Chapter 39: A Dance

ELAINE

“I heard you skipped breakfast,” Maddox said, a hint of concern in his voice. “You really should eat. You’ve lost a lot of weight.”

I glanced over at him, standing there with a smile on his face.

I couldn’t help but notice how good-looking he was. It was odd. I’d seen all sorts of men, but none of them looked quite like him. Was it because he was human?

“Why am I here?” I asked, looking at him.

Maddox laughed, then turned and walked over to the closet where his clothes were.

Up until now, all I knew was that I had been here for two weeks.

Maddox had kept me locked in his room, under constant surveillance, for almost twenty-four hours a day—unless he came in to visit or stay, which I despised; then the cameras would be turned off.

Without Ashina’s spirit inside me, I felt weak—like a fragile human who had nothing but her knowledge.

“Here,” he said, laying a dress on the bed. It was a long, red-sleeved dress with a tail at the end.

It looked elegant, like a dress for a party.

“I don’t need that,” I replied, to which Maddox just shrugged.

He disappeared back into the closet, leaving me alone.

I needed to escape, but first, I wanted to know why they’d brought me here. Who was the person who’d sent me?

According to Sandra, the nurse, a lot of werewolves worked with the hunters. It depended on the circumstances in which you arrived at the hunter’s base.

It could be for being a rogue, not wanting to be a wolf anymore and cutting ties, or being kidnapped by the hunters.

I wasn’t able to learn much, since my time with her had been reduced to a two-hour span and not half a day like the first few days.

We both knew why. Maddox wanted me to know less, and according to Sandra, he had a plan for me. But what, exactly?

“If you want to go out, I suggest you get ready.” He walked out dressed in a black suit and tie.

“Out?” I frowned.

“Yes, I want you to come with me to a small party.”

I raised my eyebrows as he chuckled.

“Come on, you might like it.” He smiled and turned to the mirror.

I looked down at the red dress, then back at him. If what he was telling me was true, then I had no choice.

I really needed to know exactly where I was.

***

“You never told me this was the party we were coming to!” I snapped, digging my nails into his arm.

“Well, if you behave and enjoy yourself, I might answer some of those questions you’re so eager to know tonight,” Maddox replied without looking at me.

My jaw tightened as we walked down a hallway that led to a party full of wealthy people.

Before we left the mansion, Maddox warned me about trying to escape.

I didn’t understand, but once he took out a small remote control from his pocket and I saw the blue blinking light, I realized I was being tracked.

While I was unconscious, they had implanted a tracker in my body as well. At first, I didn’t know where, until I felt it in my head.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I focused on what was happening around me.

The wealthy people, dripping with jewelry and dressed in fancy clothes, chatted away, completely ignoring us.

I frowned, trying to understand why, but it seemed this was how city people socialized.

“I will introduce you to a few friends, so please be nice.” Maddox smiled, and we approached a group of well-dressed men.

He quickly introduced me, and the four men surrounded me as if I was some sort of prey on display.

It was uncomfortable, especially since one of them watched me with a predatory look in his eyes.

“She is your recent addition?” one of them asked, offering me a drink from one of the nearby waiters.

I shook my head, pushing his hand away.

“Be nice.” Maddox tugged on my arm.

“Leave her. She seems uncomfortable, ~scared~,” the one with the drink chuckled.

“I’m not scared,” I snapped, causing the entire group to laugh.

I hated how they looked down on me, as if they knew I no longer had my lycan, my other half, with me.

“Have you told her who sold her?” another asked, piquing my interest.

My eyes darted to Maddox and back to the group.

“Are you hunters?” I asked.

They all exchanged a look before I was abruptly pulled away by Maddox across the enormous room.

At first, I grumbled angrily as he dragged me behind him. But when I noticed the wooden double doors, I realized it was a private room.

A waiter was at the side and opened the doors before I was pushed in, stumbling forward.

Angry at the way I was being treated, I looked around the large living room. Before I could ask anything, a hand grabbed my neck from behind and bent me over a table.

I groaned as my face hit the hard glass of the table. Cursing under my breath, I tried to reach for the person doing this to me.

“You don’t know who you’re messing with,” the jerk from earlier hissed near my face. “Should we show her how we do things, Maddox?”

