02: In the Midst of Wolves

SERA

The massive iron gates loomed before me like the entrance to a prison, their intricate wolf designs seeming to mock my reluctance as they creaked open.

The moment I stepped in, my eyes immediately began scanning every corner of this foreign territory, taking in details I wished I could ignore. I walked rigidly beside Alpha Kael and his son because I absolutely refused to acknowledge Damian as anything more than that, especially not as my mate. The very thought irritates me.

My first instinct was to turn around and run straight back home. The sight of pack members bowing deeply as we passed was already a massive turn-off for me.

“You will love it here,” Alpha Kael said warmly, squeezing my fingers gently as we walked through what appeared to be the main courtyard.

I seriously doubted that. The discomfort of being here would probably kill me long before the Alpha decided to punish me for calling his entire pack a bunch of human-eating dogs.

When we finally reached what I assumed was the main house or chambers, or whatever they called the Alpha’s residence—I was greeted by a sight that made my blood boil. There were girls lined up along the entrance, all beautiful, all perfectly groomed, all looking like they belonged in this world in ways I never would. They kept their heads bowed respectfully, but I caught several stealing glances at Damian with obvious interest.

It made me wonder why one of them couldn’t be his mate instead of me. Any one of these girls would probably be thrilled to be bonded to the Alpha’s son. What a twisted and wicked world we lived in that fate had chosen me instead of someone who actually wanted to be here. The Moon goddess has to be a witch.

“Take her to her room,” Damian said curtly, pointing at one of the girls without even looking at me.

“Are you suddenly abandoning me after bringing me here by force?” I shot back at him, not caring that my tone was rude enough to make several of the girls gasp audibly.

The girl he’d pointed to raised her head from its bowed position and looked directly into my eyes, clearly shocked by my defiance. Her expression was like she was watching me strangling him.

“Don’t speak to your mate that way,” Alpha Kael scolded, his voice carrying a warning.

“And if I continue, what will you do?” I shot back immediately, meeting his gaze with as much defiance as I could muster.

These people weren’t used to anyone challenging their Alpha, I think I keep digging death hole for myself more and more but I don't care. Others could continue to crawl for him if they wanted, but he wasn’t my Alpha, so I owed him no respect or submission.

“Leave us,” Alpha Kael commanded the assembled girls, his voice carrying an authority that sent them scurrying away like startled birds.

As soon as we were alone, Damian took a step toward me. Instinctively, I took a step backward, my body recognizing some kind of threat even if my mind couldn’t process what it was. He continued advancing, and I continued retreating until my back hit the stone wall of the building. I was trapped and panic began to rise in my chest.

I closed my eyes tightly, already picturing the worst-case scenario. Would he force his lips on mine? Would he use his superior strength to overpower me? Would he claim some kind of mate right that I didn’t understand?

Instead, I felt his hand wrap around my throat tightly. My eyes flew open in shock and fear as he leaned close enough that I could feel his breath against my ear. I choked, meeting his hand for release.

“Listen carefully,” he whispered, his voice so low that only I could hear it.

He grabbed my wrist tightly, his fingers pressing hard enough to leave marks, and began dragging me away. My feet stumbled to keep up with his longer strides, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out at the pain in my wrist.

When we finally stopped in what looked like a private garden tucked away from prying eyes, he released me so abruptly that I nearly fell.

“We are nothing,” he said coldly, his voice devoid of any warmth or emotion. “I don’t like you, and I’m happy you don’t like me either. Let’s go our separate ways and live our own lives, because I love someone else. You can sleep with whoever you want, do whatever you want, as long as we pretend to everyone that we’re happy mates that Pack members envy.”

My heart jumped with unexpected joy at his words. The relief that flooded through me was so intense that I almost laughed out loud.

“Really?” I asked, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice and failing miserably.

“Yes. My boyfriend means everything to me. Don’t ruin things for me, and I won’t make your life here any more miserable than it already is.”

“You have a boyfriend,” I said slowly, the words feeling strange on my tongue.

“Yes. You’re not deaf,” he responded coldly.

My mind reeled. This whole thing was shitty but maybe it was for the best.

