chapter 2

Bill picked up Rose and walked into the forest without looking back.

Rose struggled fiercely on his broad shoulder, hitting and kicking, but it was like a mosquito trying to shake a tree.

"Let me go! You bastard!"

Her cries echoed in the silent forest, but no one answered.

Sunlight began to filter through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, swaying with Bill's steps. Rose lost consciousness.

The firelight flickered and reflected on Bill's cold face, outlining his sharp features.

He sat in a chair covered with a tiger skin, his gaze resting on the unconscious Rose. She was curled up, like an injured deer,she was completely different from the strong northern women in his tribe.

Rose's skin was so pale it almost looked transparent, and her messy golden hair spilled down like a waterfall, covering most of her face. Bill's rough fingers gently brushed her soft cheek, and an unfamiliar feeling spread in his heart.

He remembered why he raided the caravan—those beautiful goods, the silk, perfume, and jewels from the south.

They were like poison, corrupting their primitive northern way of life, making the women vain, always bothering their men and spending money at southern shops. The elders in tribe were angry and ordered Bill to stop the caravans, to protect their tribe's traditions.

"Boss, the cart is full of women's stuff," Leo reported roughly, his large body blocking the firelight.

"These women love these fancy things. They keep dragging their men to Jack's store to trade, and that the canny Jack has become the real ruler of our northern country!"

Bill frowned.

Jack was the leader of the border shops, a clever merchant who knew how to make deals. His goods, like colorful fabrics and shiny toys, were very popular with the northern women.

More and more women came to his shop, but this started to cause problems. The women's visits changed the way things were done in the tribe.

The elders worried that Jack's goods were making the women act differently and move away from their traditional roles. But Jack didn't mind.

He saw this as a chance to grow his business and get even more power.

Bill's gaze returned to Rose.

Was this fragile girl also good at Jack's tricks?

The northern empire had weak trade, and they only traded goods or followed the elders' distribution system.

But Jack's business system had already undermined the elders' control over the northern empire.

As the leader of the northern army, Bill had always carried out the elders' orders without hesitation.

Yet, now, seeing Rose, he was beginning to doubt.

Bill waved his hand, signaling Leo to leave.

Leo grumbled but obeyed and left.

In the tent, only Bill and the unconscious Rose remained. The fire crackled, like Bill's complex emotions.

He stood up and walked over to Rose, crouching beside her and studying her face carefully. Her long eyelashes, small nose, and slightly parted lips gave off an innocent, tempting aura.

Bill felt a surge of heat in his chest. He reached out to touch her cheek again but stopped in midair.

What was he doing? This woman was his prisoner, someone he should hate. But why did he feel pity for her, even… desire?

Bill's mind was in chaos.

He remembered the elders' stern warning, and the desire of the tribe, especially the women, for southern goods. His heart was full of conflict and frustration. War, perhaps, was truly unavoidable.

Rose slowly opened her eyes. She saw the animal skins on the top of the tent. A strange smell made her feel sick. She struggled to sit up and looked around. She found herself in a simple tent with thick tiger skins on the floor. A fire was burning in the fire pit, making crackling sounds. Fear wrapped around her heart like a cold snake. She realized she had been taken by Bill.

Bill heard her moving.

He turned to face her.

His tall figure blocked the light and cast a shadow over Rose. He had a cold smile on his face, and his eyes glowed like those of a wild animal. Rose's heart pounded hard. She instinctively shrank back, trying to avoid Bill's approach.

"You're awake?"

Bill's voice was low and rough, with a hint of mockery.

Bill tried to approach her. She struggled hard, wanting to push Bill away, but his strong arms tightly held her in place.

"Let go of me! You animal!"

Rose's eyes were filled with hate. She used all her strength to bite Bill's arm. Bill groaned in pain but did not let her go.

"You better behave!" Bill's voice was full of threat.

"Otherwise, I'll make you feel even more pain!"

He looked down at Rose with dangerous eyes.

"You saw it today, right? My men are not as gentle as me. I have 50 men here."

He paused on purpose, making Rose imagine being abused by so many men.

Rose closed her eyes in despair, and silent tears fell down her face.Fear flooded her heart, and she trembled all over.

Rose curled up on the ground.

Her golden hair was messy and covered most of her pale face.

She felt nauseous, and her stomach churned.

Humiliated tears mixed with dust, leaving dirty marks on her face.

She bit her lip, almost drawing blood, to stop the sobs in her throat.

Despair almost suffocated her.

Cold made her shiver.

Bill watched Rose crouching on the ground, noticing that she might be cold. He felt a strange, unexplainable irritation.

He should feel satisfied, happy with his victory, but he didn't.

He roughly threw a piece of animal skin over Rose.

"Cover yourself!"

His tone was still cold, but his action was gentler than before.

Rose trembled as she picked up the animal skin and wrapped it around herself. She didn't dare to look up at Bill, afraid to see the beastly light in his eyes.

Bill sat down by the fire, looked at Rose, the weak woman he had captured.

Yet, she stirred a strange tenderness inside him.

"What's your name? How old are you?"

Bill's voice was hoarse, and he was surprised by the softness in his tone.

Rose quickly looked up, staring at Bill in fear.

She didn't understand why the man who had just been rude to her was suddenly calm...even... gentle?

This sudden change made her more uneasy.

She felt like she had fallen into a trap, one more dangerous than before.

"Rose…Twenty..."

Rose's voice was barely a whisper.

She didn't dare to lie, and she didn't dare to resist.

"Are you married?"

Bill asked, his eyes fixed on Rose's face, as if he wanted to see through her.

Rose's heart sank.

This question terrified her.

She didn't know why Bill was asking it, but she instinctively felt uneasy.

She shook her head.

Bill looked at Rose, and a complicated light flashed in his eyes.

Twenty, unmarried... this meant she was still a virgin.

If she returned to the tribe in this state-as a virgin, she would cause a scramble among the other men.

This thought made the strange feeling inside him grow stronger.

So he made his mind.

"Okay, today you are captured. From now on, you are mine."

Bill's voice was deep and hoarse, full of unquestionable dominance.

He grabbed Rose's chin and forced her to look into his eyes.

"Your body, your soul, all belong to me."

Rose's heart sank, and she felt a deep chill.

"No... I'm not anyone's..."

Rose's voice trembled, soft as a whisper, but with a touch of defiance.

Bill sneered and roughly wiped the tears from Rose's face.

"You have no choice."

Bill picked her up and walked out of the tent, heading towards a cave deep in the forest.

He took Rose to a hidden hot spring in a cave.

Steam rose from the water, with a faint smell of sulfur.

"Go wash up,"

Bill's voice was still cold, but there was less violence than before.

He threw a clean piece of cloth to Rose and turned his back to her.

Rose looked at Bill's broad back, her emotions mixed.

She wanted to clean herself, to have a fresh body, but she was also afraid of Bill's intentions.

She hesitated, not daring to move forward.

"What? You don't want to?"

Bill's voice held a touch of mockery, but he didn't turn around.

Rose bit her lip, knowing she could not refuse.

She shakily undressed and slowly stepped into the hot spring.

The warm water wrapped around her body, offering some comfort, but it made her feel even more vulnerable and helpless.

She hugged herself tightly, tears blurring her vision again.

The steam from the hot spring blurred Rose's sight.

The warm water surrounded her, but it couldn't chase away the chill inside her. She clung to herself, fragile and helpless like a leaf in a storm.

Bill turned around, his gaze fixed on Rose, like a predator eyeing its prey.