A Common Enemy

[Pandora’s POV]

My eyes grow wide as it feels like I’m being punched in the gut. Did he just say he’s… he’s second in line for alpha of Onyx Moon? He’s that bastard Lux’s younger brother?

“I know that it may be a bit to take in, but if you could just…”

“No,” I hiss, not wanting to hear anymore. “Whatever it is that you’re trying to do, I won’t go along with it.”

As I speak, I look around, desperately looking for a route of escape, but there are guards standing in front of the only routes. He intentionally planned this. He made sure that I would be stuck here, and even if he was trying to act nice and like he wanted the same thing as me, he was just working for his brother.

“Why?” I growl, my anger coming to a boil. “WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST LEAVE ME TO DIE!”

Unable to contain the rage that I’m feeling, I move, throwing myself at Lucian, who easily captures me.

“LET GO!” I scream, starting to fight. “LET GO OF ME! LET GO! DON’T TOUCH ME!”

“Lucian!” One of the guards hisses, moving forward but stopping as he raises a hand and shakes his head.

“Don’t move.” He says calmly. “That’s an order.”

For a moment, the guard doesn’t move as he looks from Lucian to me while I continue to fight, and when a low growl of warning escapes Lucian, he steps back and falls into position once more.

“I know that you can’t trust me after hearing that, but I assure you nothing that I have said is a lie.” Lucian says calmly, clearly trying to coax me, but failing miserably. “Just like you, I want to see the downfall of my brother.”

“Liar,” I hiss, opening my mouth and biting down on his shoulder so that his blood begins to erupt in my mouth. “YOU’RE A LIAR!”

“Think what you will,” he murmurs, sliding his arms around me and pulling me against him. “Since I can’t convince you with my words, I will convince you with my actions.”

Who says I’ll stick around to see that? I think inwardly, pulling away a chunk of his skin and spitting it aside. I won’t stay here like a sitting duck!

Sitting up, I stare down into Lucian’s face, taking in his eyes that are almost pleading with me to believe him, and before I can stop myself, I’m slamming my forehead against his, earning myself a hiss of shock from him and a killer headache as black dots dance in front of my eyes and my ears begin to ring.

“Fuck,” I hiss, losing all my strength from my ridiculous choice. “What is your head made of?”

At my words, a laugh escapes Lucian, taking me by surprise and enveloping me in an odd sense of warmth from the sound.

“Maybe you should have thought about that before headbutting me.” He chuckles, repositioning me so that I’m sitting in his lap. “You should really consider thinking before you act; it may work in your favor.”

“I don’t want advice from you.” I snap. “I don’t…”

Ugh. My head hurts, and my vision's blurry. And the more I fought against this man who held me like I was his lover instead of his prisoner, the weaker I felt.

Dammit. This wasn’t working. I wasn’t going to escape if I kept doing this, but then what other choice did I have? Did I go along with him and wait until he turned on me? Or until they decided to kill me just like they did the rest of my family?

Would that be so bad?

The thought hits me before I can even stop it, and the idea of an oblivion free from the torture of the pleas and faces of my fallen pack and family didn’t seem that bad.

“Just kill me.” I whisper, leaning against Lucian and closing my eyes. “Please, just go ahead and kill me. End all of this and free me.”

Please. I beg inwardly, just wanting it all to be over. Just kill me.

“I won’t do that.” Lucian responds, beginning to rub slow circles on my back, taking me by surprise but also immediately comforting. “I said that I would help you if you helped me, and I can’t go through with that if you’re dead.”

“Are you still saying that?” I ask, sitting up and attempting to push him back to no avail. “Do you think I’ll believe you?”

“No,” he responds, giving me a smirk. “But you will soon enough.”

Finished speaking, he stands up and carries me back to the bed where he sits me down. Once I’m in place, he covers me.

“Since it doesn’t seem like we are going to get anywhere today, I think it’s best we end things here.” He announces, reaching up and touching his shoulder where I bit. “By the way, you have a pretty nasty bite.”

“Is that your way of trying to compliment me?” I ask, raising a brow.

“Maybe,” he shrugs, turning and heading toward the door. “Either way, I’ll have someone bring you food and a fresh change of clothes. Please do try to not cause any trouble for them.”

Opening my mouth, I prepare to tell him that I don’t want any of that, but I don’t bother since he was making it increasingly clear that he didn’t give two shits about what I had to say or what I wanted.

“Do what you want.” I finally sigh, feeling exhausted. “But know that no matter what you do, I won’t work with you.”

He doesn’t bother responding to me; instead, he gives me a look that almost screams, We’ll see, and then he’s gone, leaving me alone with his four guards, who continue to block the window and door.

Remaining silent, I eye them, taking in their builds while wondering how hard it would be to take them and settling on there not being any way I could possibly do that in my current condition. For the time being I would have to sit and be good while I regained my strength and hopefully my wolf returned after the medicine I was given in the auction house wore off.

Well, shit. I sigh inwardly, collapsing on my pillow. It looks like he has me trapped for the time being.

That’s one for you, Lucian, but in the end, I’ll be the one who comes out victorious. If I was going to be made to stay here, then I would take advantage of this opportunity and get revenge however I could without the help of anyone else. I just needed for my wolf to return, and then I could wreak havoc.

Never let your wolf loose. My mother’s voice appears in my head, but I push it aside.

Desperate times, mother. I tell it. Call for desperate measures even if those measures cost me my life.