"Ah, (Y/N). It's so good to see you."
I stare, my heart hammering in my ears, as Taecyeon opens his arms with an unnaturally wide smile.
This is…my father. The Alpha everyone fears. The Alpha who skinned Felix's sister. The Alpha who killed Bang Chan's parents.
I feel Bang Chan beside me, fury pouring off of him in blistering waves.
"My goodness, (Y/N)."
Taecyeon leans in through the bars. I want to step back, but I'm pinned by his black stare.
"You've grown into quite the beauty, haven't you?"
"That's the first thing you say to me?"
"Of course. You're quite striking, my dear. And it's a good thing. It will make you a fine breedmate for my next-in-line."
He gestures to Hyunjin, who licks his lips at me. It turns my stomach.
"I'll kill you before you touch her, bastard."
Bang Chan snarls, rising to his full height against the bars, nose to nose with Taecyeon.
"It's nice to see you, too, Bang Chan. I see you you still haven't grown into that big mouth of yours."
"Open this cage and I'll show you just how much I've grown, Taecyeon."
This isn't good.
"I'll kill you myself before I marry that creep."
A low, threatening laugh spills out of Taecyeon's mouth. He grins.
"Full of fire. You get that from me."
"You don't know anything about me."
"No? Well, we best get reacquainted then."
With a lazy flick of Taecyeon's wrist, Hyunjin opens the cage and grabs my arm.
"Come here." Hyunjin growls with an evil grin.
"Get your hands off of her!"
Bang Chan lunges for Hyunjin, his eyes bright gold.
"Down, boy."
Taecyeon says the words barely above a whisper, like an afterthought. But they pull Bang Chan to the ground like iron chains.
"Bang Chan!"
I can't believe my eyes. Bang Chan's whole body shakes against Taecyeon's Alpha command, but he can't resist it. His muscles bulge, his teeth grinding as he tries to pull himself up. When he gains half an inch, Taecyeon snickers.
"I said, down."
With Taecyeon's words, Bang Chan's hands and knees slam into the ground with a sickening crunch. Bang Chan swears.
"Taecyeon…your hurting him!"
"That's the idea. We're teaching this boy a lesson."
On his final word, Taecyeon twists his hand into a fist and Bang Chan roars, his body contouring horribly as though he's being tortured.
"Stop! Stop it now!" I beg.
"It can all stop if you come willingly." Taecyeon smirks.
"(Y/N)…you don't…have to…" Bang Chan tries to speak through the agonizing pain.
"I just want to talk, (Y/N). Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Taecyeon flicks his wrist again. Bang Chan flips over on his back and screams, his back arched in pain.
"Aghhh!"
"Bang Chan! Fine! I'll go willingly. Just end this."
My words reverberate around the cold cell with strength enough to turn Taecyeon's attention away from Bang Chan. He drops his hand, and Bang Chan suddenly goes limp on the floor.
Thank God. He stopped.
"I knew you'd see reason."
"(Y/N)…please…"
Bang Chan struggles to his knees, every part of him throbbing from the pain he just endured.
"It's okay, Bang Chan."
Hyunjin tugs at my arm and I rip it from his grasp, my chin held high.
"I will walk on my own, thank you."
"Already the princess she knows herself to be. I like it."
Taecyeon snickers as I walk slowly past Bang Chan. I whisper just loud enough for him to hear.
"I'll be fine."
Bang Chan grits his teeth, but he nods, reassured by my courage. The cave-like dungeon disappears as I move up the stairs, into opulent hallways. Finally, Hyunjin opens a door, and shoves me into an empty sitting room.
"Stay here. And don't try anything."
I run for the door but he slams and locks it before I can reach it.
Damn it! How do we get out of this? I can't even find I.N, and Bang Chan is–
In my anguish, my fist flies out and hits a nearby vase. It crashes to the ground. When a few drops of water land on me, though, my eyes flame bright blue. A surge of energy travels up my arm.
The–the water? I wonder what would happen if I press my palm to the soaked carpet.
Holding my breath, I bend down, and slowly press my hand into the wet rug. The water on my palm instantly soaks into my skin, and it's as though it ropes around every muscle.
Oh my God.
I feel my senses sharpen, and some strength return.
Does water…make me stronger?
I reach for the puddle again, but a noise behind me stops me in my tracks.
Someone's in here with me…
I grab a fireplace poker and brandish it with two hands.
"Try anything and you'll be worse than sorry."
"(Y/N)?"
With a sniffle, I.N steps out from his hiding place. I drop my weapon.
"I.N, oh my God!"
I sink to my knees and I.N runs to me, flinging his arms around me and burying his head in my shoulder.
