36

Katarina’s POV
A chillingly familiar voice echoed from behind me, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. “It’s been a while, Katarina,” the voice purred, dripping with a cruel familiarity that I could never forget.
I whipped around, my heart pounding as my eyes locked onto the source. There he was-Oliver. He hadn’t changed at all since our last encounter, still exuding that same aura of dark menace. He circled me slowly, a predator savoring the fear of his prey, before stopping just inches from my face. The cruel smile that twisted his lips was exactly as I remembered, a sickening blend of malice and arrogance.
“You…” I stammered, forcing the words out despite the knot of terror tightening in my throat. “What do you want with me, Oliver?”
His smirk widened, a flash of teeth that could have been mistaken for a smile if it wasn’t so filled with malice. “You managed to slip away from me once, Katarina. But no one escapes me forever.”
His eyes were as devoid of life as they had always been-two empty voids, black holes that seemed to swallow any trace of humanity. There was no light behind them, just an endless, terrifying darkness.
Gathering what little courage I had left, I spat, “You’ve made a grave mistake, Oliver. My mate is an Alpha, and he will tear you apart.”
Oliver chuckled darkly, clearly unimpressed by my defiance. “So fierce now, Katarina,” he mocked, his tone dripping with condescension. “But I know all about your precious Alpha Dominic. We’ve had our eye on him for quite some time. It’s rather poetic, isn’t it? The one who slipped through my fingers turns out to be the mate of the very Alpha we’re targeting.”
My blood boiled at the mention of Dominic. I could feel my nails digging into my palms as I struggled to keep my rage in check. “You hunters are nothing but cowards, fighting a battle you can never win. Do you have any idea how many of us there really are?”
Oliver shrugged, his expression one of boredom. “Once your mate is dead, your pack will fall soon after. We’ve got allies, Katarina-powerful ones. You should know that by now.”
A cold resolve settled over me. I had never taken a life before, but I silently vowed that Oliver would be my first. I would make sure of it.
“Now, let’s get down to business-” Oliver began, but his words were abruptly cut off. His gaze had zeroed in on something on my neck, and in a sudden fit of rage, he flung the chair he had been sitting on across the room with a violent curse.
“You incompetent fools,” he seethed, his voice low and dangerous. The scrawny one, who had been lurking in the shadows, shifted uneasily on his feet, while the larger brute of a man looked at Oliver with confusion etched on his face.
“What did we do wrong, boss?” the larger man asked, clearly not understanding the gravity of the situation.
Oliver stormed over to me, yanking my hair aside to expose my neck fully. “She’s marked, you idiots! Didn’t I tell you to check if she was marked?”
“I tried to check, boss,” the scrawny one muttered, looking down at his feet. His voice was whiny, almost apologetic, though I knew better. He hadn’t been trying to check for a mark; he had been trying to take advantage of my vulnerability.
Oliver’s patience snapped. A loud crack echoed through the room as he struck the scrawny man, who immediately fell silent. The larger man’s face paled as he realized the severity of their mistake.
“If she and her mate are both marked,” Oliver hissed, his voice laced with fury, “he can track her. We’re running out of time.”
Panic flickered in my mind, but I quickly suppressed it. I needed to think, to act quickly. Oliver turned back to me, his eyes burning with an even more dangerous intensity. He roughly grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his soulless eyes.
“Katarina,” he sneered, his voice dripping with venom, “you’re going to tell me the truth now. Did you mark your mate? And don’t you dare lie to me.”
I had only seconds to craft my response. If I hesitated, he would see right through me. I kept my expression one of anger and defiance, but I allowed a flicker of fear to shine through my eyes. He needed to believe that I hadn’t marked Dominic.
“Yes,” I answered too quickly, letting the word slip as if under pressure. “He’s probably already on his way here. Your time is running out, Oliver.”
Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he studied my face, searching for any sign of deceit. A slow, cruel smile spread across his lips, and I felt a knot of dread tighten in my stomach.
“You’re lying, Katarina,” he cooed, his tone almost mocking as he leaned in closer. “And now, I think it’s time we finish what was started a year ago.”
I didn’t resist as the larger man began to untie me, biding my time. The moment I was free, I sprang at Oliver with all the force I could muster. He didn’t realize that I wasn’t the same helpless girl he had tormented before. I had strength now-strength I would use to end him.
My claws slashed across his face, and I felt a savage satisfaction as his blood splattered against my skin. Oliver roared in pain and fury, swinging at me, but I was too quick. I leaped back, ready to strike again, but the larger man grabbed me from behind. I cried out as a sharp needle plunged into my neck, filling my veins with a familiar, burning poison.
“You fool!” Oliver shouted at his accomplice. “I told you to keep her subdued, not to let her regain her strength.”
There was a tense silence, broken only by the sound of my labored breathing. “We can still take her,” the large man muttered, gripping me tightly. “She’s weak enough.”
“No,” Oliver snapped, his voice cold and hard. “I want her fully conscious. I want her to feel every bit of what I’m going to do to her.”
Before he could carry out his threat, a cellphone rang, piercing the tension. Oliver answered it with an annoyed grunt, and I could barely make out the conversation as the poison dulled my senses.
“Shit,” Oliver cursed, slamming the phone down. “The Alpha knows where she is. He’s on his way.”
The large man’s eyes widened in fear. “How did he find out? She hasn’t marked him.”
“Gabriel,” Oliver growled. “That idiot must have let something slip. He’ll pay for it, but right now, we need to move her before Dominic arrives.”
They dragged me back to the cell, the rough ground scraping against my skin. I barely registered the pain as they tossed me into the cold, dark space. The poison in my veins made it difficult to stay conscious, and I let the darkness claim me once more.
But the reprieve didn’t last long. A distant thudding sound jolted me awake, and my senses came alive with a sudden surge of adrenaline. I knew I hadn’t been out for long; the fire of the wolfsbane still burned in my blood. I strained to listen, pressing myself against the cold, iron bars.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing louder with each passing second. My heart raced, and one thought consumed my mind.
Dominic.
His name escaped my lips in a whisper, my heart pounding in my chest as the footsteps drew nearer.