章節 2: Evelyn or Evelina?...
Eve's wrists throbbed as the tight ropes were hastily cut away, leaving angry red marks on her skin. Two guards grabbed her arms and dragged her off the platform before she could protest further.
The crowd cheered loudly, their desire for excitement clear, but a fierce growl from Damian silenced them right away.
"Take her to the dungeons," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument. His silver eyes met hers for a moment before he looked away, his jaw clenched, as if he was struggling to keep himself composed.
Eve struggled against the guards as they hauled her through a narrow stone corridor leading to the castle's depths. "Hey! I didn't agree to this! Where's my lawyer? I demand to speak to someone in charge!" she yelled, her voice echoing off the cold, damp walls.
The guards didn't respond, shoving her into a dimly lit cell and slamming the iron bars shut. She stumbled but caught herself, glaring at their retreating backs. "Cowards," she muttered under her breath.
She had whispered it to herself but to her surprise, they turned immediately, their eyes shining a different color, stealing the breath from her lungs. "Cowards? You should be thankful the prince deems you fit as his mate, you disgrace of a werewolf."
"Bloody witch," the other sneered before they turned around and left.
The silence of the dungeon was deafening after the chaos above. She leaned against the cold stone wall, her mind racing.
"What just happened?" she whispered to herself. "Execution? Werewolves? Mates?" She shook her head, her tangled hair falling into her face. "This has to be a dream… or some really twisted hallucination."
But the cold seeping into her skin and the faint smell of mildew told her otherwise.
This was real.
Somehow, she wasn't in her lab anymore.
She wasn't even in her own world.
Her breaths came faster as panic clawed at her throat, but then, just as suddenly, a strange calmness washed over her. A presence stirred deep within her, one that wasn't there before.
"Finally awake, are we?" a voice purred inside her mind.
Eve froze, her heart hammering. "Who's there?" she asked aloud, spinning around the empty cell.
"Relax, darling. It's me—your wolf."
"My what?" she demanded, gripping the wall for support.
"Your wolf, Relia. Well, technically, not yours. This body's wolf. But since you've decided to drop in uninvited, I guess we're stuck together." The voice was distinctly feminine, dripping with sass. "And might I say, you've caused quite the mess."
Eve's knees gave out, and she slid to the floor. "This can't be happening," she whispered. "Wolves don't talk."
"Oh, honey, you have so much to learn." The wolf's voice softened slightly. "But first, let's clear something up. You're not Evelina Drewstone, are you?"
Eve shook her head. "No, I'm… I was Evelyn Matthews. A scientist. There was a fire, and—" She stopped, her voice breaking. "I don't know how I got here."
"Well, I'm Aurelia and you're in Evelina's body now. And thanks to the mate bond, we're linked to that brooding prince upstairs." The wolf sighed dramatically. "Talk about bad timing."
Before Eve could respond, memories flooded her mind—Evelina's memories.
They came in sharp bursts: her childhood in the pack, her strained relationship with Damian, her desperation to win his approval. The accusation that led to her arrest.
Eve gasped, clutching her head. "It's too much," she groaned.
"Breathe through it," the wolf advised. "You need to understand this world if you're going to survive."
The memories slowed, leaving Eve shaken but more aware.
She had an idea of werewolves, packs, and the bond that connected mates but she used to think they were all myths or legends.
But in this world, they were real.
Then one terrifying truth settled over her: Evelina had indeed been accused of trying to poison Damian.
A faint click pulled her attention to the cell door. She looked up to find Damian standing there, his imposing figure blocking the dim torchlight.
His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with an intensity that made her stomach flip.
"I see you've settled in," he said coldly, stepping into the cell.
Eve pushed herself to her feet, forcing a glare. "If this is your idea of hospitality, you're failing miserably."
Damian's lips twitched, though it wasn't quite a smile. "Bold, considering your situation."
"My situation?!" she snapped, taking a step closer. "I woke up tied to a platform with a mob chanting for my death! Forgive me if I'm not bowing at your feet."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Stop playing games, Evelina."