"(Y/N)!!"
I.N breaks down and sobs, clutching my clothes.
"I want to go home so bad! Please, I want my dads!"
"We're going to get you home."
"No, it's impossible! They have too many guards!"
"We'll think of something. I promise."
I.N cries harder, his tears soaking my shoulder. Suddenly, the door opens…and my father walks through it.
"How am I supposed to get anything done with all this incessant whining?"
Taecyeon slams the door and I.N flinches, his whole body gripped with fear. He sobs.
"No no no!"
"Get that boy to be quiet, will you? I hate to be interrupted."
I can see in Taecyeon's eyes that he's serious, and a chill runs down my spine. I.N continues to cry.
"Now, (Y/N)."
"It's okay, I.N. It's all going to be okay."
I take the young boy in my arms, cradling him close to my chest.
"You're going to see your parents very soon."
"Y-you promise?"
"Yes. And you know what? Their love can protect you even from far away."
I rock him gently, stroking his hair.
"Feel it?"
Slowly, I.N nods and starts to calm down, his heartbeat matching my own.
"Y-yeah. I feel it."
"Good."
I comb my fingers through his hair. Over his head, I glare at Taecyeon.
"Good job, (Y/N). You have a way with children it seems. That will help you when you bare Hyunjin's heirs and further my line." he says with a smirk.
"You are the last person to talk about being a parent."
"I know I've been a bit…absent. But that's no way to talk to your father."
"You're not my father. You lost that right."
Taecyeon sighs, massaging his forehead.
"You really were raised with no manners. But that's alright. By the time we're done here, you and that "true mate" of yours will be much better behaved."
With that, the door opens again. Hyunjin drags Bang Chan into the room, fighting with all his might.
"Get the hell off me!"
Taecyeon flicks a finger, and Bang Chan's knees hit the ground. He hisses through clenched teeth.
"Stop this!" I shout.
"Oh, it'll all be over very soon, my dear."
Before I can blink, Hyunjin snatches I.N out of my arms. I lunge for him–but the glint of sharp metal stops me. Taecyeon points a deadly-looking blade at me.
"Don't you dare–!" Bang Chan threatens.
"No. Enough games."
All his fake pleasantry is gone. Taecyeon cements a sinister glare that matches the darkness in his eyes. I don't dare move as the blade comes within an inch of my eyes.
"Taecyeon…Don't do this." I beg.
"I won't be doing anything. But you soon will, daughter."
Lightning fast, Taecyeon flips the knife so the hilt faces me.
"We'll make this little "soul bond" problem go away…when you kill this mutt yourself."
The words that roll off his tongue shock me.
"What? I'd rather kill you."
"I'm sure you would, my dear, but that option is not on the table, I'm afraid."
"I'll never do what you say, you sick fuck."
"No matter."
His eyes glow a menacing, blood-like red, and I stop breathing.
"What?"
"You are my blood, (Y/N). I can control you. I can even control the blood in your veins."
His Alpha voice grows strong, scraping against my bones, under my skin, invasive and unnatural.
"Take the knife, (Y/N)."
A chill spreads through my veins like I've been injected with metal – cold, sharp, painful. Against my will, I do exactly as he says. My movements stiff and stuttering, my fingers curl around the hilt of the knife.
"Ngh…you'll pay for doing this!"
"We both know that isn't true."
Taecyeon turns his attention to Bang Chan, his eyes glowing that nightmarish red color.
"Stay still, boy. Your "true mate" will need a nice, wide target."
Bang Chan's whole body shakes as he attempts to resist, but it's no use. He cannot move. I remember his words about my father, his warnings.
The most powerful Alpha anyone has ever seen.
"Now then…"
With a wave of Taecyeon's hand, Hyunjin grips Bang Chan by the hair, yanking him up to expose his chest to me.
"Stab him in the heart." my father commands.
Horror floods me as my fingers curl tighter around the knife. My arms rise against my will.
"No! (Y/N), don't!"
I can see I.N's wide, terrified eyes, his mouth open in a silent scream. But when Bang Chan looks up at me, he is calm. His eyes are grounding as they lock with mine.
"You can fight it, (Y/N). Try."
I remember the water connecting with my skin, and feel a small part of me shift, as if finding firm ground.
Maybe I can…
"Kill him. Now." Taecyeon commands.
"Fight him, (Y/N). You have to try."
I raise my arms high, trying to channel all of my strength into resisting the clutched blade.
Focus, (Y/N). This bastard is not going to get the best of me.
"Kill him. Kill him now!"
A scream builds deep within me, roaring forward as I bring the knife down–-onto Taecyeon's shoulder, sinking the blad deep and fast.
