Four

Olivia’s POV.

I jolted awake to a violent crash against the door. I pushed myself upright, blinking hard as I rubbed at my eyes, trying to chase away the heavy fog of sleep clinging to my mind. Every inch of my body screamed in protest. The bruises along my skin throbbed as if they had just been inflicted moments ago. I had cried until exhaustion claimed me the night before, my failed escape replaying over and over until darkness finally dragged me under.

My pulse hammered wildly when I heard Damien’s voice from the other side of the door. “Good morning, Olivia,” he said smoothly, mockery dripping from every word. “I trust you slept well.”

I stared at the door with burning eyes. He was enjoying this. Feeding on my fear. Thriving on my suffering.

“Get up,” he commanded. “It’s time to take care of what must be done.”

I shoved the covers aside and stepped out from the shadowed corner of the room, fury blazing through me. “You know damn well how my night was,” I snapped, my voice sharp and trembling with rage. “You think you can use me and throw me away like I mean nothing? You’re cruel, Damien. Completely heartless.”

His face did not change, yet something dark flickered briefly in his eyes. I could not name it, but it was not mercy.

“That’s enough,” he said flatly. “Johnson. Thomas. Take her to the pack doctor.”

The two men advanced without hesitation, their expressions blank as stone. Their hands closed around my arms, sending fresh pain through the injuries I already carried. I cried out, struggling uselessly as agony ripped through me. They were far stronger than I was.

“Please, Damien, don’t do this,” I begged, my voice breaking as tears burned my eyes. “I’ll do anything you want. Please. Just don’t make me go through with this.”

He did not answer. He simply turned his back on me and walked away. The men dragged me after him through the pack headquarters, past faces filled with curiosity and silent judgment. My feet stumbled as I fought to keep up, terror clogging my chest.

At the pack hospital, they shoved me into a small sterile room where the doctor was waiting. He was an elderly man with tired eyes and a face softened by years of compassion.

“Hello, Olivia,” he greeted gently. “I’m afraid I’ve been ordered to carry out a procedure.”

I glared at him through unshed tears. “You’re just going to obey Damien, aren’t you?” I accused bitterly.

His expression tightened with regret. “I’m sorry, child. I don’t have a choice.”

As he began arranging the instruments, panic surged through me. My hands trembled uncontrollably. Then he leaned closer and whispered, “Listen carefully. I know what Damien intends. I will pretend to perform the procedure. When I distract the guards, you must leave. Immediately.”

My eyes widened in shock. “Why would you help me?” I breathed.

Pain flickered across his face as he met my gaze. “My daughter died because no one helped her,” he murmured. “I failed her. I won’t fail you. Damien believes I am loyal, but I still have a conscience. I will not let him destroy you.”

I nodded quickly, my heart racing. When the doctor drew the guards’ attention, I slipped out of the room and bolted toward the rear exit.

I ran with everything I had left, knowing this was my final chance to escape Damien and the nightmare he had built around me. My chest burned as fear drove my legs forward.

Shouts erupted behind me, but I did not turn back. I did not slow down until I burst out of the hospital and into the forest beyond.

Only when I was far away did they realize I was gone.

They searched frantically through the hospital, only to come up empty handed. When Damien was informed that Olivia had vanished, his fury was immediate and explosive.

“Find her,” he snarled, his face contorted with rage. “Bring her back to me,” he ordered.

The guards tore off after me, but I had a lead. I knew if I wasted this chance, I would not survive another capture.

Back at the hospital, Damien stormed in, his presence suffocating. The pack doctor trembled before him, already knowing his fate.

“You defied me,” Damien hissed, his voice vibrating with lethal anger. “You were told to carry out my command, not help her escape,” he said.

The doctor tried to speak, tried to apologize, but Damien did not listen. In one swift movement, he ended the old man’s life. The body collapsed to the floor, lifeless and forgotten.

I kept running as darkness crept over the forest, but exhaustion and fear blurred my sense of direction. When night fully settled, I realized I was lost. My gaze darted frantically through the trees.

I froze when a massive wolf stepped into my path, his eyes glowing beneath the moonlit sky.

My body locked in place. My mouth went dry, saliva thick in my throat as I struggled to swallow. I staggered backward. The wolf followed. I had no weapon. No strength left. Running would be pointless. Death was seconds away.

The wolf lunged.

The motion flashed past me, followed by a sickening crack that echoed through the clearing. I gasped and stumbled as a powerful figure slammed into the wolf, driving it aside with brutal force. The fight was fast and savage. Claws tore through flesh. Blood sprayed across the forest floor. Within moments, the rogue lay motionless.

Then the man turned toward me.

My breath caught instantly. He was tall and broad shouldered, his chest rising steadily as golden eyes assessed me with sharp intensity. He looked like he belonged to the wilderness, as though the forest itself bowed to his presence.

“Stay back,” he warned, his lips curving slightly.

I did not move. I could not.

He stepped closer, wiping blood from his hand, his gaze never leaving mine. “You don’t belong to my pack.”

I swallowed hard, fingers twisting into my torn clothing. Telling the truth felt dangerous, but lying felt worse.

“I was banished,” I whispered.

His expression darkened. “For what reason?”

My throat tightened as shame and fury crashed over me. “They accused me of treason,” I said quietly.

Silence stretched between us before he gave a low chuckle and shook his head. “You don’t look like a traitor,” he said, studying me closely. “You ran, didn’t you?”

I stiffened. “I had no other choice.”

Something shifted in his eyes. Understanding, perhaps.

“Then you need a new pack,” he said calmly.

I frowned. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“This land is mine,” he replied firmly. “And it is my responsibility to protect anyone who stands on it.”

His gaze locked onto mine. “I’m not asking you, stranger. I’m ordering you,” he said.

A shaky, breathless laugh escaped me before I could stop it.