Chapter Three – The Room Without a Window

Elara's POV

When they dragged me into the east wing, I expected a dungeon or a cell. Instead, the guards shoved me into a room so beautiful it made my chest ache.

Soft cream carpets lined the floor, and heavy maroon curtains draped over tall windows. I hurried forward, clutching the fabric and pulling it aside, only to find… brick. My heart sank. The windows were fake. Just wooden frames nailed to stone walls and covered with curtain fabric to mimic drapery.

My wolf whimpered in my chest, feeling just as caged as I did.

I turned slowly, taking in the rest of the room. A large bed with gold-embroidered sheets dominated the space. There was a carved wooden wardrobe in the corner and a table with fresh fruit and water. The scent of lavender and sage hung thick in the air, making my head feel heavy and my wolf sluggish.

I moved to the wardrobe, pulling open the doors to find dresses – dozens of them – all in muted silks and satins, some still tagged. No shoes. No coats. Just delicate gowns made for someone who would never leave these walls.

My stomach twisted with nausea.

“Is this what my life will be?” I whispered under my breath, gripping the wardrobe door until my knuckles turned white.

I closed it and turned to the table, reaching for an apple. Before my fingers touched it, the door opened with a quiet creak. I spun around quickly, heart slamming in my chest.

A young woman entered, her hair tied in a neat braid down her back. She wore a simple grey servant’s dress and carried a folded towel and small tray of vials.

“You must sit,” she said softly, refusing to meet my gaze.

I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her as she set down the tray and began mixing one of the vials into a small cup of water.

“What is that?” I asked.

She still didn’t look at me. “Tonic. To keep your wolf calm.”

I swallowed hard, dread pooling in my stomach. “To weaken me, you mean.”

She hesitated before nodding once. “Yes.”

When she finally looked up, I saw pity in her eyes. It made me feel worse. Like I was already defeated. Like there was no hope left for me.

“What’s your name?” I asked quietly.

“Leah.”

“Please, Leah… help me. Let me out.”

She shook her head quickly, eyes darting to the door. “I can’t. They’ll kill me.”

Tears pricked my eyes. “Please… I don’t want to be here.”

“I know,” she whispered, voice trembling. “Drink this, Elara. Please don’t make me force you.”

I stared at the cup in her shaking hand before finally taking it and gulping down the bitter liquid. My wolf snarled weakly as the tonic burned down my throat, her strength fading with every swallow.

“Good girl,” Leah said softly, taking back the empty cup. She began arranging the dresses in the wardrobe, her hands quick and practiced. “You’ll meet the Alpha tomorrow. He has ordered that you remain pure and silent until then.”

“Pure and silent,” I repeated, tasting the bitterness of those words on my tongue.

“Yes,” she said, her voice quiet. “Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not anger him.”

I closed my eyes, pressing the heels of my palms against them until stars sparked behind my eyelids. I wanted to scream. To run. To shift and tear these walls down. But my wolf lay curled and weak, her whimpers fading into nothing.

When Leah left, locking the heavy door behind her, I crawled under the covers and pulled the sheets to my chin, staring at the carved ceiling above.

I didn’t know when I fell asleep, but when I did, the dreams came quickly.

I was in the forest again, moonlight dripping through the leaves like silver rain. My feet were bare against the mossy ground, and the scent of pine and fresh earth filled my senses. I heard laughter – cruel, sharp laughter – and turned to see Maren and her friends circling me again.

“Look at her,” Maren sneered. “Still useless. Still cursed.”

I stumbled back, heart pounding, but the moment I touched the tree behind me, the laughter stopped. Silence fell over the forest like a heavy blanket. I looked up to see him standing there – the man with stormy blue eyes.

He stepped closer, his gaze locked on mine, and my wolf surged forward, desperate to reach him.

Mine.

His hand lifted towards me, rough fingers brushing my cheek with a tenderness that made my eyes fill with tears. His scent wrapped around me – pine and frost and leather. I reached for him, my lips parting to speak, but he faded before my eyes, dissolving into the shadows until I was alone again.

“No,” I whispered in my sleep. “Come back… please…”

When I woke the next morning, Leah was there again, helping me wash and dress in silence. She braided my hair in a long rope down my back, her fingers gentle but quick.

“You look beautiful,” she whispered when she finished, her eyes glassy with tears. “Please… remember what I said.”

“Pure and silent,” I whispered back, feeling cold all over.

Two guards arrived to escort me down the hall. My wrists were shackled again, and I held them close to my chest, trying to keep my breathing steady as they led me deeper into the Alpha’s residence.

We stopped before a massive set of carved doors. The guards knocked once before pushing them open. My heart hammered so loudly I could hear it in my ears.

Inside, the chamber was dimly lit with flickering oil lamps lining the walls. Heavy dark curtains covered the windows, and thick carpets muffled our footsteps. At the far end of the room stood a tall figure dressed in black, his back turned as he read a set of documents on his desk.

“Alpha,” one of the guards said, bowing low. “The breeder is here.”

My stomach twisted at that word.

The man turned slowly, and when his eyes met mine, the breath caught in my throat. Stormy blue eyes. Jet-black hair. The scar across his eyebrow.

It was him.

The man from the forest. The stranger who saved me from Maren and her friends. My wolf surged weakly inside me, whining and clawing, desperate to reach him again.

Mine.

But he just stared at me with those cold, unreadable eyes. There was no flicker of recognition, no warmth, no spark.

Nothing.

My chest felt tight, and I swallowed hard against the rising ache in my throat. He didn’t remember. He didn’t recognize me. To him, I was just another face. Another girl to use and discard.

“Leave us,” he said to the guards, his voice deep and smooth, carrying no hint of emotion.

The guards bowed and stepped out, closing the heavy doors behind them. Silence fell over the room as he walked towards me, each step echoing against the marble floor.

I forced myself to meet his gaze, even though my knees felt weak and my wolf whimpered pitifully in my chest.

This was it. My fate was sealed.

The man who saved me was the same man who would break me.

And worst of all… he didn’t even know.