Chapter 2

Ahhh!" Hazel shrieked, her lungs seizing as a wave of ice-cold water slammed into her chest and face.

She jolted upright on the thin cot, coughing violently as the freezing water soaked through her thin clothes and pooled on the stone floor.

 Standing directly over her was Elara, the head maid, holding a dripping iron bucket with a look of absolute disgust. Behind her stood Hazel’s two stepsisters, Cynthia and Mara, their arms crossed as they laughed at the pathetic sight.

"Get up, Omega," Elara snapped, tossing the empty bucket onto the floor "The carriage is already arriving at the boundary lines. You think you have luxury time?"

She climbed out of her wet bedding; she immediately dropped to her knees, bowing her head so low her forehead almost touched Elara's leather boots.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear the bell".

In this pack, she was nothing.

 Her stepsisters regularly reminded her of her status, or lack thereof. To them, and to the rest of the household, she was a useless placeholder—a wolf who had never manifested a strong aura or a useful gift.

“Of course, you didn’t hear it. You never hear anything that matters.”

Mara laughed lightly. “Father finally fixed his mistake. Sending you away is the best decision he’s ever made."

"Why would Father care? Alpha Ryder is doing this pack a favor by taking you away. Just remember, Hazel, when you get to his estate, don't you dare ruin our family's standing. You do exactly what he says, or his enforcers will dismantle what's left of this bloodline."

Hazel lowered her head, her eyes fixed on the worn wooden floor. Tears burned behind her eyelids, but she refused to let them fall. She wanted to beg them to stop... to show even the smallest bit of mercy.

No one in this house had ever cared about her.

"Enough standing there," Elara snapped, pulling a heavy, tightly boned gown from the wardrobe and shoving it into Hazel's arms. "Get dressed. We are not keeping the Lycan Syndicate waiting."

She didn't bother asking Hazel to get dressed.

She grabbed the gown and shoved it over Hazel's head with rough hands, treating her less like a person and more like an object that needed to be prepared. The thick fabric slid over Hazel's trembling body as Elara jerked the corset strings tighter and tighter.

Hazel sucked in a sharp breath. "I... I can't breathe..."

She pulled the laces even harder until the gown clung painfully to Hazel's body, crushing her ribs. Every breath became shallow, each one a struggle. It felt as though the dress itself was squeezing the life out of her.

Tears stung Hazel's eyes, but she bit the inside of her cheek and stayed silent. She had learned long ago that crying only gave them something else to laugh at.

Without a word of comfort, Elara gathered Hazel's long hair and twisted it into a tight bun. The pins dug into her scalp, and every tug sent a sharp ache through her head.

"There," Elara said coldly as she stepped back to inspect her. Her lips curled with disgust instead of approval. "You look okay."

She gave her a hard shove toward the door. "Move. We won't keep Alpha Ryder waiting."

Hazel stumbled forward, barely catching herself before she fell.

 The gown was so tight that every breath felt like a fight. Her ribs ached with each inhale, and the bun pulled so painfully at her scalp that she wanted nothing more than to let her hair down. But she didn't dare.

She hated every person who had made her believe she was worth nothing.

But most of all, she hated that she had no choice except to walk toward the life that had been chosen for her.

When she reached the open door, she stopped. Slowly, she turned around, and her eyes found her father. A small part of her, she had tried so hard to bury still hoped he would stop this. That he would look at her, call her name, tell everyone he had made a terrible mistake.

Instead... he turned his face away.

Hazel lowered her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. Without another word, she climbed into the carriage. The door slammed shut behind her.

The carriage continued down the endless road, rocking gently from side to side as the horses pulled it farther and farther away from home

One hour passed.

Then another.

Soon, she had completely lost track of time.

She wondered what kind of man Alpha Ryder truly was. The stories she had heard since childhood came rushing back.

What if the rumors were true?

What if he was so scarred that no one could bear to look at him? What if he looked more beast than man, with terrifying eyes?

What if every story she had ever heard was only half the truth... and the real Alpha Ryder was far worse?

Her throat tightened.

Hazel stared at the floor, she clasped her hands together to hide how badly they were shaking.

Fear had wrapped itself around her heart so tightly that she could barely breathe.

She wanted to believe that somewhere, somehow, the rumors had been exaggerated.

