5| Risky decision

LAURA'S POV

I woke up again after hearing the door open. My senses were more active now, my head still ached from where he had hit me earlier, and my ankle throbbed under the scarf he had tied around it. The chains on my wrists felt heavy as I shifted a little on the big bed and the metal rattled softly.

Alpha Cyrus stood by the door. He leaned on the frame with his arms crossed, watching me like I was some strange animal he had never seen before, or maybe an animal he was sent to study.

I stared back at him for a long time.. it almost felt as if we were in some kind of staring competition or something.

A cough almost escaped my throat at the moment but I shook it off while clearing my throat.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I finally asked. “Stop staring.” I added, knowing how uncomfortable it was becoming.

He did not move right away. He tilted his head a little, still leaning on the door. “Why do you look so weak Laura. The Laura I knew would have escaped this pack house a long time ago.. or at least she would have broken these chains with her incredible wolf strength. I can't believe it's the same person right now.” He said humorously, while still keeping a cold face.

Does it mean he doesn't know my wolf is sealed? I mean that's good news….. my life with Varex was really private… wow. Now I understand why my dad was unable to trace me.

After a few more seconds of silence I turned my eyes back to him. “Why are you here again?” I asked. “You already chained me and brought me to this place without my concent. What more do you want?”

He pushed off the door and took a few steps closer, but still stayed out of reach. “I want to see if you still have your strength,” he said clearly now. “The same strength you used once in a war. The strength that made other packs fear the Grim Wolf heiress.”

I pulled the chains, trying to sit up more, tried to twist my wrists free, but the links held firm. My ankle hurt when I moved my leg, making my sigh heavily.

I gritted my teeth and pulled harder but nothing happened, insteas sweat beaded on my forehead and my arms shook from the effort.

Gosh I hate feeling weak. I never knew I was this useless while with Varex because I didn't have to work or stress myself… never.

“I still have it,” I muttered, even though I knew it was not true right now. “I just need time and rest.”

“ Can I at least know why you were running and why you wanted to end your life?.”

Why the hell would he ask me ….. “ why do you sound like you care ? Just cut it off.. stop asking me these questions Cyrus and stop trying to act all nice because we all know you aren't.

Cyrus watched me for a few more seconds without saying anything, After a while he turned as if he was about to leave, but as his hand reached for the door handle, I stopped him.

“Wait.”

He paused and looked back at me with his brows up.

I took a slow breath. My heart was beating fast, but I forced the words out. “I won’t run away from your pack house.. I can’t tell you details but you need to trust me when I say that this pack is the only place I could find refuge right now… if I'm to ever find out you're making inquires about my life before you saved me.. I'll leave here for good. I don't really know why you'd want to keep your enemy close, but once I sense danger, I'm gone.”

Cyrus stared at me for a long time. His gray eyes narrowed a little as confusion crossed his face, the first real emotion I had seen from him since he found me at the cliff. He did not speak right away, he just stood there, looking at me like he was trying to figure out if I was lying or if I had finally broken.

Finally he nodded once, then he opened the door and called out in a sharp voice. “Maids!. Come here.”

Two young she-wolves appeared almost at once. They kept their heads down and waited for orders.

“Untie her,” Cyrus said. “Remove the chains, get her clean clothes…nice things to wear, and arrange this room to her taste. Whatever she needs... Food, water, injury dressing, Do it now.”

“ Yes Alpha.” They said almost together.

The maids moved quickly. One of them unlocked the chains with a key Cyrus had given her.

I rubbed the red marks left behind as I finally felt free. The other maid helped me sit up more carefully so I would not put weight on the bad ankle. They worked in silence, glancing at Cyrus every few seconds as if waiting for him to change his mind.

He stayed by the door until they finished removing the chains. Then he looked at me one last time. “Rest,” he said. “You are under my protection for now…Do not make me regret this.”

He turned and left. The door closed behind him with a soft click.

The maids stayed a little longer. They brought a basin of warm water and clean cloths. They washed the dried blood from my legs and arms. One of them carefully replaced the scarf around my ankle with fresh bandages and a proper wrap. Another left the room, returning with simple dresses I could put on, dropping them on the bed right next to me.

“We will bring food soon,” one of them said quietly. “And more things for the room if you wish. Curtains, books, anything ma'am.. just tell us what to do.”

I only nodded, because I didn't want them to hear my broken voice.

When they finally left, I sat on the edge of the bed, testing my ankle carefully. The pain was still there, but the bleeding had stopped. I was quite surprised Cyrus let me go that easily… what was his plan?.

The Cyrus I knew would have killed me after saving me, or maybe he still has plans to. I just have to be careful during my little stay here.

I only agreed to stay because my brother’s murderer is here. This is the perfect opportunity to find him..I will blend with them while keeping my distance, I'll train on my own till I'm fit enough to fight without my wolf… and when I'm finally ready, I'll investigate till I find my brother's murderer and kill him in cold blood.

And after dealing with my brother's murderer, I'll go back my Varex, taking everything that's important to him, just as he took my son away from me, killing him in cold blood.

I'll make him pay… because of he truly loved me, he would have believed me and if he was a good human, he wouldn't have killed a child…. Never.

And Kristina… I'll make her pay for instigating the death if my child.