CHAPTER 08

Madeleine’s POV

I had never been good at sitting still. Even after everything that happened, even after waking up in a strange place surrounded by strangers who claimed I was safe, my body refused to relax. Every time I stayed in one place for too long, my mind started searching for things that could go wrong. It reminded me of every rule I had learned growing up, every task I had been given, and every time I had been told that if I wasn’t useful, I had no reason to be there. So, when I walked into the kitchen that morning and saw dishes stacked beside the sink, I didn’t think twice before picking them up.

Nobody had asked me to help. Nobody had told me I needed to earn my place. But my hands moved anyway. It was easier this way. Cleaning was something I understood. There were rules to it. There was a beginning and an end. You could see when something was done properly.

“You know nobody told you to do that, right?”

I froze. The dish in my hand slipped slightly before I turned around. Dare stood near the entrance of the kitchen, watching me with the same unreadable expression he always carried.

“I was just helping.”

His eyes moved from the dishes to me. “Helping?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

He looked around the kitchen before looking back at me. “Everyone here knows how to wash plates.”

My fingers tightened around the cloth. “I know.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

The question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth, but no answer came immediately. Because the truth sounded foolish. Because I didn’t know what else to do with myself. “I thought I should.”

Dare studied me for a moment. “You thought you should?”

I lowered my gaze. “That’s usually how things work.”

Something changed slightly in his expression, but I couldn’t tell what it was. “Not here.”

I looked back at him. “What?”

“Not here,” he repeated. “Nobody expects you to work for food or a place to sleep.”

The words were simple, but they felt strange. Almost impossible to believe. “I wasn’t doing it because I wanted anything.”

“I know.”

“Then why does it matter?”

Dare was quiet for a few seconds. “Because you act like someone will punish you if you stop.”

My hands went still. I hated how easily he noticed things. “I don’t know how to just do nothing.”

His expression softened slightly. “Then learn.”

I looked away. “I’m sorry.”

Dare frowned. “For what?”

“I shouldn’t have touched anything.”

A small sigh left him. “Madeleine.”

Hearing my name from him still felt strange. “You don’t have to apologize every time you exist.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Nobody had ever said something like that to me before. Dare walked away without saying anything else, leaving me standing there with the cloth still in my hand. I stared after him. I still didn’t understand these people. They confused me more than Damon ever did. Damon had been cruel. At least cruelty was something I understood. Kindness was harder.

Later that afternoon, I found myself sitting outside the main building, trying to convince myself that I wasn’t waiting for someone to tell me I shouldn’t be there. That was when an old dog slowly walked toward me. I watched him carefully. He was large, with grey fur around his muzzle and tired eyes that made him look older than some of the wolves living in the compound.

I stayed still. The dog stopped in front of me. Then, without hesitation, he lowered himself beside my feet.

I blinked. “You’re not scared of me?”

The dog simply rested his head against my leg. A small smile appeared on my face before I could stop it. “You are strange.”

“That dog doesn’t do that.”

I looked up. A few wolves stood nearby, staring. The red-haired man, Rook, was among them. “What do you mean?”

Rook walked closer, looking between me and the dog. “He doesn’t like strangers.”

I looked down at the dog. “He came here by himself.”

“Exactly.”

I didn’t know what to say. The dog seemed perfectly comfortable beside me. For some reason, that made my chest feel warm. “Maybe he just likes me.”

Rook smiled. “Maybe.”

The way he said it made me feel like there was something else he wasn’t saying. That seemed to happen often around here. Everyone knew something I didn’t.

As the evening approached, the temperature dropped. I didn’t notice until Rook appeared beside me holding something. “You’ll need this.”

I looked at the leather jacket in his hands. “I can’t take that.”

“It’s just a jacket.”

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

Rook stared at me. “Madeleine.”

I looked at him. “You are not a burden.”

The words made me quiet. Slowly, I accepted the jacket. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

I ran my fingers over the leather. It was strange receiving things without being expected to repay them. A meal. A place to sleep. A jacket. Small things that shouldn’t feel impossible. But they did.

That night, I was walking back toward my room when I heard voices coming from one of the nearby rooms. I stopped when I recognized them. Jax. Silas. Rook. Dare. I wasn’t trying to listen. I only paused because I heard my name.

“How long are we going to keep this from her?” Rook asked.

The room went silent. I stayed where I was. Silas answered after a moment. “Until we know how she will react.”

“She deserves to know.”

“She deserves the truth when she is ready.”

My heartbeat increased. What truth?

Then Jax spoke. “Her mother…” He stopped. I leaned slightly closer. “Are we really going to tell Madeleine who her mother was?”

Before anyone could answer, a loud alarm suddenly echoed through the compound. The sound cut through the entire building. Everyone inside moved instantly. The door opened. Footsteps rushed past. A scout ran into the room, his breathing heavy. “Jax!”

The voices stopped. “What happened?” Jax demanded.

The scout looked at all of them. “Alpha Damon and his warriors have crossed into rogue territory.”

My blood turned cold. Damon. He was here. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. After everything… After running until my body nearly gave up… He had found me.

Outside, alarms continued to sound as wolves rushed toward the gates. Jax stepped forward, his expression changing completely. He looked toward the entrance of the compound. Then he spoke quietly. “Looks like he found us sooner than expected.”