I do my best to ignore the throbbing pain radiating from my forearm and focus on getting my revenge. By now, all eyes are on us, and for whatever reason, Thane still has me pinned to his lap.
Something he’ll soon regret.
Time seems to slow as I wait for him to make his next move, but there’s a sense of hesitation coming from him. Maybe he’s just trying to figure out which punishment to inflict next, but either way, it’s buying me the time I need.
The poofy dress I’m wearing has created a thick barrier between me and him, so I’ll have to go with Plan B. Even though he still has a hold on me, I’m able to scoot forward to the edge of his thigh. I bunch the skirt of my dress into my left hand to keep it from falling, and with a deep exhale, I relax my body, focusing all of my attention on releasing the water I had lapped up earlier. I feel it trickle down my leg, making its way to the floor. To my surprise, it just keeps flowing out of me, and I silently thank myself for finishing all of the water.
“Continue the fights!” Thane finally orders with the wave of his hand.
“Of course, Alpha.” The guard motions for the two fighters to make their way back to the center of the circle.
“Is that pee?” a vampire murmurs, pointing to the pool of liquid forming around my feet.
“Oh my god! Did she pee on him?” another woman gasps in disgust.
Similar remarks echo through the crowd, but they’re too quiet for me to fully make out.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?”
I hit the marble floor so hard that it feels like the entire right half of my body has shattered into a million pieces. Thane looks down on me from the top step with his hands balled into fists and veins protruding from his neck. The few snickers and laughs that came from the crowd a second ago have fallen completely silent as the entire room stills.
Every part of my body screams at me to stop moving, but I push myself up into a half-sitting position, determined to not look weak.
“No one disrespects me in my own house!”
Thane’s voice is so powerful it feels like the room is shaking around me as he slowly descends the steps, stopping in front of me. He’s already a man of monstrous proportions, but as he towers over me, he looks like he could squash me with a single stomp of his foot.
Thane crouches down and clutches my face in his hand. I want to turn away from him, but I know even if I try, I won’t be able to, so instead, I mirror his fury with my own, letting it whip through me like a summer storm. He brought this upon himself, and he deserves far worse than what I’ve done.
His lips curl back as he glares at me with venom before tossing my face away from him like the sight of me disgusts him.
“Get up, Grey.” Even though every move I make feels like I’m being beaten with a bat, I rise to my feet, fueled by my unwavering refusal to let him see me give up. Once again, my eyes meet his, only this time, a depraved smile spreads across his face while a crazed look enters his moonlight eyes.“Run.”
I hesitate, taking a few steps back, but out of the corner of my eyes, I see the crowd part, continuing to watch me carefully.
“I’d run if I were you!” someone shouts from my right.
“Yeah, you’d better get going!” another one calls out.
I turn on my heel as the room erupts with excited cheers, chanting “Alpha!” as I run for the double doors. Just as I’m about to burst through them, I take one last look back at the man who makes my soul burn with insurmountable hatred. Our eyes lock for only a split second before he explodes into his wolf form. My heart lurches at the sight of the beast, and I take off into a full sprint, not bothering to look back again.
Thane
She woke the beast in me, and no matter what influence the mark has on me, it wasn’t going to be enough to contain it. When I realized what she had done, it was like a bomb went off inside me. Blinding rage shot through me in a matter of seconds, and nothing could’ve stopped it. That kind of anger has lived in me my whole life. It’s just as much a part of me as my claws and fangs.
The leaders know that part of me. It’s what makes them submit. But she didn’t know. The fear in her eyes burns through my mind. At the time, all I could see was red, but as the events of this evening play out in my head, I can see her clearly. The pain. The shock. The horror.
It was as if she had seen me for the first time. As if it had taken until then for her to realize just how deadly the savage beast who holds her captive truly is. Before then, she had been naïve. Playing with the devil. But this wasn’t a game, and I was the devil looking to collect.
She had chosen to seek her vengeance publicly. She aimed to undermine me in front of the leaders, and now she was going to have to be made an example.
The leaders know I can’t kill her, so I’ll have to push her as close to death as possible. Just the thought of doing so makes my skin burn, but she’s forced my hand. I can’t afford to show weakness. Now, more than ever, my role as Alpha cannot waver.
There can be no mercy. No forgiveness.
Only punishment.
Chapter 10
