The Den

Dawn came too fast.

I spent my last night of freedom in a small room at the Sanctuary, unable to sleep. Dad sat with me for hours, not speaking. Just being there.

"I'll be okay," I told him for the hundredth time.

"I know you will. You're strong. Like your mother." His voice was thick with emotion. "But that doesn't make this easier."

"I'll visit when I can."

"No." Dad shook his head. "Don't risk it. Victor's enemies will watch you. If they see you coming here, they'll know about the Sanctuary. You stay away until it's safe."

One more thing I was losing.

At five in the morning, someone knocked on the door.

"Time to go, Tracker." It was the massive Rogue from last night. Up close, I could see a name tattooed on his neck. JAX.

"I'm ready."

Dad hugged me one last time. "Remember who you are. No matter what happens. No matter what he makes you do. You're Aria Thorne. You're my daughter. You're good."

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

Jax led me out through a different exit, up to street level. A black SUV waited at the curb. The windows were so dark I couldn't see inside.

"Get in," Jax said.

I climbed into the back seat.

Victor sat on the opposite side, dressed in black, looking like he'd already been awake for hours. Probably had been.

"Seatbelt," he said without looking at me.

I buckled up.

Jax got in the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb. We drove in silence through the early morning streets, leaving the warehouse district behind.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"My territory. The Den." Victor finally glanced at me. "It's where my inner circle lives. Where you'll live now."

"How many wolves live there?"

"Twenty-three. My most trusted Enforcers and Trackers."

"And they're okay with a Pack wolf joining them?"

Victor's laugh was cold. "You're not a Pack wolf anymore. The moment you signed that contract, you became Rogue. They'll accept you or they'll answer to me."

Something in his tone said people didn't usually challenge Victor twice.

We drove for thirty minutes, leaving the city proper and heading into the industrial outskirts. Finally, Jax turned down a long private road hidden by trees.

At the end sat a compound.

High walls. Security cameras. Guards at the gate. It looked more like a fortress than a home.

"Welcome to the Den," Victor said.

The gates opened and we drove through.

Inside the walls was a large main building three stories, modern, expensive. Around it were smaller structures. Training facilities, maybe. Storage buildings.

And wolves. Everywhere.

They stopped what they were doing to watch as we parked. I felt their eyes on me. Judging. Calculating.

"They can smell the Pack on you," Victor said quietly. "Ignore them. They'll test you. Push you. Don't show weakness."

"I'm not weak."

"Prove it."

We got out of the SUV. I kept my head high, my wolf under control. Every instinct screamed that I was surrounded by predators.

Because I was.

A female wolf approached. She was beautiful in a deadly way. Dark skin, warrior build, scars on her arms. Her eyes were pure gold.

"So this is the famous rejected mate," she said, circling me like prey. "She doesn't look like much."

"Zara." Victor's voice held a warning.

"What? I'm just saying. We risk everything by bringing a Pack wolf here, and for what? She's small. Soft. Probably can't even fight."

I met her eyes. "Try me."

Zara smiled. "Oh, I like her. She's got teeth."

"Aria, this is Zara. My head Enforcer." Victor gestured to the woman. "Zara, play nice. She's under my protection."

"For now," Zara said. But she stepped back.

More wolves gathered around. A lean man with silver hair. Twins with matching face scars. An older woman who looked like she could kill me with her pinky finger.

"This is my inner circle," Victor said. "They'll be your training partners. Your teammates. And if you betray me, they'll be the ones who hunt you down."

"Understood," I said.

"Good. Jax will show you to your quarters. You have one hour to settle in. Then training begins." Victor started to walk away, then paused. "And Aria? Don't disappoint me. I don't like wasting my time on failures."

He disappeared into the main building.

"Come on, Pack princess." Jax jerked his head toward one of the smaller structures. "Let's get you settled before someone decides to test you."

I followed him to a building behind the main house. Inside was a long hallway with doors on either side. Dormitory style.

"This is where the unmated wolves live," Jax explained. "You get room seven. Private bathroom. Mini fridge. Don't expect luxury."

He opened the door to a small room. Bed. Desk. Window with bars. That was it.

"It's fine," I said.

"Rules." Jax counted on his fingers. "One: You don't leave the compound without Victor's permission. Two: You don't contact anyone from your old Pack. Three: Training is mandatory. Miss a session, face punishment. Four: Respect the hierarchy. Victor at the top, then me, then Zara, then everyone else. You're at the bottom. Dead last."

"Got it."

"Five." His expression darkened. "Don't catch feelings for the boss. I've seen it happen. It never ends well."

Heat flooded my cheeks. "I'm not—"

"Yeah, yeah. They all say that." Jax turned to leave. "One hour. Then meet me at the training yard. Don't be late."

He left me alone in my new prison cell.

I sat on the bed and let myself feel it. All of it. The fear. The grief. The anger.

Twenty-four hours ago, I thought I was going to become Beta Female. Now I was a Rogue living in a fortress, owned by a dangerous Alpha.

My phone buzzed. Maya.

Where are you? I'm freaking out. Call me.

I wanted to. God, I wanted to hear my best friend's voice.

But Victor's rules were clear. No contact.

I turned off my phone and shoved it in a drawer.

Aria Thorne, the Pack wolf, was

dead.

Now I had to figure out who Aria Thorne, the Rogue, would become.