Caught

I woke up before dawn, tidied up the bed in the pavilion, neatly folding the thin blanket.

I grabbed a cloth, started wiping down the table and window sills. I moved silently, as if afraid to wake up the entire mansion.

Time just dragged on. By the time sunlight started creeping through the gaps in the curtains, I'd already made my rounds in the pavilion area, making sure there wasn't a speck of dirt.

But exhaustion crept in. I hadn't slept well last night, and my body was still recovering. A sudden dizzy spell hit me, my stomach ached from hunger. I tried to fight it, but my eyes felt incredibly heavy.

I didn't dare go too deep into the main mansion. Eventually, I found a small shed behind the pavilion. It smelled damp, with piles of sacks containing unknown items.

I thought for a moment about cleaning it, but my body just couldn't handle it anymore. I sat leaning against the wall, intending just to close my eyes for a bit. But that exhaustion pulled me into a deep, dark sleep.

...

The sound of a gentle tap on my shoulder woke me up. I gasped, jumping to my feet, my vision still blurry. An elderly servant stood before me. Her hair was neatly tied back, her face kind, with fine wrinkles around her eyes that showed her age.

"Why are you sleeping here?"

I panicked, looking around. The shed was dark, dust clung to everything. "I'm sorry, Ma'am," I said quickly, bowing. "I fell asleep. I promise I'll clean this shed right away. I'm sorry for being lazy."

The old woman looked at me with surprise. "You don't look lazy. And no need to call me Ma'am. My name's Eveline. What's yours?"

"Ruby," I replied, my voice a bit softer. "Sorry, Eveline."

"You shouldn't be sleeping here," Eveline said calmly. "This is a shed." She saw my dirty clothes from sleeping on the floor.

Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly, interrupting our conversation. It sounded like thunder in the quiet shed. My face burned red. I tried to cover my stomach with my hand, embarrassed.

Eveline smiled faintly. "Hungry, are we? Come on, follow me. Let's get some breakfast."

I looked up, shocked. "Breakfast? Am I even... allowed to have breakfast?" I wasn't sure if it was a stupid question or not, but in the Silvermoon Pack, someone like me didn't have the right to ask about food.

Eveline frowned. "Of course you are. Why wouldn't you be? You're part of the Pack now. Everyone here, including servants like me, gets three meals a day. Morning, noon, and night. It's our right."

"Three meals a day?" I said, disbelieving. In Silvermoon, I ate if there were leftovers, and often it was only once a day, or not at all.

"Yes, three times," Eveline repeated, then extended her hand to me. "Come on. Don't want the cook to get mad because breakfast is getting cold."

I hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out my hand, taking hers. Eveline's hand felt warm and soft. She pulled me to my feet.

I followed Eveline to the main mansion kitchen. The kitchen was huge, modern, and sparkling clean. The delicious aroma of food immediately greeted me, making my stomach rumble even more.

Other servants were already seated at a long table, eating quietly. They glanced at me briefly, but there were no judging stares, just curious looks.

Eveline pointed to a serving table piled with various dishes. Scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, fresh fruits, and various kinds of pastries. I had never seen so much, or such luxurious, breakfast food in my life.

"Take whatever you want," Eveline said, smiling. "Don't be shy."

I was nervous. My hands trembled slightly as I took a plate. I only took a small piece of egg, a strip of bacon, and one piece of bagel.

Eveline looked at my plate. "Just that? Are you sure?" she asked, her brow furrowed. "Alpha Dexter will be angry if you eat so little. He says everyone here must eat until they're full."

I was shocked. Alpha Dexter would be angry because I ate little? In the Silvermoon Pack, I'd get yelled at or punished if I took too much. I looked at Eveline, not understanding.

"Yes," Eveline explained, as if reading my mind. "Here, you're free to eat. Eat a lot. Don't be afraid of running out or getting scolded. Our food supply is very secure."

"Allowed to eat a lot?" I asked, still disbelieving.