"Agh!"
Snarling, Taecyeon backhands me with more strength than I've ever felt from an opponent. I fly back and hit the wall on the other side of the room.
"(Y/N)!" Bang Chan yells.
"Silence!"
Taecyeon straightens, spraying blood as he pulls the knife free.
"Very naughty, (Y/N). You give your father no choice."
Taecyeon forces the bloodied knife back into my hand, pressing my fingers hard around the hilt.
"This time you'll do it right. Or I'll do it to you."
He's too powerful.
I feel his Alpha command pushing through my body with every painful heartbeat.
I'll have to do something drastic to get us out of this. If I want Taecyeon to lose control, I'm going to have to do it the hard way.
My hand shakes as I lift the knife yet again.
"Now. Stab him through the heart, (Y/N)."
As the knife descends, I use every once of my willpower to turn it toward myself. I plunge the knife straight into my stomach. The pain is like a switch, jolting me out of Teacyeon's hold.
"(Y/N)!" Bang Chan cries out in fear.
"What?!"
Taecyeon stares at me in utter shock.
I did it.
I flash a bloody smile as I straighten, pulling the knife from my wound.
"I'm not yours to control, Taecyeon. I've never been yours. And I never will be."
Shocked, Taecyeon drops his hands, lifting his Alpha influence. It's as if a weight over the entire room dissolves. Bang Chan lunges at Taecyeon, using his surprise as a distraction.
Now's our chance. I need to get us out of here.
As Bang Chan fights desperately, I run for the door, using the knife to break the lock. My hands slip, slick with blood. Then, I feel a small hand on my back, It's I.N.
"I.N, help me."
He nods, and puts his hand over mine. With one twist, the door heaves open.
"You're not getting away."
Hyunjin rushes for me, his clawed hand outstretched. But Bang Chan sprints, smashing into Hyunjin and knocking him out.
"Let's go!" Bang Chan urges.
Gripping I.N's hand, I sprint out into the hallway. Bang Chan follows close behind.
"If we just keep running we'll–"
Bang Chan's words are stolen when an overwhelming wave of power blows the glass from every window.
"Did you really think it would be that easy? You weak, pathetic children."
Out of the rubble, Taecyeon stalks toward us. His red eyes pulse with rage.
"You're the one who's pathetic!" I insult.
"Am I?"
Taecyeon puts out his hand and a surge of terrifying pain rockets through me. I hit the ground. It's as though thousands of burning needles sink into my flesh, twisting.
"No!"
Bang Chan throws a ferocious punch at Taecyeon's jaw. It barely moves him, but it does stop my pain. I collapse on the ground as Taecyeon takes Bang Chan by the throat.
"I should have killed you along with your parents. I should have watched you die."
Sinking his claws into Bang Chan's neck, he slams him into the floor, cracking the stone.
"Agh!"
Bang Chan claws desperately at Taecyeon's iron grip, but it's no use. He isn't strong enough.
No! He's killing him!
"(Y/N)…"
Bang Chan's golden eyes flicker, as if his power is completely leaving him. He reaches a hand for me.
"Reaching for your little mate? I may cry."
Taecyeon's grip tightens, and all the color begins to leave Bang Chan's face. He fights for breath that cannot come.
"(Y/N)…our…our bond…"
His last words make it clear:
Our bond can make him stronger. Strong enough to…
I stare at his palm, just inches away.
"Please…" Bang Chan begs with the little bit of strength he has.
With all of my remaining strength, I take Bang Chan's hand. The familiar flame of our true mate bond rockets from my heart, through my arm, and into Bang Chan's waiting grasp.
Yes.
His eyes illuminate, strong and golden, as his hand tightens over mine. Even in the silence, I see what he wants to say:
"Thank you."
With a power I have never seen in him, Bang chan pries Taecyeon's hand free of his neck.
"It's me who should have killed you, Taecyeon."
"What?"
Before Taecyeon can do anything, Bang Chan launches him backward. Taecyeon flies back. He shatters a stone wall, disappearing into the adjoining room. When he lunges for me again, Bang Chan pulls the rest of the wall down, crushing him beneath the rocks.
"Come on."
Bang Chan grabs my hand again, and I take I.N's. We run for our lives. Every hall and passageway blurs. Finally, we stumble out of a side door. In the harsh sting of sunlight, a desolate campground comes into view. Beyond it, the treeline.
"Bang Chan we have to run." I tug on him to follow.
"Yes. If we can make it to the forest, we'll be in the clear."
I nod, and take a step. But a fresh wave of pain and dizziness overtake me. I press my hand hard to my stomach. Blood still seeps past my fingers, unwavering in its flow.