I followed his gaze and saw Maddox seated on a black sofa, legs over a table, relaxed, watching how the rest toyed with me.

Groaning angrily, I tried to stand, but another pair of hands pushed my head, slamming it against the table.

A gasp escaped my lips, my head throbbing.

Feeling someone pinning me from behind, I pushed again, but with ease he spread my legs and pinned me against his body, all his weight keeping me still.

“You’re really feisty, just like the rumors.”

“Fabian,” Maddox warned.

“What? Aren’t the rumors true? The queen of lycans is as feisty in battle as in bed? Should we try to see if it’s true?” Fabian laughed.

I squirmed under his body, ready to rip and stab him in his balls, but someone else was holding me down from the other side, so there was no way I could get him.

“Enough, Fabian. We’re not doing that. If you’re so eager to see her fight, then take her on yourself,” one of the other men suggested, shrugging off his jacket. “I bet she’d beat you.”

Fabian stiffened behind me, then abruptly let go.

I sucked in a breath, relishing the brief moment of freedom. The other guy still had a firm grip on my head.

While they bickered amongst themselves, I looked up at the other man, my gaze fixed on the group.

With a smirk, I reached up with my free hand, grabbed his head, and slammed it hard against the table, shattering it.

The room fell silent as I stood up and calmly fixed my hair.

The unfortunate guy on the floor groaned as blood trickled from his face.

“If you’re so desperate for a show, let me show you how I can kick your ass,” I smirked, watching as their faces turned grim. “Or are you scared of losing face, ~Fabian~?”

They all stared at me, their expressions grim, while Fabian scoffed.

I moved away from the shattered glass and stepped towards the coffee table where Maddox had propped his feet.

Fabian kept his eyes on me as I moved closer, the click of my heels echoing on the black marble floor.

“So, are we fighting?” I asked.

Fabian’s smile vanished. Without a second thought, he swung at me with his fists. I ducked and punched him in the stomach.

Stepping back, I moved into a space between the couch and the dining table. Fabian followed, his eyes red and teary.

I smirked and waited patiently.

Without Ashina’s help, I would need to be smart and patient, studying my opponent as I always did in battle. But I had to remember that I was dealing with hunters, humans, not wolves or lycans.

“No,” Fabian said, dropping his hands to his sides. “We’re doing this my way.”

“And what way is that?” I asked, furrowing my brows.

Fabian gave me a sly smile, then turned to a nearby wall where a few weapons were displayed for visitors to admire.

How had I missed them before?

“Choose your weapon, ~señorita~,” Fabian gestured grandly, making me wonder who he really was.

His green eyes, curly brown hair, and tan skin marked him as a foreigner, but he bore such a striking resemblance to Maddox that for a moment they could have been brothers.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I moved to grab the only two long blades on display.

I tested their weight in my hands before twirling them and facing Fabian, who held a katana.

“I hope you know how to handle those. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself,” he chuckled and took his stance.

He didn’t know that I’d spent most of my life training with various weapons and defenses.

Our pack didn’t just train our wolves or lycans. We learned to hunt, to use guns and other weapons, and to strategize.

With our heightened senses and strength, we used them well. And he was underestimating me if he thought I was just a defenseless human without a lycan.

I was me, with or without Ashina. No matter the challenge, there was always a way to overcome the impossible, even if it meant using all the knowledge my beloved father had drilled into me.

And if things were that simple, I wouldn’t be who I am now. I wouldn’t have achieved my goals.

Twirling the blades in my hands, I took my stance and nodded respectfully.

Fabian narrowed his eyes as I moved to attack.

His sword blocked my first strike. I smiled and dropped one of my arms, ready to stab him.

Fabian quickly stepped back. I seized the opportunity and attacked relentlessly.

The clash of our weapons echoed in the silent room, where the others watched in fascination as we battled.

Sweat broke out on his forehead as I ducked and slammed the handle of my blade into his chin, knocking him off balance.

In a graceful twirl, as if I were dancing, I knelt and slashed him across the thigh.

He cursed as he backed away from me.

“Damn you!”

“I’m already damned, my dear.” I winked and attacked again.

Fabian raised both arms as my blades clashed and forced him back until he was trapped between my blades and a wall.

