**Chapter 5: Bound by Cruelty**
🌙 Lia
The guards drag me through the cold stone corridor, their hands bruising my arms, the silver chains searing my wrists with every step.
They shove me down, my knees cracking against the floor, and I bite my lip to keep from crying out.
I'm in front of him—Valor, my mate, the Alpha of the Obsidian Claw. His presence is a weight, heavy and suffocating, like a storm about to break. I stare at the floor, my heart pounding, refusing to meet his eyes. The mate bond burns in my chest, a cruel twist of fate that ties me to this monster.
His fingers grip my chin, cold and rough, yanking my face up. His eyes are dark, like a void that swallows all light, and I flinch under their weight. "Why are you doing this?" I ask, my voice trembling, barely holding together. "Why me? What do you want from me?"
He sighs, a sharp, impatient sound, and waves a hand. "Leave us," he orders the guards, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. Their boots echo as they retreat, the heavy door slamming shut, leaving us alone.
My stomach twists, fear clawing at me. He stands, circling behind me, and I tense as his hands slide around my waist, his lips brushing my ear. "That's not how you speak to your mate, Lia," he whispers, his voice low and dangerous, sending a shiver down my spine.
I shove at him, desperation fueling me, but the chains burn my wrists, the silver biting deeper.
"Get away from me!" I snap, my voice raw with fear and anger. "If I'd known you were my mate, I'd have jumped off that cliff before you ever spoke! I'd rather be dead than tied to you!"
He chuckles, a dark, chilling sound that makes my blood freeze. He spins me around, his hands clamping around my neck—not choking, but firm enough to trap me. His eyes are darker now, like a storm about to unleash. "You know our packs are enemies," he says, his voice sharp. "Yours and mine have spilled blood for years. And yet, the Goddess gives me a mate I should've destroyed the moment I saw you."
I glare at him, my heart racing, and spit in his face, defiance burning through my fear.
"Your feud with my father isn't my problem!" I say, my voice shaking but fierce. "The problem is I'm stuck with a man who doesn't even know what a mate is! You're no mate—you're a cruel, heartless monster!"
He raises his hand, and I flinch, squeezing my eyes shut, my body bracing for the blow. My breath catches, my heart pounding so loud it drowns out everything else. "Go ahead," I whisper, my voice trembling. "Hit me. Prove you're as awful as I think."
Nothing happens. I open my eyes, trembling, and see him staring at me, his hand still raised, his face cold but unreadable.
"You think I'm the monster?" he says, his voice dangerously quiet. "You're the one with blood on your hands, Lia. You're the Lycan who killed one of her own."
"That wasn't me!" I shout, tears burning my eyes. "It was my wolf! I couldn't stop her! I didn't want to hurt anyone!"
"Your wolf, you—it's the same thing," he says, lowering his hand. "You're a danger, and you know it." He turns, stalking to a drawer across the room, and pulls out a small key.
My breath hitches as he kneels in front of me, his eyes locked on mine. "Behave," he says, his voice a warning as he unlocks the chains. The silver falls away, leaving my wrists raw and bleeding, the pain throbbing like a pulse.
"Why let me go?" I ask, my voice shaking as I rub my wrists. "What's your game, Valor? You chain me, you taunt me—what do you want?"
He stands, towering over me, his smirk cold. "I want a mate who knows her place," he says. "But you? You're a wild thing. A cursed thing. And I'll break you yet."
"You'll never break me," I say, my voice low, my hands shaking. My eyes catch a broken stick on the floor—a splintered piece of furniture, maybe. My wolf growls, *Do it. Fight him.* I grab the stick, my heart pounding, and swing it at his head, desperation driving me. But he's too fast. He catches it mid-air, snapping it like a twig, his smirk growing darker.
"Not just stubborn," he says, stepping closer, his voice dripping with mockery. "A brat who thinks she can fight an Alpha."
I growl, my wolf surging, my nails sharpening into claws. "You might be an Alpha," I say, my voice fierce despite the fear choking me, "but I'm a Lycan! I'm the monster they all fear, and I won't let you own me!"
His eyes flash, and he shoves me hard. I slam into the wall, the stone biting into my back, and I collapse to the floor, pain exploding through me.
My vision blurs, my breath coming in gasps, but I glare up at him as he stalks closer, his shadow swallowing the light. "You think you're a monster?" he says, his voice low and menacing. "You think you can scare me?"
"I'm not afraid of you," I lie, my voice shaking as I push myself up, my back against the wall. "You're nothing but a bully hiding behind your title!"
He laughs, a cold, cruel sound, and grabs my arm, yanking me to my feet. "A bully?" he says, his face inches from mine. "You have no idea what I am, Lia. But you'll learn."
"Let me go!" I shout, twisting in his grip, my claws scratching at his arm. "I'll never be what you want! I'd rather die than stay here with you!"
"You don't get to choose," he says, his voice a growl. "You're mine, cursed or not." He leans closer, his breath hot against my face. "And I'll make sure you remember it."
I glare at him, tears spilling down my cheeks. "I hate you," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I hate this bond. I hate everything you are."
"Good," he says, his smirk returning. "Hate me. It'll make this more interesting." He steps back, his eyes glinting with something dark, something that makes my stomach twist. He leans down, his face close to mine, and growls, "No, darling, I am the monster."