But deep down...

She knew monsters didn't earn terrifying reputations without giving people a reason to fear them.

After what felt like forever, the carriage slowly stopped.

Hazel's heart dropped so hard that she forgot how to breathe.

She sat completely still, staring at the closed carriage door while her hands rested tightly in her lap, trembling without her even realizing it.

I've arrived...

The carriage door slowly opened and the cool evening breeze rushed inside, brushing against Hazel's pale face and making the loose strands of her hair dance gently.

A tall man dressed in a neat black uniform stood outside the carriage. His posture was straight, and unlike everyone she had left behind, there was no hatred or disgust on his face.

Instead, he gave her a respectful bow before holding out his hand.

"Milady," he said politely, "Welcome to the Night Shade Pack. Please, allow me to help you down."

She blinked in surprise.

Milady?

No one had ever called her that before. Back home, she had been called useless... 

For a moment, she simply stared at the man's outstretched hand, unsure if she was truly allowed to take it.

 She placed her hand in his. His grip was gentle as he carefully helped her step out of the carriage.

The moment both of her feet touched the ground, Hazel lifted her head.

Standing before her was the largest palace she had ever seen in her entire life.

Massive stone walls stretched so far that she couldn't even see where they ended, while huge iron gates stood wide open as if they had been waiting for her arrival all along.

"Please come with me, Milady," the guard said before gesturing toward the grand entrance. "The Master is waiting for you."

Everything around her was breathtaking.

The stone pathway beneath her feet was so smooth and clean. Colorful flowers lined both sides of the path, blooming in perfect rows, while tall trees swayed gently in the evening breeze. Crystal lanterns hung from black iron posts, casting a warm golden glow across the estate.

Her home was nothing compared to this place...

For a brief moment, Hazel wondered how a man could own so much wealth... and still be known as the most feared Lycan alive.

 They stopped in front of a pair of doors at the end of a long hallway. Just as the guard raised his hand to knock, a desperate woman's voice rang out from inside.

"Please, My Lord! I swear I didn't betray you! Please... have mercy!"

"You sold information about my borders to the Blood Fang Pack," the deep voice said from inside the office, calm and frightening. Three of my warriors died because of your betrayal."

"N-No, My Lord... please... I swear I didn't betray you! I was framed! Please... give me one more chance!"

When Ryder finally spoke again, his voice was colder than ice.

"I gave you a chance to tell me the truth."

"My Lord, please"

Bang!

The gunshot exploded through the hallway.

Hazel gasped, her entire body jerking in fear.

Hazel flinched violently, instinctively taking a step backward as her pulse thundered in her ears.

The doors slowly opened from the inside. Two heavily built enforcers emerged, carrying the lifeless body of a young maid between them. Blood dripped onto the polished floor, leaving a dark crimson trail behind as they disappeared down the corridor without a single word.

The guard beside Hazel swallowed hard, his face turning pale. He quickly straightened his uniform before bowing respectfully toward the open doorway.

"My Lord," he announced "the Omega from the Southern Pack has arrived."

"Bring her in," a deep, voice commanded. 

The guard stepped aside, gesturing for Hazel to enter.

Her legs felt heavy as she crossed the threshold into the office. The door closed softly behind her.

Her eyes immediately fell to the dark crimson stain stretching across the floor where the body had been only moments earlier. The metallic scent of fresh blood still lingered in the air, making her stomach churn.

Behind an enormous mahogany desk was Alpha Ryder. He was terrifyingly tall, his broad shoulders filling the room's dim light. His long, midnight-black hair fell around a face that looked like it had been sculpted from stone—sharp cheekbones, a straight, prominent nose, and full lips pressed into a hard line. 

His eyes were as cold and lifeless as winter itself, lingering briefly on the dark crimson stain before slowly lifting to meet Hazel's frightened gaze.

A black pistol rested in Ryder's hand. Thin wisps of smoke still rose from the barrel.

Without the slightest change in his expression, he placed the gun on the mahogany desk as though killing someone moments ago was nothing.

 He picked up a burning cigarette from a crystal tray, inhaled deeply, then exhaled a slow cloud of gray smoke as his eyes settled on Hazel.

