Chapter 3

Keira’s pov

"You're out of your mind," I spat, taking a fast step back until my spine hit the cold stone wall.

I gripped the table between us, my pulse hammering so hard I could feel it in my teeth. Sweat trickled down the side of my neck, warm beneath the grease caked onto my skin.

"I'm a boy," I rasped, forcing my pitch low, glaring at him through my messy bangs. "I'm Caelen. A border slave from Oakhaven. You're hallucinating because of your beast—"

Lucian vanished from the far side of the table and reappeared directly in front of me.

Before I could breathe, his massive palm slammed against the stone wall right beside my ear. The impact echoed like and I winced. The heat radiating off his body hit me like a furnace, wrapping around me with his scent.

"I don't hallucinate," he murmured.

His towering frame trapped me completely. He leaned down, his dark eyes locking onto mine with terrifying focus. The wild, blinding gold of his feral beast was gone, replaced by a razor-sharp curiosity that made my knees tremble.

"I've spent five years going out of my mind, searching every kingdom across the mountains," he rasped painfully, "Do you have any idea what it feels like to have your soul clawing at your ribs, starving for a mate that doesn't exist?"

I held my breath, my hands pressed flat against the wall behind me. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar." His gaze dropped to my mouth, then slid down the dirty column of my throat to the oversized clothes drowning my frame. "You wrapped yourself in wool and dirt. You cut your hair. You bound your chest."

His hand moved. Long, calloused fingers caught the collar of my heavy coat, yanking the thick fabric open.

I gasped, flinching back, but there was nowhere to go.

With two fingers, Lucian hooked the neck of my coarse linen tunic and pulled it aside. The rough, tight linen wrapping bound firmly across my chest was exposed directly to the firelight.

Lucian’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking violently in his cheek.

"Caelen," he repeated, his voice dangerously dark. "Is that what you call yourself?"

"Don't touch me," I snapped, my fear turning into a hot burst of defiance. I raised my hand and slapped his wrist away.

His skin felt like hot iron. He didn't even flinch, just stared at my face, a faint, dark smirk touching his lips as if my resistance amused him.

"You've got fire, little bird," he murmured. "I like that. But you're terrible at lying."

"If you know what I am, then let me go!" I demanded, keeping my lower body pressed tight to the wall, trying desperately to create distance between us. "My sister is out there! She's hidden in the valley, and she has no one else! If I don't go back—"

"You're not going anywhere."

The smirk vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, possessive edge that sent a violent shiver down my spine.

"You belong to the Blackfang Hold now," Lucian said smoothly. "You belong to me. My court swept the borders looking for my mate. I brought back hundreds of slaves today, but I only care about one."

He stepped closer, his chest brushing against mine. Even through the heavy bindings, the heat of his body burned through my clothes. He reached out, his long fingers carefully sliding behind my neck, gathering the thick, dark locks of my hair.

He pulled me up slightly, tilting my head back until I had no choice but to look at him.

"You're going to stay in these chambers," he murmured, his thumb dragging slowly across my cheekbone, smearing away the mud I'd caked onto my skin. "You're going to eat. You're going to wash that filth off your skin and then you're going to take your place beside me."

"As what?" I bit out, my teeth grinding together. "Your prize? Your little human toy?"

Lucian’s eyes darkened, a flash of primal gold flickering in his pupils before settling back into their normal color.

"As my Queen," he growled.

Panic spiked in my chest. Queen? He was out of his mind. If the grand lords found out the feral king had claimed a human disguise as his mate, they'd slit my throat before the week was over.

A loud, abrupt knock rattled the heavy oak door.

"Your Majesty!" Lord Kaelen’s cold voice echoed from the hallway outside. "Open this door! Lord Malakor has arrived from the northern wings, and the High Council demands an audience! We need to inspect the border captives immediately!"

Lucian didn't break eye contact with me. He didn't even turn his head toward the door.

"Get out, Kaelen," Lucian called back, his voice flat and full of iron command.

"Lucian, be reasonable!" Lord Cassian’s softer voice joined through the wood. "The kingdom is on the edge of riots! The elders need to see that your beast is contained! If you're keeping a male slave in your quarters—"

"He isn't a male!" Lucian roared, his voice booming through the stone chamber so loud the glass lanterns along the walls rattled in their brass frames.

The silence outside the door was nerve racking.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat and my heart stopped.

No. No, no, no.

"Lucian..." Kaelen's voice came back, utterly stunned. "What did you just say?"

Lucian finally released my hair, stepping back a single pace, though his eyes never left mine. He reached for the cloak resting on the back of his chair, throwing it over his broad shoulders.

"Tell the Council the search is over," Lucian said loudly toward the door. "Tell Malakor to take his guards back to the northern border. My mate is in my room."

I stared at him, horror pooling in the pit of my stomach. "You just killed me," I whispered, my voice trembling. "They hate humans. If they find out who I am—"

"Let them try," He growled, his hand resting on the pommel of his broadsword. "I'll tear the throat out of any male who steps within ten feet of you."

He turned and unbolted the heavy brass lock, pulling the door open just enough to step into the corridor. He didn't let the grand lords look inside. He slammed the door shut behind him, and the bolt slid back into place from the outside with a sickening, final clank.

I was locked in.

I ran to the door, grabbing the heavy brass handle and shaking it with all my strength. It didn't budge.

"Lucian! Open this door!" I screamed, hammering my fist against the oak paneling. "Let me out!"

Outside, the muffled sound of heated, furious voices echoed down the stone corridor.

"She's a human, Lucian!" Lord Kaelen’s voice rose above the rest, sharp with fury. "A border stray! You cannot bond with a human! It's an insult to our bloodline—"

"Touch her, Kaelen, and I'll rip your arm off," Lucian replied, his voice dead cold.

The heavy footsteps began to fade down the hall, taking the argument with them until the corridor fell completely silent.

I slumped against the door, sliding down until my knees hit the floor. My hands trembled in my lap.

I was trapped in the heart of the Lycan fortress, discovered by a feral king who claimed I was his mate, surrounded by lords who wanted me dead, and my little sister was still out there in the cold, waiting for a brother who was never coming back.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing down the tears stinging the corners of my eyes. I pulled my legs up to my chest, my hands gripping the thick fabric of my pants.

I have to escape, I thought, my jaw tightening as a cold resolve settled over me. I don't care if he's the King. I don't care about his bond. I'm getting out of this keep, or I'm dying trying.