Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
After walking back to the bed, Hayden picked up the ancient witch book, gripping it until the skin on his knuckles went taut. Then he strode to the door and glanced at me over his shoulder.
"Get dressed. We're going to the dungeons." His tone left no room for argument. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
He left the room, and I did as he ordered, but not because I was submitting to him. I didn’t want to argue because he was giving me a chance to check on the kingdom and my parents. I had to leave my prison. But was I heading into another cage instead? Would Hayden leave me in the dungeons?
I dashed to my walk-in closet and dressed as fast as I could while holding my breath in anticipation of Hayden walking in behind me. But he didn’t show up, and I let out a tired sigh.
After I left the bedchambers, I found Hayden, dressed, waiting for me in the hallway. He must have hidden my witch book or handed it to one of the guards at my door. I scanned the surroundings as I descended the stairs and left the mansion. Maybe there was a chance to get someone's attention.
“Don’t bother, sweetheart.” Hayden’s deep voice rang in my ear, and my body jolted.
My pulse accelerated as he glued himself next to me.
“Don’t do anything stupid, my Queen.”
I wouldn’t give up. As we walked through the narrow streets, I couldn't help but notice how different everything appeared.
The once warm and lively atmosphere had been replaced by a stifling tension that weighed heavily in the air.
The kingdom people went about their daily lives, sending curious glances over to the newcomer men walking around.
Clearly, the kingdom was now under the control of Hayden's people, who were everywhere. Hayden’s men stood out not only because of their strong, lean physiques and pointy ears, but also because of their leather clothes—the black pants and cut-off vests.
“Why leather?” I asked in a low voice.
Hayden sent me an intense glance that burned through my skin, but I didn’t look at him.
“Because thorns and arrows can’t penetrate this material,” he said as a matter of fact.
I didn’t know of any leather in the human realm that could stop arrows as a protective shield…or thorns. Why thorns? Who would throw thorns at the warriors? It almost sounded comical, but I sobered up quickly, reminding myself I knew nothing of Hayden’s true heritage and powers.
Taking deep breaths, I slowed my pace. “Who are these men, Hayden?”
“My loyal men,” he said.
Groaning, I tilted my head back and then sighed. “I know what you are.”
He halted, grasping my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. “I’m your mate, Breanna. Nothing else matters.”
“You’ve been lying to me, mate,” I said without hiding the sarcasm in my voice.
“I wouldn’t have to lie if you were more cooperative and less disobedient,” he said, nudging me to walk again.
I wanted to tell him there wasn’t an obedient bone in my body, but instead, I pressed my lips into a line. I had to find out exactly why I had to be his Queen.
The weathered, worn walls of the dungeon appeared in front of us, with several of Hayden’s men pacing around it. Like its interior, the dungeon’s exterior was devoid of any signs of life. Not even plants grew in its vicinity.
As we approached, the air turned heavy with the faint odor of dampness and cold stone. The very presence of the dungeon drained the surrounding area of vitality—probably the reason that its location was at the edges of our town.
I would lash out my whip at Hayden and even shift, but I wouldn’t let him keep me captive in there. My steps slowed, my breaths becoming shallow.
"Where are the Alphas? And my mom and dad?" I asked, my pulse racing.
A wave of unease washed over me, and my heart ached as if an icy hand gripped and squeezed the organ.
Was he taking me to see them in the dungeons? A chill crept up my spine, causing me to shiver involuntarily.
"Your parents are being watched closely," Hayden replied in a steady voice.
“Are they in the dungeon?” My voice shook, betraying me.
“You’ll see.”
No. My chest hurt. The guards straightened and gave a slight bow as we stood at the door. The creak of the iron gate never sounded so haunting. When we stepped inside the gray stones, my eyes adjusted to the dimmer light.
The deeper we went into the dungeon, the more the water droplets bounced off the walls, making a creepy sound.
"Please, tell me they're okay," I begged Hayden, hating standing next to this monster more every minute.
"Like I said, your parents are okay, but for how long depends on you, my Queen."
There was something in his tone that made my stomach churn.
As we continued down the corridor, I tried to keep my breathing steady, focusing on each step and trying not to let the oppressive atmosphere overwhelm me. But deep down, I knew that something terrible was happening to my family, and I feared what would happen next.
We entered a cell at the end of the corridor, and I did a double take.
“Layla?”
I took a step forward to get to her, but Hayden’s grip on my shoulder halted me.
