CHAPTER 4

Bound and Defiant

Maya's POV

As I staggered along the small wooded trail, I felt pain radiating from my wrists and the ropes digging into my skin. I felt a new shock of pain with every stride, but I was determined not to give in. I kept my chin up and my gaze straight ahead.

The enforcers of the Midnight Pack around me like a hostile, muscular wall. They displayed everything from apathy to blatant contempt. Their low mutters carried just enough information for me to pick up the occasional "rogue" and "filthy," and I could feel their glares searing into the back of my head.

They thought they’d broken me.

They were wrong.

“Move faster,” one of them barked, shoving me forward.

I bit back a response as I tripped and steadied myself. Reacting to them would only make them happy.

With an unwavering presence, Darius strode forward. Every time he looked back at me, I could sense the weight of his attention, even though he hadn't said anything since I was taken.

It was frustrating.

Ahead, a vast fortress tucked away in the middle of the forest was the Midnight Pack's stronghold. It was intimidating and inhospitable, with dark stone walls that appeared to sprout out of the ground itself.

Curious eyes swiveled toward us as we stepped into the courtyard. Members of the pack halted their activities to observe the show.

“Is that the rogue?”

“She doesn’t look like much.”

“Why didn’t they just kill her?”

Despite their whispers buzzing around me like insects, I maintained a neutral attitude. I wouldn't let them enjoy watching me struggle.

At last, Darius halted and looked at me. The world appeared to shrink around us for a second as his cold eyes met mine.

With a quiet, authoritative voice, he declared, "You will remain confined until further notice. Avoid making any foolish attempts."

My lips formed a defiant sneer as I met his gaze. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Alpha.”

They took me to a cell in the stronghold's interior, its wet, chilly walls enclosing me. There was a slight smell of rust and sadness in the air, and the iron bars were thick and unforgiving.

Without any fanfare, the enforcers pushed me inside, and the door slammed behind me.

I raised an eyebrow as I turned to look at them. "I appreciate your hospitality."

Among them, one scoffed. “You won’t be thanking us for long.”

Their footsteps reverberated down the hallway as they departed, leaving me by myself.

My thoughts were racing as I leaned against the wall. Not yet, escape was not an option. To find out what Darius wanted with me, I had to wait.

However, a persistent thought persisted in the back of my mind while I was planning.

The way he looked at me... It was more than hatred. There is something else, but I couldn't name.

Hours, or perhaps days, went by. The oppressive darkness of the jail caused time to blur.

I stiffened, braced for whatever was about to happen, as the door finally creaked open.

Darius was standing there, taking up all the available space. A tall, broad-shouldered man with calculating eyes and keen features stood behind him.

"Lucien," Darius murmured without turning around. "Hold on outside."

After giving a nod, the man left and shut the door.

Darius looked at me, but his eyes were unreadable.

"Comfortable?" he inquired in a derisive tone.

I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed. "Oh, it’s lovely. Really brings out my best features.”

His mouth quirked, but he covered it up right away.

He said, "Maya, you're an interesting one," in a calmer tone. "By now, the majority of rogues would be groveling."

With a firm voice, I answered, "I'm not most rogues."

"No," he said, squinting his eyes a little. "You're not."

There was silence between us for a moment.

In a hushed voice, he eventually questioned, "Why are you really here?"

"What do you care?" I fired back.

Although his jaw tensed, he chose not to press the question. Rather, he turned and walked away, leaving me once again to think alone.

The pack’s disdain for me only grew as word of my defiance spread.

The mutters were louder and the looks more intense when they eventually allowed me to leave the cell to breathe.

As I passed, one of them growled, "You don't belong here."

I choose to ignore them and concentrate on my surroundings. Everything was important, including the pack's routines, the enforcers' actions, and the stronghold's structure.

I could sense that Darius was observing me. He was oppressive and thick, like a thundercloud.

It disturbed me that I didn't comprehend him. Despite his brutality and authority, there was something about him that didn't match the tales I had heard.

The confrontation came sooner than I expected.

"Why don't you give in?" As we faced one other in the courtyard, Darius asked in a piercing voice.

I said steadily, "Because I'm not yours to command."

“You’re in my territory,” he said, his tone icy. “That makes you mine.”

With my chin raised boldly, I took a step closer. "Darius, I don't give a damn who you are. Never will I bow to you.”

The tension between us was like lightning as his eyes flared.

"You're testing my patience." He cautioned.

"And you're testing mine." I retorted.

I was afraid he was going to hit me. Instead, with his fists locked at his sides, he turned and walked away.

My thoughts were racing as I lay awake in my cell that night.

I couldn’t afford to stay here much longer. The pack hated me, and Darius… He was a puzzle I didn’t have time to solve.

However, a part of me kept thinking about the way he had looked at me even as I made plans to get away.

The next morning, the atmosphere in the stronghold was tense.

The arrival of Elder Alistair Vane was icy and authoritative. As he spoke to Darius in the main hall, his keen eyes did not miss anything.

The senior remarked in a low but forceful voice, "You're harboring a rogue, playing a dangerous game."

“She’s not a threat,” Darius replied, though his tone lacked conviction.

Alistair’s gaze shifted to me, his expression unreadable. “Be careful, Alpha. One wrong move, and the Council won’t hesitate to act.”

I couldn't help but wonder what I'd gotten myself into as the elder's warning replayed in my head.

There was more to the Midnight Pack than first appeared, and Darius had something to conceal.

But so was I.

And I had no intention of letting him find out.

The days ahead would test us both.

But for the time being, I was still fighting and standing.

And I had no intention of stopping.