For @RAYNABEARR Your comments really made me smile ❤️

-Three days till the ceremony -

I sat on the ledge, feeling numb. My body felt sore and stiff as my muscles burned from sitting on the hard ledge for so long. Sighing, I leant my forehead against the cooling panels of the glass watching with a sense of melancholy as the raindrops trickled down the glass against the grey, sombre sky set as the background. They seemed to race against each other in a pointless pursuit before finally mingling into one large reservoir of liquid pooling on the outside ledge and then, dropping down the great distance to the far ground below.

The pitter-patter of the rain did little to soothe my aching soul but matched my depressive mood. It was quite gloomy outside with only the telltale dark figures of the guards on patrol. They never get a break, did they? I had never been unable to catch a single moment where there was no one in the forest or the grounds which made any form of escape much, much harder.

I wrung my hands together nervously. A pattern had been established. I had to remain cooped up into my room during the night until Jacob fetched me for whatever purposes, generally before midday. I had never actually had a day alone and I knew today wouldn't be any different. I had slept little last night, and my appearance felt haggard and fatigued but I honestly didn't care much. There was no need for me to impress Mikhail or these people.

I did wonder why Jacob was acting so weird with me last night. Maybe he overheard my conversation with Kaira and felt bad for calling me a whore. Or maybe he wanted to apologise again. Either way, I didn't care.

I strummed my fingers on the chilled panes of the window, impatiently. I didn't feel safe during the day. I was only ever alone at night so I needed the day to be over as soon as possible. But there was no avoiding this so I wanted to get it all over with and hide back in the lonely refuge of my room.

Groaning, I stretched out my stiff arms. Jacob would probably come to get me any minute now.

Knock, knock.

Bingo. I dropped down from the ledge and schooled my face into a neutral expression. 'Never let emotions get the best of you', my mother had always said. 'Always remain level headed and calm'. So that was my approach. Act as if I didn't give a shit. People like Mikhail fed of negative emotions like fear and misery. They thrived in it. So the best emotion would be no emotion at all.

I opened the door to see Jacob with his mouth open as if he were about to say something which he closed rather quickly as soon as he saw me.

"And where might I have the honour of going today?" I asked, arching my eyebrow.

"The Alpha's office", he responded, hesitantly. "You need to rehearse the Vows for the ceremony".

"Great", I replied. "Shall we go?"

Without waiting for an answer, I strode off along the already annoyingly familiar route to his office. I noticed that the people had hardly gotten used to my presence and I stuck out much like a sore thumb. I marched on anyway, ignoring their question stares.

"Wait", Jacob called out as we neared Mikhail's office. "What happened yesterday-"

"I already said I would keep my mouth shut", I cut in, impatiently. "Stop bothering me about it".

I looked at him floundering about, trying to find words. I was surprised to see him like that but my sense of anger was too great to accommodate his needs. Sighing, I turned to the door and knocked to announce my presence with a heavy sense of dread weighing my heart down.

"Okay", Jacob said, tightly. "The Alpha said you can come in".

Ignoring him, I opened the door and shut it behind me as I walked into the office. Mikhail sat at his desk, twirling a fountain pen between his fingers, the pen a blur of black.

"Arya", he said, staring at me as he peered through his eyelashes. The lighting cast a sinister shadow across his face, highlighting his prominent angular cheekbones. "Take a seat".

Tentatively, I sat down in the seat opposite him, my fingers discreetly digging into the cushioned armrest for some sort of comfort. Just being in his presence made every inch of me increasingly uncomfortable. It didn't make sense though. They both looked painfully alike but whilst one man arose feels of affection and desire, the other arose feelings of revulsion and disgust.

"Two more days after this one", Mikhail said, interpreting my train of thought. "The ceremony shall take place under the full moon".

I sat there stoically and said nothing.

"Well, I am surprised that you have not bombarded me with questions", he said, as he leant forward. "I'll ignore this little... tantrum that you're having and I'll answer what you probably would have asked anyway as I am feeling particularly generous today".

I looked out of the window in a silent response.

"The full moon is the tradition and necessary for the ritual. But little bird, do no get any ideas of making yourself sick or hurting yourself to avoid the full moon as there are ways of performing the ceremony whilst you're unconscious".

"I thought consent was needed for the ceremony?" I asked, unable to stay silent.

"Amara talks too much", he responded, grinning self-righteously at my question. "But, I am the Alpha and there is always a way".

A painful silence followed that statement. I did my best act bored and unbothered, dragging my eyes lazily across the small details in the ceiling and the embellishments on the curtain. Mikhail, however, as usual, was watching me, his fingers interlocked and placed in front of him.

"You really do amuse me", he said, delighted. "Do remember that these small acts of disobedience do little in your favour. You have nowhere to go and no one to take you. A little bird can fly and fly but its cage will always keep it shackled".

I scoffed in response and crossed one leg over the other, aimlessly. I was starting to hate the word 'bird' now. He was obviously trying to get a rise out of me but I would give him nothing.

"I will not give my consent to this, you might as well kill me now to avoid the hassle", I said nonchalantly.

"Where would be the fun in that? Do you value your life so little?" He smiled wolfishly. "And there are ways to make you say the binding Vows without your agreement".

"The only thing you could use against me is me. You cannot use my family as they are protected enough. I have no one else to worry for. How do you think it would look like as the whole pack watches whilst their Alpha forces a bond upon a human?"

"Oh, but you do have something to worry about". He started to chuckled deeply and gazed down at me with a perceptive tone of anger. "Or have you already forgotten him?"

I stared at him, unable to maintain my neutral expression in surprise.

"That's very disappointing. It would have been more entertaining if you hadn't. Well, I'm sure I can bring him around and make him watch too. Every time you disobey, maybe I should slice one claw through his left eye? Then his right? Then mar every surface of his skin?"

