10. No!

Chapter Ten: No!

Stomach rumblings filled the dungeon. Laurel held onto her stomach tightly and attempted to shift again within a minute.

She had barely felt fur coming out of her skin when the dungeon door was being tampered with.

She quickly hid behind a wall and wore back the clothes she had removed. She stayed there and peeked at the visitor.

It was the pretty man. She still hid there, and she saw Stefan walk in behind him.

"Laurel?" Stefan called hoarsely.

She would have ignored him; if not, Sorren seemed to be searching for her as well. She came into view. "What is it? Have you decided what to do with me?"

"Do you know a man by the name of Darren?" It was Sorren.

Laurel smiled, hearing his soft voice and unique speech pattern. Her brain was still calculating where she had heard the name Darren before. It was familiar.

"He says he was exiled from your lands and is a traveler from Damancas." Stefan added. "Do you or do you not know him?"

Sorren frowned at Stefan, raising his voice, but he looked down. "Answer, young maiden."

Damancas? Exiled? Darren? She knew who that was! 

The only son of Alpha Denzel had been exiled when he was twelve. She was partly at fault, but he never said so, as she'd have gotten in trouble.

He was like an older brother to her then, even if they interacted only three times. His mother was originally from Damancas, so he usually claimed origin there.

"And so what if I know him?" She asked.

Sorren's shoulders fell. 

Stefan sighed. "So you do know him. Well, he's here to buy you. He is offering lands in exchange for your enslavement to him. That will be really bad for you, wouldn't it?"

Laurel's eyes lightened up. Darren came for her. There was no way he was buying her off. He was surely trying to save her. 

With his father possibly dead and the old government overthrown, he could come as he pleased, and very few people would be able to identify him.

"I will reject his offer because I plan to torture you until..."

"I accept his offer! Or didn't you need my permission? I would rather be anywhere than here!" Laurel seethed.

Both Stefan and Sorren were shocked at her response.

"You'd accept his offer?" Sorren asked without his usual speech pattern.

Laurel frowned. "He's from Damancas, a rich culture. Even if I'm his slave, I'd be able to eat well, dress well, and see the sun. Here, I'd only rot away and die!" 

Sorren couldn't argue with that, and he smirked. "Lest thou forget, Damancas is also notable for its sex slave market."

It didn't scare Laurel one bit; she knew she wouldn't end up there with Darren by her side.

"Anything but here!" She insisted.

Stefan's eyes dimmed on her. She must be crazy! Throwing herself at a strange man? Was that how much she detested staying by his side?

"Is she by your side?" his wolf, Kai, asked.

Stefan shut his eyes. Even still. 

Laurel added. "I'm ready to leave here immediately. I'd be of no use to you, so trade me."

"No!" 

Sorren glanced at his Alpha. What did he mean by 'no'? What else did he want the maiden for?

Stefan marched towards Laurel, and she took a step back. "Remember how I said I'd keep you here to torment you? I will keep that promise. You'd stay here, under my scrutiny. No adventures for you."

Both Sorren and Laurel had unreadable expressions as they watched Stefan stomp out of the dungeon.

Her hands clenched beside her, and she attempted to run after him, but the dungeon door was slammed. 

"You bastard! Let me go! You've destroyed my home. You killed my sister! What do you want from me? What else, bastard?" She pounded the door as she yelled.

A hand pulled her arm away from the door as it suddenly opened. A prison guard was about to hit her when he saw Sorren shielding her behind him.

"Prince Sorren?! Um… I didn't… I didn't know you were here." The guard looked down.

"Prince?" Laurel's eyes enlarged. She pulled her hand away from him and went back.

If he was a prince and Stefan was a king, wouldn't it make them brothers? Why was her enemy's brother being nice to her? Didn't he hate it too? She needed answers. 

Her eyes were on him intently, but like before, he didn't spare her a word or glance and walked out of the opened door.

The guard hissed at her before shutting the door again.

Laurel was confused and infuriated. Her mate really meant to torture her. Even stopping her from being outside. 

Was this where she'd end? Was this how she'd end up? Could she get stronger in here and break herself out? Or she'd hope on Darren to find another way to her?

"We need to get out of here, Elma." She said this to her wolf. "And fast, before Darren's cover will be blown."

She ran to a hidden corner that had a crack in its wall. Could she break it down? What was on the other side?

She ran back to the dungeon door and peeked at the guards outside. They were only two, at best, hunter-ranked.

She could take them, couldn't she?

"Elma?" She called when she realized her wolf hadn't replied to her. "What's wrong?"

A sudden gush of fear swept over her, and her legs gave way to the ground. Her heart began beating rapidly.

"What's that!" She yelled out. It was like she was being pressed down by an invisible force. 

"Lau-Laurel?" Elma sobbed.

Her heart felt heavy immediately, while her mind wondered why her wolf was being emotional.

"You know how your mother allegedly died a few days after your birth? And then you were blamed for it?" Her wolf reminded her.

Laurel could never forget it. That was basically the cause of the miserable life she had endured.

A part of her resented her mother for dying. She was a strong she-wolfess, so why did she let herself die through childbirth? It was just one child!

"Do you also remember the rumor that your mother was actually killed by a Lycan?" Elma added.

Laurel slowly nodded. "But father, even Darren, said that those creatures are long dead. What is this about? Why bring it up?"

"Lycans still exist, Laurel. I wasn't sure the first time, and I didn't want to say because he was our mate, but" Elma sniffed.

Laurel looked at the door. Their mate? 

What'd he have to do with Lycans? Was he one? She wouldn't be able to know, as her wolf senses weren't keen. 

Was that why he was a jerk?! How did no one realize it on her eighteenth birthday?

"And Sorren. The man who is being nice to you. Sorren is also a Lycan wolf. Who knows if they are more out there?" Elma added.

Author's note: Leave your thoughts, please.