NALEDI’S POV
I couldn’t believe I was back here.
Locked up like a fucking animal.
It’s been two days and the only thing I’ve lived on was hate.
Absolute and total hate for that bastard. I couldn’t believe he killed them. All the while he was the monster. To think I was ready to spend the rest of my life with him, to think I was in love with him made me wretch every single time.
I was warned. I was warned by Nicolai – and asked to reconsider, but I refused, I betrayed my family so it was only fair I got betrayed myself. My life was comical.
I hadn’t slept a wink for two days. Anytime I closed my eyes, I heard the shrill screaming of my mother on the night we were attacked. When I was told by our Beta to run and never look back.
I used the emergency exit, waiting for when he finally brought my parents to me. He didn’t. Instead, I saw him die. I watched him die.
His last words formed the fuel that moved me towards outliving everything thrown in my way. The Alpha of the Cosa Nostra. He did this. You must leave, save your life, my lady. Those were his last words to me.
I was just seven years old. And although it scared me to leave him right there, unattended to with a bullet in his chest, I knew I had to leave. I needed to save myself and return with help to save them.
I needed to get help and save my clan. I remembered rushing through the emergency exit and getting into trouble with the Japanese men, who promised to save me, only to send me to Moscow, to be trafficked and passed around until I became Attai.
A Trained assassin of the Yakuza Mafia pack. A cold-blooded killer who lived her life hoping for an opportunity to get even. An opportunity that was presented to me but I let it go down the drain.
I sensed Caellum before I saw him. Darn the fucking mate bond.
Footsteps welcomed his cold presence. I raised my head, needing to see the look on his face. The look of satisfaction and victory to have bested me. But it wasn’t there. Instead, he stood like a rock, looking at me with intense and cold eyes.
“Where are the others?” He asked Matteo who was right beside him.
Fucking lapdog if you asked me.
“Locked in a separate cell.” He responded, for the first time he wasn’t looking arrogant and glib.
In fact, he looked like he hadn’t had a moment’s rest since the last time I saw him. I couldn’t say I didn’t feel a slight joy in his miserable-looking face. It was like a breath of fresh air in a fucking tomb.
“Leave us,” Caellum said, and I scoffed – loud enough for him to hear.
There was nothing to lose anyway.
Matteo looked like he had something to do. He looked like he had a lot to say, but he bit his tongue, gave a curt nod and headed right out the door. Leaving me with the devil called mate.
“You must be happy.” Caellum started, his jaws flexing. “You got your revenge. You ruined me. Good fucking job, Naledi. Your parents must be throwing a party in their cold graves.”
“They would. But you are still alive.” I spat back. “It’s clear I didn’t get the assignment.”
“You see, for the last three days when my world was torn apart, I thought long and hard.” He continued, “What would be the best punishment for a traitor like you? What would be the biggest punishment for your sins?”
He smirked, it was nothing like the charming one I used to know, “Then just this morning. It hit me. Beating you will do nothing. Killing you will be letting you off too easily. Starving you is the tip of the iceberg.”
“What the hell do I do to pay you for all the misfortunes you’ve caused me?” Now he was pacing. “And then a thought hit me. I didn’t need to do anything.” He chuckled. “Funny right? I didn’t need to do anything because you are living your worst nightmare.”
“You are mated to the one who killed your family and eradicated your pack. You bear my mark and if you are being honest to yourself, you can’t stop the side of you that wants, yearns and loves me.”
My heart froze at his words. Partly because I didn’t realize hearing him say it out loud would confirm my greatest fear.
“So I figured, since you ruined me, it’s only normal for you to be by my side, and go through the hell you put me through.” My eyes widened. “Of course not as my Luna. I’d be crazy to have a rat as a wife. But you can be my breeder. My slave. The mistress. I could make you serve me all the rest of your miserable lives without a single penny to your name.”
I shook my head in fear. He didn’t mean that. There was no way he was doing what I thought he was doing.
“You will never set foot outside of this pack.” His eyes were evil and beguiling. “You will never be free from me. Whatever deal we had is off. By the time the full moon comes, you will be right here, in this cell, attending to my needs until you live out your miserable days.”
“Is that it? An excuse to keep fucking me?” I scoffed, “I knew my pussy was magical but you’ll be crazy to think that keeping me here is going to get you in on me, Alpha. I’ll kill myself before I let you touch me.”
My voice was shaky. I was shaky. Because deep down, I knew. I knew Caellum meant every word he spoke and there was nothing I could do about it. Not when I was his prisoner, not when he was my mate.
“You see, unlike you, I make full use of my toys before I discard them. You should know that.” He turned to leave the room, “Get ready, My lady. It’s about to be a long ride.”