Chapter 10: Not this way

The sun hadn’t even fully risen when Autumn stirred a little. She lay sprawled beside Kieran, on his bed, her body a map of red marks and dark bruises...some from her rough life, and some from the previous night. He should have felt a little guilty, maybe even regretful. But instead, he felt peace. Peace, and a low, simmering possessiveness he hadn’t known he was capable of. Autumn groaned as she turned, the ropes and bounds long gone, but the ghost of them still lingered because she rubbed her wrists, as her eyes fluttered open. Her voice was hoarse, the morning kind. "You are lucky I didn’t rip your throat out while you slept. " Kieran chuckled, not bothering to look away as she adjusted the sheet over her exposed body. "You tried. Multiple times. Failed, multiple times. That’s the pattern, sweetheart." "Asshole," she muttered, struggling to sit up." I don’t care a dime about your stupid games! Ahh! Fuck, my head hurts! " "You should care," he interrupted, rising from the bed and striding across the room, gloriously naked. He poured himself a glass of water and drank, then tossed her a shirt. His shirt. "Get dressed. You are coming with me." "Where the hell are we going?" She sneered, catching the shirt and slipping it on begrudgingly. He glanced back at her, jaw tense. " Somewhere where nobody would even hear your screams! " Her eyes narrowed. "You are going to fuck me again? Right in the morning? Fuck! Are you a beast..." "I am not," he snapped " Don’t get too used to the idea of me fucking you, little bitch! Not all get the second time. Consider yourself lucky! " Then after a short pause, he added. " We are going to meet my father." She blinked. You're what?" But he was already moving, tugging on black slacks and a half-buttoned shirt, a stern demeanor coming over him. "There are things you need to see. And questions you need answered." "Answers to what?" she snapped, now fully dressed and annoyed. "You are keeping me hostage. You tied me up, used me...don’t think just because these nights of insanity gave some pleasure, I am suddenly one of your obedient pack sluts." Kieran growled low, stalking towards her. "You think I did this for pleasure? I could have had a dozen she-wolves if that’s all I wanted. You are not here because you are easy...you are here because of your blood." "My what?" He did not explain. He simply grabbed her wrist...not roughly this time, more like a tether...and led her out. Autumn had no idea where they went because the moment she was shoved inside his car, a blind fold came out. Before she could protest, Kieran sprayed something on her face. " What the ***Cough! Cough! *** What the fuck was that? " " A deterring spray. It will subdue your senses long enough so you are not able to sniff your way! It’s a classified area where we are headed. Nobody should know about it! None! If you want to keep breathing, that is! Understood? " Autumn did not nod, nor did she say anything to disagree. When they finally came to a stop, Kieran gently led her out and took away the blindfold. They were high up in the mountains. Autumn could not even feel the cold. It must be the spray that numbed her senses. They were in front of a fortress, a massive one. And there was this inner space nestled deep in the heart of the fortress, guarded by gigantic stones and ancient symbols. Autumn, however, could not see any living soul. No guards, no patrols! So much for being a high-security area, Autumn scoffed. When they further went inside, she noticed the room was circular, lined with high-backed chairs and ancient Lycan portraits, all staring as Kieran strode in with her at his side. Their eyes looked as if alive. "Is that her?" A voice echoed from the shadows, calm and cold. Kieran gave a firm nod. "Autumn. Descendant of Isolde.Carrying her blood. " Autumn flinched. "How do you know that name? My mother used to swear by her name..." "Because she was the last of the Nightfang line. The bloodline we thought extinct." Autumn turned slowly, her gaze colliding with a tall, imposing figure emerging from the back of the chamber. He was older than Kieran by decades, but the resemblance was chilling. The same cold fire in his eyes, the same aura of command.Some wrinkles here and the, and some fine lines. "Umm, Kieran?" she whispered, unsure. "That’s your father?" Kieran nodded once. "Alpha Malrick. High Alpha of the Southern Blood Court." Malrick’s eyes narrowed at Autumn. "So... this is the girl who stole from our lands, injured our patrol, insulted my son, and yet managed to survive?" "Barely," Autumn shot back, looking very proud. "And I would do it again, better, if I got another chance." The room fell silent. Then Malrick chuckled. "Spirited. I see why you chose her, Kieran." "I did not choose her, Father, " Kieran said through clenched teeth. "The Moon did." "What the hell are you two talking about?" Autumn demanded. "What did you bring me here for? If we are done with your punishments and disciplines, maybe you could let me be a rogue again, hate it in your pack! It sucks!" Malrick approached her now, his gaze like a blade. "We can not do that, my child! Your blood belongs to a royal bloodline long believed to be wiped out. Isolde was betrothed to the Lycan Ki, but she fled before the mating. Took something with her that I need to heal.Your blood. " After a long pause, he added. " You see, I am dying! " Autumn’s breath caught in her throat. " I don’t understand what you are saying." She looked between Kieran and Malrick. Sheddiddd, that’s what we all believe. But not. Because here you are, alive and breathing." Malrick continued. "But your scent...it awakened something in Kieran. We believed he would never have a fated mate because the bloodline we were fated, was long dead. We had given up all hopes and always settled for any chosen mate that we saw was befitting...or beneficial...but now..." She turned to Kieran, anger flashing through her. "You knew. You knew all this and you didn’t bother to tell me?" "I suspected. I wasn’t completely sure. That’s why I had to try again last night because the first time, nothing happened," he said softly. "But last night, when you came...your scent changed. The bond snapped into place...our bloodlines. You felt it, didn’t you?" "I thought it was adrenaline dammit...I was mad at you...am," she whispered, fuming with rage, gritting her teeth. Malrick interrupted. "It was fate. The heir of the lost Nightfang pack and the heir of the Blackmoon mated by blood...by prophecy." Autumn stepped back, her voice shaking. "No. I don’t want this. I want my life back! Exactly what do you want from me? " " Nothing that you can’t give. You will stay in the pack. Serve and earn your way. And in the meantime, I will bring you here from time to time, so we can heal Father as well. But nobody knows that he is alive. So this information needs to die with you. A single word, and you would have to face worse than death! " Autumn shook her head. She did not like this. She did not like this idea at all. She was going to be a slave and a living, breathing blood bank. What kind of a fucking arrangement was this? "You were born for it," Malrick added, stepping forward, his voice like iron. " Your kind of blood has healed many before me. Don’t worry about getting drained. It doesn’t work that way. You were not born to be a rogue...never.Let Kieran show you our pack ways! Earn your way up under him..." " No...no...No!!!" She silently retreated, shaking her head furiously. He r body trembled, caught between disbelief and rage. "I would rather die than be owned."