Chapter 4

Alaric’s POV

Hazel had the longest, most luscious hair I’d ever seen. “I like it,” I mumbled before I even realized it.

Her cheeks flushed lightly, and something inside me tightened. I leaned closer, drawn in. The urge to touch her and be near her was almost overwhelming.

My mind was hazy, my thoughts scattered, but just then, a knock at the door pulled me back to reality.

I snapped my hand away from her hair, stepping back, my chest pounding. Shit. I was this close to… kissing her. What the hell was going on?

I turned and opened the door. Dominic, my Beta, stood there.

“What is it?” I asked, trying to shove down the chaos of my thoughts.

“I got some reports concerning the slavery in the pack,” he said.

My brow rose. “You did?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” I said, closing the door behind me. “Let’s go talk in my room.”

Once we were inside, I sank onto the bed, my fingers tapping the edge. Dominic sat across from me on the couch.

“Well, what did you find?” I asked, trying to steady my voice.

He exhaled, leaning forward. “Apparently, what the healer girl said was true.”

I raised a brow. “And?”

Dominic’s tone dropped, serious. “It’s worse than we thought. Initially, we assumed the slaves were just brought in and dispersed for labour, maybe at the pack house or elsewhere. But it’s not. They’re being put through hard labour, beaten, underfed… and recently, sex work has been introduced. Girls are being sold to rich clients, even people from other packs, and the people in charge are making money off it.”

I clenched my teeth, my fists tightening. My stomach twisted.

“And Vincent knew,” I said, voice low.

“Seems like it,” Dominic replied. “He’s in charge. You didn’t oversee that section closely because you trusted him to handle it. There’s no way he doesn’t have a hand in this.”

Vincent was my father’s Beta. He was responsible for the workforce, including the slaves.

I rubbed my forehead, jaw tense. “Call a general meeting. Make sure the word spreads. I had no idea this was happening.”

Dominic nodded. “True. We don’t want the pack to assume you knew about it and did nothing. We need to make it clear.”

“I will,” I said, teeth grinding. “And I want Vincent to see me in my throne room. I’m too pissed right now. If I see him now, I’ll slit his throat.”

“Understood,” Dominic smirked, rising. “Goodnight.”

Dominic paused at the door, turning back. “The healer girl… how is she?”

The question hit me harder than I expected. Why was he asking about her? She was my business, not his.

“Fine,” I muttered, not fully understanding why my tone felt sharp.

After he left, I threw off my jacket and pressed my hands to my throbbing forehead. Why was I so… drawn to her? We had literally just met. She was a new face in the pack, an omega, and yet my chest ached when I thought of her. My mind kept going back to her hair, her voice, the way she talked.

It felt wrong, yet it felt right. It felt like she was my mate. But if she was, she wasn’t reacting the way a mate should. She wasn’t sensing me like I was sensing her.

Was she ignoring the bond? Was she trying to reject me?

I groaned when a knock came at the door. Always the same routine—maids sluggish with the pack, lazy about cleaning the common areas, but the moment it came to my room or my bath, they were suddenly punctual. Early in the morning, they’d knock on my door just to get a look at me. It never failed to irritate me.

I threw on a shirt, sat up, and opened the door. A maid stood there, her cheeks flushed pink as she bowed low. “Greetings, Alpha,” she murmured.

I stared at her, and for a moment, I could feel how careful she had to be. No one dared step out of line around me. If they tried anything stupid… well, they would know exactly what I could do.

“Why are you here so early?” I asked.

Her voice trembled. “Um… I came to make your bed.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t you wait until I woke up? Because you want to make my bed, I shouldn’t sleep anymore?”

“No, it’s not that, Alpha,” she stammered. “I thought you’d be up…”

I just stared at her, letting the silence stretch. Then I shut the door on her.

I headed to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. When I opened the door again, I gave her the next set of orders. “Make sure the room is clean and prepare a bath for me.”

“Yes, Alpha,” she said as I stepped out.

I sighed, feeling her gaze linger on me even as she walked away.

As I walked down the hallway, passing the main area where staff meetings were held, I caught sight of Lucia at the front, addressing the other staff. She did this every month, reminding everyone of rules and updates.

I was about to keep walking when something caught my eye—Hazel stepping in through the other door.

Lucia’s gaze snapped to her immediately. “You’re late,” she said sharply.

Hazel froze, then lowered her head.

“I’m sorry, I was—” she murmured.

“I don’t care what you were doing,” Lucia snapped. “You’re staff now. You’re supposed to be here for every meeting and listen to the announcements I make.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to—” Hazel started.

“Shut up,” Lucia cut her off harshly.

I clenched my teeth and walked inside. My presence immediately made everyone tense, and all heads turned toward me. I saw Hazel flinch slightly.

“Lucia. Never speak to Hazel in that manner ever again,” I said, my voice calm but sharp.

Lucia’s eyes widened before she quickly lowered her head. “Understood, Alpha,” she muttered.

I turned to Hazel. “You will be exempt from staff meetings,” I said. “There is no information passed out here that I do not already know. Anything important you need to know, you will get directly from me.”

I watched the whispers ripple through the staff—shock, disbelief, curiosity, all written across their faces.

I held Hazel’s gaze. “Come with me.”