the lab plunges into absolute darkness.

Screams of agony pierce the silence, followed by a loud, inhuman growl.

"Make sure you catch it-" Eric barks like a madman before his voice cuts into a scream.

I can barely keep my eyes open, but I see something silver slashing through the dark. Before I know it, the cuffs snap off, and warm, matted fur brushes my arm. A heavy breath fans across my face. I think... I think I hear it whisper my name.

The last thing I remember before slipping into unconsciousness is being thrown out of the floor-to-ceiling window on the sixteenth floor of Eric's organization

[PRESENT DAY]

"Call Leader Kael! She has finally woken up!"

A woman's voice pierces through the fog in my mind as I struggle to open my eyes. A sharp gasp escapes my lips, the cold surrounding me is bone-deep. I feel like I'm made of ice.

I manage to crack my eyelids open just enough to see a flurry of movement through a thick glass wall. Several people are rushing out of a crooked wooden door.

"Should we open the pod?" a male voice asks. He stands beside a tall woman with long silver hair.

"No. Not until Kael instructs us. You know how stern he is with her."

Her? Who's her? Is that... me?

Where am I?

I try to sit up but realize I'm enclosed in what looks like a glass pod. Ancient markings are etched across its surface. A silver ring lies beside me, adorned with the same inscriptions, resting on a bed of rose petals.

"What are these?" I whisper, squinting.

Don't worry. You are safe.

The voice comes from inside me.

My eyes snap open in terror. What was that? Did someone just speak through my head?

I try to calm myself, hoping it was just a hallucination.

As I take in my surroundings, I realize the wooden room is laced with snow, clinging to the corners and edges like frostbite. A towering shelf holds rows of strange potions in ancient vials. The place looks like something from an occult fantasy.

"Leader Kael!" the woman announces as a man storms through the warped wooden door.

The moment his eyes meet mine, he stops.

He stares at me with wide, striking brown eyes. His eyes are the softest things I have ever looked into, and despite the gentleness, his whole masculine body is upright and intimidating.

"Open it," he commands.

The silver-haired woman nods, presses a button, and the glass slowly retracts with a hiss. A wave of freezing air crashes over me, and I shiver violently.

Kael notices this and presses something against the wall-a thermostat. He then walks to me, eyes never leaving mine.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to the cold." His voice is deep and rough, sending a chill through me more than the temperature ever could.

He smells like death. His entire presence radiates power and menace. He's dressed entirely in black, his long coat brushing the snow-dusted floor. When my gaze reaches his ears, I freeze. They're not human. Pointed. Perfect. Inhumanly beautiful-and terrifying.

"Where am I?" I croak, attempting to sit upright, shocked by how much strength I suddenly have.

"In the FrostLands," the woman answers when Kael stays silent.

"FrostLands?" I gape at her in confusion.

She smiles. "You'll understand soon enough." She nudges Kael. "Why don't you tell her?"

"There's nothing to tell her," he responds, voice clipped. He bends down, retrieving the ring.

"You can't go cold on her now," she teases. "You're the one who's been waiting for her to wake up."

Kael throws her a sharp look. Her smile falters, and she bows her head, and I swear, I hear her whine like a dog.

He inspects the ring, running a thumb over the center diamond. "Go check on the Watchers. Now that she's awake, we're more vulnerable."

Everyone in the room nods and quickly files out, leaving us alone.

Kael turns to me. "Give me your hand."

I instinctively hide them behind me. I don't know who he is. Why I'm here. Why I can't remember anything except... I'm human. Or I used to be.

"Not until you tell me who you are. And where the hell I am."

Gasps fill the room, one from the last person who just exited. She looks at me like I signed my own death sentence.

Kael's gaze shifts to her and she quickly slips out, shutting the door behind her.

"I am Kael," he responds and reaches for my hand. The moment he touches me, it's almost like I'm struck by lightning. I jolt.

I see flashes of myself thrown through glass and landing on a wolf's body in the air.

"Just Kael. Alpha of the FrostLands. And you are in my territory." He takes hold of my fingers again after I pull away. "Is that all you need to know?"

"How did I get here?"

