The door closed with a sharp click, sealing us inside with him. The sound rang louder than it should have, final and cruel, like the slamming of a cell door. The air shifted the mont he stepped in, thickening, tightening around us like invisible chains. My lungs resisted pulling in air; every breath scraped like glass in my chest. He moved forward without pause, his boots striking the floor in a rhythm that echoed like the heartbeat of a predator.
Elara lay limp in my arms, her body still and fragile as porcelain. I barely had ti to lower her onto the blanket before his shadow swept across us. He didn’t stop. Didn’t even glance down.
He stepped right over her fainted body. Like she wasn’t even a person. Like she was no more than a rug beneath his boots. I wanted to scream, wanted to lunge forward and shield her from that disregard, but my body betrayed . My legs had turned to stone, my fingers clawing at the mattress as I pressed myself back against the bed fra. His eyes weren’t on her. They were on . And Joan. I had never seen Joan this way before. She was usually so careful, so quiet, so good at masking her fear, but now she was breaking apart in real ti. Her hands shook violently in her lap, her teeth biting into her bottom lip until blood welled. Then ca the sharp, acrid scent that burned my nose before my brain fully processed what had happened. Joan had lost control of her bladder. The damp patch spread quickly beneath her, darkening the blanket, dripping down the side of the bed. Her sob broke the silence, high and choked, and she covered her face with her trembling hands. The psycho Alpha’s lips curved. Not into a smile never a smile but into sothing worse. Sothing sharp and satisfied. He had seen it. He had slled it. And he liked it. My heart hamred so violently I thought it might burst out of my chest. I wanted to grab Joan, to pull her against and shield her, but I couldn’t move. His gaze pinned in place like claws through flesh.
Slowly, he closed the distance. By the ti he reached the bed, the air was so heavy I could barely swallow. He planted one knee on the mattress, leaning forward until his shadow engulfed us both. His scent sharp cedar, iron, and the faintest trace of blood invaded my senses, suffocating. I pressed myself back, trembling, my spine digging painfully into the wooden fra. My throat tightened as if invisible fingers were closing around it.
His eyes road over deliberately, leisurely, like a wolf deciding which part of the lamb to bite first.
"You’re shaking again, little oga," he murmured, his voice low, velvety, dangerous. "Are you afraid?"
My lips parted, but no sound ca out. My body betrayed with a violent shiver, an instinctive flinch I couldn’t suppress. That was answer enough for him. His mouth twisted into that half-smile again, cruel amusent flickering across his face. He tilted his head slightly, studying like I was a puzzle he’d already solved but enjoyed watching struggle. Behind , Joan whimpered again. He turned his head slowly, deliberately, to look at her. She froze under his gaze, still hiding half her face with her hands, but he didn’t need to see her clearly. He could sll her fear. He could sll her humiliation.
The silence stretched, unbearable, until he finally chuckled. A soft, dark sound that vibrated through the air.
"Pathetic," he said, his voice carrying the weight of judgnt. "You reek of fear. You disgust ."
Joan broke into sobs, muffled behind her palms. My chest twisted painfully at the sound, but I couldn’t speak, couldn’t defend her, not with his eyes returning to . Because then his attention was mine again, burning, suffocating.
He leaned closer, so close that his breath ghosted over my cheek. I tried to turn my face away, but his hand shot up, fingers gripping my jaw with punishing force.
"Don’t look away," he commanded softly.
My breath hitched, a strangled sound escaping my throat. His thumb traced the trembling line of my jaw, slow, deliberate, mocking. His eyes bored into mine, seeing every flicker of fear I couldn’t hide.
"That’s better," he whispered. "You’re learning."
I wanted to scream, wanted to claw at him, wanted to push him away, but I was frozen in his grip. My mind scread at to fight, but my body refused to obey. I could only stare into his eyes, wide and terrified, as his smirk deepened. He leaned in until his lips brushed the shell of my ear.