"Of course!" Eveline chuckled. "Eat your fill, Ruby. In the Moonshadow Pack, everyone needs to be healthy and strong. Eating is part of that."

A bitter memory just flooded my mind. Back in my old pack, I remember being so starving I snagged a piece of bread from the kitchen. Got caught, though. And yeah, I got whipped for it. My body still aches just thinking about it.

Here, they were actually telling me to eat a lot instead. The world really did turn upside down, huh? I added a few more pieces of fruit to my plate, and a slice of cake. I felt kinda guilty, but Eveline just smiled, pushing me to eat more.

I ate slowly, savoring every single bite. This food tasted so damn good. The feeling of a full stomach was weird, foreign even, but also super comforting.

Once my plate was spotless, I immediately got up. I gathered the dirty dishes and any leftovers, planning to take 'em to the wash station.

"Whoa, whoa, Ruby, easy there," Eveline said, gently grabbing my arm. "Where are you off to? The kitchen staff will handle all that."

"I'm gonna clean up," I replied, still acting on old habits. "It's my job. I gotta clean."

Eveline could only shake her head. But I was already moving. I cleared my spot at the table, bringing the plates to the wash area.

For me, it wasn't rushing; it was just normal. It was how you stayed out of trouble. In the Silvermoon Pack, being slow meant punishment.

...

In the afternoons, I'd watch Alpha Dexter train. Every time I intentionally walked past the Pack's training grounds, I'd always sneak a peek from a distance. Eventually, that curiosity pushed me to be kinda reckless. I'd climb the back fence, then sneak into the thick bushes, finding a safe spot to watch without being seen.

Alpha Dexter was seriously amazing when he trained. His movements were fast, powerful, and super precise. He'd practice agility, strength, and reflexes. He'd spar against other Pack warriors, tossing them around like sacks of flour. Even alone, he'd train with intense focus, hitting punching bags or sprinting through obstacle courses at incredible speed. His long silver hair would whip around in the wind as he moved, like silver lightning under the late afternoon sun.

Every afternoon, after I finished whatever Eveline or the other servants needed—washing, sweeping, prepping food—I'd find a way to watch Alpha Dexter.

At first, I just watched. I studied every single move he made, his footwork, the rotation of his hips, his clenched fists. I paid attention to how he conserved energy and how he launched those deadly attacks.

Then, I started to mimic him. Alone, behind the shed, or in a quiet corner of the pavilion when no one was around.

My body felt different now. I was eating regularly, and my chronic exhaustion was slowly fading away.

I started moving better. The muscles that used to be weak now felt firmer. I was stoked that my body could finally move the way I wanted. It was like I had a new control over myself.

A month passed. I started feeling comfortable in the Moonshadow Pack. I was healthy. I wasn't constantly terrified anymore. I even began to understand how to fight, even though I didn't have a soul wolf.

I trained relentlessly, every movement feeling natural to me, as if my body had been waiting for this chance.

"Ahem!"

That voice. Cold. Freezing. I was busy training in the backyard of the pavilion, thinking no one was watching. I was way too focused. Instantly, I stopped moving. My eyes locked onto the figure standing not far from me. Alpha Dexter.

How? When did he get there? His face was flat, showing no emotion, but his gaze pierced right through me. He must have seen everything. I've never felt so utterly humiliated.

Instinct immediately took over. I dropped to my knees, head bowed. "I'm sorry, Alpha!" My voice was barely a whisper. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have been doing this. I just..."

I ran out of words. There were no excuses. I had crossed a line, practicing something I wasn't supposed to have. "I'm so sorry."

A heavy silence fell between us. I didn't dare look up. I could only hear his calm breathing. I waited for the shouting, the anger that would crush me. I waited for the punishment.

But he was quiet. He didn't say anything. Just stared at me. I could feel his gaze on the top of my head, weighing, measuring, analyzing.

Alpha Dexter then said, "Explain to me, for what reason are you apologizing?"

I was instantly bewildered.