"I brought you here," he says nonchalantly, a small smile twitching on his lips as he slides the ring onto my finger. "Now that's better."

I panic at what he's done and quickly disengage my hand from his grip. I try to take the ring off, but it only burns me when I try.

Kael looks offended and annoyed at the same time. "You'll hurt yourself if you try to take it off," he hisses.

"How dare you put a ring on my finger!" I say, my heart racing with worst-case scenarios.

"Because you are my Luna. My mate. Mine." He growls and grabs my hand again as I continue trying to remove the ring.

I look at my finger, expecting to see blood from the burn, but to my horror, the wound starts healing on its own.

I gasp. "What's this?" I stare at him in bewilderment, expecting him to be as surprised as I am, but he's not.

"I can't explain everything to you all at once."

"I am in the underworld, aren't I?"

"No. You are very much alive," he counters. "You are just stronger and different than you were five years ago. You are your true self now, Diana." He steps closer, for once breaking his toughness as he cups my neck. "More powerful than you could have ever imagined and I promise to help you get the revenge you deserve."

I stare into his eyes, they are silver now. His eyes are silver! Veins are bulging from his head, like touching me is inflicting something on him.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" he growls, slowly closing his eyes. "Very soon, I'll be able to have full access to you. That bastard knew exactly what he was doing injecting you with liquid kryptonite."

He opens his eyes and pulls away, gritting his teeth.

I open my mouth to ask what the hell he's talking about, but a little girl's squeal cuts me off.

"Daddy!"

Kael goes rigid as tiny arms wrap around his legs. A child. She's hidden behind his tall posture, so I'm unable to see her face.

Kael looks at me in discomfort. "Xiana, I thought I warned you not to come here," he swallows.

"I was looking for you, and since no one wanted to answer me, I knew you'd be here with Mummy."

DIANA'S POV

Kael forces a smile and turns to Xiana. He lifts her effortlessly, and she wraps her tiny legs around his waist. Her long black hair is streaked with blonde highlights.

"Why were you looking for me?" he asks, his tone calm as he runs his fingers through her hair.

She giggles and brings her lips to his ear, then whispers something that makes him laugh.

"Naughty girl, I've told you to stop finding trouble with Suzy," Kael says, shaking his head as his eyes drop to mine.

I glance away quickly, uncertain why the sight of him being tender makes me feel... unsettled. Maybe it's because a man who exudes so much power and intimidation shouldn't look so gentle.

"You know it's funny when she bloats like a tomato when she's mad!" Xiana exclaims, and I nearly break into a smile.

For some reason, there's a pull in my heart from the moment she stepped into the room. It's almost like she's been a part of me.

"That's not an excuse for being naughty, Xiana," Kael scolds.

Xiana huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. "You're just saying that because you're too tough. You're no fun."

"Do you realize who you're talking to, child?" Kael says, his voice edged with amusement.

Xiana lifts her chin stubbornly. "My daddy. Alpha Kael. Alpha of the FrostLands." She squints playfully. "I'm not scared of you, Daddy."

I bite back a laugh. Who gave birth to such a sharp-tongued little girl?

Kael doesn't look the least bit surprised. He rolls his eyes and pinches her cheek, making her pout dramatically.

Just then, her half-grey, half-blue eyes meet mine, and then they widen.

"Mummy's awake!" she shouts, her lips breaking into a bright smile.

Mummy? Me?

"Daddy, she's awake!" She taps Kael's chest, beaming. "Finally."

"What's she talking about?" I say to Kael, utterly confused.

Kael's expression darkens slightly. "Xiana, heal. Go to the gardens and play with the cubs."

Xiana frowns. "No. I want to talk to Mummy!"

Kael sighs tiredly and sets her down. "Don't make me angry now, Xiana. Do as I say."

"But Daddy-"

"Xiana."

"Fine," she mutters, crossing her arms again, her eyes moistening. "You're always so unfair!" she snaps and marches away.

Kael tenses as he watches her leave. I get to my feet, suddenly uncomfortable from sitting too long.

"What are you not telling me?" I ask. Each second I'm here, I grow more confused.