“And you’ll dare not say a word about it to anyone,” he threatened.

“Perfect, I won’t ruin anything for you, Damian. We have a deal,” I thought to myself, though outwardly I just nodded seriously.

I smiled inwardly, thank you Damian for the leverage you just gave me.

****

The living arrangements turned out to be more tolerable than I’d expected. Our quarters were spacious enough to include multiple rooms, which meant I wouldn’t have to share a bedroom with Damian while keeping up our charade. I had my own space, and most importantly, my own privacy to grieve without an audience.

I was just beginning to unpack the few belongings I’d brought when I heard a soft knock on my door. My mood immediately soured, assuming it was Damian coming to establish more ground rules for our fake relationship. What had happened to going our separate ways?

“Who’s that?” I called out, standing up with annoyance already building in my chest.

“The Alpha has requested your presence,” came a gentle female voice from the other side of the door.

I opened it to find one of the girls from earlier, her head bowed respectfully as she waited for my response. She looked young, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with the kind of natural beauty that made me feel even more out of place here.

“Okay, please wait for me,” I said, trying to soften my tone. It wasn’t her fault that I was being summoned like some kind of servant.

I went back into my room to grab a scarf, suddenly self-conscious about the thin singlet see-through I was wearing. The last thing I needed was to give Alpha Kael the wrong impression about my intentions.

When I arrived at what appeared to be his private study, he gestured toward a chair across from his desk.

“Sit,” he commanded, though his tone was gentler than before.

“I’m getting really sick of this, Alpha,” I said sarcastically, deliberately mispronouncing his name as “Alvin” just to see if it would get a reaction. “What is it that you want now?”

Instead of getting angry, he surprised me by looking genuinely remorseful. “I’m sorry, Sera. I just want you to understand that everything I’m doing is for your protection. I don't want to lose you too.”

He moved around the desk and knelt down in front of my chair, taking my hands in his larger ones. The gesture was so unexpected and humble that it caught me completely off guard.

“Your hands are cold,” he observed with concern. “Let me prepare something warm for you to drink.”

I had to admit, grudgingly, that he didn’t seem like the monster I’d painted him as in my mind. Here I was, having insulted his pack and challenged his authority repeatedly, and instead of punishing me, he was apologizing and trying to take care of me. Maybe he really was trying to protect me, even if his methods were heavy-handed.

“I’m sorry about your human boyfriend,” he said quietly as he prepared whatever he was making. “I know his death wasn’t easy for you to witness.”

I nodded, feeling tears prick at my eyes unexpectedly. “Thank you. I know it wasn’t your fault.”

It was the most polite conversation we’d had since I’d arrived, and I found myself relaxing slightly despite my reservations about being here.

He stood up and walked toward what appeared to be a mini kitchen attached to his study, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

He returned with a steaming mug that smelled like herbs and honey. “Why aren’t you drinking?” I asked when he handed me the mug. “Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m not cold,” he said, my coldness should only be my behavior.

He looked directly into my eyes and smiled with his lips separating widely enough to reveal perfect white teeth. It was the kind of smile that could probably make women do stupid things.

God save me from that smile, I thought desperately.

He looked exactly like the kind of bad boy that mothers warned their daughters about, but secretly fantasized about themselves. Dangerous, attractive, and completely off-limits, which only made him more appealing to people who were drawn to risk.

I forced myself to smile back, trying to make it feel unnatural just that my cheeks didn't ache from the effort.

He moved from behind his desk to sit on the arm of my chair, close enough that I could smell his cologne and it made my traitorous body respond in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge.

As he talked about pack politics and safety measures, his hands began to move in ways that made me increasingly uncomfortable. One hand traced the lines of my neck with feather-light touches that sent shivers down my spine, while his other hand played with the thin strap of my singlet, his fingers brushing against my skin in a way that was definitely not accidental.

My breathing became uneven as panic began to build in my chest. The rational part of my brain was screaming warnings.

Was he going to hurt me? Was this some kind of power play? Or was there something else happening here that I was too naive to understand?

“Lean on me and no one will hurt you, Sera.”