He had bolted the door from outside.

The window was shut too.

These walls, this cold floor, these curtains of the canopy, this large bed—all of them were laughing at me.

The afternoon had passed. The evening was darkening.

No one came even after me knocking the door thousand times.

I didn't even get the lunch, today.

Of course, his family would support him. How could I even expect from them?

Thankfully, the two sacks of apples and oranges were leaning against the table. I thought I would survive these hours of imprisonment with enough fruit to eat. But not even a single bite of the apple went down my throat when his words kept revolving around in my mind.

I wish it had been someone else.

My nostrils flared in anger as I sat beside the bed on the floor with bloodshot eyes.

You do not deserve these nice ways of mine anymore.

I wiped the cheeks while the fresh ones burned my eyes and heart.

I will not be called wimp anymore.

The walls of these rooms were eating up.

I felt like the lamb, now.

Except he was gone to the heavens in the noon while my horror would began in the night.

A sob broke out from me as the terror kept rising in veins where blood was freezing slowly. My arms, my feet. Everything felt pale and cold. There was no warmth in this room anymore.

Yes, I hurt him. Yes. I was being a brat. But it was not my fault that he had a full moon to suffer.

He couldn't just threaten to fuck me all the time.

I had a soul in me that was petrified of his hidden wrath. Of what he was capable of doing to me.

Prepare for the thunders and lightning I will give you tonight, my mate.

I sniffled hard.

He had said those words with such belief, such vengeance and anger.

There was no time left to find the answer for—Will he do it? Will he really do it?

Looking up at the ceiling, there was no fan.

I chuckled humorlessly while flaring my nostrils and wiping the tears.

The question was—If  I was prepared for what this night would bring to me.

I had been such a big disappointment to him as a mate and he had realized it now, very well. The demon inside him now wanted to dominate me, break me until I end up behaving like the ideal slave to him.

Rubbing my fingertips against my lips, I kept blinking through the wet eyes.

If only I had never asked for a family! I would have never come to live with mother! I would never had been here with this monster waiting to fuck me up!

Sniffling slowly, I covered my face and let out a shaky breathe.

I could very well get the vibe.

The death was approaching me. Because I knew I wouldn't be able to survive the trauma. The physical force in the first place.

I couldn't suffer that horror.

I was seated here on the floor, near his side of the bed, facing the door after spending an hour of looking for any kind of weapon in each corner of this room, the bathroom and the toilet. But there was not a single knife in this room. There was no extra belonging here except for a cupboard full of clothes, the trunk with my dress and Pete's jacket and a loose wooden comb with just four teeth, apart from the old mirror.

For once, my heart asked me the questions.

What was so wrong with that caveman with long beard and hair? What was so wrong to live with a family who wanted you? What was so wrong in letting him touch you? He was being nice. Wasn't he? He was fulfilling all my demands.

It could have been worse. Much more than what Mom and Aunt Kate used to teach in the mythology class.

How could I have survived if Karam had been an arrogant and barbaric man? How could I have lived if they would have tortured me like a true enemy rather than welcome me with feasts and rituals? How could I have even lived to breathe now if Karam had treated me like a sex slave?

I had ruined my chances of survival of more days here. I could have followed Chelsea's advice and controlled my mouth.

Some kisses were better than getting violated in vengeance.

Wiping my tears, I blinked and realized how much I had hurt him. Enough to make him confess that he was trapped in this too.

I could apologise to him and agree to the kisses or even more except for this approaching dark night full of his wrath. I could just try to talk sweet and let him know that I had not been appreciating his hospitality. I could just confess that I was sorry for being an ass to him.

But the evening had darkened. The room had darkened.

He would be ready to do horrors on me. His beast would be thrilled to do it.

I couldn't save myself from his wrath with a bunch of sweet words. He won't listen.

A sudden air passed from under the heavy door of the room.

The chill ran down my spine. The hair on my neck risen.

The time went so fast despite me sitting all alone and empty in this room weeping over my fate.

My legs shook while heart started pounding.

Getting up hurriedly, I walked towards the bathroom, to accept the one way I could use to save myself.

I won't let him hurt me by any means.

I would die trying.

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Closing my eyes, I started to lower myself.

The water started filling in my nose, in my ears, in my throat.

The swimmer in me turned alert on its own and started to save breaths, blocking my ears and nose from the water.

My body started floating inside the large tub as I submitted myself to the freezing water.

Opening my eyes, it was too dark in the bathroom except for the faint light of the lantern.

Gran's face started showing up in my sight when I felt my nose peeling off from inside. Mom's face came along with all of my siblings. Pete. Keira and her family. Stephen came too. Lastly, Gilbert smiled at me.

My tears mixed with water in the tub.

My eyes closed as I felt my chest going heavy.

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With a sudden jolt, my head was pushed outside by the harsh force.

A loud gasp escaped my mouth followed by a series of loud coughs.

The water started draining out of nose and mouth as I was being pulled out of the tub with someone holding my shoulders. I hung myself on the edge of the tub and vomiting out the water.

