Weak.

Hazel tapped into the power in her. Launching a devastating kick towards his strong jawline. A blow powerful enough to shatter the human skull into a sickly splatter of crushed bones and bloody brain matter.

She swiftly landed softly. The distance a bit far away from him. Slightly expected him injured. She already recognized the fact he was strong. But there was no way he would survive the surprise attack without a scratch.

Right?

"Huh?"

Her gaze faltered in shock. Her mouth slightly agape. Not only that he wasn't injured. The fox mask appeared not to have a single scratch!!

How did he block it?

"You are weak, Fox. Accept that."

He gave a sardonic laugh. There was an abstruseness in the golden hue of his eyes. It held an uncanny depth in them.

She subconsciously puffed her cheeks. Already fed up by the 'almighty-ness' he kept forcibly chugging down her throat.

Her nails lengthened. Inwardly considering whether to fully transform.

Her gaze was calculative. Weighing her pros and cons. Searching for validation whether swooping in for the kill would be the best option or the ancient culture of predatory patience for the bigger kill.

Before she could decide. An unforeseen situation sprung up. Something that reverse roles for her and cornered her up to the wall.

Her lengthened nails harshly retracted back to normal without her control.

She froze.

Confused at the sudden occurrence. She tried to re-tapping the power she always felt in her. Drawing in the flame, guarding it to engulf her and rejuvenate her. But before her Fox power could succeed to engulf her. The flame died coldly.

She stared at her hands. Her gums were still aching, considerably painful but her fangs seemed to have lost its ability to elongate too. She couldn't even result to partial transformation.

"Sirae?"

She called out, internally. Seeking for an explanation but Sirae was quiet.

Perhaps too quiet.

Her internal struggle betrayed her previous calm, calculative persona. Her knitted brows, the confusion that drew it's path to her lovely features wasn't missed by his dark peering gaze.

Beneath the mask, the corner of his lips drew into a vicious grin.

Hazel shot an accusing gaze. Her tone grave.

"What did you do to me?"

"Nothing." His head tilted to the side. His gaze unfathomable.

"Absolutely nothing. You need a bath, kitten. Figure that out later by yourself. Now take what you can...while it lasts."

The shadows that danced around because of the dimly lit room felt darker and strangely alive. They vaguely twisted and turned all focusing on her masked captor. Almost as if he was the source that breathed life into them.

Her mind turned a bit hazy. Her knees strangely weak before they buckled beneath her. The cold illuminating metals that chained her soundlessly clacked as she fell.

Instinctively bracing herself for the harsh hit she would encompass from the fall. She surprisingly fell into his arms again.

His speed was still disconcerting for the fact he was a human. But then again since she came here to the human world. Humans kept showing her they were no way inferior compared to Nine-taileds.

Though a self-depreciating thought crossed her mind.

Was she even qualified to be called a nine-tailed fox? She neither possessed the full power she supposedly yearned for to save Elvidia. Forced into the same situation before she left Elvidia was there any much difference she could make? Instead of being the weak eighteen years old fox who was granted enormous power but didn't know how to use it nor was worthy enough too. Perhaps being able to get nine tails even before she could be considered a toddler as a hundred year old was dangerous and reckless of the gods that granted her birth. Though it didn't make much difference. She couldn't even land a decent punch at her annoying mate.

What was wrong with her?

Her mind cleared a bit. The restrictions from the chains were more milder. A self derisive smile played on her lips. Surrendering to the bastard that was cursed to be her mate just for the moment.

"How dare you? Am royalty. My powers is unarguably the most powerful in Elvidia. And you stupid mortal that can't fathom the mystery behind my existence. Is calling me weak? You are like ants in my eyes."

She muttered dazedly to herself. Her words carried no weight. She lampooned silently. Distressed from resisting with no desired results.

She heard a low chuckle once again. Her masked mate moved. Hazel closed her eyes tiredly feeling faint pangs of hunger arising. Subconsciously wondering where her bag of rotting monster meats were. Before being saddled by the fact she neither had that leisure freedom to hunt.

No matter how useless she was...

She wouldn't give up her freedom. She would pass her limits. Become limitless itself to fulfill her Grandpa's last wish. For that she'd gladly shed blood for her freedom.

She just had to be patient for the moment to..

Strike.

****************†††

"Take care of her. Prepare her for supper too."

Hazel faintly heard a familiar deep and soothing, seemingly ethereal voice. It cleared the fogginess that shrouded her mind. Opening her eyes. Her eyes met quite a beautiful sight.

A small, hot artificial waterfall that it's cascading movement arose steam that obscured the entire large pooling bath. The source of the heat that enveloped the entire water fall was baffling. The waterfall luminated dim blue lights. With no supporting light system.

She felt a sense of deja Vu.

The sight arouse an unexplicable pain in her head. It felt as if her brain cells were forcibly torn apart. She nearly screamed.

A hand began raking her long tangled messy lavender curls. She became momentarily distracted turning to see her mate looking down at her.

His eyes was blank as usual. But there was something there too. Something she couldn't decipher.

She felt like a pet. Like the pet he kept calling her. Sirae did teach her of the animals humans mostly showed care and love too.

She didn't really care when he called her that previously now she was putting it into more consideration.

It was seriously annoying her.

She swatted his hand in disdain.

"I am not your pet."

"You are equally more aggressive and territorial. Just like a kitten. Hmm"

He offered a perfunctory response.Resuming his pat on her tangled hair.

She cursed slowly.

"Well this kitten has a name, Mister!! My name is Hazel to you, human!"

Someone cleared her throat by the side.

Hazel's head violently shot to the side. Surprised her senses didn't notice them until now. Which was technically supposed to be impossible. Was she losing her powers?

She was indeed getting frightened by the fact she would never hear Sirae again and be reduced to a mere livestock.

"Master, we should take care of her now, right?"

There were three beautiful women. Claded in sparsely dressed dresses that clunged to their bodies like a second skin with a daring low neckline that could reveal their cleavages in one bend.

They shot loving, interested gazes and flashed demure smiles at him. With a body language adept in seduction. But she could sense cold viper eyes trained on her. Ready to bite and poison her to death.

Call it a woman's intuition.

She could also sense intense jealousy hidden behind those smiles.

Something told her that once he leaves.

Things would turn ugly.