Chapter 07: Rebel Threat

MORANA

How could I have been so naive to believe he would let me escape so easily?

"No. Please, let me go." I begged.

"You know you shouldn't be here. Now come on." He said, lifting me effortlessly and placing me over his shoulder.

I had to use all my strength not to scream or fight. I tried to decide whether to attempt an escape before he took me to the others; maybe I had a chance against one, but certainly not against four.

But he was too big, a confrontation would likely kill me. I shouldn't have come here. What were they going to do with me? This was probably going to be my end.

As he approached the house, drawing the attention of the three men on the porch, I realized that the only option left to try to survive was to not resist and to try not to provoke them, hiding my emotions.

However, I doubted there would be much left of me after they were done.

One of the males, with long black hair, howled excitedly upon seeing us, before coming toward us.

"What do we have here? Looks like Lyall found something for us," he declared with a broad smile.

The other two also seemed curious but kept more distance. All three were as huge as the one carrying me, which made me fear even more what was to come.

"Who is the female?" the male with black hair asked, approaching.

"That's what we're about to find out," Lyall retorted.

"Looks like we're finally going to have some fun," the one with black hair commented, making my body shudder.

The other two also followed us toward the house, while I focused on trying to hide my fear.

"Get a chair," Lyall ordered, as soon as we passed through the door.

"Do you need a rope too?" the one with black hair asked suggestively.

"No, that won't be necessary."

"No?" He seemed confused.

"She won't try to run or resist because she thinks that will give her a chance," Lyall said, making them all laugh.

My stomach turned in response. I didn't want to show fear, but I didn't know how much longer I could keep it at bay.

They were four, and their huge bodies were enough to instill fear. I tried not to imagine what was to come.

After one of them positioned a chair in the center of the room, Lyall put me down. My eyes quickly scanned the place. The structure of the house seemed to be entirely made of wood, as was most of the furniture in the room.

"Sit down," Lyall ordered, and I complied without hesitation.

"Shouldn't we wait for him to arrive?" the one with black hair asked.

There were more of them? I swallowed hard, struggling to control the fear spreading through every cell of my body.

I could feel all the eyes in the room roaming over my body while I stared at the floor.

"Let's start with introductions in the meantime. So, what's your name, female?" Lyall asked, lifting my chin and making me look into his blue eyes.

"Morana."

"Why did you come here, Morana?"

"I told you, I got lost."

He sighed in frustration.

"I know you don't want to anger me, right? So stop trying to deceive me. Tell the truth, and maybe you really will have a chance."

"I..."

"Think carefully before you decide to lie to me again," he warned. "You must realize it's not easy to find females in a place like this, and I can assure you it's been a long time since my friends have had access to one. I'm sure they are all very interested in spending some time with you."

I nodded, swallowing hard, feeling a chill run through my body. It seemed that telling the truth was my only option if I wanted a chance to survive.

"I'm running away," I confessed.

"From what or whom?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

I couldn't tell the truth. If I said I was running from Viltarin, they might want to take me back, after all, he was the damn king. I couldn't trust them.

"My husband," I said, thinking that maybe telling a half-truth might be enough to convince them.

Lyall squinted, as if doubting my answer, then I saw his nostrils flare, sniffing. He was searching for a scent on me, but he wouldn't find anything.

"You won't find anything," I warned.

"I told you not to lie," he cautioned.

"I'm not lying. But you won't find his scent on me because I ran away before he had the chance to mark me."

"Expect us to believe that?" one of the males said, drawing my attention.

He stood in a corner, arms crossed in front of his body. He had brown hair and eyes and bore a distinctive scar that started at his eyebrow and

ran down just below his eye.

"Why would I lie when it's clear my life depends on it?"

They looked at each other for a brief moment.

"So you're saying you were running away and just stumbled upon this place by accident?" the blonde with tattoos on his arms and neck asked, I noticed he was the only one in the group who wore a short, slicked-back hairstyle.

His eyes were grayish-blue, and there was something in his gaze that was enough to make me uncomfortable.