The sight of my cousin constricted my lungs. She looked so different from the woman I'd known. Her once bright eyes were dull, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Her blotchy skin had lost its luster, and her dirty blonde hair stuck out everywhere.
As she lifted her head, her vacant gaze fell on me. Her scrawny body, covered by worn-out clothes, was a hollow emptiness. Dad would have ordered three meals a day for her. On the metal cot she sat on, a thin blanket was tossed toward the cold, stony wall.
I shook my head.
Hayden must have changed Dad’s orders. He had the power to do as he pleased now that he was the werewolf King.
“Are you here to pity me, Breanna?” Layla’s voice sounded scratchy and rough.
“No,” I said, peering at Hayden next to me.
Why did he bring me here to see Layla?
“Are my parents here, too, Hayden?”
“They are not.”
I shook his hand off my shoulder. “Then where are they?” My voice might have escalated more than intended.
Hayden gave me a frosty, impatient look.
"Breanna, Hayden poisoned Torin in prison," Layla whispered, rushing her words while her gaze darted between me and my captor. "He told me that Torin killed my father because he witnessed it in the woods."
A cold realization settled over me as I remembered seeing a short figure hiding in the shadows on that fateful night—a person who had witnessed Torin killing my uncle but had never come forward.
Hayden had kept this secret to himself until he could use it to his advantage, sharing it with Layla and igniting her revenge on Torin. That was why Layla and Mark, the Alpha I saved from vampire torture in London, had joined forces—their common goal was to eliminate Torin.
"Your precious Torin isn't innocent, Breanna. He killed my father, and I'll never forgive him for that," Layla said in a low voice, as if it took too much energy to talk.
She showed no sign of remorse for her actions.
My heart raced as I tried to process everything.
Hayden had ignited Layla’s revenge on Torin.
He was the catalyst for her desire to assassinate Torin in the secret passages in the kingdom.
And Mark joined her forces because he was afraid Torin was going to take over his Alpha position as the rightful heir of the Nighteye pack.
Before I could say anything else, Hayden left my side and stepped forward. With his inhuman speed, he stood before Layla. He grabbed her by her arm, pulling her off the cot, and positioned himself behind Layla’s small body.
I gasped as I realized Hayden’s malicious intentions. My breath caught in my throat.
Layla’s eyes grew wide as Hayden wrapped his hand around her throat. With one swift motion, he snapped Layla's neck. Her body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
"No!" I screamed.
My hand flew over my bracelet, willing it into my weapon. The golden jewelry extended with the shimmering magic, becoming a whip.
“Fire,” I murmured, lashing the whip toward Hayden.
The bright flames danced and flickered along the length of my weapon. As I swung the whip through the air, sparks erupted from its tip, leaving a trail of sizzling embers in its wake.
The whip aimed at Hayden’s chest, but at the last moment, he moved to the side, grasping the tip of the rope. Upon impact, the fire erupted bigger, engulfing his entire arm. Hayden smirked and pulled the rope toward him. My body flew toward him, my chest colliding with his.
“Mmm…” The pleasurable sound that escaped his throat made my stomach hard and sore. “The heat of your magic is intoxicating.”
Groaning, I fought out of his embrace. My weapon wouldn’t hurt my mate unless I let the dark magic consume me so I could use it against him.
"Listen carefully, sweetheart." Hayden's voice sounded ice-cold as he towered over me. "This will happen to your parents, too, if you don't submit to me—body, soul, and mind. You have to mate with me and mark me, or they'll suffer the same fate as Layla."
My body trembled. I couldn't believe what was happening, how the man I'd once trusted had become a tyrant.
I willed my bracelet back to my forearm.
"Stop," I whispered, my voice shaking as I stared at Layla's lifeless body on the floor. "You're a monster, Hayden."
He raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes.
My heart pounded in my chest, and I couldn't help but think of Torin. The way Hayden had manipulated me into believing Torin kissed Layla… I should have known better.
I locked my gaze onto Hayden's. "I know what you are—a fairy. You made me see things that weren't true. Torin never kissed Layla, did he?"
Hayden chuckled darkly. "Get used to it, sweetheart. I'll never forgive you fully for choosing him over me. But don't worry. I'll still get what I want."
I narrowed my eyes. He didn’t deny it. Unless Hayden carried another crystal like the Lunarimar, his fairy powers could be very strong if they allowed him to hide his true form all on his own.