Why did she call me her mother? I have no memory of carrying a child. My memory is a foggy mess.

Kael doesn't turn around as he says, "You aren't going to understand everything in just a day."

I walk in front of him and look up. Shit, why the hell is he so tall?

"Why don't you start by telling me why you brought me here, and why the hell I was locked up in that glass thingy-"

"It's a pod," he corrects, stuffing his fingers into his coat pockets. "A healing pod. It keeps you alive for as long as it can."

"Why then was I in it?"

He stares at me but says nothing. We stare at each other for a few uncomfortable seconds before he looks away, walks off to who-knows-where, and takes a white leather coat, then tosses it to me. I catch it quickly-too quickly. He seems to notice and hums.

"Put it on. Staying here for too long can be harmful to us," he instructs, and I slip the coat on.

He leads me to the door, placing a firm hand on my waist when I try to go ahead.

"Be careful-unless you intend on getting your face smashed," he says dryly when I glare at him.

He taps the air, and suddenly, a transparent wall materializes. He enters a code into a lock on the glass, and a door forms.

"Without this shield, you'd be an easy target." He says and steps out. I follow.

The world outside makes me stop in my tracks.

From inside, it had looked like a tropical forest. But out here, it's more like the Arctic; cold, vast, endless snow. A huge mountain looms in the distance. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of cabins dot the landscape. In the center, a lush green garden, oddly out of place in this winter wasteland. I spot Xiana among other children and women, laughing and playing.

That garden must be protected by some sort of climate shield. There's no way anything grows here naturally.

"Alpha Kael," a man dressed like a guard greets Kael. When he notices me, his eyes widen.

Others moving around glance at me in surprise, some with happiness, others with... fear. A few women eye me with subtle dislike.

"What is this place?" I ask in awe, scanning everything.

Kael side-eyes me. "Which question exactly would you like me to answer first?"

I deadpan at Kael, who seems too grumpy for his own good.

He sighs. "You died-"

"Huh?"

He looks at me, signaling for silence so he can explain. "Just for a few seconds... before I revived you. I tried everything. Brought in different healers, but to no avail. You were alive but in a coma, and all the healers said you'd stay that way for a very long time. A decade, maybe more. The poison Eric injected in you was too strong."

He grinds his teeth. "I have no idea how he got his hands on Kryptonite and hybrid blood. But it was enough to keep you unconscious for five years."

I stare at him blankly. I don't understand an inch of what he just said. But Eric? Why does that name sound familiar?

"What do you mean by you revived me? That's not humanly possible," I say, wondering if he's making a joke out of me.

"Maybe that's because I'm not human." His lips curl into a sardonic smile. "And neither are you."

I take a step back, suddenly begining to have a panic attack. It's almost like I've heard those words before. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Do you feel human, Diana?" he says...except now, it's no longer Kael standing there.

It's Eric.

Eric? My husband. What is he doing here? He's holding that syringe again.

"I am human!"

"No, you're not, Diana." He laughs. "You're a monster, and you know what I do to monsters."

He lunges for me, and when I try to scream, I'm yanked back to reality as I hit something behind me. I gasp and turn around, just to see a white wolf with silver eyes staring at me.

Goosebumps wash over me, and instinctively, I send a fist toward its face. It whimpers and falls to its legs, and I take the chance to run.

Before I can make it far, a hand grabs my arm and slams me against something hard. I don't think, I start hitting and kicking. "Let go of me!" I bark.

"Relax, Diana. It's me," Kael says, as if that's supposed to make me feel any better.

When I see him staring at me with wide eyes, I pause, my fist frozen mid-air before it can collide with his jaw. There's already a bruise on his cheek.

"Step aside," Kael growls at the guards, who I now realize are pointing guns at me.

They comply and move away hesitantly.

Kael looks at me in disbelief as I push myself away from his body.

"What was that? That wolf. There was a wolf right there! Why is no one panicking?!" I pant.

Kael looks far too calm for my liking, and I feel like smacking some sense into him. He opens his mouth to say something when several men stop beside us, gasping for air. One is badly injured in the arm.

"Alpha Kael, Eric's men have been caught passing the border."