Chapter 3

Katarina's POV

He panted at the doorway. "You've been out cold for two days." He continued walking into the room. "I thought...." He trailed off as he finally realized that I was a shivering mess on the floor.

"Good job, Avi! Just when we were advancing, you just had to barge in here freaking the crap out of her. Now she's in worse condition than before." The man with oceanic eyes again growled that I had to hold back the urge to run for hills. His barbaric tone was deep and dominating that I almost felt myself curling into a mess.

"M-My apologies, Alpha. I just... didn't know she was up," said Avi as he looked fearfully towards the blue-orbed man who scowled. My eyes slowly took in his form. He was tall, muscular and his defining muscles were visible through his shirt. His dark hair clipped into a decent cut as a few strands fell over his forehead.

And when he turned his eyes towards me sensing my gaze on his, his eyes softened a bit.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I barely have any clue, Alpha. A plausible presumption is, she's been tortured. This describes her actions when she found herself in a strange place."

"Crap...I should've been more careful." Avi muttered and the doctor tending to my wounds gave him a hard glare. Alpha nodded, his eyes never leaving mine as he started walking toward us.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, that wasn't my intent. You don't have to be terrified. I'm not gonna harm you, no one's going to. My name is Augustus. What's yours, cupcake?" He was now nearby, crouched down to my level. His tone was strangely calm and soft unlike the hard musculature of his body. His green eyes softened as he regards me with his gaze.

"K-Katarina." I stuttered out in a whisper, looking down again.

I couldn't hold his gaze. It was too intense and intimidating.

"Katarina." I felt a tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach as he summarised it. I could feel my skin igniting.

"You're a shy one, aren't you?" A deep chuckle resonated through his chest. "Let's get you up on the bed first. You're injured and should be resting."

Slowly he stretched his hand for me to seize. I pondered as I unsurely placed my hand over his whilst he gave me a small smile. I looked fascinated at him as his cheek dipped into an adorable dimple.

Just like Xerxes-

My body tensed and he tightened his hold on my hand.

"Come. I'm not gonna hurt you." Slowly he helped me stand and sit on the edge of the bed.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you, cupcake? I found you while I was roaming in the woods. Your condition wasn't stable when I found you....you were scarcely alive."

My breath hitched as I murmured lowly.

"I-I don't want to talk about it." I glanced at Avi who was just standing a bit farther back than the doctor, his mouth slightly gaped open as he stared at the man in front of me. A look of startelment in his eyes.

"That's fine. You can take your time." He said once he sensed panic in my eyes.

"Do you have anyone you want to contact? Family? Friends?"

I thought about my family.

"No," I muttered looking at the floor.

Family. What do I call a family? A dead brother? A dead mother? A dead father?

"No worries. Do you have any memory of your last pack? Where do you live?" He asked cautiously enough to not scare me anymore.

Pack? One that had been massacred? Or the one that never treated me like their Alpha's mate? Where do I live? Where was my home?

"I-I don't have any." Words were whispered into the air and he caught them.

"That's not a problem. You can stay here. We've enough spare rooms in the packhouse. Once your condition is stabilized, I'll have one of my wolves arrange for your arrival." He said softly and I nodded.

"For now, you can rest here after James changes your bandages, okay?" He talked like he was soothing a child and I barely could look into his eyes as I meekly nodded. Standing up, he walked towards Avi and looked over his shoulder before his eye met mine.

"I'll be back to check up on you. Till then take good care of yourself." With this, he left before saying something to James.

James was quick to change my bandages and checked my vitals. Just because they hadn't done anything to me didn't mean they were good. I couldn't let my guard down no matter how nice and genuine they seemed. I had to stay alert.

Just because I agreed to stay here didn't mean I was going to stay here forever. Just until I was healed. I needed to leave this land before Xerxes find me. I had to get away as far as possible. This was just a temporary arrangement I made out of necessity.

***

It was just a flash when my eyes damped as the scene before me etched a harsh and brutal image I could never forget. When my body jerked violently, my sobs were squeezed by his hand over my mouth whilst I felt hot flames of fire licking against my skin. My body jerked again as I felt his arms circling and wrapping around my waist and my flesh pushed up against his.

"Tell me what I want to hear, blossom."

His hot breath rasped against my skin I felt burning sensations erupting through my veins. Confining my legs securely around his waist, my body jerked again. I felt him so deep inside me, I could feel him in my stomach. I let out a strangled wail of both pain and ecstasy as his fingers dug into my sides.

Sweat dripped down our naked flesh, I couldn't tell if it was from the fire surrounding us or the intense way he was molding my skin to his accordance.

I felt his claws drag down my back as he pumped deeper. A terrorized scream rippled through me as his heterochromatic orbs held mine in a captivating aura whilst he violently slapped my backside.

I hated this male.