CHAPTER Three

Amanda

My head swam with his words. Pet? Training? I closed my eyes, trying to block out everything. But I was confused on a few parts of his speech. "What's a Prime?"

He didn't let go of me at all, only continued to trek through the snow as it got deeper around us and fell down harder. Were we stumbling through a blizzard?

"Consider me a God among Alphas, the Alpha of Alphas." Zale smirked. "And it means you'll never get away from me. If you try, you'll be punished and you will always fail."

I trembled and it wasn't from the cold.

"Oh?" Zale chuckled, his grip rougher. "Is that what the lil wolf wants? You want to be punished? Careful for what you wish for it might break your mind."

I didn't like the sound of that. He continued to trudge forward and the snow reached his hips. I could only imagine trying to climb through this. I shivered as the icy wind blew and the over-sized clothes I wore clung to my body. They didn't provide nearly enough warmth. He tilted his head back and I stared at the practical castle we approached.

"His castle isn't that big, but it'll be enough for you to understand your place, Luna."

I really didn't like how he stressed that word. I still did not want to be one. "Why me?" I whimpered.

"You're my mate, why wouldn't you be my Luna? Besides, I need my mate by my side to unleash all the power that was passed down to me by my father." He laughed, moving towards the front of the castle. The giant heavy doors beckoned me. Black smoke curled up into the air with the scent of pine and cedar.

The doors creaked open and a giant of a man strode out. His chest was bare, and he wore black shorts. A long thick red braid traveled all the way down to his feet and he grinned at the two of us. "Brother!" he called to Zale, before his eyes narrowed on me.

I forgot how to breathe. Were all men in this strange kindgom Gods of beauty? He had sky blue eyes that stole my every thought. I couldn't do anything but stare at him. His full lips were curved in a smug grin.

"Bo," Zale greeted, still holding me across his shoulder. "I've brought my mate."

Bo nodded, eyes inspecting me. "She looks a bit small. Do you think she'll be able to handle us both at once? You know what happened to the last one." He licked his lips. "But, it's been too long, I don't really give a damn anyway. It's been cold this season, a warm body will do wonders for the spirit.

The last one? What did he mean by that? I wanted to ask, but was too terrified to. A darkness had came over Zale, and I wanted no part in it. It reminded me too much of the monster I'd left behind.

"She'll handle it," Zale agreed with a smirk. "But before we get to that, I'm starving. What have you fixed for me?"

Bo snorted, striding over and reaching for me. "For you? Stew, for our new Luna, a meal fit for a queen."

Zale didn't try to stop him from lifting me away and cradling me in his arms. I was carried into the castle and stared at the blazing fireplace. Bo sat me down in front of it. "Thank you," I mumbled, eyes fixated on the dancing flames. The warmth took the sting of the chill away and I huddled closer.

"Zale, you can't have her walking around in that. I'll go gather my things. Keep her company till I get back."

Zale huffed. "Don't forget whose mate she is, Bo. You can touch all you want, but you'll never have her mark."

A slow grin slid across Bo's lips. "I won't need that when I get to taste all the other parts of her. Axel won't be home for awhile, he's hunting and dealing with patrols. There's been a lot of activity at the northern border."

Zale's eyes were almost obsidian at the news. "I'll look into it once she's settled. Once I retrieve all my powers, it won't matter. We'll prepare for war if we must."

The northern border? We'd come from the south, and I'd never been this far from my own pack before. What kind of wolves were out that way? Would I have a chance at escaping this tyrant? I couldn't help the seed of hope that settled into my heart.

Bo left us and Zale took a seat beside me, before dragging me into his lap. He leaned down, rubbing his nose along my neck. His hot breath painted my skin. I shivered and he groaned against me, pressing against me.

"Keep that up, and I won't be able to wait," he whispered into my ear.

He grabbed my shirt, ripping it off my body. "Hey!" I gasped, covering myself the best I could. My bruised skin was exposed.

Zale's eyes narrowed, tracing over every mark. "Who did this?" he whispered.

The words were glued in my throat. If I revealed the culprit the monsters would end up facing each other. And while the thought of Zale winning filled me with warmth, I couldn't bear to think of the consequences if he failed. I'd never seen him fight, but I'd seen the murderer and the battles he'd won.

Zale reached out, grabbing me by the chin, squeezing and forcing me to stare into his eyes. "You will tell me. You're mine, given to me by the Gods themselves, and no one touches my things. Even if he did this before I knew you existed, I don't give a damn. Tell me everything, or we're going to get around to those punishments I told you about. I don't play games when it comes to my possessions, Amanda."

"I've got the things," Bo announced as he came back into the room. A leather collar attached to chained manacles was draped over his arm and a short white slip of clothing they couldn't possibly expect me to wear. "Oh, what's going on here?" he set the things down, striding closer and licked his lips. "Is it time to play?"