Yohana woke up in total darkness. At first, she couldn't understand what was happening.
Her head throbbed with pain. She tried to lift her hands to rub her eyes, but she couldn't move them.
She realized then that her hands and legs were tied tightly, the rough texture of the rope, but not enough to harm her skin.
"Wh… What's happening? Where am I? Why is it so dark?" She panicked for a second, blinking rapidly, only to realize that she was blindfolded. The fabric was pulled tight against her face, blocking out every single ray of light.
As the fog in her brain started to clear, the memories of what had happened earlier started to flow back into her mind like a nightmare.
The terrifying sight of her Uncle Vincent on his knees. She could still feel the warmth of the blood splashing across her face, and the sickening sound of Iskander extracting his heart.
And everything that happened after that.
His cold voice echoed in her head, followed by the memory of a sharp pain in her neck before everything went black.
"He hit me?" Yohana muttered. She knew he could have killed her if he wanted, for running like that, but…
She was back in his clutches, but this time it was different. She wasn't working or in a servant quarters; she was tied up like a prisoner in a place somewhere that she couldn't tell.
The silence around her was suffocating.
"Iskander!" she called out, her voice shaky and hoarse. "I know you're there! Show your face, you monster!"
She struggled against the ropes, that made her feel that she was at least on a bed.
"Is this your new game?" she spat into the darkness. "Tying me up as you did to him? Are you going to kill me now, too?"
"You have a very loud mouth for someone in such a delicate position, Yohana," a voice rumbled from the shadows.
The sound of his boots clicking against the stone floor sent a fresh wave of chills down her spine. He sounded closer than she expected.
"I told you I'd kill you with my own hands!" Yohana hissed, despite the tears threatening to spill from under her blindfold. "I don't care what you do to me anymore!"
"Is that so?" Iskander's voice was right in her ear now. She felt his cold fingers brush against her jaw, tilting her head up. "You're so brave when you can't see the consequences. But tell me... are you brave enough to hear the punishment I have in mind for your brother and his pack?
"What... what are you talking about?" she whispered, her heart skipping a beat.
"You tried to run away despite my warning, didn't you?" Iskander chuckled, a low, dark sound that had no humor in it. "Did you forget that you were handed over to me… No, you were sold to me! Now, you're all mine, and the only truth you need to know is that you are never leaving this room until I allow it."
"You're insane!" Yohana screamed, thrashing in her bonds. "Let me go!"
"Stop struggling," he commanded, his voice turning sharp. "Every time you fight me, someone else pays the price. Haven't you learned that yet? Your uncle was the first. Don't make me pick a second."
Yohana went still, her breath hitching.
"Why?" she asked, her voice cracking as the first tear finally escaped from under the blindfold. "Why not just kill me and be done with it? Just get it over with!"
Yohana struggled against her restraints again, the ropes burning into her wrists now. "All I have ever done is take care of my brother and our pack after our parents died! I did everything for them! But you…"
"You ruined our harmony! You came and destroyed everything until my brother felt he had no other choice!"
She choked on a sob, the bitterness of the betrayal tasting like ash in her mouth. "He sold me to you! My own blood sold me like a piece of meat just to keep your shadow away from the pack. He made that decision because of you!"
Iskander remained silent for a long moment. She couldn't see him, but she could hear his breathing. It was infuriating how calm he was while her life was in shackles.
"You think he did it only to protect the pack?" Iskander finally asked, his voice low and dangerously smooth. He stepped closer, the scent of expensive cologne and iron surrounding her. "You think your brother is an angel?"
"He had no choice!" Yohana screamed at the darkness. "He wouldn't have done it if you weren't such a monster!"
"Your brother is a smart man, Yohana," Iskander whispered, his hand suddenly gripping the back of her head, making her struggle more. "He knew exactly what you were. He knew that keeping you was a death sentence for his leadership. He didn't just sell you to save the pack, he sold you to get rid of the burden you carry."
"You bastard! Go die!" she hissed, though a cold pit was forming in her stomach. "You are a monster!"
"Am I?" Iskander reached out, his thumb brushing the blood that was still crusted on her cheek. "He took the price and didn't look back once. Not when you were dragged away, and certainly not now while you're sitting here crying for him."
He leaned down, his breath hot against her skin.
"Stop mourning for people who put a price tag on your head. You don't belong to that pack anymore. You don't even belong to yourself. You are the property of the Werewolf King now, and I don't kill things that are this precious... and this dangerous."
He suddenly reached behind her head and jerked the knot of the blindfold. The cloth fell away, and the sudden dim light of the room made her squint. As her vision cleared, she saw him standing in front of her, his dark eyes boring into hers.
"Now," he said, his expression hardening. "Since you're so worried about harmony, let's talk about how you're going to serve me without making me kill anyone else you know."