Hunted

Chapter 11-Morals

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Chapter 11-Azula's POV

Time and I had never been friends. Ever since I was little, I used to resent it for the growing gap it was creating between me and everything I ever held dear. Now, I simply hated it because every second that passed brought me closer to hell. Brought me closer to matehood.

                As a child, it was one of the many things I had fantasised about. Of course, never in a million years had I ever imagined I would be forced into mating, apart from in my darkest nightmares. The kind where you wake up screaming and sobbing, crying out for the help you know will never come.

                Mating was a sacred ritual between two wolves, typically mates, during which the two lovers would exchange sacred vows. With the help of their Shaman, they would then be bound to each other for the rest of their lives and would become each other’s amator.

                The thought of sharing the rest of my life with Alpha Reynolds made me feel sick. Dirty. And, ridiculously, Amias’ face kept flitting through my mind. What would he think about this? Surely he wouldn’t let his mate be claimed by someone else...

                I quickly dismissed Amias from my mind. I had no business thinking about that scum. This was all his fault! If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I wouldn’t be able to lose the only freedom I had left!

                Thud.

                My fist had connected with the wall of the cave before I’d even made the conscious effort to hit it. This wasn’t fair!

                Who were they to take away my freedom? Who were they to force me into doing things? Once you were mated, you couldn’t just become unmated. That wasn’t how it worked. If you mated, you mated for life. No ifs. No buts. Only if your amator died would you ever be free of them. And I really didn’t see Alpha Reynolds dying any time soon.

                ‘If the Moon Goddess won’t take his sorry excuse for a life away from him, I might just have to take the decision from her,’ I thought darkly, examining my knuckle for damage. The slight burn told me that any injury was minor, and was healing. Stupid wall.

                At least he’d had the decency to feed me before chucking me back in this dump. My stomach no longer growled; the pleasant taste of berries and deer meat lingered on my tongue.

                “Azula,” a voice whispered. It was as soft as the wind, so quiet that I barely heard it. And yet the voice sent a hot shiver racing through my body. Despite the fact that I’d only ever heard it once, I’d know that voice anywhere.  

                “Shhh, please, don’t make a sound,” Amias continued, his voice never rising in volume. “If he hears me, he’ll-“

                “And why should I care?” I asked fiercely, matching my volume to his, although I longed to yell at him for what he’d done. But in order to get the answers I needed, I had to remain quiet, so I contented myself with making my voice colder than snow. I moved over to the wall and pressed my ear against it.

There was a long pause. “Look, I know I’ve given you no reason to trust me, but-“

                “No, you haven’t, but I gave you my trust anyway. And look where that got me!” It was hard to keep my voice soft with all of the fury coursing through me, but somehow, I managed. “I’m stuck in this fucking prison, about to be forced into my worst nightmare!” My heart twisted in my chest. It felt wrong to be angry at Amias. That just made me all the more furious.