Chapter5.

I blinked, trying to understand what the man was saying.

Did he just say that I would be his hostage until I received my wolf? But that wouldn't happen for another year!

Seeing that my face had paled, he cleared his throat and added, "If you obey me and behave, we won't have any problems."

The mark on your neck means you'll be a tracking wolf. I need to find someone, and when I do, you can leave. When I do, you can leave without any problems."

He said all this as if it were an irrevocable agreement, as if he were telling me that I had won a scholarship or contest.

I could see in his eyes that he believed he was doing me a favor.

"I won't be your prisoner. Find who you need on your own."

It was the first thing that came to mind, and it came out before I could think about it too much.

He frowned, then threw another leg on top of me. I tried to get up, but he pushed me back against the couch with his hand on my chest.

In the process, my blouse, precariously tied with a makeshift bow I had made the night before, came undone. Marius's huge, rough hand touched my breasts.

He was more than shocked; he practically jumped off the couch before I could react.

He turned his back to me and stammered, "I'll get you some clothes, but they probably won't be feminine." I pulled the blanket up to cover myself and stared at his muscular back, watching his shoulders rise and fall.

"I wouldn't need clothes if you hadn't kidnapped me. Let me go. I promise that when I get my wolf, I'll remember that you saved me. I'll help you. You can trust me," I said. Without turning around, Marius replied, "Trust? I don't trust anyone."

It had been three days since Marius had kidnapped me. He kept me in a room with the door and windows locked. I knew when it was day or night by the light coming through the cracks in the windows.

Three times a day, Marius showed up to bring me food and ask if I needed to use the bathroom. I only agreed when I couldn't hold it anymore. I hadn't showered yet because I didn't feel comfortable being naked in the bathroom while sharing the cabin with him.

Marius used a dry toilet, and I had no idea where the waste went. It was uncomfortable always having him behind the door.

The bathroom was outside the cabin, and I suspected he showered in another bathroom near the toilet.

As I sat on the bed leafing through an old book I had found and wearing one of his old T-shirts and shorts that I had tied several times to fit me, the door opened.

Marius had wet hair, was shirtless, and wore black shorts that looked worn. He always seemed to shower at night. At least, he always smelled like he had showered when he brought dinner.

Were all his clothes that old? He must have been living here in hiding since the Silver Moon Pack massacre.

When I remembered how the bodies had been found, I felt a chill run down my spine.

“I brought your dinner,” he said, bringing me back to reality.

His food consisted of fruit, meat, and fish that he had caught in a nearby river. There was nothing processed, and I suspected he got water from a well because he never strayed far.

I looked at the meat and vegetables. His face looked anxious, but I said nothing, as usual.

He went to a small table near the bed and left the tray with the food.

I swallowed hard when I smelled his body; he didn't seem to use soap or shampoo.

Yet he smelled good.

I figured he was always hiding here. After all, King Alpha and his wolves still wanted justice for the massacre of the Silver Moon Pack. Before he turned and left, I held his hand and said, "I need a bath, please." Marius turned and looked at me and nodded. "I'll get it ready for you." Marius left the room and returned a few minutes later, holding a cloth that looked like a towel. He cleared his throat and asked, "Shall we go?" I nodded and got up, following him into the living room and then out of the cabin.

We walked a few seconds behind the cabin to a small wooden building where Marius opened the door. Inside, I saw a huge wooden barrel filled with water in one corner, a wooden stand with jars containing a clear liquid with a subtle aroma, and an empty jar that I assumed was used to draw water from the barrel.

I turned and looked at Marius.

Marius entered the small bathroom, squeezing between me and the door.

He picked up one of the jars and showed me the clear liquid inside.

"This is soap made from soapwort, a plant that grows nearby. Use it. It cleans your skin and hair well."

He opened the jar and handed it to me.

I smelled the subtle scent in the jar and on my clothes. I smiled and thanked him.

When he made no move to leave and kept looking at me, I decided to take advantage of the situation.

"I forgot my clothes, and I think you did too. Could you get them for me?"

He hesitated for a few seconds. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Please, Marius. I won't run away."

Marius flexed his jaw. I felt him shudder at my touch. He quickly looked away and said, "Wait here."

As soon as I saw him walk away, I turned and ran into the woods behind the bathroom.

I ran with all the energy I had gathered during those three days of eating everything he gave me.

Unfortunately, it was a moonless night, and everything was dark, much like the night he had kidnapped me.

I kept running, my heart beating wildly, my legs aching, and my mind racing. Suddenly, thunder rumbled overhead, and I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.

If I had already become a werewolf, I would be stronger and wouldn't tire so easily.

I could see through the darkness, but I didn't have it yet. I couldn't trust Marius's promises of freedom.

He had murdered his own pack—how could I trust a man who was such a bloodthirsty killer?