The rest of the men were on their feet now, watching with anticipation as Fabian kicked my arm, causing me to drop one of my blades.

I cursed under my breath, then stumbled back when my heel caught on the rug.

As I struggled to regain my balance, Fabian’s blade came down, leaving me no choice but to use my only remaining defense.

“You’ll pay for that cut!” he snarled in my face.

I glanced over my shoulder at Maddox. His face was impassive.

Turning back to Fabian, I met his gaze and smirked.

“Bite me then,” I said, then lifted my leg, grabbed my heel with my left hand, and drove it straight into his eye.

A yell filled the room, and then all hell broke loose.

I kicked off my other heel and shoved Fabian towards the others. With quick steps, I reached for the other blade and headed straight for the open window.

“Don’t!” Maddox yelled as I glanced back. The room was in chaos as Fabian howled in pain.

“I’m free.” I smiled and jumped out the window.

Thankfully, the mansion was on the outskirts of the city, giving me more options.

I quickly scaled a tree near the wall surrounding the mansion, then peeked back.

No one was following yet, so I had the advantage.

I hoisted myself up onto a branch and crouched, listening to the shouts echoing around me.

Security must have been alerted.

Focusing back on the concrete wall, I scanned the area and prepared to jump.

It wasn’t far, but the tracker in my body would be a problem.

I glanced at the blade in my hand. Taking a deep breath, I put the other blade in my mouth and hurriedly searched for the tracker in my hair.

Time was of the essence, which meant I had to choose between bleeding myself out or letting them catch me again.

~Not a chance~.

Feeling the small tracker with my fingers, I positioned the sharp edge and pushed hard until warm blood trickled down my skull.

Tears blurred my vision, smearing my makeup, but I didn’t give a damn. My focus was on getting rid of it.

Finally, I held it in my hand, scanning my surroundings before standing to hurl the tracker as far as I could.

Knowing that bought me a few precious minutes, I spun around and vaulted over the wall.

A groan escaped me as I tumbled. Ignoring the pain, I scrambled to my feet and sprinted into the night.

***

Panting, I paused to lean against a tree. So far, I’d managed to evade them, but I knew they were hunters. They’d have no trouble tracking me down.

Worse, they’d relish the chase.

A throbbing pain in my head made me touch the strip of dress I’d tied around it. The chill of the blood seeping through told me the wound hadn’t begun to heal.

I grumbled under my breath. Why had Ashina abandoned me?

The more I pondered it, the clearer the answer became.

Sliding down the tree, I allowed myself a moment to rest. Up until now, I’d been aware of the source of my misfortune.

Initially, I’d tried to deny any connection to her, but now, I was certain that the Moon Goddess was behind my current predicament.

It was the only explanation that made sense.

Sighing, I rested my head against the tree and gazed up at the sky. Tiny stars twinkled in the lonely night.

The memories were slow to return, but gradually, things began to take shape. The memory loss, the shackles, the baby, my strength, Ashina’s absence, and Connor. It was her. She was punishing me for my actions.

Cutting ties with her had led me to this point. Alone.

If only things had been different. I wouldn’t have dared to defy her. But I’d had no other choice.

My brothers did nothing. My father acted as if he was innocent. The king turned a blind eye. And my mother, whom I’d never met, was silently murdered by my father without receiving justice.

I groaned, frustrated by the flood of memories.

The day I’d begged the Goddess for help, she’d made it clear that I could never reclaim what I’d lost. At the time, I hadn’t cared, but now I desperately wished I could undo my mistakes.

Yet, I kept making the same ones over and over. I kept...

A rustling sound from behind made me snap to attention. Gripping my blades, I crouched, ready to take down the bastards.

Hearing the rustling again, I froze.

Seconds ticked by, but nothing emerged. I cautiously glanced over my shoulder, scanning my surroundings. Nothing.

Sighing, I relaxed. But I couldn’t stay put. I had to keep moving.

Rising, I secured my blades on my makeshift chest strap and was about to take off when something slammed into me.

I quickly drew a blade, but it was knocked from my grasp.

I cursed loudly and reached for the other blade. I couldn’t see what or who it was in the darkness. The moon was hidden behind clouds, leaving me blind.

