"Let go of me!"
She demanded, struggling to break free from the strong arms that held her, dragging her against her will.
"I said, let go!"
She screamed louder, but it didn't change a thing. She'd been caught trying to break into the safe of the ruthless alpha of one of the most prominent packs in the west. She'd been undercover for about three weeks, working as one of the servants in the grand estate of Blackwood Aiden, the Alpha of the west quadrant, the Iron-Fang pack. Her goal was to steal a famous generational jewel, rumored to have magical properties. After months of planning and preparation, she'd been caught.
"Where are you taking me?" she yelled.
"To the Alpha, of course! You're in trouble now, you common thief!" one of the men said, pulling her forward.
"The penalty for stealing is death! He'll have your head and the heads of your family members," the other guard cackled.
Her heart was beating profusely; she was going to be killed. The alpha wasn't one to forgive. Her mind raced as they came to a halt at a huge door and knocked.
"What?" A stern, unkind voice came from within, sending a chill down her spine.
"Master, Your Grace, we're sorry to disturb you, but we caught a thief!"
"So? That won't be a first. You already know what to do. Don't disturb me with such petty matters," he said dismissively.
"Well... sire, this one actually managed to break into the heirloom safe room."
After what seemed like a minute or two, the voice spoke, "Bring me the heads of the fools who were supposed to be guarding the heirloom. I have no use for incompetent fools in my court guard squad."
There was a long, dragged silence from inside. The men exchanged looks, and one of them carefully and cautiously called out. "Your Grace?"
"Did I stutter?" he roared from inside, irritated. "I want to see their heads offered to the gods as a tribute sacrifice. Leave the thief with me."
Afraid, they quickly apologized loudly, opening the doors slightly and throwing her into the dark-looking room.
"No! Wait!" She quickly stood to her feet, banging on the door, trying to pry it open, but it was locked shut. Her heart was pounding. The room was dimly lit, and she didn't see anyone in sight. She spotted a window and frantically tried to pry it open, gathering her skirts in her hand, preparing to make a jump.
"You're truly a lousy thief," a quiet, angry voice sliced through the silence, completely catching her off guard. She froze, taken aback, and spun around. A pair of icy blue eyes stared at her, burning with intensity and anger from a dark corner. She swallowed hard, paralyzed; it felt like she was trapped in a lion's den. He looked unusually calm, as if this was a scene he was used to.
This was the first time she was seeing the well-known and ruthless, mysterious Alpha of the Iron-Fang pack. Never taking his eyes off her, he reached for a bottle on a nearby table, pouring the amber-gold liquid.
"You're a bold one, I'll give you that," his tone was laced with anger and a hint of amusement. His eyes remained on her as he quickly downed the liquid in his glass. "What were you trying to do?" he said, nodding toward the window.
Amber remained quiet, head bowed, trying to conceal her fear.
"You're not going to survive the fall," his gaze dropped to the window. "In fact, you're not going anywhere at all." His voice was deep with a hint of menace. He strode towards her, and she stepped back. "Did you think you were going to get away with it?"
He stepped closer to Amber, narrowing his eyes. She knew she was doomed.
"I'm impressed; I have to be honest. You're either very brave or very stupid, so which is it?" He asked, his face dark, jaw tightened.
Amber was scared he was going to lunge towards her and strangle her; she had to buy time, think of a way out. He was blocking her only route of escape. "Maybe I'm both," she finally replied, trying to sound calm.
"Who are you?" he asked in an intimidating, firm voice that made the hair on her neck and arms stand.
"I'm not going to tell you anything," Amber responded nonchalantly, still trying to figure out what to do as her heart raced wildly. Amber's words seemed to touch a nerve; he blinked, taken aback by her response, and his face darkened with murderous intent.
"You're in my house, trying to steal from me. I would say that makes it very much my business," he said, his voice firm but controlled. "Do you know who I am?"
"I am not afraid of you..." she stammered.
"You're playing with fire, and you're going to get burned," he warned, taking another step towards her, loosening the buttons around his neck.