Chapter 10: Sena - Fated to the Night King

My mouth went instantly dry, and every instinct was screaming at me to run. To get away and find a den to burrow safely into until the danger had passed.

Except there was no way out.

I tried for a smile. "Sire, you did say you wanted me to infiltrate the Istakarrans for you. I got the sense you needed me to leave soon."

He settled onto his throne, and I felt the Guard stepping into place behind me. The smell of them crept over me.

Male.

Aggressive.

Aroused.

The urge to throw up was hard to push down. I could taste the bile in the back of my throat.  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and every warning signal in my body was screaming that I could not stay here.

"You'll be going to the Istakarrans for us, love, but if we simply send you as you are, they wouldn't believe you were there without an ulterior motive."

Confused, I looked down at my clothes. I wore the same thing I always did. As all Stricken were bid to do. Worn black pants stitched from leftover remnants of burlap and canvas, a sad but functional patchwork that hid the streaks of dirt from our work. My shirt was oversized, the thin gray fabric hiding as much of my form as possible, and the jacket was a discard I'd scrounged. It was warm and saved me from scrapes and cuts as I worked below the Citadel.

"You're beautiful, but the Istakarrans won't be swayed by that. Though they have a certain penchant for picking up strays. So, we'll give them exactly what they're looking for."

Cass started to protest. "Father, please."

“Silence.”

Thalon’s Alpha Command slammed through the room in a wave of power. Cassian strained against it, jaw locked, but the strength of it crushed every word in his throat.

“You will be the wounded little female,” Thalon said, voice smooth as polished steel. “Bloody. Broken. The perfect lure. And it must look real.”

Cold horror crawled up my spine. His plan unfurled in my mind like a nightmare I couldn’t wake from. I wanted to scream, to run, to claw my way out of his presence but the command held me in place, a cage I couldn’t break.

“Gentlemen,” Thalon murmured, eyes narrowing with clinical interest. “Do your worst.”

The guards descended. Hands like iron clamped around my arms, wrenching them back until my shoulders burned. My jacket was ripped away, fabric snapping with a sound that reminded me of brittle bone. Their faces blurred into a ring of vicious smiles; hungry, gleaming, eager.

Cassian and Hugh shouted behind them, but their voices were nothing more than distant thunder.

I threw my head back, bone crunching under the impact. Pain flared white-hot, but the guard’s grip faltered. I tore free, spinning, striking the first male in the throat. Down among the Stricken, we learned to fight dirty; eyes, throats, joints. Anything that bought another breath.

But Shifters healed fast. And they moved faster.

I kicked at knees, ducked fists, felt blows land like sledgehammers against my ribs. My breath hitched, sharp and ragged, but I forced myself through the gap, straight into Hugh’s chest.

His arms wrapped around me. Even after every Calling, every scar he’d carved into me, he felt like a momentary refuge in the chaos. A cruel trick of instinct.

“Hugh, don’t,” Cassian said, voice breaking.

I looked up and saw the gleam in Hugh’s eyes. The one I knew too well. The one that meant the world was about to tilt into agony.

His hand slid into my hair, stroking once before his fingers tightened, yanking my head back until my throat was bared. A sob tore free.

“Please,” I whispered. “There has to be another way.”

“Shh, Sena.” His voice was a lullaby dipped in poison. “If anyone hurts you, it will be me. And you know I’ll enjoy it.”

Hope died. I fought anyway. I always fought.

My fists struck his ribs, his jaw, his throat. He absorbed every blow, smiling wider, pleasure darkening his gaze. His arousal pressed against my stomach, sickening and heavy.

Cassian’s regret carved lines into his face. He hated this. Hated watching. But he wouldn’t intervene. Couldn’t. Not with Thalon watching. Not with the Guard circling like wolves scenting blood.

“You can bear the pain,” Hugh crooned. “My good girl always does.”

I twisted and bit down hard on the meat of his hand. Blood flooded my mouth; metallic, foul. He ripped free, and I spat it onto the floor.

“I hate you,” I said, voice shaking with fury. “I will hate you forever.”

“I know.” His grin sharpened, teeth lengthening midshift.

The slap cracked across my face, snapping my head sideways. I staggered as the others surged forward, tearing at my clothes, stripping me down while laughter echoed around me. I clawed at them, nails ripping, leaving fleeting marks on their skin. I refused to lie still. Refused to surrender.

“Silence!” Thalon’s roar shattered the room. His Alpha power hit like a tidal wave, forcing every body still.

He stepped into the circle, Cass on his right, Hugh on his left. Thalon knelt beside me, fingers brushing my cheek with obscene gentleness.

“Sena, sweet child,” he murmured. “You will do this. You will do exactly as I command.”

His voice pressed down on me, suffocating, drowning. I couldn’t breathe around it.

“You will Submit. You will lie here, quiet and compliant. They will do everything I tell them to do, and you will not utter a single word.”

Cass lifted a hand, as if to stop him, but Thalon’s gaze froze him in place.

“You may refuse to play their games, son,” Thalon said softly. “But you will watch.”

He turned back to me, eyes glowing with a serene sickness. His gaze roamed my exposed skin, drinking in the sight. He lifted my head, whispered, “You will Submit, Sena,” and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

Then he stood.

“Begin.”

The first kick landed in my ribs. Pain detonated through me, sharp and blinding. Blow after blow followed; fists, boots, claws. I couldn’t scream. Couldn’t curl away. Couldn’t protect myself. Thalon’s command held me rigid, forcing me to feel every strike.

Hugh was the last face I saw. His pupils blown wide with lust, his smile soft with twisted affection.

“You’re my good girl,” he whispered. “I’m going to miss you.”

His fist descended, a brutal arc of finality.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

And for the first time, I welcomed it.