The thing about being chained to a wall for hours, or was it days? was that you had plenty of time to think.
And trust me I'd been thinking, just about all the wrong things.
Like how Ragnar's jaw had tightened when I'd argued with him and how I felt a stupid pull in my chest the closer he got.
"Stop it, Sable," I muttered to myself. "Stockholm Syndrome is not cute."
My kidnapper was not attractive, he was a kidnapper. End of story.
Except he'd also called me his fated mate, which was either the most romantic or the most insane thing anyone had ever said to me, and I genuinely couldn't decide which.
"Definitely insane," I said aloud. "You're going with insane."
The torches flickered, my wrists ached badly and I really, really needed to pee.
"Hello?" I called out. "Anyone? I know you're all busy planning my forced wedding, but can someone let me use a bathroom? Please?"
In a couple of seconds after, I heard footsteps, finally, just that it wasn't Torin this time. It was Ragnar himself, flanked by two guards.
Great, the man I'd just been mentally arguing about being attractive. Perfect timing, universe.
"Talking to yourself?" Ragnar asked, stopping at the bars.
"Well, no one else wants to talk to me, so yeah." I rattled my chains. "What do you want? Come to gloat some more?"
"I'm moving you."
"Moving me where? A different prison? How exciting."
His expression didn't change. "Guest quarters, you'll have a proper room. A bed and a bathroom." He made it sound like he was doing me a favour.
"Oh, how generous. A bathroom, living the dream." I tilted my head. "Let me guess, the door will be locked and I'll still be a prisoner, just with better amenities?"
"Yes."
At least he was honest. "And if I refuse to move?"
"You'll stay here." He unlocked the cell door. "Your choice."
"It's really not though, is it?" I stood as he approached. "That's the thing about all your choices, they're not actually choices, they're ultimatums dressed up in polite language."
Ragnar stopped in front of me, close enough that the stupid pull in my chest intensified until I could barely breathe.
"You're right," he said quietly. "They're not choices, because I can't risk you hurting yourself or anyone else, but I can make this easier or harder for you, that part is your choice."
"How magnanimous."
He reached for my chains, and his fingers brushed my wrist. The contact sent electricity shooting up my arm making me jerk back immediately.
"Don't touch me."
"I'm trying to unchain you."
"I don't care, don't touch me." My voice trembled. "You don't get to kidnap me and then act like you're doing me favors."
His eyes narrowed, Frustration? Regret? "I'm trying to keep you alive, Sable."
"By forcing me to marry you? That's your solution?"
"It's the only solution." He unlocked the first cuff, then the second. "The mate bond will stabilize your power but for now, they are unstable, which makes you dangerous.
"To who? Your father? The man who apparently murdered entire families?" I wondered where that came from, I had never met or known his father but somehow i had memories of him.
Ragnar's jaw tightened. "You've been talking to someone."
I stepped back, putting distance between us. "So let me get this straight, your father committed genocide, my family was probably part of it and now you want me to marry you and become part of the family that tried to eliminate mine? Does that about sum it up?"
"It's more complicated than that."
"It really isn't."
"My father's actions aren't mine." Ragnar moved toward the door. "I didn't order the purge, and I don't agree with it, that's why I took his position."
"Oh, so you're the good guy here? Is that what you're telling me?"
"I'm telling you the truth." He paused in the doorway. "Whether you believe it or not is up to you. Now, are you coming or would you prefer to stay chained to a wall?"
I wanted to refuse, wanted to tell him exactly where he could shove his guest quarters— his ass of course.
But my bladder kept giving me signs that if I held out any longer it might as well take that as a cue to release its content. My wrists were bleeding, and staying here wasn't going to help me escape.
"Fine," I muttered. "Lead the way, oh magnanimous Alpha."
They led me through long corridors which looked less ancient and less weird than where I was before. We stopped at a big wooden door and Ragnar pushed it open.
The room was quite small but by all means better than being chained to a wall.
A real bed with actual sheets, windows with glass and curtains and a bathroom.
"This is your room until the coronation," Ragnar said. "The door will be locked, guards will be posted but you'll have everything you need."
I stepped inside, still processing. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why give me this? Why not just keep me in chains if I really was as dangerous as you said?"
"Because you're going to be my Luna." His voice was matter-of-fact. "And I don't mistreat what's mine."
"I'm not yours."
"Not yet." He stepped back toward the door. "Dinner will be brought to you, tomorrow you'll meet with our healer. She'll explain what you need to know."
He turned around and left, locking the door behind him.
I stood there in my new prison, staring at the door. None of it felt real, one minute I was having fun at a party and the next minute I'm marrying some kind of guy that speaks like he came out of a fantasy story.
Then I heard them, loud voices in the hallway. I pressed my ears on the door till the voices became a bit clearer, It was a woman's voice and she sounded way too angry. At first i thought it was mom, until I heard what she was saying, I guess being imprisoned just has its way of playing with the mind.
"You can't be serious, Ragnar, you're throwing me away for some random girl?"
"Briella, not now…"
"I've given you everything! Years of my life! And you're replacing me with her?"
"The Moon Goddess has made her choice…"
"The Moon Goddess can go to hell!" The sound of something shattering ripped through the air, either glass or ceramic, I couldn't tell. "I was supposed to be your Luna! Me! Not some pathetic human who doesn't even know what she is!"
"Briella…"
"No!" Her voice dropped, but the tone still remained, she was angry as hell. "Fine, crown your little pet as Luna but don't expect me to stand by and watch you parade her around like she's special."
"You will respect her…"
"I don't respect her, I don't even acknowledge her." Her voice was getting farther now. "This isn't over, Ragnar, not by a long shot."
The hallway went silent and I backed away from the door, my heart pounding.
Great, I'd made an enemy before I'd even met her.
I moved to the window, needing air, needing space, needing anything to make sense.
That's when I spotted them, figures just outside the window moving towards the room, faster than anything I had ever seen before.