"I'm not Evelina!" she shot back, the words leaving her before she could think.
Damian's expression darkened, and he closed the distance between them in two swift strides.
Before she could react, he pinned her against the wall, his hands bracketing her head. The rough stone scraped her back, but it was nothing compared to the jolt that ran through her at the contact.
The mate bond suddenly came to life, feeling intense and powerful, almost like a strong electrical charge. Her breath hitched as warmth spread through her, pooling low in between her legs.
Her wolf practically purred in her mind. "Well, hello there."
"Stop lying," Damian growled, his face inches from hers. "You've been scheming for years. What are you up to this time?"
Eve glared up at him, though her body betrayed her, leaning into his heat. "Scheming? Are you insane? What would I gain from poisoning you?!"
Damian's eyes narrowed, his breath hot against her skin. "You tell me."
The tension between them crackled like a live wire. Eve's heart raced, her anger and confusion mixing with something much more dangerous.
She hated how her body responded to him, how the bond made her want to lean closer when she should be shoving him away.
"Maybe you poisoned yourself and blamed me," she shot back. "Because the proof you have against me is baseless and inconclusive."
For a moment, he looked genuinely surprised, then his lips twitched again, this time in what might have been amusement.
His wolf's voice nudged at the edges of his mind. "She's making sense. Admit it."
"She's just a better liar this time," Damian muttered under his breath, though even to himself, the words lacked conviction.
Eve rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Do I look like someone who planned an elaborate assassination attempt? I was literally tied to a post being pelted with eggs. Trust me, if I had a master plan, that wasn't part of it."
For a moment, Damian's lips twitched, as if he were fighting back a smirk. But his wolf's insistent voice broke through his thoughts again. "She's not lying. You can feel it. The bond doesn't lie."
Damian clenched his fists, his frustration evident. "If you didn't try to poison me, then who did? And who's trying to frame you?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.
Eve hesitated, swallowing hard. She had no answer to that—she didn't know who was behind this. "Someone who clearly wants you dead," she said sarcastically. "But if you'd like to keep accusing me of crimes I didn't commit, by all means, continue. It's been a real joy."
The corner of Damian's mouth twitched again, but his expression quickly hardened. "You have a sharp tongue for someone in chains."
"I'd say it's the least I can do, considering," she shot back, crossing her arms. "And I thought you were supposed to trust your mate or whatever. Pfft… mate my foot."
Her words struck him hard, and his eyes grew dark as his wolf reacted to the careless disregard for their connection. "Careful," he warned, his tone cold. "You're testing my patience."
Eve raised an eyebrow. "Your patience? Try walking a mile in my shoes, Your Highness. One minute, I'm minding my business, and the next, I'm in a medieval nightmare being accused of attempted murder. So forgive me if I'm not groveling at your feet."
Damian stared at her with a stoic expression. The quiet stretched, and the tension between them was clear. Finally, he took a step back, as if needing distance from the woman who challenged him at every turn.
Eve sagged against the wall as he moved back, her legs weak. She hated the way her body betrayed her, the way her pulse still thundered from his touch.
"I believe you," he said at last.
Eve blinked, stunned by the admission. "You… do?"
"Don't get used to it," he added, straightening. "But you'll have to prove your innocence. And don't think for a second that this means I'm accepting you as my mate."
Eve snorted, the faintest hint of a smirk playing at her lips. "Trust me, the feeling's mutual."
Damian's silver eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, as if there was something unspoken between them.
Without saying anything else, he turned and walked out of the cell, leaving Eve alone again. She leaned back against the wall, her mind racing with everything that had just happened.
The mate bond still pulsed gently in her bloodstream, a constant reminder of the connection she didn't want but couldn't ignore. "Well, this is going to be fun," her wolf chuckled.
Eve sighed. "Yeah, so much fun," she mumbled, rubbing her temples. "What on earth have I gotten myself into?"
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