Sharp pain erupted it my nose and chest as I struggled to breathe.

My eyes slowly moved to the intruder and all the water that my body had swallowed for his welcome turned into the boiling blood.

"Why would you—" Karam had just started speaking with his lips trembling and his amber eyes holding the fear.

My chest jolted with pain imaginarily and I turned around to the right side of the tub, opposite to his, hanging my arms and head out to vomit all the water.

"Why in the seven hells would you—"

I turned around with a loud yell escaping my mouth and the earthen plate full of ash in my hand. Pushing it hard against his face,  I stood up hurriedly and got out of the tub.

He was taken aback by the attack and fell back on the floor while I was already running out of the bathroom.

A loud growl came from the bathroom, shaking all the walls, the door and the window. Even my heart.

But the adrenaline rush was rising.

I would die trying. I was done with this Lycan shit.

The door was opened ajar while I took the advantage and sprinted out of the room.

If I took the street, I would never be able to outrun them.

If I went towards any of their houses, I could make excuses later on being caught.

I had to play safe.

So, I took the right, running towards Alvena's house.

Another loud growl echoed behind me, chilling my blood while I couldn't stop.

So, I kept running and caught the kids playing outside Natasha's house.

My eyes widened at seeing Larc and Costina playing with mud while at the doorstep was little Annie crawling slowly.

"Misty!" Karam growled from behind me.

I reached the pups and grabbed Annie hurriedly.

Turning around, I saw Karam widening his eyes at me in hurt and slowing down.

The crowd started forming as the Lycans from the street started approaching along with Alvena and Natasha who wee returning from Amelia's house.

Nysa and Amelia came afterwards while Karam gave me the dead eye.

His black with the ash that he must have tried to wash off from his eyes. They were bloodshot. His forehead was bleeding too.

"Madness!" He shouted angrily. "Put the pup down!"

I gritted my teeth while moving away from Natasha's door and stepping back towards the nearest street.

The growls erupted from the crowd while Amelia and Nysa stopped behind Karam.

"I will kill her!" I warned while looking around madly, shaking my head. Tightening my fingers around Annie's little neck, I looked at Karam. "I will squeeze her neck, I am warning you."

"Misty?" Natasha gave me a death glare. "Leave the pup before I kill you," she said while showing me her teeth. "You know that you can't hurt her."

The tears escaped from my eyes.

"No!" I screamed. "I will kill her! I will definitely kill her if you don't let me go!"

Karam let out a loud growl. "Leave her this instant. Or I'll fuck you in front of everyone!"

My eyes widened and heart was about to burst from the terror.

Squeezing Annie's neck, I tried to break it. But before I could do it, Natasha reached me, snatched the child from me forcefully.

While Karam grabbed my wrist.

I pulled my arm back harshly. But he wasn't leaving it.

Dragging me to the middle of the crowd, he threw me against the big stone.

The sound of his breeches falling against the ground, reached my ears, chilling up my blood.

Before I could even turn around, he grabbed my hair and pushed up my skirt quickly.

I let out the wails and tried to fight.

The crowd watched while he positioned himself against me.

The horror began with a painful jolt.

I let out the loudest scream.

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The harsh shaking of my shoulders made me wince and open my eyes.

Seeing the very face, a whimper escaped my mouth.

I sat up hurriedly and pasted myself to wall while staring at him in horror.

Karam stared at me with concern glinting in his amber orbs. "It was a dream. Bad dream, my mate." He said softly.

My eyes filled up while eyebrows furrowed. I looked around the room and moved my legs, letting out a sob of relief.

The tub, the attack, Annie—it was all a bad dream.

He sighed heavily while pulling me in his chest.

I didn't waste a second to wrap my arms around his neck. "You raped me in front of everyone," I choked out in disbelief and hurt, another sob escaping. "It felt so real, Karam."

He breathed heavily while crushing me in his arms. Pushing his face against my neck, he pulled me on his lap.

"Forgive me, my mate." He whispered while I squeezed my eyes shut and hid my nose into his shoulder.

"Karam, I swear. I am not a bad person," I said while pulling myself back. Looking in his eyes, I nodded. "I will do the kisses. But the threats. . ." My lips trembled hard.

"Shhhh. . ." He whispered, giving me a disturbed look. "I tried to scare you in vengeance. Even when I knew your human body couldn't handle it. I am your criminal, my mate."

My mouth parted while he squeezed my waist, lowering his eyes. "I am the only brother who spent time with the sisters. Miggy and Tara's suffering taught me to call my mate. Here, I got you. A beautiful you and all I do is threaten you. I am disturbing their souls."

His jaw ticked while his wet hair moved along with his head as he looked up in my eyes. "Sister Lucine never asks a bride to visit her. We are fortunate to get an invitation to the temple. Only the fortunate ones go there. You brought that good luck to me, my mate. I cannot ruin this for my you. I will let my mate have Goddess Severa's blessings. I will not give her more bad dreams."

Tears slid down my cheeks while he lowered his eyes again.

