Chapter 9: Offending Alpha Thor

DEXTERA

Good goddess.

Being around Alpha Thor was exhausting.

Every second spent inside his mansion felt like balancing barefoot over flames. While helping him get dressed, my hands trembled so badly. I feared I would either touch too much skin, wrinkle his clothes wrongly, or somehow offend him without meaning to.

And offending Alpha Thor clearly came with consequences; just like Madam Sansa had warned.

I still barely understood Astrald’s rules. There were too many of them, too strict, too suffocating. I honestly didn’t know whether I could keep up or accidentally get myself killed trying.

But somehow, none of that unsettled me as much as his closeness. His fresh breath brushed lightly against the back of my ear while I adjusted the collar of his black dress shirt, and my heartbeat became embarrassingly uneven.

I tried to focus and tried to ignore the overwhelming awareness of him standing so close behind me.

Then suddenly, his hand wrapped around my wrist.

My breath caught instantly. The grip itself wasn’t painful, but his eyes were still cold, sharp, and predatory like he was trying to peel apart every secret hidden beneath my skin.

His breath hitch-stepped as his nose tensed.

“You smell like blood,” he said flatly.

Fear crawled down my spine immediately.

I instinctively lowered my gaze. “I… I don’t understand, Alpha Thor.”

His eyes narrowed somewhat as he continued studying me. “Interesting.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed him glance briefly toward Deucalion. I needed no one to spell it to me. I knew a silent conversation passed between them through the pack mind-link. Their expressions were just as similar to that of every other werewolf I had seen.

Thor scoffed.

“So, the scent belongs to a lost child.” His tone remained unreadable as he adjusted the sleeve of his dark suit. “Or was it discarded willingly?”

My chest seized up in a vice grip of terror and for a second, I panicked just as much as anger filled me. Deucalion must have told him what Roxanne discovered. Something inside me snapped as his sentence and tone of speech replayed in my mind.

I lifted my head before I could stop myself, ignoring the tears burning behind my eyes.

“With all due respect, Alpha,” My voice shook, “you know absolutely nothing about me. So don’t stand there and insult me like you understand what happened.”

Deucalion stiffened immediately, obviously stunned by my outburst.

“Dextera,” he warned quietly.

But I barely heard him. Weeks of grief, humiliation, fear, and helplessness crashed together inside me all at once.

“No,” I said, cutting him off. My voice trembled harder now. “I can stay silent through every other humiliation, but not that.”

My eyes locked onto Thor’s despite every warning Hannah had given me earlier.

“I lost my baby,” I whispered painfully. “Not because I wanted to. Not because I chose to. Someone else made that choice for me.”

The room felt colder suddenly.

“So, if you want to reduce that pain to something cheap and shameful, then fine.” My breathing grew uneven. “Go ahead and be exactly the ruthless Alpha everyone fears.”

Silence ensued. Deucalion looked genuinely alarmed now. Thor, however, simply stared at me like my outburst had caught him completely off guard. For the briefest moment, he looked somewhat curious and fascinated by me.

And somehow, that unsettled me more than rage would have.

“You forget your place,” he finally said in a calm tone, though steel laced every word now.

I laughed bitterly under my breath.

“I know exactly where I stand, Alpha Thor,” I replied, feeling exhaustion begin to settle within me. “I’m your property now, aren’t I?”

My hand pressed weakly against my waist as frustration overwhelmed me.

“You can kill me if you want. I honestly don’t even care anymore.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. “I don’t even understand how I ended up here in the first place.”

The silence afterward felt unbearably heavy. Even Deucalion said nothing. Thor’s gaze remained fixed on me for several long seconds. Then slowly, the curiosity faded from his face, almost like he had suddenly remembered who he was supposed to be. His jaw set with subtle resolve.

“I can see Bisclaveret failed to teach you proper discipline,” he iced. “Astrald will correct that.”

Then he turned toward Deucalion and said, “Take her out.”

Deucalion hesitated briefly. “Alpha, perhaps she merely…”

“I said take her out.”

