Chapter 4

ELARA

"You sick bastard!" I protested, dodging as the General angled to seize me. "Is this the best you can do?" A derisive snicker escaped my lips. "Is this how you intend to take my throne?"

He stood beside the naked girl, his lips in a straight line as his distinctive brown eyes pierced me with sheer fury. I could tell he was mortified, probably presuming I was broken by now- that his ruthless men had beaten the stubbornness out of me. Little did he know, a Chestnut didn't break easily. We were made of steel- the reason we'd led for over two million years.

"Take her away from here before I lose my mind!" He screamed at the General, whose hands circled mine, twisting mercilessly until my joints went numb with pain. I bit down on my lower lip to hold back the scream at the tip of my tongue.

"I will never step down for you!" I continued yelling as I was hauled outside. "You have to do more than this to get it, you vermin! Do more than this!"

The General dumped me like a sack the moment we reached my new prison. A heavy slap struck my face, followed by another, heavier one. "How dare you, you hideous slut!" he growled in my face. "Who advised you to speak to our Alpha like that?"

I folded on the ground, my bound hands shielding my swollen, abused face as my entire body shook profusely. Pain wracked me.

I started to crawl away, but he captured my hair, pulling me forcefully backward. I screamed from the stinging effect on my skull as my hands moved to stop him. His face dropped to my left ear, his breath hot as it caressed my earlobe. "I see you still think yourself a Queen, eh?" I tried to shake my head, praying he'd release his hold. The pain was driving me crazy.

His tobacco-ridden breath was so stinky, I nearly retched. "You had the guts to embarrass me in front of the future King. Now you shall pay the price." He shoved my face into the earth. Before I could regain myself, he flipped me onto my back and engulfed the top of my dress in his fist, shredding it apart.

I gasped, my eyes widening in panic as I realized what he intended. My hands flared in a fight. "Let me go, you scum!" I jerked and kicked my feet as much as the chains allowed- useless efforts. "Please...stop!" I was losing it. My Wolf was awakening.

And that was a problem. I couldn't set my Wolf free, or they would know the Wolfbane was fading and possibly feed me more doses. If they did, my Wolf would become dormant, and eventually, I would go mad- the curse of my bloodline.

"Stop fighting, you stupid bitch!" The General captured my hands, pinning them above my head with his left while his right recklessly fondled my bare breasts.

My panic heightened. No one had ever touched me like that. I had never known a man's touch, and the thought of losing my precious gift to this brute made me want to damn the consequences and release my Wolf.

"Please," I submitted, tears slipping furiously down my face as I struggled fruitlessly to free my hands.

"No, I have to put you in your place so that next time you'll know better than to disrespect the future King." He peered down, shoving my legs apart as his hand penetrated my pants. Seizing the opportunity, I slammed my knee into his jaw. The strength of it momentarily unstabled him, and I pushed him off, stood, and ran. I didn't make it to the door before he was on me again, thrusting my naked form into the wall and resuming his assault.

"Somebody help me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping someone would come to my aid. "H-help me!"

"Shut the fuck up!" The General grabbed my head and smashed it repeatedly against the wall to quiet me. Lightheaded, it gave him a chance to explore further.

I was hardly aware of his hand delving under my pants when the door abruptly opened.

"General."

I felt his weight leave me, and I slumped to the ground at the brink of unconsciousness.

"What do you want?!" The General's voice rang with outrage.

"T-the Alpha requested you," a shaky female voice said. "Now," she added after a pause.

The General hissed, apparently sore his plan had been disrupted.

I shuddered frantically when soft hands skimmed my face, pushing me to lay on my back.

"Are you okay?" A familiar soft voice inquired. Slowly, I opened my eyes. When they met the younger girl's from before, my face contorted, and out of nowhere, a heavy cry of relief burst out. She knelt beside me and hugged me. "It's okay, it's okay," she cooed.

After consoling me, the girl helped me from the floor to the bed and out of the ruined dress into a simple white gown.

"I'm going to bring some herbs for your face and a salve," she said when I was back on the bed.

Anxiety skipped my heart. "No, no, you can't go, please." I stood and gripped her hands tightly. "He would come back, and he would- he would- "

The girl took my hands, giving me a look of assurance. "He won't."

"How do you know?"

"I-I told the Alpha what he was doing."

I merely gaped at her, then the meaning of her statement dawned, along with her comment.

"But I'm not his woman!" I hissed, retrieving my hands. My lips quirked as hot flashes washed over me, and I paused, covering my forehead. "I can never be his woman," I finished softly.

The girl halted in front of me. "Look, the Alpha expects you in his room by nightfall. We need to ensure you're anything but...this." She waved her hands over my face. "You might hate him, but being on his good side should favor your survival here."

I stood there, my eyes roving all over her, unable to process the rubbish she was saying. A bitter taste filled my mouth at the thought of playing nice with the monster, but Amara was right. Escaping this hellhole and avenging my people was more important than my pride. I had to swallow my fury and become the perfect, submissive captive.

"I'll be back." The girl squeezed my hand and began leaving.

"What's your name?" I suddenly asked.

She looked back from the half-opened door with an adorable smile. "Amara."

"Amara," I tasted the name. "My name is Elara. Thank you for saving me."

The girl nodded shyly and scurried off.

An hour later, I felt brand new thanks to the snake-tail potion Amara had generously applied to my wounds before my soothing soak. Due to the Wolfbane, my natural healing ability was unable to manifest, so until I recovered, I would have to depend on elixirs.

Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I took in the sheer black fabric clinging to my curves, delicate lace teasing glimpses of the skin underneath- an enticing vision prepared for the Alpha tonight. A profound sense of revulsion welled up inside me. Just weeks prior, I had commanded forces, led armies, and made influential decisions. Now, I had lost everything, reduced to an object of mockery and scorn. A hollowness consumed me, emotions dulled as I realised that to achieve my ultimate goal moving forward, I would have to feign utter powerlessness- as feeble and meek as the lowliest omega. Playing the role of a simpleton, appearing dumb and clueless, would be crucial to my survival.

"You look stunning, Mistress," Amara praised, giving me a warm smile. All I could do was stare at her reflection in the mirror, incapable of forming a coherent response.

The door was thrown open, and the guard stood there.

"It's time."