"You know," he murmured, his voice so low it vibrated against my skin, "I almost missed this while I was gone. The way you tremble. The way you beg without saying a word. You can’t hide it from , Ellie. I see everything."
My stomach twisted violently. My nails dug into the mattress until they broke the fabric. My heart pounded against my ribs like it was trying to escape.
"Tell ," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "Did you miss , little oga?"
I shook my head violently, tears stinging my eyes. My voice finally broke free, raw and shaking. "N-no."
He chuckled, the sound dark and amused. His grip on my jaw tightened until pain shot up the side of my face.
"Liar," he whispered. "You thought of every second I was gone. Wondering what I was doing. Wondering when I’d co back. Didn’t you?"
I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head again.
His fingers dug deeper, forcing my face up. "Look at ."
I obeyed, because I had no choice.
My tears blurred my vision, but I could still see the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.
"That’s my good oga," he said softly.
The words made bile rise in my throat. Beside , Joan’s sobs grew louder, broken sounds of a girl unraveling. He glanced at her again, his smirk darkening.
"Inner voice: Perhaps I should test which of you breaks faster," he mused aloud, as though we weren’t even there. "The one who pisses herself, or the one who shakes but still tries to hold her tongue."
My blood turned to ice.
"No," I whispered hoarsely, the word torn from before I could stop it. "Please..."
His eyes snapped back to instantly, locking on the plea.
And then he smiled. A real smile this ti. Sharp, cruel, beautiful, terrible. He released my jaw suddenly, making gasp from the absence of pressure. Then, slowly, deliberately, he placed his hand on the mattress beside my head, leaning down until his lips were an inch from mine. I froze, my entire body rigid with terror, as his gaze pierced into .
"You’ll beg properly soon enough," he murmured.
The promise in his voice was worse than any threat. Elara lay sprawled on the floor, unconscious from her terror-filled flashback, her chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. Joan crouched beside , trembling uncontrollably, the acrid sll of urine hanging heavy in the air. She had already lost control of herself, wetting her dress in fear. I wanted to comfort her, to say sothing anything but my own lips felt frozen, and my tongue clung uselessly to the roof of my mouth.
"Inner Voice: Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. The little one pissed herself.
My stomach lurched violently. I gripped the sheets so tightly my knuckles whitened, willing myself not to collapse the way Elara had. The laughter echoed again, booming louder now, as though he were circling us from the inside out.
"inner voice: Look at her. Can’t even control her bladder. And that one on the floor? Useless. She couldn’t even stay conscious long enough to amuse .
Joan whimpered beside , burying her face against my arm as if she could hide from his voice. But there was no hiding. His thoughts weren’t whispers they were knives. Every word sliced deep, shredding whatever courage we had left. I squeezed Joan’s hand, but my own was shaking so badly I doubt she even felt the comfort I tried to offer.
"Inner voice: And you... my little Ellie.My chest tightened.Shaking so sweetly for . You pretend to be strong, but I see it. The way your bones rattle under your skin, the way your lips tremble even though you try to bite them still. You’re the most entertaining of them all.I shut my eyes, but that only made it worse. His voice filled the darkness behind my lids, drowning out every other sound. My pulse roared in my ears, but I couldn’t block him out. He was everywhere.Joan sobbed beside , trembling so hard that the bed shook beneath us.
"Inner voice: Two little broken toys clinging to each other. And one fainted doll on the floor. What am I supposed to do with such pitiful playthings?
I swallowed hard, but the dryness in my throat made it painful. my body betrayed . My knees knocked together, my hands quivered, and I knew he could see every detail. He crouched lower, bringing his face level with mine. I refused to look into his eyes, but I felt his gaze bore into , stripping bare until there was nowhere left to hide. Joan let out a shrill sob, and his eyes flicked toward her.
"Inner voice: And this one... dripping like a frightened pup. How revolting. How utterly amusing.
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