After the ceremony, Leia was dragged into a room where she now remained locked in.
Sitting miserably on the floor, she couldn't stop thinking about his last words before she was taken away. How could the poison not have affected him at all? She had made sure his tongue touched it when she kissed him, so what could have gone wrong? Werewolves were strong, yes, but shouldn't it have had some effect? How could a werewolf be unaffected by wolfsbane's poison? And what did he mean when he said she chose the wrong poison?
If she hadn't taken the antidote before rubbing the poison on her lips, she would already be dead. So how had he managed to survive untouched? Could it be because he was the Alpha? But nothing like that had ever been recorded in werewolf history. Or had it?
She should have stabbed him instead. But he was an Alpha, he healed faster than any normal wolf. A dagger wouldn't have killed him, only injured him for a short while.
Fuming, she slammed her fist against the ground, gritting her teeth. That had been her only chance to kill him. What if she never got another? Would she really have to sleep with him and bear his children? The thought alone made her stomach turn. She wanted the ground to open and swallow her whole. There was no way in hell she would share a bed with a beast, a womanizer, a brute, and the man who murdered her real parents, if what her now-former mother had said was true.
But why hadn't Casimir told anyone about the poison? He simply continued with the mating ceremony, not even pretending to be worried about dying. Was he trying to protect her? No. He probably hated her as much as she hated him. There was no way he would ever protect her. Maybe this was all part of some cruel plan…to torture her later.
Looking down at her palm, she stared hopelessly at the small cut there, wondering if it marked her as his. Usually, they sealed the mating by drinking each other's blood, but that never happened. Which meant they weren't truly mated yet… right? Still, she couldn't shake off the strange feeling that rushed through her when their palms had touched. Was it fear of failing to kill him, or something else entirely?
She had never felt anything like that during her first mating ceremony with Andrien. A year after turning eighteen, she had given up on finding her true mate; everyone else had already found theirs, and she remained unmated. Then Andrien came along, a man who had lost his mate, just as she had lost her hope. Thinking back, her sister's mate had died around the same time Andrien's had. Could that have been a coincidence?
With a heavy sigh, she turned her gaze toward the watery rice porridge beside her and swallowed hard as her stomach growled. The sight alone repulsed her, but what choice did she have?
Swallowing her pride, she crawled toward the bowl, picked it up, and mentally steeled herself before scooping a spoonful into her mouth.
Hmmm," she moaned as the cold, tasteless food slid into her mouth. Quickly covering her lips with her palm to stop herself from vomiting, she forced it down with a hard gulp. After a few seconds, she took another spoonful and made herself finish it. She had been starved for three days, and her stomach could no longer handle the hunger. The poison had weakened her further, even though she had already taken the antidote, but she knew her frail wolf was to blame.
Setting the bowl aside, she pushed herself up and glanced around the room, her face void of emotion. At least they had given her a room and not a prison cell. The space was lifeless, bare walls, no warmth, no effort to make it livable. Not that she cared, but curtains and a little light would have helped. She missed her best friend and wondered how she was doing, but her phone had already been seized.
Walking up to the window, she looked out at the moon. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled, one after another. She wondered if her child was safe in heaven now. As broken as she was, a part of her couldn't help but think losing the baby might have been for the best. Who knew what horrors would have awaited the child if it had lived? They would have made its life miserable. She was both grateful and furious about the loss but she would rather suffer alone than bring her child into such a cruel world.
Then she heard the door click open, and her heart skipped a beat. She had almost forgotten the most dreadful part of the ceremony…the real mating. There was no way in hell she was sleeping with him.
Turning away from the window, she waited but the face that entered wasn't the one she expected.
"Ah! I see you are getting comfortable in your new room." The stranger, clad only in pants, smirked as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him, his presence making her uneasy.
"Who are you?" She demanded, but he only let out a mocking laugh as he approached. Leia didn't flinch. She stood her ground.
"Your husband is with his mistress," he said casually, his voice dripping with arrogance. "He gave me permission to take his place. I will make it fast and less painful but with no promises."
As he drew closer, his lustful, dark gaze roamed over her. His hair was neatly slicked back, his chest bare and defined, a sight that might have tempted the pack's women, but made Leia sick to her stomach.
"Please leave," she said, turning her face away.
"I think there's been a mistake," he replied, his tone low and cruel. "I wasn't asking."
Before she could react, he yanked her by the arm. But Leia moved fast, her hand shot out, grabbing his manhood, and she squeezed with every bit of strength she had gathered from the miserable porridge.
"Fucking bitch!" He shouted, doubling over and releasing her. Leia stumbled back, keeping her distance, her eyes blazing with defiance.
Just as he took a step toward her, the door burst open.
"Florence calls for you," the intruder announced.
Instantly, the man's face changed. Arrogance was replaced by fear. Without a word, he hurried out, not daring to look back.
Leia collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. If it hadn't been for that interruption, she would have been violated. Everything was getting darker, more dangerous. She needed to find a way to survive before they finally broke her.