"Yes," I nodded, shifting my gaze back to Lyall.

"I tried to give you a chance," he warned.

"I'm telling the truth."

"You said you were running from your husband, but how can he be your husband if you don't even carry his scent?" he questioned, raising one dark, thick eyebrow. "See? Your story doesn't sound very convincing."

"I know it doesn't make sense, but it's the truth. He didn't mark me because I ran away right after... after the wedding," I tried to explain, but I knew it didn't sound very coherent. "Please, just let me go."

"You can't, not until you tell the truth."

"I already told you I'm not lying. I never wanted to get married, this marriage was arranged by my family, and that's why I ran away," I confessed, thinking maybe the truth would make the story more believable.

"They still do that?" the male with black hair asked skeptically.

Damn. He was right. Arranged marriages aren't very common nowadays.

"No. They don't. Unless your family is important, or they promised you as a child," I explained.

"That's enough for me," the tattooed male said, seeming impatient. "We can't let her go without finding out the truth."

"Kallias is right, she knows about this place," the one with the scar agreed.

Damn. They weren't believing me. And why the hell did they care so much about this place?

"I won't tell anyone, okay? Just let me go."

"Lyall?" the blonde named Kallias said as if expecting a decision from Lyall. This must mean he was the Alpha.

"Come," Lyall said, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet.

"Wait..." I protested.

He dragged me along, forcing me to walk. I fought to control the panic that threatened to overwhelm me.

"Where are you taking me?"

"You should know that males of our species aren't usually very patient and since you don't want to tell us the truth, we'll have to find other means to make you talk."

"I'm telling the truth. Please, just let me go, I won't tell anyone about this place, I don't even know why you care..."

Unless... I could only think of one reason they would be afraid of me telling about this place.

"You're rebels," I concluded, making Lyall stop in front of the door he was dragging me towards.

"Yes, and that's why we can't let you go," he said before opening the door and making me enter the room, which I discovered was an office.

Entering after me, he locked the door, leaving the other males behind in the room.

We were alone. I panicked internally, feeling my heart race. What was he planning? Turning around, he approached me, making me step back.

Suddenly the small room seemed even smaller.

"I won't tell anyone," I said, my voice wavering.

He continued to stare at me in silence while I still struggled to control my emotions. Then, he moved away, grabbing a chair from a corner.

"Sit down," he ordered, placing it in front of me.

I obeyed as my eyes followed his movements. He approached a cabinet in a corner and opened it, taking something out. When he turned back, he was holding a rope.

I swallowed hard.

"Are you going to torture me?" I asked as he stood in front of me.

Kneeling down, he placed my right arm over the armrest of the chair and began to tie it.

"If you mean cutting and beating, don't worry. We don't usually use that method with females. It would be a waste, don't you think?"

Waste? I didn't even want to imagine what they intended then.

Finishing tying my left arm, he began to tie my ankles.

"See the guy with the tattoos? He's our specialist in interrogations with females. Understand what I mean?" he asked, spreading my legs to tie my left ankle. "I'm giving you one last chance to tell the truth."

"I am telling the truth."

"If Kallias were here, you wouldn't be wearing those clothes anymore. Do you want me to call him?"

"No."

"Then start talking."

"I've told you everything you want to know."

"What if I let the other two come in as well?"

"Please, no."

"Who sent you?"

"Nobody, I already told you..."

"I can ask them to take turns, or would you prefer all at once? How long do you think you'll last? I'm sure they can go on for days, non-stop."

His threat made a knot form in my throat. I didn't know if he was just trying to scare me, or if they were really capable of such a thing.

"I don't know what you want. I've told the truth," my voice came out almost trembling as I struggled to keep my fear under control.

"You can keep trying to hide your fear, that won't save you," he said, staring at me with a threatening blue gaze.

"So this is what rebels do? Abuse helpless females?"

"If you were a helpless female, you wouldn't have come here alone. Now tell us who sent you."

"I already told you... I was running away."

"I hope you enjoy your time with Kallias," he said before standing up and turning his back to me, heading towards the door.