Khar instinctively pointed his gun towards the man, as if he were an invader, but without releasing his grip on my hair. It took him less than a second to comprehend who he was, and he simply grumbled before slamming the cold metal against my skin once more with obvious hatred.

The man entered without sparing another word or waiting for an answer, and if Khar's gun hadn't been pushed against my temple, I might have spared a moment to notice him. But it was, and so I immediately averted my gaze and returned my attention to my assailant. His pupils were still dilated, completely dark, and his breath was getting heavier by the moment. He was clearly upset, and for a little period, it appeared as though the other person's presence was adding to his frustration.

The man soon approached us, and I caught a glimpse of him standing casually with his hands in his pockets out of the corner of my eye. He, same as Khar, was clearly not a guy of words, and as he stood there indifferent, Khar continued glancing between him and me. To my astonishment, he seemed concerned, and the longer the stillness between us lingered, the more tense he became.

"I don't need someone to supervise me," he stated eventually and I swear I could feel his body burn, his own misery almost affecting me.

But, after a brief moment, despite an unexplainable sensation of empathy dominating my body, I laughed, loudly enough to enrage him even more. They both looked at me in disbelief, and the more I laughed, the more perplexed they were. I wasn't going to stop, though, since as soon as I realized Khar was most likely just a man carrying out orders and not the man in control, I had only one purpose in mind: to enjoy his misery.

His grasp on my roots became increasingly strong, but I couldn't stop laughing like a mad person, despite the fact that I felt as if he was about to rip my skull off. His face had turned red, and as I continued to enjoy the scene unfolding, he forced the muzzle against my skin, the pressure being too great, but I refused to give in.

"Khar," he said his name but none of us dared to move. "Let her go."

"You heard him, Khar," I said ironically with a wide smirk and he clenched his teeth before removing the safety, my heart racing at this point.

His actions simply added to my amusement, given I knew he would not shoot me. He was no one, and I wasn't going to pass up the chance to remind him that. Every pack had its own set of rules, and if Khar disobeyed any of them, there would be serious consequences. Aside from that, given his previous reputation as a rogue, I was willing to guess he had no rank anymore, other than to frighten people. But he wasn't frightening; at best, he was pathetic.

"Let her go, now," the other man ordered, his voice so strict that Khar finally obeyed.

As he lowered his weapon, he gradually relaxed his grip as well, and I felt my head finally lighten. I could hear my own pulse and my ears constantly buzzing, but after a short while, I was able to relax. Only then did I notice the man who had been speaking all this time. He was younger than I imagined, and definitely younger than Khar, despite the fact that he was the one delivering commands.

"I didn't ask for help," Khar commented, his tongue dripping with disgust.

"I'm not here to help but to take over. You're leaving," he strictly replied and opened his hand, prompting Khar to hand him his gun. "That's an order," he continued as he noticed the hesitation and disagreement in Khar's eyes.

Unintentionally, another laugh escaped my lips and that was the final straw. Khar slid his gun into the other's palm, but only after he smacked my face with the grip of it. Putting the safety back on, Khar demanded it back, still upset as he murmured under his breath.

As for me, the taste of both fresh and dried blood lingered in my tongue and I closed my eyes, trying to handle the pain while savoring the warm fluid. Undoubtedly, I looked like a beast, with Khar's blood dripping all over my chin and down on the floor, as well as my own, coming out of my pierced cheeks and torn lips.

But I couldn't care less. That little portion proved to be more than enough to help me gradually find my strength and senses. I was still severely dehydrated and in desperate need of water, or any other substance that could ease my thrust, but I was grateful for what I had. Slowly, I was able to move my limbs and concentrate better on my surroundings.

Before giving much consideration, I brushed my lips with the back of my hand, the pain striking me right away. I could tell how swollen and scratched they were by gently stroking them with my fingerprints instead, and even though it hurt, thankfully it wasn't as bad as I had expected. To be honest, the heavy metal around my wrists had become more painful as the time passed and I found myself staring involuntarily at my fingers, which were coated in nothing but blood and grime.

"I must apologize on behalf of my friend," the young one stated and I instantly sat up, my eyes widening with his statement while Khar huffed, loudly enough, before he exited.

It didn't take long for my lips to become a thin line and for all of the laughter to cease as I was left alone with the stranger. Obviously, I had no problem mocking Khar after I saw he was nothing more than a pawn, but this man across from me? I had no idea nor clue who he was. Evidently, he was more powerful than Khar because he was bossing him around, but that wasn't the answer I was looking for.

In addition, he kept a straight posture, similar to Zara's when she met someone new, making it difficult for me to see his face properly. He was a bit intimidating as he hadn't spared me a look yet and his neat suit also gave the impression he was someone important.

"Do you want some water?" He asked after a while and I shook my head no.

