Page 48 of Marked By Moonlight
The basement is veiled in complete darkness. Thankfully, my eyesight is the one thing that proves that I carry the wolf shifter blood in my veins despite not being able to shift. I can see the entire room perfectly. Three cells and I am in the center one. And from the marks on the walls and in the ground, it looks like the cells are frequently used.
Even at the sight of evidence of torture, my anger doesn’t turn to fear. I’m not afraid of Ambrose. I don’t care that he’s the strongest alpha that ever lived. He shouldn’t have locked me in a cell. Shouldn’t have used an alpha command on me.
I don’t care how little he knows me. I don’t care how angry he was with me for disobeying his orders. I don’t care how if he’s not used to other people disobeying him. He should’ve talked to me. I shouldn’t be here.
I don’t know how long I wait—somewhere between minutes and hours—but it’s not as long as I expected. Maybe he was just dealing with his own temper and needed me somewhere safe where he wouldn’t hurt me. But no excuse will dampen my disgust with him.
I hear heavy footsteps descending the stairs. I don’t have to look up to know it’s Ambrose. The way my body reacts instantaneously is enough for me to be sure. Heat floods my body, and a beginning to be familiar ache forms between my thighs. I grit my teeth together, angry at myself for feeling any attraction for a male who could get so furious with me that he locks me up like a prisoner.Damn the bond between us.
“How is Emeric?” I ask, staring straight ahead at the wall, ignoring him and my body’s reaction.
“He lives, for now. However, I haven’t decided if I’m going to kill him for putting you in danger.”
His words cause me to look up and into his golden-flaked eyes. He’s standing on the opposite side of the metal bars; there’s a deep but unclear emotion on his face. I don’t know him well enough yet to be able to discern what’s going on inside his head.
“Don’t be mad at Emeric. You’re not the one who gets to be mad,” I growl.
He raises his eyebrows. “And you are?”
“Yes, I get to be angry.” I stand, stomping across the cell until we are face to face. I have to crane my neck to look up at him, though, which ruins the effect. “I get to be incredibly angry with you.”
“For keeping you safe? That’s what you’re angry about?”
“For locking me in this cell like I’m your enemy!”
His nostrils flare, but mine flare right back. I won’t back down, not this time. If I do, I know what my future will look like. I’ll be following one step behind this man for the rest of my life.I’ll be blindly expected to follow orders. I’ll live in this house, but it might as well be this cell for all the freedom I’ll have.
“You’re not my mate. You can’t be,” I shake my head, glaring at him, my anger overpowering the sexual tension I felt earlier. My rage masks every warm feeling I have toward him. If we are really mates, then I shouldn’t be able to squash those feelings so easily.
For a second, neither of us says anything. I don’t know how he’s going to react to my fuming.
A slow grin works its way up his face, and then he cocks his head to the side.
My heart flutters in my chest.Down heart, don’t fall so easily. This man is nothing more than a controlling alpha asshole. He’s not my mate. He can’t be.
“You don’t think we are mates?” he asks, with a sly grin and quickly darkening eyes.
I shake my head. “I think we were fooled, like so many before us.”
“Hmmm.” He moves to the cell door and pushes it open. I’m not even sure if he bothered to undo the lock or not.
My legs instinctually try to take a step backward, but I force myself to hold my ground and not show any fear.
“You’re too cruel to be my mate.”
“I am cruel.” He takes a step toward me, invading every bit of space between us until I can’t breathe without inhaling his scent.
Still, I refuse to retreat. I won’t allow him to intimidate me.
“I’m an alpha; I don’t have a choice but to be cruel and ruthless. If I’m not, my pack and all the shifters would be vulnerable. The witches and vampires would be constantly attacking us. I have to exude power at all times. Otherwise, we’re all dead.”
I frown. “You locked me up to control me. To try to make me yield to your power. If I’m your mate, then you don’t get tomanhandle me. I’m your equal. And I can’t be equal to a cruel monster like you.”
The second my words leave my mouth, my back hits the wall behind me with a gentle thud. Ambrose pushed us back so quickly that I didn’t even realize we were moving. His body stands in front of me, boxing me in with his large, powerful arms on either side of me. His hips lightly push against mine.
“You don’t think I’m your mate?” he says again, his breath hot against mine.
“I don’t think you’re my mate,” I say for what feels like the millionth time. Each time I say it, it feels more and more true.
