Chapter 1

(Raymond’s POV)

Pain…

A bone-chilling pain spread throughout my body, sending cold sweat pooling along my lower back.

The bus ride to the Shadow Claw pack, where I’ll be receiving professional training—not that I truly need it—has barely begun, and it already feels like I’ve been sitting here for hours.

It was about a five-hour drive to Washington, D.C. from my home pack, Nightshade, in New York City. Each bump in the road sent sharp jolts of pain through every nerve in my body, and a thin layer of sweat already coated my forehead, dripping down my face. 

I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white, digging my nails into my palms and gritting my teeth so the whimper threatening to escape my throat wouldn’t slip out. I couldn’t let anyone know how utterly fucked up and broken my body was beneath my clothes, or I’d be shit out of luck. I’d be sent straight back home, and I couldn’t allow that to happen—not after finally convincing my so-called father to let me leave that hellhole.

I was on my way to the top pack in the nation, and getting in was damn near impossible. The screening alone knocked out half of all trainees, and not a single wolf from my home pack had ever made it through a full run with them. Thinking about it, I don’t believe any of Nightshade’s warriors had even made it past the second half of any outside pack evaluation—at least, not that I was aware of. It made me wonder how much of the selection process was based on skill versus moral integrity. I could guarantee most of my pack had no morals, or any redeeming qualities strong enough to outweigh the savagery embedded in their bones.

Shadow Claw was rumored to be a strict, unforgiving pack with a hard line that didn’t tolerate bullshit. It was said that even the smallest mistake could land you standing before the Alpha, beaten for stepping out of line or tossed out without being allowed to collect your belongings.

This was the only pack my father would allow me to attend; the one with a reputation for killing rogues and having zero tolerance for weakness or nonsense. The rumors weren’t much different from those surrounding any pack within a twenty-hour drive: that my own pack was barbaric, cruel, and vile. I would have to agree with every single one of them.

For this run, my father had sent a few of his and my brother’s henchmen along for the ride, clearly to keep me in check and make things difficult. Typical of him—he couldn’t give me a fucking break, not even for a second. His final ‘gift’  before I left had already made it hard to take even shallow breaths. I knew at least a few ribs were broken, and I was dealing with a splitting headache and blurred vision. I was pretty sure I had a concussion. I didn’t even want to imagine what the others on this run had in store for me once we arrived. I just prayed none of it got in the way of my plans to escape.

That’s right. I specifically begged my father to allow me to join the training program so I could run the fuck away from my pack. If I can’t get away now, well… let’s just say the only escape left would be death. And honestly, that feels better than any of the bullshit they’ve put me through.

I’m not particularly scared of death, but if I can help it, I still want to live. Because in my home pack, I’m not really living at all—just surviving.

I’m exhausted from always being in survival mode twenty-four-seven, from never being able to get a real night’s rest. Even in my sleep, I have to stay alert for anything that might happen to me. I know the rumors surrounding the Shadow Claw pack can be intimidating for most, but after the shit I’ve lived through, it can’t be anything worse than what I’ve already experienced.

I look out the window and watch the scenery pass by. Even though the pain in my body is eating away at me, this is the most relaxed I’ve felt in ages. It seems redundant, I know, but even if it’s only for a few hours, this peace is the most precious thing I’ve had in my life so far. I pull the hood of my hoodie up over my head and slowly close my eyes, leaning my head against the window and let myself drift off to sleep.

꧁༺ ✦ ༻꧂

I’m startled awake by the screech of the brakes and a sharp jolt as the bus comes to a stop. The muscles in my back and legs tense instantly, and the movement triggers a chain reaction of burning, stabbing pain that leaves me breathless.

Squinting, I glanced around and quickly realized we'd arrived at the base. I hear the hiss of pressure releasing as the bus doors open, followed by the sound of footsteps climbing aboard.

Two tall Alphas step onto the bus, and damn, they’re breathtakingly attractive. Their aura is overwhelming, making me shrink into myself and hunch deeper into my seat. Luckily, I chose to sit alone in the back—I didn’t want to be around the others. I needed my own space so I could rest for a while before arriving.

One of the Alphas walks down the aisle, staring down at each and every one of us. His red hair and piercing silver eyes are the first things that catch my attention. Just the sight of him makes my heart throb and butterflies erupt in my stomach. I’m not sure if it’s nerves getting the best of me or if I’m completely out of my mind for being attracted to someone so clearly out of my league that it’s almost laughable.

My eyes trail over his chiseled jaw and toned, muscular frame. His thick arms are heavily inked in tattoos and corded with muscle. He must be nearly seven feet tall, judging by his sheer size. His wheat-colored skin has a slight sheen of sweat, likely from the heat or whatever training he was doing before arriving. With that level of muscle and definition, he must be an absolute beast on the training field—and, my thoughts unapologetically add, probably in bed too. He looks like he’s trying to figure out which of the unfortunate weaklings will be shipped out first. When his gaze lands on me, my eyes immediately drop to the floor. I can feel his stare lingering on me a little longer than it did on the others.

Shit. I hope he didn’t catch me checking him out. I mean, I couldn’t have been more obvious. He must think I have a few screws loose.

He moves his eyes away from me, and I no longer feel that intense, penetrating gaze prickling my skin. I hear him clear his throat before he begins to speak in a loud, husky voice that could make anyone’s ears pregnant.

“Good afternoon! My name is Alpha Draegan Eldritch, and this is Alpha Colt Eldritch. We are the brothers of the pack leader, Alpha Draven Eldritch.

“We are both instructors at the base training camp and are responsible for training you to be strong, capable, and prepared for any situation that may arise. Having said that, we in the Shadow Claw pack have zero tolerance for bullshit and will not stand for anything we deem out of line.

“While you are staying within our pack, you will be expected to follow the rules. Failure to do so will result in you being held accountable to the fullest extent.

“There will be absolutely no bullying of any kind. There will be no use of illegal drugs or contraband, nor will you bring any into our territory. You are also prohibited from using them outside of our territory while holding trainee status or, if you are fortunate enough, after being assigned a permanent role within the pack.

“There will, and I cannot stress this enough, be no forced sexual advances or intercourse permitted. If any of us, or anyone within the pack, receives a report of harassment of any kind, it will not only be brought to the Alpha’s attention but also to the attention of the High Council.

“Our pack has high expectations for its members and trainees while they reside within our territory, and we will not allow misconduct to be swept under the rug. Our Alpha is a leader who is strict but fair in all of his rulings. However, there are certain things towards which he will show absolutely no leniency, especially when it comes to moral integrity.

“Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, let’s get everyone off the bus and line up with their home packs. We’ll gather your luggage, head over to the trainee barracks next to the pack house, assign rooms, and give everyone time to clean up before dinner in the mess hall.”

Alpha Draegan finished his speech and scanned everyone once more before turning around and heading off the bus with his brother.

Listening to his speech put my mind at ease a little. Knowing they don’t tolerate certain kinds of behavior makes me think my life here should be a lot better than it was back home.