Chapter 5 The Mate Bound

Ivy's POV The cell was cold. The scent of dirt and stone filling my nose. I sat on the hard floor, my back pressed against the rough wall, my knees drawn to my chest. My wrists ached where the warriors had grabbed me, their grip bruising, unrelenting. I had known this would happen. I had known the moment they caught me that they wouldn't let me go easily. But I had still hoped. I had still prayed that maybe, just maybe, they would let me disappear. That I could leave and never look back. Now, I was trapped. And I had no idea what they were going to do with me. Footsteps echoed down the stone hallway. My body tensed. I didn't look up, but I could feel them. The power rolling off them. The familiar presence that sent chills down my spine. The triplets. I squeezed my hands into fists, forcing myself to stay still as the heavy iron door creaked open. Silence stretched between us. Then, finally, Ronan spoke. "You really thought you could leave?" His voice was calm, but there was something dark beneath it. Something unreadable. I swallowed hard. "Yes." A scoff. Kieran. "Stupid," he muttered. "You really thought you could just walk away?" I lifted my head then, meeting his piercing blue eyes. "Why does it matter to you?" I asked, my voice steady. "You don't want me. You rejected me. You told me I was nothing." Kieran's jaw tightened. Elias stepped forward, his icy gaze pinning me in place. "You are part of this pack." I let out a hollow laugh. "No. I never was." A muscle in Ronan's jaw twitched. "You were trying to leave the pack. That makes you a traitor." My stomach twisted. "I never hurt anyone. I never betrayed the pack." Kieran smirked. "Running away is betrayal." I clenched my fists. "I just wanted to be free." Elias studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "And where would you have gone?" I hesitated. The truth was, I hadn't thought that far ahead. Anywhere. Anywhere but here. "I don't know," I admitted. "But I would have figured it out." Kieran let out a short laugh. "You wouldn't have lasted a day." Maybe he was right. But I would have rather died out there than lived like this. Ronan exhaled slowly. "You put the pack at risk with your actions." I snapped my head toward him, my eyes narrowing. "How?" Silence. Because he knew it was a lie. I wasn't a threat. I had no power, no influence. My leaving wouldn't have changed anything for them. This wasn't about the pack. This was about them. I straightened my spine, meeting his golden gaze. "You're not angry because I left. You're angry because I rejected you first." Kieran's smirk vanished. Elias's expression darkened. Ronan's eyes flashed. I had hit a nerve. I forced myself to continue. "You were going to reject me anyway. I just saved you the trouble." Ronan stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "You think this is a game?" "No," I whispered. "I think it's cruel." His jaw tightened. I didn't look away. "You had a choice. You could have rejected me. Instead, you let me suffer. You let me feel the bond, knowing you would never accept me. And now, you won't even let me go." Kieran crossed his arms. "You don't get to decide." I let out a bitter laugh. "No. I never got to decide anything, did I?" Silence. Then, Elias spoke, his voice quieter than the others. "You are ours." A shiver ran down my spine. Not because of his words. But because of the way he said them. As if they were a fact. As if my choice never mattered. Ronan's gaze burned into me. "You won't leave again." My breath caught in my throat. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise. Kieran smirked, stepping back. "Enjoy your new home, little omega. Soon you'll be Our little sex Slave" Then, without another word, they turned and left, the heavy door slamming shut behind them. And just like that, I was alone again. .. Food was brought to me twice a day, slipped through the small opening at the bottom of the door. No words. No explanations. Just silence. The only thing I had were my thoughts. And they were torture. Had I really been so stupid to think I could escape? Had I really thought I could just walk away from them? I wasn't even sure what they were waiting for. Were they going to let me rot here forever? Or were they just deciding what to do with me? I curled up on the cold floor, my body aching, exhaustion weighing on me. My heart ached too, but I ignored it. I had already given them enough of my pain. They didn't deserve any more. I wasn't sure how long it had been when the door finally creaked open again. I didn't move. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of a reaction. But when I heard a soft chuckle, my stomach twisted. Selene. "Well, don't you look pathetic," she mused, stepping into the cell. I kept my head down, refusing to look at her. She clicked her tongue. "I have to admit, Ivy, I didn't think you had it in you. Running away like that? I thought you were too much of a coward." I said nothing. She sighed dramatically. "And yet, here you are. Back where you belong." I lifted my head then, meeting her green eyes. "I don't belong here." She smirked. "You do now." Something about the way she said it sent a shiver down my spine. I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?" Selene tilted her head, watching me with amusement. "Oh, did no one tell you?" A cold feeling settled in my stomach. "Tell me what?" She smiled, leaning in slightly. "The triplets aren't going to let you go." My heart pounded. "They don't want me." She hummed. "No. But they don't want you gone, either." I swallowed hard. "What are you saying?" Selene straightened, smoothing her dress. "You'll see soon enough." Then, without another word, she turned and walked out, the door slamming shut behind her. My stomach twisted with unease. What were they planning? It couldn't be making me their sex slave or breeder. Why wouldn't they just let me go?