"G-Good evening... My Lord," Hazel whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ryder remained silent for several long seconds, studying her as if she were another file on his desk. "Come closer."

Hazel hesitated, her eyes drifting to the bloodstain on the floor.

Ryder's expression darkened.

"Are you deaf, Omega? I do not repeat myself."

Her trembling legs finally obeyed, carrying her forward one hesitant step after another until she stood only a few feet from his desk.

Ryder calmly set his cigarette into the crystal ashtray before walking toward her with slow steps.

He stopped directly in front of her.

Without warning, he reached out, gripped her jaw between his fingers, and tilted her face upward. Then he exhaled a stream of smoke across her face. Hazel coughed violently.

"What is your name?" he growled against her ear.

"H-Hazel," she stammered, the grip on her jaw making it difficult to speak.

Hazel instinctively tried to lower her gaze again, but Ryder's grip tightened beneath her chin, refusing to let her look away.

"Keep your eyes on me."

The words were neither loud nor angry, yet they carried such quiet authority that her entire body stiffened instinctively, leaving her with no choice but to slowly raise her trembling eyes until they met his.

For what felt like an eternity, Ryder remained completely silent, studying every detail of her face with an unreadable expression that revealed absolutely nothing, making Hazel feel as though he were weighing her worth in his mind before deciding whether she was even worthy of another second of his attention.

His gaze was so cold and emotionless that it felt less like a man looking at another human being and more like a king inspecting a possession that had just been delivered to his estate.

Instead, she remained frozen where she stood, too frightened to even breathe properly.

Then what felt like an eternity. Without releasing her gaze, his towering frame made her feel impossibly small.

"So..." he said quietly. "You're the Omega they sold to me."

The words were simple, but they struck Hazel harder than any slap ever could.

Hazel swallowed the painful lump forming in her throat, struggling to hold his icy eyes.

"Y-Yes... My Lord."

A faint scoff escaped Ryder's lips.

"Who you were before today is none of my concern. The moment you crossed my borders, you live according to my rule".

"There is only one thing you need to remember. Everything inside this territory belongs to me including you."

Ryder briefly glanced toward the dark crimson stain before looking back at her.

"Do you know why that woman died?"

Hazel's lips parted nervously.

"N-No... My Lord."

"She betrayed me."

"She sold information about my borders to another pack because she thought a handful of silver was worth more than the lives of the warriors who trusted her."

He took another slow step closer, forcing Hazel to tilt her head back even farther just to keep looking at him.

"Three of my men died because of her greed."

"I gave her every opportunity to tell me the truth but she chose to lie."

"I'm not a patient man, Hazel, and I have never been the kind of ruler who wastes his time repeating the same command over and over again to people who are too foolish to understand it the first time."

"I don't forgive betrayal because the moment a king begins showing mercy to traitors, every idiot in the kingdom suddenly believes they can betray him without paying the price."

"And I sure as fuck don't give second chances."

Hazel's breathing became uneven as tears burned behind her eyes, but she bit the inside of her cheek so hard that she tasted blood, refusing to cry in front of the man standing before her.

"Remember these rules carefully; break even one, and you'll wish death had claimed you first."

"First... from this moment on, you answer to me. No one else's orders matter unless they come from me."

"Second... you will address me as My Lord and obey every command I give without argument."

His eyes hardened.

"And third... never attempt to run."

His cold gaze never leaving hers.

"If you leave my territory without my permission, I will find you no matter where you hide, and I won't stop searching until you're standing right in front of me again."

"And when I do..."

"...everyone who helped you escape will pay the price alongside you."

She lowered her head immediately. "I... I understand, My Lord."

Ryder stared at her for another long moment before turning away as though he had already grown tired of the conversation.

"Good."

He walked back to his desk, picked up a file, and opened it without sparing her another glance.

"You may leave," he ordered, his deep voice leaving no room for argument. "The very last door at the end of the hallway."

Hazel bowed her head immediately.

"Yes, My Lord."

She didn't wait for him to dismiss her a second time.

Turning quickly, she hurried toward the office door, her legs trembling so badly that she almost stumbled.

Only after she stepped into the hallway and the heavy door closed behind her did she finally release the breath she had been holding.

Her heart was still pounding violently inside her chest.

The terrifying man she had just met wasn't the monster from the rumors.

He was worse.