"You wouldn't-"

"Yes, I could and I shall. You can pretend all you like but deep down, I think you at least feel a little bit sad if I flayed his skin slowly, peeling one layer of at a time".

"Wha-"

"And if that doesn't bother you, I can think of many different, entertaining ways to keep you occupied, all involving him and a different arrangement of tools"

"You are overestimating any affection I might feel towards him", I said. "I only have known him for a few months".

"Oh, well that could only mean you're a... easy woman", he chuckled. "Or do you sit in the laps every other man? Do not be so surprised, did you think the CCTV was there for decoration?"

"You watched all the footage of Malik and me?" I asked, feeling disgusted.

"Of course I didn't", he scoffed. "I made someone else do it and show anything of importance. It was a rather sour-faced woman in that office".

Shit, that must have been Sam. And she had seen all of that? I groaned to myself.

"It was... quite amusing to see her reaction to a doctor kissing her own patient. That's not a very good work ethic is it? Or are kisses part of your treatment? If so, I feel rather poorly right now".

"Don't delude yourself-"

"I wonder what he must think as he sits there all alone in his cell, whilst his Psychiatrist runs away with his brother. Imagine how heartbroken he must feel, knowing the one he likes is going to mate to his brother..."

"He wouldn't know", I whispered. "He thinks I have resigned".

"Well, I could easily ask the staff to send a message. Maybe I could record the Vows and show them to him?"

"How do you have control over all the staff to even do that?"

"Well, I pay a large amount, large enough that whatever I say, goes", he said. "Money does run the world".

"Did you put all those guards and security there? Why?"

"Because I have to take every precaution to ensure he stays put. A wolf can heal quickly if given the time but I don't think he can survive hundreds of bullets being fired at once. I wonder how many bullets it would take to actually kill him". He trailed off, amused, seeming to imagine it and count mentally.

I sat there, numbly. "Were there any werewolves in the building?" I asked shakily

He grinned at me, revelling in my discomfort. "Yes, and you may have been acquainted with quite a few of them". Shuddering, I ran a mental list through my head. Sam? No way, there was nothing remotely special about her. Dr Patel had a high likelihood of being one. There was something unnatural about him and I remembered how he said that he 'smelt him' on me that day that Malik escaped.

"Well, carry on with your charade if you must", he said, interrupting my mental investigation. "But you need to learn these vows, now. Do not test me either, I am not in the mood".

He slid a piece of paper towards me that looked like a photocopy of a book.

"Is this a photocopy?" I asked in surprise. I wasn't expecting something special but I did think that there would be more to it than this.

"Yes. No human has touched our ancient book of law and I plan to keep it that way. This is the closest you will get to something so special, so be grateful".

I sighed and looked at the paper reluctantly. It consisted of phrases I had to repeat such as swearing eternal love to my 'mate' and becoming permanently bound to them. Bile rose to the back of my throat, burning an acidic path as I thought of having to say such sweet words to such a cruel person.

"You know, I don't think anyone has told you yet, but after the bonding, you and I will be more than intimate physically but mentally too", he purred as he reached for my hand that rested on the table.

"What do you mean?" I asked in horror, snatching my hand away to avoid his outstretched hand. "You might force me to do this ritual with you, but you cannot force yourself on my body!"

"Well, don't resist and maybe we both can enjoy it", he smirked at me.

"I will not ever just give myself to you!"

"And a mating bond allows a spiritual bond to form. We can feel each other's emotions like real lovers would". He said smugly, ignoring my words. "Who knows, you may even come to loathe me slightly less, and maybe even chase after me".

I stood from my chair abruptly, the chair falling back and hitting the ground.

"Dear me", he chuckled darkly. "I knew I could break through this facade of yours. You really are a predictable person".

"Will you really be able to feel my emotions?" I asked, fuming. It was one thing to have your physical space invaded, but your mental space? That was the last straw for me. He would know everything. If I planned to escape, he would know before I could do it. I couldn't stay any longer.

"Yes", he confirmed, enjoying my reaction thoroughly.

"No fucking way". I started to turn around to walk out when suddenly, I feel a draft of wind and he stood behind me, gripping on to my hand. The papers on his desk fluttered slowly, in a late response to his movement.

"Where do you think you are going? You cannot walk in and out as you please". He gripped my hand tightly and pulled me closer to his body.

"I do not have to listen to you! And where can I go, except to my room?"

"Yes, you do". His voice had dipped dangerously low as he gazed down at me with darkened eyes. "I am your Alpha".

"I'm not part of this human-wolf hybrid bullshit! So I don't give a shit if you're the Alpha or not! Let go of me", I shouted, tugging my arm back.

"Oh, yes, you are", he purred into my ear. "And you should get used to it"

"Oh, I will never get used to this. Every cell in my body is repulsed by you so this will NEVER become the norm".

"Oh, is it?" He grinned vicariously at me, ignoring my feeble attempts to push him off. "I should test that out".

Before I could object. I felt my body slam into the wall as his arms encircled me from either side. He was breathing heavily, his locks of hair falling onto his forehead in a way that made him seem almost sweet to a stranger but the darkness was lurking in the shadows.

"Look into my eyes and don't you dare close them", he growled. "I heard from Kaira that your favourite colour is gold, huh? Well, I want you to look at this face, a mirror image of that bastards but instead of seeing gold, see my mine instead. I want you to look into these second-rate eyes as you kiss the wrong brother".

Hiii *casually acts normal*

:)

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Cats or dogs? (If cats win, I'll update on time next week XD)

I rewrote this entire chapter because I didn't like it 😃

Last first was... @lucky_charm11 👿

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