Chapter 4 Succumbing To Death

Zephyr stared at him, unable to form words. His dark aura almost consumed her, and she was scared-scared for her own life. She hadn't known it was his cub. The little thing was hurt, and she had just wanted to help. Zephyr looked at the helpless cub in her arms. She shouldn't be in the same space as the Alpha. She wanted to step back, but the wall hindered her, and then his face loomed over hers.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't know it was your cub. It was hurt, and I..." Zephyr bit her lip nervously as she avoided his soul-piercing gaze.

Her eyes were still fixed on the cub in her arms, but his silence made her even more afraid. That's when she looked up to meet his gaze.

His lips tilted up into a sardonic smirk as he stared at her with intrigue. He took a step away from her.

"Come here, Rayven," he said to the little cub in her arms. The cub didn't waste a second before jumping from her arms and landing smartly on the floor next to its master.

"Naughty thing, searching for food for your mother, weren't you?" Damon chuckled as he crouched and patted Rayven on the head.

Zephyr's body stiffened upon hearing his words. If only she hadn't been so curious, if only she had ignored the sound, she would have been safely tucked in bed by now. The cub ran off, leaving Zephyr and the Alpha alone. Zephyr pressed her hands to her chest as Damon continued to stare at her.

"I'm leaving you with a warning: don't go poking your nose into things that don't concern you. Get out." His voice was cold, and Zephyr didn't waste another second before sprinting out of the room.

She ran as fast as her small feet would carry her, reaching her room and collapsing onto the bed. She felt scared. He was terrifying. Zephyr shut her eyes tightly, trying to push thoughts of him out of her mind.

---

Damon sat in front of the fireplace, lost in thought. What the hell was wrong with him? That little girl should have been dead by now, but for some odd reason, he hadn't let anyone touch a strand of her hair.

Rayven ran toward him, circling his legs. He almost bit Damon, but Damon was quick to kick the little cub, sending him crashing into the hard wall. The cub transformed into a young man who looked about Damon's age. His black silk hair fell on both sides of his temples, and his black eyes glared at Damon.

He rose to his full height, placing both hands on his slim waist. He was shirtless.

"The last time I make a damn bet with Damon Alaric. I can't believe you made me transform into a stupid cub and carried me like a weak, helpless animal," Rayven said, glaring at his heartless best friend.

"You were one," Damon deadpanned.

Rayven scoffed, then collapsed into the chair beside Damon.

"She was pretty, though. And cute too," Rayven chuckled. He pulled out the fabric Zephyr had torn to bandage his wound and sniffed it.

"She smells like snow too. Can I keep her, Damon?" Rayven smirked.

Damon got up from his chair, walked over to Rayven, and snatched the fabric from his hand. Without another word, he left.

"Crazy," Rayven muttered, but the smirk quickly faded as he fell into thought.

---

Zephyr's hair was tied in a neat bun, as the maids hated it when she let her long hair fall loose. She knelt on the floor, cleaning the large hallway all by herself. She didn't know why, but she was always given the most work. She finished quickly, clutching her stomach as it rumbled with hunger.

She would have waited until nighttime, but after what happened last time, she quickly dismissed the thought. Zephyr left the hallway and headed to the kitchen, where the maids were.

She couldn't look up as their discriminatory eyes fell on her. She felt like dirt. They stared at her with disdain, and Zephyr nearly shrank to the floor. She took her plate of food and looked around, trying to find a place to sit. She nervously approached a table where three maids were already seated. She was about to sit when one of the maids kicked the chair away.

"Get lost, filth," she said scornfully.

Zephyr tried to sit at three other tables, but the maids harshly chased her away. Her eyes began to fill with tears, threatening to spill over. Finally, she found an empty table and sat alone, placing her food on the table. She had eaten only one spoonful when someone roughly dragged her by the hair and pushed her to the floor.

Zephyr's elbows bled from the impact of the fall. She looked up, and it was none other than Sheila. Sheila grabbed her plate of food and dumped it on her head. Zephyr clenched her fists, struggling to hold back her tears.

"How dare you think you can eat with us, you lowly whore!" Sheila spat as she yanked Zephyr's hair and began slapping her harshly.

Zephyr couldn't hold back any longer. Tears rushed from her eyes as no one came to her aid. Everyone seemed to enjoy the spectacle. They all hated her. When Sheila had finally had enough, she let Zephyr go.

Zephyr quickly ran out of the kitchen, her qtears falling freely. She was exhausted-tired of being mistreated every single day. It felt like her existence was a sin, and that was why she was being punished. She was going through hell with no one to lean on. Everyone hated her. She wished everything would just end-her life was filled with misery.

Zephyr ran to the top floor of the castle, the clock tower. She stood there as the strong wind hit her face. Her eyes were red from crying, and her face bruised from Sheila's slaps.

"I don't want to live anymore," Zephyr cried as she stepped closer to the edge of the tower. She stood on the railing, not daring to look down-if she did, she would be too scared to go through with it.

Under the full moon, Zephyr whispered her last prayers and jumped from the railing. Her heart felt like it was in her throat as she plummeted, time seeming to slow. Zephyr closed her eyes, bracing herself for the skull-cracking impact, but it never came.

She slowly opened her eyes, and they widened in shock when she realized she was in the Alpha's arms.

His dark gray eyes glared at hers, and Zephyr immediately forgot how to breathe. His lips suddenly tilted into a sinister smirk, frightening her even more.

"You prayed for death, and here I am," he said coldly. Before Zephyr could process his words, Damon swiftly drew his dagger and stabbed her.

Zephyr's eyes widened slightly, and she instantly felt her life draining away. She couldn't form any words as she felt herself succumb to the darkness.