Confronting the Morgan Pack Guards

(Eliza's POV)

The commotion in my quarters drew attention like wolves to fresh prey. Shouts echoed through the sanctuary's peaceful halls, shattering the tranquility I'd come to cherish during my stay.

"Release me at once!" I demanded, trying to wrench my arm from the guard's iron grip.

The guard tightened his hold. "Orders from Alpha James Morgan. You're coming with us, Miss Eliza."

I noticed a crowd gathering at my door—sanctuary attendants and spiritual advisors drawn by the disturbance. The Morgan Pack guards, initially aggressive, faltered at the sight of so many witnesses.

Gregory Weily pushed through the onlookers, his long beard quivering with indignation. As a senior spiritual advisor and my fellow gardener in the sanctuary, his presence commanded immediate respect.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, voice thundering across the room. "How dare you use force within the sacred grounds of Green Pine Sanctuary!"

The guards exchanged nervous glances. Their leader, a burly man with a jagged scar across his cheek, stepped forward with obvious reluctance.

"We—we're here on Gamma James Morgan's orders," he stammered, his earlier confidence evaporating under Gregory's fierce gaze. "We're to bring Miss Eliza home."

He bowed hastily, offering apologies that rang hollow. "We meant no disrespect to the sanctuary."

Gregory's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yet disrespect is exactly what you've shown. You think you can storm in here and manhandle Elder Morgan's granddaughter?"

The guards began edging toward the door, still maintaining their grip on me. They clearly intended to leave with their prize—me—regardless of the growing opposition.

"Please," the lead guard said, desperation creeping into his voice. "We're just following orders."

Before they could drag me away, a familiar voice rang out from the doorway.

"Stop this at once!" Ivy Bennett, my maid, pushed through the crowd. Her slight frame trembled, but determination blazed in her eyes. "Spiritual advisors, please, you must save Miss Eliza!"

All eyes turned to her as she continued, voice growing stronger with each word. "This isn't an escort—it's a kidnapping! They didn't even let her gather her belongings!"

I stared at Ivy in astonishment. In my previous life, she had shown me small kindnesses, but nothing that would suggest this kind of loyalty. Yet here she stood, defying the Morgan Pack guards on my behalf.

"The maid speaks true," Gregory confirmed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I've observed no formal protocol here—no official summons, no proper escort. Just force."

The guards shifted uncomfortably, clearly unprepared for this level of resistance.

I was touched by Ivy's unexpected defense. This brave intervention revealed a loyalty I hadn't anticipated.

Still, even without Ivy's intervention, I don't think I'll been taken. Elder Morgan had been observing my progress with the moonlight herb techniques. She wouldn't allow me to be dragged away like a common criminal.

My confidence was rewarded moments later when the door burst open again. Nanny Edwards entered, flanked by four stern-faced men I recognized as Elder Morgan's personal security detail.

"Release Miss Eliza immediately," Nanny Edwards commanded, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "By order of Elder Morgan, these men are to be restrained."

The Morgan Pack guards hesitated, trapped between conflicting orders from two powerful figures.

Nanny Edwards didn't wait for their decision. She nodded to Elder Morgan's security detail, who moved with practiced efficiency. Within moments, the Morgan Pack guards, including their scarred leader, were subdued.

The pressure on my arms vanished as my captors were forced to release me. I stumbled slightly, rubbing circulation back into my wrists.

"Are you harmed, Miss Eliza?" Nanny Edwards asked, her weathered face creased with concern.

I shook my head, though my body trembled with residual fear and anger. "I'm unharmed, Nanny, thanks to your timely arrival."

I made sure my voice carried to all present. "I'm relieved to see Elder Morgan takes the sanctuary's security seriously—unlike these men who claimed to represent my father."

The leader of the Morgan Pack guards struggled against his restraints. "We are acting on legitimate orders!"

"Which you executed with the finesse of rogue wolves," I replied, letting my disdain show. "If you truly serve the Morgan Pack, where is your respect? Where is your honor?"

I turned to Nanny Edwards, allowing a calculated vulnerability to creep into my expression. "They claimed to be from the Morgan Pack, but I haven't met my grandmother yet. I dare not trust them so easily. That's why this chaos happened. Please, Nanny, help me uphold justice."

The guard captain bristled. "Watch your accusations, girl. The Morgan Pack won't forget this insult. Green Pine Sanctuary will face consequences for interfering with pack business!"

His threat hung in the air for only a moment before Nanny Edwards made a subtle gesture. One of Elder Morgan's security detail stepped forward and struck the protesting guard across the face with enough force to split his lip.

Blood trickled down the guard's chin as he stared in shock at his attacker.

"Mind your tongue when addressing Miss Eliza," the security man growled, his hand resting meaningfully on the hilt of his dagger.

Gregory Weily stepped forward, his expression scornful as he addressed the subdued guards. "You fools forget yourselves. Green Pine Sanctuary doesn't answer to the Morgan Pack—it answers to Elder Morgan herself."

He straightened to his full impressive height. "This sanctuary has stood for generations under her protection. Pack politics hold no sway here."

I suppressed a smile at Gregory's boldness. The old advisor was shrewd, aligning himself firmly with Elder Morgan rather than with my father. He understood where true power lay.

Nanny Edwards surveyed the scene with thinly veiled disgust. "The disrespect shown today isn't just toward Miss Eliza, but toward Elder Morgan herself. Such insolence cannot go unpunished."

Her voice hardened as she addressed Elder Morgan's security detail. "Ten lashes each. Let them remember the price of disrespecting our sanctuary."

The guards blanched at her decree. They had clearly underestimated the situation, expecting to simply retrieve a meek girl without opposition. Now they found themselves outnumbered and facing physical punishment.

"But... but we were just following orders," one pleaded, eyes wide with fear.

"Then perhaps next time, you'll choose whose orders to follow more carefully," Nanny Edwards replied without sympathy.

As the guards were led away, Nanny Edwards turned to me, her stern expression softening slightly. "Miss Eliza, Elder Morgan asked me to inquire, since this matter concerns you directly, how do you wish to handle it?"

I straightened my shoulders, meeting her gaze directly. This was the moment to establish my position—not as a victim, but as someone worthy of respect. My next words would set the course for my new life.

"Nanny, I want to report this to the Alpha King's justice council," I declared.

Nanny Edwards' eyes widened in genuine surprise. "That would be... unprecedented. The Morgan Pack handles its own affairs internally."

She lowered her voice, leaning closer. "If you bring in the Alpha King's authority, your position within the pack could become... difficult. Your father would see it as a challenge to his leadership."

I shook my head firmly. "If they are indeed from the Morgan Pack, would my father and mother truly treat me this way? Coming without even asking my opinion and directly restraining me... am I a prisoner or the daughter of the Morgan Pack?"

My voice remained steady, though emotion threatened to crack it. "If this is how it truly is, even if I were to return to that pack, how could I possibly have good days? I might as well not return!"