Chapter 2 Dungeon

Cain POV

Today was dungeon inspection day, and it had been a while since I had last checked on the prisoners. I needed to see how many were locked away, and perhaps have some fun beating any traitors or rogues we'd captured.

I walked down the dark, damp dungeon hallway, the air thick with the smell of stale fear and grime. My hybrid nature, half dragon, half wolf shifter – made me feel the oppressive atmosphere acutely. As I passed, the guards immediately lowered their gazes, not daring to meet my eyes. My presence commanded that much respect, or perhaps, fear.

I stopped at each cell, peering in. "You," I growled, pointing at a sniveling rogue, "you'll be here for the rest of your pathetic life." I moved on, my boots echoing on the stone floor, until I suddenly stopped. A female smell hit me hard.

I stared at a cell, my gaze fixed on a figure cowered in the far corner. "Open the door," I barked at one of the guards, and he fumbled with the keys, opening it with a clang.

I stepped inside. A small, fragile looking female whimpered, pressing herself further into the corner when she saw me. Her smell hit me hard. My hands clenched into fists. A human. A filthy human. And the worst, most terrifying realization, my mate.

"No, no, no, this cannot be happening" I whispered, the words a raw sound torn from my throat. My wolf howled inside me, a mixture of recognition, possessiveness, and absolute terror. This couldn't be happening. Not here. Not like this.

I took a moment to size her up, my eyes raking over her small frame. "Stand up," I commanded, my voice rougher than I intended. She slowly uncurled, rising to her feet. She was incredibly small, almost delicate, a pitiful contrast to my own huge size. But even covered in filth and dirt, her beauty was undeniable. My nose wrinkled in distaste at the smell, but my eyes lingered on her face, on the way her dark hair framed her pale skin, on the fear shimmering in her wide eyes.

"I have a human in my kingdom, and I know nothing about it?" I snarled, the question laced with a dangerous anger, directed more at the situation than at her. I spun on my heel and stormed out of the cell, leaving the trembling human and the wide eyed guards behind.

My fury led me straight to Beta Ryan's office. I barged in without knocking. Ryan, a large, burly wolf shifter, looked up from his desk, his eyes widening as he saw my enraged face.

"Care to explain what a human is doing in my kingdom, and why I know nothing about it?" I demanded, my voice dangerously cold, each word a chip of ice.

Beta Ryan froze, guilt evident in his usually stoic expression. "Alpha," he stammered, "I can explain."

"Start doing so," I growled, my patience worn thin.

"I... I bought her six months ago, if I'm not mistaken," he began, his eyes darting away from mine. "But I... I forgot about her when I found my mate that same night."

My nose flared, catching a faint scent of something metallic mixed with the fear in the air. "Care to tell me why you bought her?" I asked, my voice dangerously low.

Ryan swallowed hard. "Because I wanted to use her for breeding."

That was it. I saw red. An angry roar tore from my chest. I lunged across the desk, grabbing Ryan by the collar of his tunic, lifting him clean off his feet. His face turned a shade of purple, his hands instinctively grasping at mine.

"Alpha!" Ryan choked out, fear finally overriding his shock.

My wolf was screaming, demanding vengeance, demanding that I rip him apart for even thinking such a thing about my mate. But then, a cold, hard voice in my head cut through the rage. No one must know that human was his mate. I couldn't afford that weakness to be exposed. Not now. Not ever.

With a final snarl, I shoved him back, releasing him so abruptly that he stumbled and crashed back into his chair, gasping for breath.

I stormed out of his office, the rage still simmering under my skin, making my entire body vibrate. I headed directly to my own chambers, the only place I could truly be alone.

"Perhaps I should send her away," I muttered to myself, pacing the room. No, that wouldn't work. She'd be captured again, or worse, killed. And my wolf... my wolf would go absolutely insane knowing she was out there, vulnerable and unprotected.

"I should kill her, I should kill her and get rid of her" I said again, the words tasting like poison in my mouth. My fist slammed down on my wooden table, the heavy wood groaning under the impact. The thought was unbearable, a violation of every instinct my wolf possessed.

"No. I'll keep her around," I decided, the words a desperate compromise, "so I can monitor her." protect her, claim her. My wolf purred at the last thought, a dark, possessive sound.

I stood by the window, looking out over my busy kingdom, the anger still a tight knot in my gut. I flicked my finger, and one of my most trusted soldiers appeared, bowing his head respectfully.

"Remove that human girl from the dungeon," I commanded, my voice flat, betraying none of the turmoil raging within me. "Take her to one of the chambers, the one next to mine. Tell the maids to bathe and feed her. Until I give further instructions." The soldier nodded, not daring to question, and disappeared.

I seethed. This was a complication I didn't need, a weakness I couldn't afford. But she’s my mate. My human mate and i don’t like humans. I hate humans so much. But i can't let anyone have her either. The sheer possessiveness was overwhelming, a force that threatened to consume me.

I pictured her again, small and vulnerable in that cold cell. My anger surfaced again.

This was going to change everything. My world, my carefully constructed walls, all of it was about to be turned upside down by one small, terrified human.