10. Is Alpha Ronan here?

OLENA

"Let her be," 

His voice was cold. 

"But king..." 

Abraham directed his gaze at him, and that was all it took. He immediately fell silent.

The man gritted his teeth, and his fists shook slightly by his sides as he looked at me but he said nothing more. 

"Leave my sight!" Abraham said as his eyes locked on me, while Zinnia clasped my hands and we ran off together.

Is Alpha Ronan here? Don't tell me he's bringing more virgin girls to be slaves. 

That heartless soul!

A few minutes later, we were inside her room, both of us panting as we leaned against the door, hands pressed to our chests.

“Slave 200,” I said, reading the number engraved above the frame. “Looks like you’ve been here a long time.”

“Yeah. I was sold before I even turned eighteen. It’s been... about four years now.”

I felt my eyes grew wide. Four years? My chest aches just thinking about it. I couldn’t even imagine the kind of pain, the things she must’ve endured in this place.

“Wow,” Zinnia breathed, brushing her hair from her face. “His voice… it’s so soothing.”

“You haven’t heard it before?”

She snorted. “I don’t think any slave has. Not unless you’re eavesdropping and if you get caught doing that, you might as well dig your own grave.”

She turned and gave me a quick glance, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Hey… do you even realize what just happened?” she said, half-laughing. “You were just saved by the Lycan King. Do you know how impossible that is?”

"Is it really that big of a deal?" I asked, shrugging. "Maybe he was in a hurry or running late. What if I was just lucky today?"

She scoffed and sank down onto the edge of her bed. “You see his Beta, Kane? Just don’t cross his path. That guy’s a complete dickhead.”

“You mean the one who was beside the Lycan King earlier?” I asked, recalling the sharp-eyed man who’d yelled at me.

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’s him. Arrogant and harsh, always looking for someone to hurt just to remind everyone he can. The way he punishes people…” Her voice dropped. “It’s like he doesn’t feel a thing.”

I shivered. “These Lycans…”

Zinnia let out a dry, hollow laugh. “Welcome to their world. Around here, survival isn’t about strength, it’s about silence. You breathe wrong, and someone like Kane makes sure you bleed for it.”

She paused, her gaze darkening. “And let’s not even talk about the Lycan King himself.”

I exhaled slowly. "I know, I almost felt that,"

I ran my palms over my arms as a shiver slipped down my spine. It felt like the Moon Goddess had spared me once again. The Lycan King. Whatever that was earlier, I knew I couldn’t afford another close call.

“I’ll lay low,” I whispered to myself. “No more drawing attention. I have to stay invisible.”

My necklace.  

It was more than jewelry, it was everything I had left of her.  

And it was still in his room.  

But how could I fetch it back without them noticing? Or have they thrown it away?

My eyes wandered around Zinnia’s room as I thought. It was surprisingly cozy, bathed in shades of purple, from the curtains to the bedsheets. Despite being a slave, her space had personality. There were books stacked neatly in one corner, like she’d read every one of them.

“If you’re done being nosy, come eat already,” she said with a smirk.

I turned to see her opening a food flask, and the aroma hit me instantly warm, rich, and mouthwatering. Without hesitation, I reached out and took the flask from her hands.

“All yours,” she said with a chuckle.

“Seriously?” I gasped, already digging in. The mashed potatoes were soft, creamy, and absolutely delicious. It's like the most healthy food I've ever eaten.

"You finished the whole thing?" she asked, raising a brow.

“You have no idea how hungry I was, Zinnia,” I said between gulps. “Thank you… for real.”

Zinnia stood and dusted off her hands. “You can pick a novel to read if you want.”

I blinked, still surprised. “But… How did you even get all of this? The books, the food—?”

She met my eyes, her voice flat. “I fucked a guard. That’s how I survive.”

I sat still, at a loss for words. Just as I was about to reply, a voice rang out from outside.

“Olena!”

It was June. Her voice was urgent, and within seconds, she stormed into the room. She grabbed my hand without a word, and I looked back at Zinnia, who only smirked from where she stood, unbothered.

“Come on,” June said sharply.

She dragged me outside, then stopped and spun around, hands on her waist, eyes flashing with frustration.

“Do you want to get yourself in trouble?” she scolded. “You’re lucky no men were inside with her. Do you know what could’ve happened?”

"Why are you yelling?" I retorted. "Calm down and tell me why you don't want me to hang around with her."

“I’m sure that food she gave you was from one of those perverts,” June said quietly. “I even tried sneaking something from the dining hall for you.”

I didn’t say anything. There wasn’t much to say. We just kept walking, the silence heavy between us.

Suddenly, June stopped. She turned to face me, her hands resting firmly on my shoulders. Her expression had softened and her voice was low, almost pleading.

“I’m only doing this to keep you safe, Olena. I don’t want what happened to her to happen to you. Please…”

“Who?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “Who are you talking about?”

June looked away, her lips pressed into a thin line. But she didn’t answer. 

“You’re done with your punishment and didn’t even think to report back?!”

A loud, piercing voice echoed sharply. I turned to see her hurrying toward me.

“Fuck… Thalia again,” June muttered under her breath, stepping closer to my side.

“I’m sorry,” I stammered, bowing slightly. “I looked for you, but I couldn’t find you.”

I lied.

Thalia rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. You’re assigned to clean the training center, first thing in the morning.”

I lowered my head and said nothing as she turned and walked away.

June placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Strange.”

"What's strange?" I asked. 

"Nothing"

I sighed.

“So where’s the training center?” I asked, confused. “I don’t even know my way around this place… other than the castle.”

“Then come sleep in my room tonight,” June offered gently. “We’ll wake up early, and I’ll show you around before we head there.”

I didn’t know why, but I felt eyes on me, like a gaze pressing against my back.

I turned slowly… and that’s when I saw it.

Its shadow.