The Usurper's Throne

34

He forced me into the throne room, which had been freshly waxed. I could smell the linger scent of blood. His gammas trailed behind him—Eric wasn't in sight. Like he needed the extra protection. I couldn't touch him, not while he held the Alpha's Claim.

"Go stand in front of that wooden wall," he commanded. I glanced up and gasped silently.

Behind the throne stood an upright wooden wall. At neck height, there were three open metal clasps. They were obviously intended to hold someone's neck and wrists. Not anyone's. Mine.

With every step I took, I cursed him. My feet were dragging my body to the wall where there were three metal clasps open at shoulder level. The clasp in the middle was the largest. Too soon, I found myself standing on front of the wall.

"Close the clasp around your neck and wrist," he commanded.

I watched in horror as I swung a metal bar around my neck and hung a lock on it, locking my neck against the wall. There was a strange bulge in the collar at the front that pressed uncomfortably against my windpipe. I watched as my disembodied right hand stretched and closed my left into a similar trap. I closed the lock with a small click and flinched.

Damien stepped up. "Put your wrist in the other cuff," he commanded. I did as he said. His finger danced over the metal, and he locked it in place. "There you go," he said. He jumped back off the throne area and surveyed his work. "How is the height?" he asked.

"Damien, let me go," I whispered. "Please."

"No," he said. "It looks good," he said to the gammas in the room. "What do you think?"

Ironside nodded. "Beautiful," he said. The other merely nodded.

"Bug off," I shot at him. I looked at Ironside. "You are a pathetic excuse for a human," I told him.

He smiled and crossed his arms. "Cute."

Damien smiled. For the first time in his miserable life, the idiot smiled. I wanted to kick his teeth in.

"Dove, I intend to keep you here as long as it takes until you agree to mate with me. I am a man of my word. I want you to want me. Deal?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "Let me down. This isn't funny. Please. Let me down."

He simply shook his head.

"Damien, why do you want me? There are hundred of prettier and more...docile girls out there. Take you pick. Let me go."

He sighed and stepped up to me. He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. "You see, that's a problem. Because I have explained this to you before and you didn't listen." He patted my head patronizingly. "That's okay. I have a lot of patience," he said and laughed. No one else did. He had broken. "But, we will need to train that out of you. It's unbecoming. I want you, Naomi because I love you. Not any girl off the street. You. I love you." I grimaced at him. "You are perfect. I couldn't image a more perfect mate. You illustrated my vision." He squealed like a child, making me tense and wince. "I love you," he gushed.

I blinked a few times and looked at his gammas. Only Ironside looked unaffected by his outburst. Didn't they see he was insane? I locked eyes with one of them. Thomas. He wouldn't meet my eyes.

Suddenly, Damien was himself again. He acted like nothing happened. "I will be working. I want you to pay attention to my decisions. Eventually, we will be doing this together." He laughed loudly. "In some ways, we already are." He looked at me fiercely. "Stay quiet while I work."

I felt my mouth go numb. He was insane—the mood swings were rampant. He walked away and sat down in his throne. "Bring in the first case," he said. I stood there, mortified as werewolves entered, casting wary glances my way. Mostly, they ignored me.

I had been reduced to nothing more than a piece of furniture.

All day, he heard from his people, completely ignoring me. He had one of the gammas feed me, which I would have refused. Damien commanded me to eat, so I obediently ate the soup that Thomas fed me. It was humiliating—like I was a child.

I felt hate—deep within me—growing each second.

After dark, Damien left. Not a word. Ironside stayed back and guarded me all night. I kept waiting for Damien to come back and let me sleep. He never did.