"You do not have to do the kisses. The Lycan in me wants his mate to come to him willingly. The full moon infuriates the beast. But only when it is pushed. I walked away from you, dipped myself in the water, nearly drowned myself. . ."

My eyes widened.

". . . got my senses back. I realized that I do not want to bring you any kind of pain that I pledged on the doorway. I might be the wimp truly," he said, chuckling sadly. "Mother used to say that my name means 'deed'. It will be bring shame to her soul if I do any bad deed, my mate."

My heart squeezed hard.

"You said that you wished for someone else," I asked in a cracking voice. "You don't want me anymore. I have started to disgust you. Haven't I?"

He smiled sadly while pushing my oily hair away from face.

"My mate is the most precious for me in this world," he said in his thick accent. "No one can replace her. No one will. And she makes me so mad, I forget myself. I forget what I am. I am a good mate to you, my love. And I intend on doing that. Your human heart reminds me of the struggle I will have to go through to earn your love. You don't feel the mate bond while I am drowning in it."

He started removing my hands off his shoulder while whispering, "I will stay with Lysar tonight and the rest of four nights. For our good."

"Karam," I whispered softly while cupping his cheek. He stiffened and stared at me. "You meant those words?"

He knew I was talking about the threats.

His eyebrows straightened and he nodded. "Until I jumped into the lake, my mate."

A soft cry escaped me while he sighed heavily. "What about your aura if you let this go now?"

He gulped hard while giving me a sad look. "Moon Goddess will not call me a wimp, my mate. Sister Natasha said, I shouldn't care about what the brothers say."

"Which brother?"

He blinked. "Robin. Anton. Lysar too. They think, you have the upper hand. That I am being beaten in your love," he said, roughly. He cleared his throat. "They are right."

My heart dropped in my stomach.

I opened my mouth and blinked in thought. Staring at him, I observed his flaring nostrils. He was restraining himself.

"Do you not hate me for disobeying me?" I asked, sniffling slowly while he shook his head.

"I won't hate you for disobeying me again, my mate. It gives you bad dreams. Mates don't give each other bad dreams," he said while I whimpered softly.

Hugging him, I rested my cheek against my shoulder. "Will you forgive me for disobeying you all this time? I will not be an ass if you just give me a little bit of support, Karam."

"I forgive you," he said while sniffing at my shoulder. "But you never forgive me for that bloody morning. I swear on my mother, I won't threaten you like that again my mate."

Pulling back from the hug, I observed his guilt-filled face.

He looked sad and exhausted.

"After the bath, all anger washed off. But your words remained with me. You didn't get the love of your father. You didn't get the love of your family. And I am adding to your pain," he said, his voice going deep. "I do not want to be my mate's biggest enemy. I want her to love me. That is the dream."

Goosebumps risen on my arms while he stared at the ruby on my neck.

"It shines." He said, making me glance down at my pendant.

The red crystal was twinkling.

My eyebrows furrowed and I nearly lost my voice.

"Woah! This is scary! It never happened before." I choked out hoarsely.

He gulped slowly. "Alvena once said, Rubies twinkle when something good or bad is about to happen," he said while looking at me. "Your bad dream of me hurting you in front of everyone is bad enough. I will leave for Lysar's room, my mate. Hit me in your dreams."

I cupped his shoulder before he could push me away from his lap.

"That was a dream. A bad dream. Now, that dream is in the past. The ruby signs the future, Karam."

He blinked, his eyes narrowing.

"Something good is about to happen."

"What good, my mate." He asked, his eyes holding mine in a hold.

I lowered my eyes and cupped his bearded cheeks.

"This." I murmured before pressing my lips against his, making him respond immediately and effectively.

His large hands snaked around my waist, going inside my top to roam his palm on my back. While I moved my lips slowly, playing with my tongue along while my hands tightened around his neck.

He tilted his head and fastened his pace, making me breathless while I moaned and moved my hands in his hair, pulling them in my fists.

Our tongued played while my bent legs rested on his lap. His large hands cupped my sides and squeezed slightly.

My heart was flying in my chest while face was burning. The wetness had started forming between the legs.

He stole another passionate kiss after a second of us panting hard. I could feel the raise of his breeches underneath my knee.

Pulling away, I moved my head back to observe his reaction.

He was amazed and surprised. His lips were shining pink.

"I will give this bond a try, my mate. Okay?" I whispered through the pants.

For a moment, the voice came. Chelsea said to wrap him around my finger.

He smiled at me dreamily and nodded.

"Should we begin with filling your human belly with some food?" He said while pointing at the plate on the table.

With my running nose, I couldn't smell it.

"Amelia didn't bring food to you in fear of hurting you in anger," he said while cupping my head. "Seems like, you are reaching for their hearts too, without even knowing it, my mate."

He got up and gave me the hand. I looked up at his towering figure. "Come. Eat your meal."

I smiled through the tears that were drying slowly.

Chelsea guided it as a rule. But here, my heart was betraying me for melting at his act.

"Thank you."

My not-so-wimpy mate.

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"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

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Now, upcoming chapters would bring us back to our theories. I thought that these mate bond chapters were important to understand our main leads more.