Louisa's POV
When I woke up, my head was still very heavy and I felt that it was about to explode.
I was naked and I felt so cold inside the tent.
So, I struggled to pull up the blanket and cover myself.
The branding marks on my chest were burning, as if someone constantly sprayed salt on my wounds.
I could go through Uma's box and look for pain relief, but I felt so drowsy to do so.
Anyway, the pain was my least concern at the time.
Hunger and thirst were the ones that were killing me.
"Someone, Leo, please…" I opened my mouth, but my voice was hoarse.
"Please… give me… some water…"
Every word was abrasive, scratching my throat.
Soldiers were walking past my tent.
Nobody seemed to care about my outcry.
I struggled to walk towards the entrance of the tent, but I was stopped by a soldier.
"Go back, she-wolf. Don't ask for trouble."
I wasn't asking for trouble.
I was asking for survival.
Just when I was about to give up, Lucian walked past the tent.
"Water… I need water…" I grabbed his arm.
"Go back to the tent and I'll bring you something to eat," he said.
I nodded desperately, but I didn't want to go back to the tent.
Lucian sighed, stopped a soldier and took a bottle of milk from his hands.
Then, he handed the bottle to me.
I couldn't wait to take it with my hand before guzzling from the bottle in his hands.
He held the bottle for me and patiently watched me drinking up the last drop of milk in the bottle.
Then, I looked up at him.
He was wearing a dark red ceremonial suit made of fine velvet.
It looked very expensive.
When I thought of what he had tried to do to me, I stepped back into the tent and stared at him in fear.
He disappeared for a while and went back with a tray in his hands.
"Here're some clothes. Put them on now."
I looked at him.
He had no intention of turning away.
So, I had no choice but to quickly drop the blanket.
My branding marks, along with my naked torso, were exposed in front of him.
As I reached for the clothes, he put his hand on my arm and stopped me.
"Don't move." he said.
I bit my lips.
I didn't know what he was about to do to me.
He took out some potion from the tray, poured some dark powder on a clean cloth and gently wiped the branding mark on my chest.
Then the burning sensation immediately cooled down.
"The dark lotus powder will set off the snake venom and soothe the pain. But it won't make the marks gone." he said, "Now open your legs."
I spread my legs open obediently and looked away.
He wiped the rupture wound in my private part.
"I didn't want to hurt you," he said, "but I do whatever my Alpha tells me to do. I want you to know that. This is the ground rule of the wolf pack."
"If he asks you to kill me… Will you do it?" I asked.
"I will," he said, "And I'll regret it later."
"Have you killed anyone?" I frowned and asked.
He didn't say anything.
I felt so stupid.
Of course, he had killed people.
Just because he was nice to me, I ignored the very obvious fact that he was working for the most ruthless warlord in the North Land.
I felt very disturbed, so I quickly took up the gown and tried to put it on.
Something wrapped inside the gown dropped to the floor.
I picked them up and saw it was leather collar.
Lucian took it from my hands and said, "Come here, on the bed."
I reluctantly sat on the bed in front of him.
I wasn't wearing any undergarments.
I could feel that my lips were moist again.
Lucian put the collar on my neck.
The coldness of the leather made me shiver.
"Can you turn your head?" he asked.
I turned my head right and left.
"It's a bit tight," I said in a low voice.
He loosened it a bit and locked the collar with a click.
"Don't try to run away," he said, "This collar has been processed in the wolfsbane. As long as they were touching your skin, you couldn't shift into a wolf."
"Have you done these to other girls or am I the lucky one?" I asked, battering my eyelashes at him.
I was trying to sound as flirty as I could.
I thought if I could lure him into bed, maybe he could keep helping me in the future.
He didn't say anything, just took out the chain on the wall and connected it with the collar.
Then, he pulled the chain and dragged me closer to him.
The clanging of the chain made me feel thrilled.
I thought he was about to kiss me, so I lifted my chin up.
"I have no interest in you," Lucian stared at me and said, "but do not try to flirt with me again. I've got a mate and her name's Gianna. I've been away from her for a really long time, so I don't mind fucking some whores who remind me of her. But you won't be one of them. You're exclusive to my Alpha. Besieds, you're not a whore. So don't act like one. Another thing, I've alreay sent Leo back to the Fire and Wind Camp. You won't see him in the near future."
Then, he dropped me on the bed and walked away.