I had no intention of admitting it, but even if I did, I would never accept anything this man had to offer. Ignoring my response, he grabbed a bowl, poured it with what appeared to be water, and moved towards me. His strides were heavy and firm, and as he approached, his free hand reached into his pocket, where he pulled a key out. After putting the dish aside, he eventually kneeled right in front of me, his body inches away from mine, and I was immediately startled by his unexpected move.

He was closer than I intended and, apprehensive of what he might do, I reflexively pressed my body against the wall, trapping my hands between my knees and chest. In complete disregard of my reaction, he grabbed my arm with enough force that I was unable to resist and he immediately spotted the marks the chains had already left on my skin.

His gaze rested on mine, and I was entranced as I observed the darkest eyes I had ever seen in my life, with just a trace of grey, they were absolutely magnificent. However, only for a brief moment, I feared that his werewolf would take over and finally rip me apart, but when his fingers touched my torn skin, his eyes changed to grey. Returning his gaze on the lock, he ultimately let the bars reach the floor.

He then stood up, and my eyes followed his every move, leaving me with nothing to do but sit there, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He, on the other hand, leaned with his hands on the broken drawer on the other side of the room, his back facing me.

He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, clearly lost in his thoughts, and I took the opportunity to try and stand up but my legs were too numb to obey. Laying down all this time, with my knees bent and my hands injured and tired from the weight, it was almost impossible to even stretch my limbs, let alone get my body off the stones.

Removing his jacket, I noticed that he also wore a leather holster around his broad shoulders but I truly believed he wasn't going to use a gun against me since he didn't let Khar. Or maybe he just wanted the pleasure of doing it himself, although I'm not convinced that's the case. As if he could read my mind, he turned around and slowly removed the leather straps, leaving the guns on the wooden surface.

Unhooking the first button of his collar shirt, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath, as if he had been suffocating the entire time. Slowly, he rolled his sleeves all the way up to his elbows and picked up a black dagger from his hip pocket. My breath stopped in my throat as he playfully spun the blade between his fingers, enjoying every second of it, and then he spoke, his voice cold and firm enough to make the earth tremble beneath my feet.

"To be honest, you did everything in your power to drive Khar mad," he noted as he started to pace around the empty room, the blade still twirling into his fingers.

As he got closer, I mustered the courage to stand and slowly stepped backwards to avoid any contact. My legs trembled, and I had to lean against the wall to prevent me from collapsing. He, on the other hand, slipped his free hand back into his pocket and continued circling the room, unfazed by my reaction and giving no indication of what he was thinking.

He could easily close the distance between us with a single step, yet he decided to saunter aimlessly about the room. I followed his every move, trying to figure out what he was going to do next, but it was futile. His face was clear of any emotion, his gaze on the floor and his pacing slow that I couldn't figure out what it was possibly inside his head.

Apparently, he was not afraid of me in the slightest, as he has made abundantly clear since he released me from my bindings. And honestly, looking at myself, I wouldn't be afraid of me either. My figure certainly resembled that of a hopeless woman, but this was far from the case. He had no idea who I was, and his arrogance might have worked in my favour in the end.

He wasn't a fool, that was certain, but he was definitely cocky and naive for believing I wouldn't fight back or try to flee. Werewolves had their weaknesses, like any other creature and now, the sight of his weapons laying unprotected on the furniture was all that occupied my mind, figuring that this would be my way out.

"But I don't intend to punish you or hurt you," he suddenly announced as he stopped on his tracks and instinctively, I did the same.

Slowly moving my glance towards him, fearful that he had figured out my intents, I realized that he hadn't truly shifted his look away from the ground.He barely stopped for a little moment, and after making his statement, he continued his walk. I felt as if I were participating in a sadistic game, but I followed his lead and proceeded in my way as before.

Even though the room wasn't particularly large, the drawer appeared to be hundreds of meters away. To be fair, my body was too fatigued to move faster, and he was taking his time as well. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume he had no intention of engaging with me. However, the dagger in his hand indicated that he would, even though I tried not to be influenced by the waiting which was killing me. Taking advantage of his indifference, I kept taking small, cautious steps till I was finally inches away from my salvation.

"However, I do intend to get some answers and I'm definitely not Khar."

His words caught me off guard, and I gasped in terror as the silver blade grazed my neck lightly before pinning to the wall behind me. Staring at him in complete sock, he smiled satisfied with his aim while all I did was freeze to my position. Without thinking about it, I pulled his gun out of its socket and with no hesitation, pointed it straight at him.

To my astonishment, he smiled broadly, clearly amused by my demeanor, but as soon as I pulled the trigger, all emotion vanished from his face. I, on the other hand, was completely devoid of colour after realising that his gun was actually empty. He crossed the room without hesitation or fear, and I reached for his other rifle, only to discover it was also empty when I attempted to kill the half-werewolf standing in front of me.

As he stood above me, his growl was heavy and loud, and I felt like I was being choked. His fist smashed the wall beside my head while his other hand clutched his blade, only to place it close to my throat as he slowly reverted to his human form.

"As I told you before, I'm not Khar."

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