Hope seems distant

Pain. That was the first thing. It was everywhere. A heavy, throbbing ache in my shoulder and ribs.

I forced my eyes open. I saw a ceiling that was too high. Too clean. It had carved wood that shone softly in the dim light. I did not know this place. My mind was slow and thick.

Then I smelled the scent of power. A scent that belonged only to one person. The Alpha.

My fear was a cold wave. It washed away all the pain. I tried to sit up, but my shoulder screamed. I was covered in thick, white bandages.

He was there. Alpha Claude. He sat in a high-backed chair next to the bed. He was watching me. His eyes were dark and heavy.

I panicked. I must have been caught. I ran away. I was near the enemy lines. This was it. The second execution. The pack would cheer this time. They hated me too much.

“Alpha! Please, Alpha!” I cried out. My voice was a choked, weak sound. I did not care how I sounded. I had to live.

“I beg you! I did not mean to run away! I was not leaving the pack! I just ran into the trees to cry!”

He did not move. He just watched. His silence made my terror worse.

“Please believe me! They told me to go! The princes rejected me! They said I was cursed! They called me traitor’s spawn! They said my parents’ blood was bad!”

Tears came fast, stinging my eyes. I struggled to push myself up to my knees, even with the pain. I had to show him I was submissive. I had to beg.

“I was so ashamed, Alpha! I could not breathe in the clearing! I just wanted to be somewhere quiet! I swear I did not go to the enemies! I did not tell them anything! I am loyal, Alpha! Please, do not hurt me! Do not kill me like you did my mother and father!”

I finally managed to push myself up a little. The pain was sharp.

Alpha Claude stood up slowly. He was so big. He looked like a giant. I closed my eyes, waiting for the fist or the curse.

His hand came down. I flinched hard.

But he did not strike me. His hand landed gently on my uninjured arm. It was a strong hand, but the touch was soft. It stopped my frantic pleading instantly.

“Stop, Rayna,” he said. His voice was low. It was not the cold Alpha command used for discipline. It was just a deep voice.

“You are safe. Look at me. Open your eyes.”

I opened them slowly. I stared at him. I could not believe him. Safe? Here?

“But... but I ran,” I mumbled. “The princes rejected me. They said I was filth. I am meant to be outside the wall, I think. Or back in the scullery.”

He moved his hand away and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight. He was close enough now that I could feel the heat radiating off him.

“My sons rejected you in the clearing. That was their right, foolish as it was,” he said. “They did not banish you from the pack. That power is mine. And I would not use it.”

I was confused. He would not use it? The man who executed my parents would not banish me?

“I saw you run,” he continued, his eyes now looking at my face, checking my pain. “I did not trust that you would be safe. I knew the pain of the rejection was too great for you to think straight. I thought you might hurt yourself.”

“You followed me?”

“I did. I followed your scent. You were fast. I lost you near the border for a few hours. I only found you again when I heard the fighting.”

He gestured to my bandages. “Three wolves from the Ironclaw pack had you cornered. They are vicious. They were close to finishing you. I handled them.”

I felt a dizzy spell. He had saved my life. From the Ironclaw pack. The enemies who hated us all.

“You... you fought them?”

“Yes,” he said. He did not sound proud. He just sounded tired. “I brought you back here. To this room. It is private. No one knows you are here. They assume you were sent to the outskirts to reflect on your shame.”

I felt fresh tears start, but these were different. They were confusing. I could not speak.

“Why, Alpha?” I finally asked. My voice cracked. “Why save me? I am only the disgrace of the pack. I am a slave. You killed my mother and father.”

His jaw tightened. He looked away, staring at the wall. “There seemed to be sufficient evidence then, Rayna. The pack was calling for their head. It had to be done.”

He stood up. He walked to the door and opened it slightly. A small, thin woman dressed in white came in. She was the pack physician.

“Continue the dressing, Doctor,” Alpha Claude instructed her. “Make sure the wound is clean. She takes the strongest pain draft.”

The physician nodded once and went straight to my side. She was silent. She worked quickly, cutting the old bandages. I winced. The Ironclaw wolves had left deep marks.

Alpha Claude stayed in the room. He watched the process, his arms crossed over his chest. His presence felt like a shield.

“These wounds are deep, Alpha,” the physician said quietly. “She was nearly bled out.”

“I know,” he answered. “Heal her well. Quickly.”

When she finished, she handed me a cup with a thick, herbal drink. “This will help you rest and kill the pain. You must drink it all.”

I drank it down. The bitter taste made me cough. The physician left the room, bowing to the Alpha.

Alpha Claude came back to the bedside. He looked down at me. My eyelids were getting heavy from the draft.

“Listen closely, Rayna,” he commanded. His voice was low and firm. “You are here because I choose for you to be here. My sons may rule the future, but I rule today. And I will not tolerate any more cruelty under my roof.”

He lowered his face closer to mine. “I have seen enough cruelty in this world to last two lifetimes. What my sons did to you was unforgivable. Their hatred is their weakness. They want you gone because you are the living proof of their shame and their immaturity.”

He shook his head once. “You are under my protection now. No one will dare harm you. Not my sons, not the pack members, and not the gossips. You will not face another moment of fear in this house.”

He reached out his hand again, slowly, giving me time to see it. I did not flinch.

He placed his large, warm palm on my forehead, resting it against my skin.

A wave hit me. It was not pain. It was a surge of pure heat. It was electric and calming all at once. It felt like the power of the Alpha, but directed inward, only to me. It flowed through my body, and the throbbing pain in my shoulder instantly became dull. The icy feeling of the rejection vanished for a moment. I felt completely safe.

“Rest now, Rayna,” he whispered. His voice was rough. It was low, but it was still the sound of the Alpha, the man who decided everything.

He pulled his hand back slowly. He did not smile, but his eyes were gentle.

“Your work as a servant is over.”