Madeline’s POV
Nervously, I raised my hand and used my index fingertip to try to push the knife a little further from my neck and forced a terrible smile, “I said thanks… Thank you for letting me stay.”
“Stay in this dangerous place where the word ruthless probably was born…” I added silently.
Completely unimpressed, he put down the knife and threw it on the hidden sheath on his combat boots. “Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t seen what Demonmaw is really like.”
With that, he turned and faced the two guards who sneaked earlier and was now immediately shut off with his mere stare. “See that she’s fed and has somewhere to rest.”
Sitting properly, letting my legs on the ground, I quietly said, “I can take care of myself.”
Instantly, a cold smile formed on his lips. “That’s funny when it’s coming from someone I just dragged out of the dirt.”
My brows furrowed, and without thinking, I glared at him, forgetting every fear as it was covered with annoyance. “Well, I didn’t ask for your help and for the record, you tossed me on your shoulder, not dragging me.”
“No?” His voice turned sharp. Leaning down so it’s only me he could speak, he said, “Then I guess I should have just left you there and let your pack shred you to pieces.”
He stood tall, looking down at me with only his eyes. “You’re in my pack now. Keep your head down and follow the rules. Step out of line, and I won’t be so generous next time.”
Standing up, I looked him in the eye. “I don’t need your generosity.”
A low growl escaped his lips. “You need a hell of a lot more than you think.”
Glancing at the guard, he ordered, “Take her to the barracks! Keep her away from the main house.”
My eyes widened, looking back and forth between him and the guard who had his hand on my arm, trying to guide me away.
Great! I really ignited his anger. Foolish me.
What was I thinkin,g triggering the big bad black wolf instead of pleasing h,im knowing full well how dangerous this place was?
But no, I just had to run my mouth and kept throwing sarcastic remarks. It’s like my mouth didn’t have any break.
With a scowl on my face, I followed the guard who brought me into the barracks, which were very far from the main house where I had to walk. Basically, it’s a small cement, dimly lit room with a stiff mattress on a metal bed frame, which size was barely enough for one person.
Exhaling deeply, I slammed myself down onto the edge and clenched the side. “Great… First, I was almost rejected by my mate. Second, I was being hunted by my own kingdom. And now I’m imprisoned.”
“What’s next?” I asked frustratedly as I spread my arms and let my back fall on the mattress, feeling almost like I landed on a freaking rock, making me wince and hold my slowly healing injured shoulder.
With my mind running with thoughts about Amanda, Felix, the kingdom, and now Alpha Keiran and this pack, I could only whisper under my breath, “I can’t stay here… I can’t…”
Later that night, a pack doctor came in and helped me and my wounds quite harshly ,if I may add. Nonetheless, I was thankful that whatever he put on my wounds was like magic because when I woke up the day after, I felt like new.
I stretched in and started throwing punches and kicks in the air like I used to do when I practised alone in the back forest of the kingdom, a smile forming on my lips, remembering how good it felt.
I hadn’t even sweated yet when footsteps echoed in the hallway. The door creaked open, and a guard stepped in, tossing me bread and water I barely caught from unpreparedness.
“You’ll need your strength!” He angrily said.
My brows furrowed, flatly asking, “For what?”
To my surprise, his cold face let out a smirk. “Surviving.”
Surviving what exactly?
I wanted to ask, but he quickly turned away and left.
“I need a plan,” I said under my breath while staring at the bread and water, contemplating whether to eat it or not.
But considering they had a pack doctor look at me, I thought they wouldn’t bother to poison my food, so I did eat it anyway.
Changed into sweatpants and a tight shirt with a hoodie over that one of the female guards I hadn’t seen before tossed to me earlier, I went out of the barracks and followed her until we arrived at a massive building.
“Damonmaw Academy…” I read the plaque on the door, a foreshadowing panic forming within me.
Coming in, I was greeted to find a large training field inside bustling with warriors in training, sparring and practising their combat techniques, with clothes almost the same as mine. It turned out it was a uniform.
In the middle of the mood, Alpha Keiran.
“Demonmaw doesn’t waste time on the weak. You train hard, or you die fast.” His voice boomed in the room, eyes landing on mine with his next words.
Now, I know what the guard meant when he said I needed that food to survive.