This time the command carried, final unmistakable authority. Even Deucalion didn’t challenge it again. He flexed his wrist slowly before he stepped toward me and grabbed my arm firmly.

Unlike Thor’s grip, his wasn’t intentionally rough. Still, I didn’t resist. What was the point? A few seconds later, two guards entered the room. One of them pulled me away from Deucalion while the other seized my other arm.

“Careful…” Deucalion mumbled, but they were already dragging me away.

It all happened fast and harshly. I stumbled badly as they hauled me through the mansion hallways. By the time we reached the entrance, one of them shoved me forward carelessly and I lost balance completely. My knees slammed painfully against the ground outside and pain shot through my body instantly.

Before I could recover, a sharp force struck my stomach and a gasp tore from my throat.

The push wasn’t strong enough to throw me far, but the force impact of the fall sent vibrations across every part of my body, right to my weakened lower abdomen. I felt agonizing pain.

I curled inward immediately, clutching my stomach as warmth spread beneath me.

Blood.

Oh goddess… I was bleeding again.

“Stop!” someone shouted in the distance.

Roxanne? My vision blurred heavily. The last thing I heard was Deucalion’s furious voice barking something at the guards before darkness swallowed everything whole.

*

*

I didn’t know how long I remained unconscious.

Minutes? Hours? Maybe longer. But when my consciousness slowly returned, the first thing I noticed was the faint scent of herbs burning nearby.

The second was the softness beneath me which was far too soft to belong in the servants’ quarters. I forced my eyes open slowly, wincing when pain pulsed through my abdomen and some other parts of my body which hadn’t fully healed.

The room around me looked elegant. Golden curtains, polished furniture, expensive rugs; everything about it reminded me disturbingly of Alpha Thor’s chambers. My eyes widened in fear as soon as it all clicked.

I tried sitting up too quickly and hissed loudly from the pain.

“Easy.”

Roxanne appeared beside me instantly, gently pressing a warm cloth against my forehead.

“Roxanne…” My voice came out weak and uneven. “Why am I here?”

She gave a small smile at first and explained, “The Alpha ordered for you to be treated here. He’s currently away handling pack matters.”

I let out a relieved sigh. At least he wasn’t here.

“What happened to me?” I whispered.

Roxanne sighed quietly.

“You missed your follow-up treatments,” she said, sounding mildly scolding now. “The Frux root residue in your body further slowed your healing after a while. Your internal injuries reopened after the fall and the impact to your abdomen.”

Guilt crept through me immediately.

“I wanted to return,” I admitted. “But life in the servants’ wing isn’t exactly forgiving. I wasn’t allowed much freedom.”

“I understand.” Roxanne brushed a strand of hair away from my face gently. “I was actually considering speaking to the Alpha on your behalf. Perhaps he might become more lenient toward you after…”

The door suddenly opened and Deucalion stepped inside, preventing Roxanne from finishing her intended sentence.

“She doesn’t need anyone pleading for her,” he said, his eyes briefly meeting Roxanne’s. “The Alpha already granted her a week’s reprieve to recover.”

Roxanne blinked in visible surprise before nodding respectfully. “That was generous of him.”

I stayed tense. Something about Deucalion’s gaze always felt… strange around me. He was always watchful of me and his stare was notably intense.

Roxanne noticed my discomfort and lowered her voice reassuringly.

“You’re safe here, Dextera. Especially around Deucalion. He’s someone you can trust.”

Something bitter twisted painfully inside me.

“Trust?” I repeated before letting out a humorless laugh.

I shook my head. “I don’t trust anyone anymore, Roxanne.”

Deucalion’s brows furrowed, but he said nothing. Roxanne sighed, placing a hand on my arm.

“I know you’ve been through some terrible stuff, but sometimes, Dextera, the people we least expect might be the ones sent to help us heal.”

I turned my face away, curling my fingers into the soft sheets. Maybe she was right. Maybe not. Either way, I wasn’t about to make the mistake of trusting anyone again.