The Primordial Emperor's Forsaken Mate

(Alessia) "Bring her in!" Alpha Vaedric ordered one of his warriors. Chains scraped against the floor as two warriors dragged me into the meeting hall. My hands and feet were bound, with another chain wrapped around my chest. Every movement made the wolfsbane burn my skin. I tried walking, but the warriors were moving too fast for me to keep up. "Get on your knees!" one of them shouted. Before I could obey, he kicked the back of my leg. I cried out as my knees struck the floor. Several pack members laughed, and I lowered my head to hide my tears. I refused to give them another reason to enjoy my suffering. At twenty two years old, I had spent more time inside Raventhorn's dungeon than anywhere else. I was born without a wolf, and everyone considered me a disgrace because of it. They accused me of crimes whenever they wanted an excuse to lock me away. I had only been released three days ago, and now I was back before the Alpha. "Alessia Vale," Vaedric called from his chair. "Do you know why you're here?" "No, Alpha." "Don't lie to me!" I raised my head and looked at him. His daughter Vanessa sat beside him, wearing an expensive burgundy dress. She watched me with the same disgust she had shown me since childhood. I wondered what they had decided to blame me for this time. "Someone has been supplying information to the rogues attacking our northern patrols," Vaedric announced. I stared at him, unable to understand why he was telling me this. I hadn't been anywhere near the northern border. Since leaving the dungeon, I had spent every waking hour cleaning the servants' quarters. Nobody had even allowed me to leave the pack house. "You're accusing me?" I asked. "Watch how you speak to your Alpha!" Vanessa snapped. "I'm sorry, Lady Vanessa." Vaedric rose from his chair and approached me. I tried moving backward, but one warrior caught the chain around my chest. The wolfsbane burned against my skin, forcing another cry from my mouth. Vaedric stopped directly in front of me. "We have reason to believe you've been communicating with our enemies." "I haven't, Alpha. I swear." "Then explain why one of my warriors saw you near the eastern gates." "I was carrying laundry to the servants' quarters. Mistress Virelda sent me there." Vaedric looked toward the woman standing near the wall. Mistress Virelda was responsible for assigning work to the servants. She knew exactly where I had been because she had ordered me to carry those clothes. I waited for her to confirm what I had said. "Is that true, Virelda?" Vaedric asked. Virelda looked at me before answering. "I gave her no such instructions, Alpha." My mouth fell open. I remembered her placing the basket in my hands and ordering me to finish before lunch. She had even threatened to report me if I took too long. Now she was standing there pretending it had never happened. "You're lying!" I cried. Vaedric struck me across the face. I fell sideways, unable to catch myself with my bound hands. Pain spread through my cheek as I struggled to sit upright. The warriors laughed while I tried to stop the tears running down my face. "You dare accuse my head housekeeper of lying?" Vaedric demanded. "Please, Alpha. I didn't do anything wrong." "That's what you always say." "Because it's the truth." He grabbed my hair and pulled my head backward. I cried out, wishing I could free my hands. My scalp hurt from the force of his grip. He brought his face closer to mine. "Perhaps another few months in the dungeon will teach you some respect." I shook my head as much as his grip allowed. I couldn't go back there again. The last time, they had kept me locked inside a cell for six months. Some days, the guards hadn't given me anything to eat. "Please don't send me back," I begged. Vaedric released my hair and stepped away. Vanessa rose from her chair and approached her father. She looked pleased with what was happening. I knew she had never needed a reason to hate me. "Father, she's dangerous," Vanessa said. "What if she really is helping the rogues?" "She'll be dealt with." "Then she shouldn't be allowed near the servants again." I looked between them, realizing they had already made their decision. There would be no witnesses called to defend me. Nobody would question the warrior who claimed to have seen me near the gates. My innocence meant nothing to anyone in the room. "Take her back to the dungeon," Vaedric ordered. "And make certain she remembers what happens to traitors." "No!" I screamed. One warrior grabbed my arm while the other pulled the chain around my chest. I tried planting my feet against the floor, but my strength had disappeared after weeks of barely eating. They dragged me toward the doors as the pack members watched. Nobody asked Vaedric to reconsider. The journey to the dungeon took us beneath the pack house. We passed several locked doors before reaching the stairs leading underground. The smell became worse with every step we descended. I could hear prisoners shouting from their cells. "Back already?" a guard named Brant asked when he saw me. "Alpha's orders," one warrior answered. Brant laughed and opened the iron gate. I recognized the narrow passage immediately. My old cell was at the very end, beside a prisoner who spent most nights screaming. I had prayed never to see this place again. They removed the chains from my feet but left the others in place. Brant pushed me inside the cell, and I landed on the stone floor. There was no bed, only a filthy blanket in one corner. A small bucket stood beside the wall. "Please, can I have some water?" I asked. Brant looked down at me. "You should've thought about that before betraying your pack." "I didn't betray anyone." He slammed the door and turned the key. I listened as his footsteps disappeared along the passage. My throat hurt from begging, and my wrists had begun bleeding beneath the chains. I crawled toward the blanket and pulled it beneath me. I didn't know how many more punishments my body could survive. Every time they released me, I promised myself I would find a way to escape. But the borders were guarded, and I had nowhere to go. Without a wolf, I couldn't even outrun an ordinary warrior. Hours passed before I heard footsteps approaching again. I sat upright, expecting Brant to return with another punishment. Instead, two guards stopped outside my cell and began speaking. Neither seemed aware that I was listening. "Did you hear the news?" one asked. "What news?" "The Primordial Emperor is coming to Raventhorn." I moved closer to the bars, trying to hear more. Everyone knew Emperor Azrael Draven ruled above the Alpha Kings. His name frightened even the strongest wolves. I wondered why someone like him would visit our pack. "When?" the second guard asked. "Tomorrow. He's inspecting the territories under his rule." The guards continued down the passage, leaving me alone again. I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes. An emperor was coming to Raventhorn, but I doubted he would ever know I existed. After all, nobody cared about a wolfless prisoner. End of Chapter 1