Madeline’s POVRaising up a letter, I was hiding behind me, my smirk vanished, and I let out a sigh of frustration. Sometimes, I really hate it when I’m right.“What’s this?” he asked, grabbing the already opened letter from my hand.He was about to unfold and read it, but I held his hand midway, stopping him. My eyes wandered around and gestured to a few guards walking around us before I shook my head in warning. “Not here.”He stared at me for a while before nodding his head in understanding and putting the letter in the inside pocket of his coat.“Come on,” he said, putting a hand on my back and guiding me to where our car was parked.Like a real gentleman, he opened the door for me and put his hand on the top of the car’s doorway as I bent down to sit in. I whispered a quiet thank you before scooting over to far inside, giving him room.It’s already dark when we arrive back at the Demonmaw. Aside from some pups playing around with their parents watching over them and guards patrol
Keiran’s POV“Alpha Keiran, I hope that everything that has been said in this room is nothing but the truth.”Those were the words that were first said to me by the elders as soon as Adeline and Helena left the room.Maintaining my expression neutral, I kept my usual demeanour and looked them in the eyes without any hint of hesitation. “I wouldn’t dare.”“By all means.”With that, they stood up and started leaving one after another through the back door. When I left the courthouse, I surveyed the surroundings and furrowed my brows when I didn’t see any signs of Helena and Adeline.Did they leave?Just as the question popped into my head, my phone pinged in my pocket. Fishing it out, I saw Helena’s message on my notification and immediately clicked on it, reading: “Alpha, I need to go back to train the other warriors already. Adeline… I mean, Princess Madelaine insisted on staying.”That stubborn girl!I cursed silently in my mind as I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and looked arou
Madeline’s POVThe air outside the council hall was thick with late-afternoon fog. We walked slowly through the hallway, exchanging useless small talk to pass the time.“It’s taking forever. You can go back first. You still have to help train the others,” I spoke to Helena, gesturing outside while I leaned back on one of the hallway’s pillars.She raised her hand and looked at her wristwatch. With the increase in new students, spectacular senior warriors like her already had their own troops to train. Her being the first in class had more aside from me.Looking at me hesitantly, she spoke, “But I can’t leave you here alone. How about you get back with me?”I think for a while, the image of Amanda’s glare and Max’s look of impatience flashed back in my eyes. After some thought, I decided that I didn’t want to go back yet.“Don’t worry about it.” Nodding toward the court we just left, I added, “Keiran is still there. I’m not alone.”“But–”She still wanted to retort, but I interrupted h
Madeline’s POVI looked at them in confusion and insisted on asking, “How are you guys really planning to do this?”They both looked at me and saw the determination in my face. Standing up, I looked at them more sharply and raised my brows. “I’m not a damsel in distress.”Well, maybe I am in distress. But I am no damsel.They glanced at each other before Keiran sighed in defeat. Our pack has an ally in the witch cities.I looked at him in shock. “But… Aren’t they in hiding?”Witches were known for their witchcraft, but more than a hundred years ago, they stopped using their powers for anything outside their territory. They isolated themselves in their world and lived in peace.I knew they would come out and still mingle among werewolves and humans, but that’s it. They were basically hiding who they were and kept to themselves.“He’s a family friend. Basically, he keeps to his vow. But every now and then, he would come to our aid if needed,” he explained.Pointing at Helena, I asked, “
Madeline’s POV“Who is it?” he asked quietly. Though his voice sounded a little low after trying to speak while controlling his breathlessness, the commanding tone remained.It took a few seconds before a steady reply sounded from beyond the door. “It’s Helena, Alpha. I… I need to speak with both of you.”My heart was still pounding, still feeling breathless. But unlike earlier, when I was drowning with the intimate sensation we share, I was feeling conscious about our distance.I could feel Keiran’s tension ripple beneath my fingertips. Though he pulled back a little away from me after hearing the knock, we were still close to each other, and he remained on top of me, using his straightened arms that were pressing on the bed on each side of my shoulders.His eyes remained on mine for a little while before he closed his eyes for control and pushed himself off me, gently sliding from the door. In a quick motion, we moved in sync as we fixed our appearance.With my back leaning against
Madeline’s POVI stared at him in stunned silence. Not just because he was here sitting beside me on my bed, but because I was once again forever grateful toward him. He was once again shielding me from any danger. But above all things, I stared at him in shock because of the uncontrollable storm of butterflies that burst to life in my stomach, a sensation so sudden and consuming it left me breathless. Gratitude, confusion, something else I couldn’t name… they all swirled together within me, crashing like waves.But then, just as quickly as the joyous feelings reached my heart, it faded.The kingdom and the faces of those who lived there with me before flashed before my eyes, and the weight of reality crashed back into me. No one but me could imagine the danger he was inviting by letting me stay here… by protecting me.“You’re risking a lot by hiding me here,” I said in a low voice, but we both knew how heavy it was.Silence engulfed us, and tension built up in the air.He’s an Alpha