جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

My calloused hands still ached and bled as I hauled the buckets up the stone stairs. The clank of chains echoed with every step; my lungs burned, my throat parched from lack of water. Even the murky liquid in the bucket looked tempting.I was shoved forward. Water splashed across the floor. I tried to stand, but my face was slammed against the ground.“Stupid she-wolf. Look at the mess you made.” I growled in protest, but days without food had left me weak; I could barely stay upright. “Clean it up and fetch more. The alpha wants the fortress spotless for tonight’s celebration.”I was done with the humiliation, done with this slave’s life.The wolf who’d tripped me walked away laughing, joining his comrades. Low-caste soldiers, yet still above me.I stared at my reflection in the spilled water: red scars across my face and neck, bruises on my gaunt, fragile body. My once-silver hair was filthy and matted; my eyes held no light.“I did nothing to deserve this,” I snarled, fists clenche

I was kept in isolation at the camp until we returned to Supreme Alpha Viktor Alistair’s court. The march was long, but the differences between my old captor and the Supreme were soon clear. Strong, well-trained wolves; a structure unlike anything I’d seen; and the raw power that rolled off the Supreme Alpha in waves.“Keep moving, wolf,” one of the escorts growled, shoving me.When we reached the human trail, my eyes widened at the sight of a small city. Stone walls ringed it; wolves in dark uniforms patrolled and inspected everyone entering. All bowed as the Supreme passed. Families emerged from beautiful homes to watch the procession.To my eyes, everything was alien. The buildings weren’t forest dens; the main road was paved with something black. At the heart of the pack stood no stone castle, but a towering, mirrored structure.Low, mocking laughter followed us. I knew it was for me—filthy, dragged in silver chains, dressed in rags while the she-wolves here wore fine clothes.The

As I was dragged out of the hall, I heard Viktor’s daughter laughing and whispering to her followers that I wouldn’t last an hour. The alpha’s personal guard would hunt me down and find me in the blink of an eye.Being so underestimated pissed me off. Even weak and battered, I was still agile and had enough stamina to escape. I’d spent my life as bait for that bastard alpha’s wolves, training their skills. At night, I hid from them—for very different reasons.The chains were heavy, dragging my arms down. The castle grew distant; forest darkness swallowed us like a bad omen. Celebration shouts and lights from the castle still pierced the treetops. I growled, furious and frustrated—my odds of keeping my promise were slim.The soldiers stopped, glancing around suspiciously. When one turned to me, eyes crawling over my body, I knew what was coming. I’d seen that disgusting look too many times. He grabbed my shoulders and slammed me to the ground.“Be a good girl and stay quiet. We can’t t

I couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing, clutching my stomach. I’d really let my guard down, relaxed because I felt safe in the human world. That alpha standing before me was proof. I hadn’t sensed him approaching, hadn’t caught his scent or power until it was too late.“So, what does the alpha want from this stray wolf?” I asked, composing myself.Alpha Dean didn’t react the way I expected. He gave a half-smile, hands in his pockets in a relaxed posture, as if I hadn’t insulted him. A strange feeling bloomed in my chest. I was curious about him and his intentions for approaching me and revealing his identity so easily.“You know who I am, so you also know why I’m here, living among humans.” Dean shrugged, as if it weren’t important. I pulled the sachet from my pocket—the strong herb smell confused my senses—and tossed it away.“Are you sure about that? Viktor’s still after you.” I clenched my fists, frustrated at my own naivety in thinking something like that would keep me safe

With everything settled, Mateo thought it would be faster and safer to drive to Portland in a rental car. We packed a few things for the trip, Mateo locked the bar, and we hit the road.First, we took a taxi to Tacoma, where we rented the car for the journey. The rainy weather seemed to heighten the surrounding scents, especially the animals’. My senses were on high alert, attuned to any sound, smell, or movement near us during the drive.“So…” Mateo said, settling into the driver’s seat while I sat beside him. “This person you’re meeting—is it someone I’ve seen before?”“I don’t know, but he was at the bar last night.” My voice came out flat as I struggled with the seatbelt. “How do I fasten this thing?”With deft hands, Mateo grabbed the metal end and clipped it in quickly. I looked at it curiously, learning how the system worked.“Is it that guy in the leather jacket and boots?” Mateo’s voice was a whisper, low and grave. His eyes fixed downward, carried a sadness I didn’t understa