Bullied Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Chapter 121

Lily's

pov

I woke up on my back, blinking slowly to register my surroundings, the unfamiliar ceiling fading in and out of focus.

My head felt heavy, my vision sluggish, my heart strained. My heart was a frightened bird, lodged in my chest and trying to take flight.

I was in an unfamiliar room, a beautiful room with lavender walls, sky fall ceilings and a lot of fresh flowers.

I struggled to remember why panic was slowly building in my chest. Why my sensors were picking up on the distinct threat of danger... And then it came crushing back to me.

I have been kidnapped for the second time in my life.

I blinked away the sluggish grogginess from my eyes, trying to roll over, my heavy thick dark hair falling over my face as I squinted in the direction of the rising sun.

The first thing that I noticed as I slowly opened my eyes into the unfamiliar surroundings was the scent of the place. It smelled exactly like the perfume that I used and I could literally feel the lavender and roses on my tongue, but even though the place smelled like it could be my bedroom, it was not. Far from that, it could never even be my bedroom.

Above me, on the ceiling, shooting stars had been drawn all over it and if it wasn't that I slowly remembered what had happened that had landed me here, I would have lost myself in those perfectly painted shapes. Aiden.

Speaking of Aiden, where was he?

"Good morning."

I gasped.

Speak of the devil.

He was sitting in an armchair across from me, his face the picture of perfect calm. He was wearing black pants and a black T-shirt that clinged to the shape of his body. His hair was perfect as always.

If I didn't know the monster that lurked beneath that handsome face both literally and figuratively, I would have probably been carried away by the sheer magnificence of him as he folded his arms that bulged and threatened to rip open the black tee that he was wearing.

"How're you feeling?" He asked with a softer expression than I expected. "You had me worried for a minute that I had knocked you out too hard."

Terror licked through my skin but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me terrified.

"Where am I?"

"This is my home. You must be hungry. I'll get something prepared for you." He paused. " Are you thirsty?"

"Y-you kidnapped me."

"An astute observation. Now, what would you like to eat? Do you have any particular preference?"

"Go to hell, Aiden."I whispered, watching as his lips lifted up in a smile that told me that I might have as well just gone ahead to compliment him and I growled low in my throat.

Sitting up, I tried to hop off the bed and realized with horror that my wrists were chained.

The chains rattled as I tugged hard on them, I had been chained to the wall beside the bed, the chains rattling on both my hands and feet as I tried to move.

"What the hell is this?" I snapped at him but he just shrugged and gestured towards the entire room.

"What do you think about the room?" He asked as if expecting praise. "Is it to your liking? I tried to whip something up very quickly given the short notice I had before having to bring you here, so if there is anything that you don't like, please let me know, but overall I think I did a good job in such a short time."

I gaped at him in shock and rage. He must have completely lost it.

He looked like he was actually proud of what he was saying and I wondered if screaming was the way forward, since it seemed like he was choosing to ignore that he was keeping me captive here against my will.

Taking my shocked silence for recalcitrance, he clapped his hands together with delight.

"If you have no complaints, it means that you really do like it. If you don't though, it can always be fixed. More importantly, would you like to join me downstairs in the theater to watch a movie later this evening? I mean I didn't want to ask like this. In fact, I had wanted to make the proposal something grand this morning before I was rudely interrupted by the news that I don't wish to relive at this moment."

I was starting to realize that Aiden talks a lot. He talks a lot of nonsense.

Before I could even respond and tell him he was out of his mind, his eyes brightened like he remembered something and his gaze found me again.

"Oh! And do you prefer darker colour arrangements or brighter ones? I mean I got the two for you since I didn't have the slightest idea what you like. We can fix that-“

"Oh, for fu c k sakes, Aiden. Quit it with the nonsense and just tell me why I am here and why I am chained to the wall like an animal!" I screamed, even as I tried again to rid myself of the chains, shaking them with the hope that by some miracle, they would just fall off my wrists, but all was to no avail and I glared at Aiden.

He frowned and narrowed his eyes at me, leaning forward to place his forearms of his knees and clasp his fingers together. "It'll only be for a little while, princess. At least until I'm sure that you won't try to escape."

I laughed bitterly and smirked at him. "You'd have no problem with me escaping, not when I could reject you and everyone can be happy." I replied, immediately opening my mouth to recite the words, but for some reason, it was stuck in my throat.

Frowning, I tried again but nothing happened. It felt like there was something lodged in my throat which prevented me from even speaking the words.

My heart started racing, pounding so hard in my ears, it's a wonder I haven't gone deaf.

"What in the world did you do to me?" I asked with a gasp and Aiden smirked, flexing his hands as tendrils of dark smoke curled around his fingers. "You see, dearest, i had to use some black magic to make sure the threat of you rejecting me never happens again."

"Let me go, you psycho. You're out of your goddamn mind!" I yelled, writhing on the bed but his laugh was cold as he hared at me.

"I am only what you made me to be, Lily. I will not be letting go of you unless you agree to the mating bond. Unless you let me take what's mine." "What's yours?" I erupted.

"Yes. A gift you stupidly and carelessly gave to my best friend. I'll have to get that fixed-"

"You should be glad!" I screamed, rattling my chains until I was too exhausted to move. "You hated me! You hurt me every chance you get-"

"Actions I am now ashamed of with every fiber of my being."

"You have one hell of a way of showing it." I gazed at my shackles, my throat tight.

I always knew Aiden was a spoiled prince with a temper problem that guarantees he always gets what he wants... but trapping me in beautiful room that might as well be a gilded cage, restricting my speech, placing shackles on my wrists and feet, like I'm some kind of exotic pet... it slowly started to hit me. Aiden doesn't know how to love. All he knows how to do is force people to do his bidding. He does not understand that love can't be bought, can't be forced.

Defeated, I shook my head, wondering how we had even gotten ourselves into this mess.

"This is not the way, Aiden." I whispered quietly." This is not how to win my heart."

The look on his face quickly faded away to my surprise, his face quiet and contemplative.

He leaned in closer. "Will you tell me how, Lily? How do I win your heart? How do I do it right?"

His voice was calm but I could see the desperation in his eyes as he asked me that question and those earnest eyes made me almost want to imagine a world where Aiden had not been the mastermind beyond my bullying and I the weak victim.

If we had met under different circumstances, would I have been able to see myself falling for someone like Aiden Vanderbilt?

Would I have allowed him to court me if he had a different personality?

Shaking my head, I blew out a harsh breath and shook my head.

"If I have to tell you, then it won't be authentic now, would it?" I answered coldly and Aiden growled, rising to his feet.

He walked towards me and sat on the bed beside me, reaching out to take my face in his hands but I flinched.

He snatched his hands back, a dark expression washing over his face. He rose to his feet and paced about before settling back his gaze back on me.

"Seeing you here in my home is the only thing stopping me from hunting Ren down and making him pay for daring to covet what's mine. If you care about the boy you love, behave yourself and desist from even having thoughts of him. In the meantime, make yourself at home."

I looked at my chains, then at the large window to my left big enough to escape from.

He discovered my thoughts easily. "I assure you, you won't be leaving until I allow it. And don't even dream of anyone coming to save you. I have given orders for our borders to be warded. No one can go in or out, not unless I will it."

He rose to his feet and started towards the door.

My heart squeezed. I was hyperventilating. Trapped. I let out a pained sound that had him faltering in his steps.

He was already at the door before he paused, a hand on the door handle. "Unfortunately, the chains are not coming off anytime soon."

He left before he could see the tears dribbling down my cheeks, slamming the door hard. The only sounds left belonged to the air conditioning and my broken heart.