Chapter Four - The Lesson Begins

ARIA

I woke with my heart still racing, his words echoing in my mind: “I’ll be back to claim you…” The memory pressed against my chest, making it hard to breathe.

“He can’t take me that easily,” I muttered to myself, clenching the fur that kept me warm.

Then the door burst open.

"Get up," a voice growled.

I scrambled to my feet and nearly fell. My legs were weak and my whole body ached from the night before.

"The Alpha wants you in the kennels. Now,” Kellen, the Beta of the monster that bought me, said.

"Why?" I muttered.

"Did I ask you a question?" He grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the door. "Move."

I stumbled after him. I still wore the thin auction dress, no cloak to shield me from the freezing morning air.

We left Caelan's chambers and walked through long halls, then we emerged into a courtyard surrounded by low buildings.

The kennels.

Wolves filled the space. Some in human form standing around talking. Others in wolf form prowling the edges. All of them stopped what they were doing when I entered.

"Wait here,” the Beta said, shoving me forward into the center.

I stood there with dozens of eyes on me. I kept my head down and wrapped my arms around myself, the cold bit through the fabric of my dress.

Whispers started.

"That's her? The one he paid a hundred marks for?"

"She looks half dead already."

"I give her a week. Maybe less."

A sharp, cruel laugh cut through the air.

“If she lasts a week, that would be generous.”

Heat flooded my face. I wanted to disappear. But another part of me burned with something else. Anger. These wolves didn’t know me. They had no right to judge.

"Got something to say, human?" The female voice came closer. I looked up.

It was Lysandra. She stood tall with blonde hair pulled back. Muscled arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were amber and held nothing but contempt.

"No," I said quietly.

"No?" She moved closer. "You sure? Because you look like you want to say something."

I did. I wanted to spit fire at her, tell her to go straight to hell and burn there.

But the reminder hit me like a slap. I was only human in a den full of wolves.

So I pressed my lips together and forced myself to stay still.

"That's what I thought,” she said, turning to the other wolves that were now staring fully at us. "The mighty breeder. Can't even speak without permission."

Laughter rippled through the courtyard.

Something inside me cracked.

"At least I'm worth a hundred marks," I shot back. “What are you worth?”

The courtyard went deathly silent. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

Lysandra’s eyes widened. Then narrowed. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me." The words kept coming. "You stand there mocking me like you're better. But I'm the one he–"

Her hand shot out and grabbed my throat before I could finish.

I clawed at her wrist but she was too strong. She lifted me until my toes barely touched the ground.

"You're the one he what?" she hissed. "The one he keeps like a pet? The one he'll use until you break?"

I couldn't breathe. My vision blurred, black dots dancing at the edges.

“Get off me, dog,” I choked out.

Her eyes flared, and her fingers clamped harder around my throat.

"Let her go."

Caelan's voice cut through the noise like a blade. The world seemed to still, every sound muted except the rumble of his voice.

She dropped me instantly.

I fell to my knees gasping for air.

Caelan walked into the courtyard and every wolf there bowed their heads. The air shifted with each step he took.

He stood in front of the she-wolf. "Did I give you permission to touch what's mine?"

"No Alpha. But she spoke out of turn and—"

"And nothing." His voice was quiet but deadly. "She's mine to discipline. Not yours. Touch her again and you'll answer to me."

“Yes Alpha,” she answered, her face pale and full of dread.

"Leave."

She walked away. The other wolves returned to they'd been doing.

Caelan looked down at me, still kneeling on the cold ground.

"Stand up," he roared.

I pushed myself to my feet. My legs shook but I managed.

He prowled around me, eyes scanning every inch of my trembling form.

"So…do you think you are brave," he said softly. "Or just foolish?"

I didn't answer.

"I asked you a question." His voice sharpened. "Answer me."

"I don't know," I whispered.

"You don't know." He stopped in front of me. "You don't know if talking back to a wolf twice your size was brave or stupid?"

"Both maybe."

His mouth curved slightly.

His hand snapped under my chin, tilting my head back.

"You're going to learn something today," he said. "Do you know what that is?"

I shook my head.

"You're going to learn that defiance has consequences." He released my chin and stepped back. "Kneel."

"What?"

"I said kneel."

"No," I retorted.

The word came out too quickly that I hadn't realised when I said them.

His eyes flashed darker gold.

"No?" He moved closer. "Did you just refuse a direct order?"

"You're not—" I stopped myself but it was too late.

"I'm not what? Your Alpha?" His hand grabbed my hair instantly and he used it to force me down until my knees hit the floor. "Say it."

Pain shot through my scalp. Tears burned in my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

"Say it," he commanded again. "Say I'm your Alpha."

“No,” I whispered, terrified… but still refusing to bow.

He tightened his grip until I gasped. "You'd rather I break you right here in front of everyone?"

"You're going to break me anyway."

"Maybe." He leaned down until his mouth was next to my ear. "But there's a difference between breaking and training. Right now I'm offering to train you. Keep refusing and I'll skip straight to breaking."

The pain in my scalp was blinding. I could feel every eye watching us.

"You're my Alpha," I whispered, a single tear sliding free despite how hard I tried to hold it back.

"Louder."

"You're my Alpha," I forced out.

He released my hair. "Better."

I stayed on my knees breathing hard. My whole body ached.

"Hands on your thighs," he ordered. "Back straight. Eyes forward."

I had no choice than to obey, and I hated myself for it.

He circled me again. "This is your first lesson. When I give you an order you obey immediately. You don't hesitate. You don't question. You obey. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes Alpha."

"Good." He stopped behind me. His hand settled on my shoulder. Heavy. "Now tell me why you talked back to that she-wolf."

"Because she was mocking me."

"And?"he asked.

"And I was angry."

"Anger isn't an excuse for stupidity." His hand moved to the back of my neck. "She could have killed you. Is your pride worth your life?"

I didn't answer.

His grip tightened. "I asked you a question."

"No," I said through clenched teeth. "My pride isn't worth my life."

"Then why risk it?"

"Because sometimes pride is all I have left."

Silence fell between us. His hand stayed on my neck but the pressure eased.

"Pride will get you killed here," he said quietly. "The only thing that will keep you alive is learning when to bend."

"And if I don't want to bend?"

"Then you'll break." He released my neck and moved to stand in front of me. "Look at me."

I lifted my eyes to meet his.

"You think you're being brave by fighting back," he said. "But all you're doing is painting a target on yourself. Every wolf here sees a weak human who doesn't know her place. They're waiting for the moment I'm not around to put you in it."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Survive." His hand grabbed my jaw. "That's your only job. Survive long enough to learn the rules."

He stepped back. "Stand."

I stood up.

He looked at me for a long moment. Then he moved closer. So close I had to tilt my head back to see his face.

"You need to learn to obey your Alpha," he said softly.

The way he said it made my skin prickle.

“Take her to the room prepared for her,” he instructed Darius.

He turned to me. “Don't speak to anyone. Just stay there and wait for me.”

"For what?"

"For me." His eyes burned into mine. "And when I come back we'll see if today's lesson actually stuck."