MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA
Chapter 118: A Visit To The Dungeon

Chapter 118: A Visit To The Dungeon

Ten days.

Ten days that Ryder had gone without food, water, or proper rest. He’d been standing in his cell, and now, he could feel his body beginning to shut down. His legs trembled beneath him, his vision blurring at the edges.

The subtle dry air, announcing the coming of winter didn’t help matters, as Ryder could feel his throat growing drier, his lips cracking from the cold in the dungeon. His tongue felt like sandpaper, and every breath he took burned his parched throat. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was too

Ryder shook his head to clear his dizziness, causing his head to spin, as he swayed and held the wall for support.

He, Alpha Snow of the Dark Snow Pack, had been reduced to this: a weakened, starving, and parched prisoner, locked away in a cold dungeon.

The irony was not lost on him. But he wasn’t angry. Instead, he chuckled to himself, a low, husky sound that was almost a growl.

Unless his Luna forgave him, he wouldn’t lift this hunger strike. He would rather die than beg for mercy for what he wasn’t sorry for.

He would wait for his Luna, no matter how long it took. He would prove to her that he was willing to pay the ultimate price for what he believed in. And if she still refused to forgive him... then so be it.

He would die with his pride intact, his loyalty to his Luna unwavering to the very end.

"Are you stupid?" the space behind him morphed as a shadowy figure appeared behind him. "Why do you want to die for her?" The voice was low and gravelly, and it sent a shiver down Ryder’s spine.

"She does not deserve you. She’s a–"

Thwack.

Shadow One gasped as he glanced down at his stomach, where Ryder’s claws had dug into his stomach.

Ryder turned to face him, his eyes blazing with a fierce warning. "You will not speak of her like that," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Ever."

Shadow One’s face was hidden behind his hoodie, so his expression was in the shadows. He stepped back, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he was trying not to provoke Ryder further.

For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, then he slowly muttered, "It was my Master’s words."

Ryder’s eyes flashed with anger, his jaw clenched in a tight, hard line. "Your Master’s words?" he repeated, his voice low and deadly. "And you dare to repeat the insults of your Master to me?"

"I mean no disrespect, but his orders must be followed," he replied calmly, almost mechanically, as if he was reciting a well-rehearsed line.

He took another step back, effortlessly freeing himself from Ryder’s claws that were embedded inside his stomach. Blood seeped from the wound, onto the floor, but he was unfazed.

Ryder’s gaze narrowed, "And what exactly are you doing here? I didn’t summon you."

Shadow One’s hooded head bowed slightly, his voice taking on a slightly submissive tone. "I was sent to present you with the deal once more–"

"Get out," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Get out of my sight before I lose what’s left of my control."

Shadow One hesitated for a moment, then turned to leave, his movements slow and deliberate. "Remember, Snow," he said, "my Master’s offer won’t be on the table forever, and you don’t have much time left."

Ryder’s response was a low, menacing snarl, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity as he watched the shadow disappear as it came.

His chest heaved as he held onto the wall for support.

Desperation had made him a slave, bound to an unknown deity, that he was forced to obey.

But he had no regrets. Provided that deity could help him get rid of the moon goddess, he would do what they wanted, but what he couldn’t stand was that deity trying to get in between him and Reana.

Their opinion on his love life was irrelevant, and their attempts to manipulate him into giving up on Reana only grated on his nerves.

They keep forgetting that he was willing to be used by them for whatever purpose they had in mind, just to have his woman.

Ryder’s eyes flashed with defiance, his mind long made up. He would not let anyone, deity or not, come between him and the woman he loved. Reana was his, and he would fight to the death to keep her by his side.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps, echoing off the cold walls of his cell. Ryder’s head snapped up. The footsteps were light, he’d heard them a couple of times, and they belonged to none other than his Luna.

He knew that Reana had stopped by a few times, but she would only stop before his cell, however, today seemed different because the footsteps didn’t halt before his cell. Instead, they grew louder, closer, and Ryder’s heart skipped a beat as he heard the sound of the cell door creaking open.

As the gates opened to reveal Reana, Ryder’s breath caught in his throat. His very soul stir. And for a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them crackling like electricity.

Then, without a word, Reana moved closer, her footsteps echoing off the stone walls, until she stood right before him, her face tilted up, her lips inches from his.

"You enjoy this, don’t you?" she asked, her voice low and husky, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and something else... something that looked almost like resignation.

She was mentally exhausted.

Ryder’s gaze locked onto hers, his heart pounding in his chest. "No," he swallowed. She didn’t have to speak much. He understood her.

She was asking about the pain he was in and more that he was willing to endure just to make her cave in. And Ryder’s answer was honest, a reflection of the turmoil that ravaged his soul.

Reana’s eyes searched his, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, the air thick with unspoken words. "You’d rather die than be remorseful...why, Ryder? Why are you so stubborn?"

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