I got to my feet, adopting a defensive stance with my arms, but a growl made me freeze. Had I heard that right?

A flicker of hope ignited in my heart. Could it be someone from the pack?

It was a foolish thought, but there was a chance someone had followed me into the city.

As I let my guard down slightly, a snarl sounded and teeth sank into my arm.

I screamed in agony.

With my free hand, I tried to stab it. A howl pierced the night, giving me the chance to bolt.

My lungs screamed for air, but I couldn’t stop. Not now, when I knew that the wolf wasn’t from the pack. It had to be a rogue, under the control of the hunters.

As I ran, I glanced over my shoulder. The heavy thud of paws echoed close behind me.

Tears stung my eyes, and I angrily wiped them away. The pounding footsteps grew louder as my legs pushed me forward.

Spotting a road in the distance, I pushed myself to run faster. But before I could reach the road where cars whizzed by, something bit my ankle.

I cried out, falling hard and scraping my face on the dirt and rocks.

“Stubborn as always,” a voice said as bones snapped back into place.

I frowned at the sound. ~Impossible~.

“Nothing will ever make you stop, Elaine,” he said, and I froze.

Nothing else mattered in that moment. Not the distant hum of cars, the chirping crickets, or the buzzing in my head.

Not when my heart pounded in my ears. And the nagging doubt warned me that I was about to confront a nightmare.

“If you’d just done as the Moon Goddess instructed, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

I blinked back tears.

“Turn around, Elaine,” the voice commanded. “Turn around and stop running.”

Closing my eyes, I slowly turned.

Every part of me ached. My body screamed for rest. But right then, my physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional torment I was about to face.

“Hi, my love. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” the voice said, stepping into the light of the road, clad only in his gear pants.

This wasn’t a hallucination. I wasn’t dreaming.

“I’ve missed you a lot, Elaine.” He smiled—that smile that had captivated me the first time I saw it, the one that had led me into this mess. “You look nothing like the woman I remember.”

I gasped as he crouched before me, smirking, his fingers gripping my chin roughly.

“Still, those eyes are breathtaking in the moonlight,” he whispered, leaning closer. “I hope you’ve been thinking about me.”

I winced as he jerked my face toward him and forced a kiss on me.

“Because you’re all I’ve thought about this past week.”

Laughing, he stood, leaving me speechless for the first time.

Stretching, he pulled something from his pants, and a whistle cut through the night. My gaze never left him as he turned and smiled.

“We need to leave before we draw attention,” he said, extending a hand. “Be a good girl and come with me.”

“No!” I scrambled backward as fear gripped me.

“Elaine,” Sorin cautioned, his voice a low growl. I kept retreating, matching his every advance with a step back. “Elaine, don’t push me.”

“No!” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. “This can’t be real.”

“Not real?” He halted, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re still shocked?”

I tried to respond, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Listen, this is the last time I’m asking nicely. Come with me,” he said, extending his hand once more.

His patience finally snapped. He seized my arms and yanked me to my feet.

“That’s enough!” he barked, his grip unyielding.

A smile returned to his face as he pulled me along. I tried to resist, but my strength was gone.

“No, please.” I dug my nails into his arm. “Don’t do this.”

He growled, spinning around to face me, then shoved me into a waiting van. A few others had gathered, but Maddox was nowhere to be seen.

“I’m at the end of my rope.” He bared his teeth. “Quit fucking around and do as you’re told!”

In a desperate move, I reached out, clutching his hand between mine.

“This can’t be happening. Tell me it’s all a lie,” I pleaded, gripping him tightly.

He just blinked, his expression unreadable.

He scoffed, a look of disgust crossing his face as he shoved me away, slamming the van door shut. I scrambled to my feet, pounding on the door.

“No! Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to deserve this?”

The sound of a door closing echoed in the van, signaling our departure. I kept pounding, my fists growing sore.

“Just stop, Elaine,” he sighed, sounding weary. “You’re not going back.”

I spun around, facing the voice.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I sobbed.

Silence was his only response.

“~Answer me!~” I screamed, but there was still no reply.

Struggling to find my voice, I managed to choke out, “What did I do wrong? If all I ever did was love you, Sorin, why are you hurting me like this?”