"You have to leave me."
"Are you insane? Of course I'm not leaving you."
"You'll never make it with me slowing you down. You have to get I.N back home, Bang Chan. Come back for me later."
"No. I won't. I know you feel weak, (Y/N), but you can do this. We can do this."
He grasps my hand, and I feel the warmth of the bod pass between us, simmering to life.
"You're right. We can do this."
I give him a weak smile.
"I mean, we've gotten this far and haven't died yet, right?"
He laughs, short and breathy, but I see a flash of relief cross his face.
"Right."
Then, unbidden, the comforting warmth of the bond surges between our fingers, and I gasp. It spreads up my arm, over my shoulders, then throughout my entire body, covering me like a blanket. I feel a sudden surge of adrenaline, like a boost of energy. Bang Chan feels it, too, his eyes wide.
"The bond…" Bang Chan says.
Blinking, I squeeze his hand harder, more sure.
"I feel okay. Come on, we have to get moving."
Bang Chan nods, a small smirk gracing his lips.
"Good."
He grips my hand, the other still clutched in I.N's.
"We have to make it to the woods."
We break into the forest, hearing the shouts and howls of the rival pack close behind us.
"We're not going to make it. They're too fast." I.N cries.
Suddenly, Bang Chan pulls us to a stop.
"Hey…they're right behind us!" I inform him.
"I know. They're too close."
Bang Chan pulls us beneath the roots of an overgrown tree.
"Shh. Everyone quiet."
The three of us huddle against each other beneath the roots of the tree. It isn't ten seconds before I hear the thunder of large, wolf-like paws.
"Shit. They've shifted. They're senses are heightened."
Bang Chan whispers, barely audible. Even though his voice is low, I can hear the fear in it. I.N tucks himself inside his shirt. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing my heartbeat to slow.
My heartbeat's too loud. My breathing, too. It's all too fast and too loud from running.I'll try stuffing my sleeve in my mouth.
I ball up my sleeve and stuff it in my mouth, praying it will muffle my gasps. But it doesn't work. I take a loud, shaky breath. The wolves grow closer. I hear low, rumbling snarls now, and the dripping of saliva.
There's no way they can't hear me. No way–
Bang Chan's hand curls into my hair before I can blink. Gently, he pulls me to his chest.
"Breathe into me."
His chest rises and falls with practiced composure. His hand is steadfast, pulling me toward his warmth.
"It's the only way, (Y/N)."
My hands curl around the edges of Bang Chan's shirt and I close my eyes, giving in. In and out, in and out, I breath into Bang Chan's chest.
He smells…so good…
His heady scent of pine, smoke and vanilla soothe the pounding of my heart. My breathing eases.
"Good." He whispers against my hair, stroking it softly.
The snarling grows closer…and closer…but I remain as I am. Silent and calm. Soon, the wolf backs away, moving back toward the camp.
"You still haven't found them?!"
I hear the roar of Taecyeon's voice in the distance. I lift my head and look at Bang Chan, my hand still on his warm chest.
"They're close. We only have a little time before they track our scent."
"Maybe you should take I.N on your own." I suggest offering to stay back to give them time to get away.
"No. For the last time, I'm not leaving you on your own."
"You'd have a better chance without me."
"If I leave you, all of this was for nothing."
I.N clings to me, shaking his head.
"No! No splitting up!" he begs.
"I know, I.N, but–"
Suddenly, my vision blurs, causing me to sway. I trail off, looking down at my stomach. Blood coats every inch of it, dripping down to the ground.
"My God. (Y/N)…"
Bang Chan presses his hand to my wound, but it's too late. Black begins to edge into my vision, just as someone breaks through the trees.
"I.N!"
Lee Know emerges, followed by Felix and O.de. He rushes to his son, wrapping him in his arms.
"Daddy!"
I.N bursts into tears, clinging to his father like a lifeline.
"We've been looking all over for you guys." Felix states.
"(Y/N), you good?" O.de asks worryingly.
"I'm fine. Just a little hurt."
"She's about to pass out from blood loss, don't listen to her." Bang Chan blurts.
"I said I'm…I'm…"
The darkness overwhelms my vision, and I feel myself fall. Strong arms catch me. Bang Chan lifts me easily, pulling me into his broad, comforting warmth.
"Shit. We have to move. Now."
I slip in and out of consciousness like I'm beginning to fall asleep. The spot where I was stabbed grows cold.
"Stay with me, (Y/N). Please."
Through the fog, I can make out Bang Chan's voice, laced with panic.
"I can't lose you. Not again."
And, as I give in to the darkness, a single, hazy thought circles my mind…
Again?