Chapter 2 The Protocol and the Packet

Elara stood in the center of the Alpha's suite. The door clicked. The lock engaged. The silence was immediate. It was absolute. She was alone. She was captive.

She moved to the large windows. They overlooked a vast stretch of manicured lawn. The lawn ended at the thick forest line. The glass was triple-paned. It was reinforced. She saw no handles. It was a viewing window. Not an exit.

She searched the room. Her training took over. She ignored the panic. She focused on facts. She needed weaknesses. She needed a plan.

The room was vast. It held the four-poster bed, a sitting area, a fireplace, and a large bathroom. The furniture was bolted down. The walls were thick stone. The air vents were too small for passage.

She moved to the bathroom. Marble counters. Gilded fixtures. No windows. The shower stall was large. The mirror was secured to the wall. No loose objects were visible. She was denied even simple tools.

She returned to the main room. Her eyes focused on the closet. The safe was there. The manila envelope was inside. Her file. Her secret. Her parents' photograph. That was the leverage.

She sat on the edge of the bed. The silk coverlet was cool. She needed to think. Dax knew her mission. He knew her intent. This changed everything. She was no longer a civilian. She was a captured asset.

A small tremor ran through the building. The sound was low. It was primal. It was the sound of a large animal moving. Or changing. She ignored the sound. She focused on the lock.

The lock was electronic. It was keyed to Dax. She needed the code. She needed physical access to the mechanism. She lacked tools. She lacked time.

A tray was delivered through a slot near the main door. The mechanism whirred. The slot opened. The slot closed. A white-clothed silver tray sat inside. The aroma of roasted meat and fresh vegetables filled the room. The food looked delicious. She did not touch it. She needed clarity. Not comfort.

A small card was placed next to the plate. The card had one word: PROTOCOL.

Elara picked up the card. It was thick, quality paper. She turned it over. Tiny, neat script filled the back. It was not a note. It was a set of instructions.

PACK LUNA PROTOCOL: INITIAL PHASE

* 1. Hydration and Nutrition: Consume all provided meals. Immediate compliance is expected. Refusal results in forced, monitored caloric intake. Your stability affects the Alpha.

* 2. Rest: Sleep during the allotted hours. Do not interfere with the Alpha's transformation cycle. His shifts are non-negotiable.

* 3. Garments: Clothing for the duration of this phase is provided in the wardrobe. Use only the provided items. They bear the Alpha's scent markers. This aids pack recognition.

* 4. Communication: All communication flows through the Alpha. Do not attempt to communicate with staff or other pack members. Attempts at unauthorized communication are treason.

* 5. The Claim: The final bonding ritual occurs seven nights from tonight. Preparation begins immediately. Be ready.

Elara read the list twice. Seven nights. A final bonding ritual. A claim. This was not a slow seduction. This was a forced merger. The sheer arrogance of the protocol enraged her.

She crumpled the card. She walked to the fireplace. She lit the paper with a small, decorative silver lighter left on the mantle. She watched the instructions burn. The fire was satisfying. The defiance was essential.

She needed to get out before the claim. Seven nights was the deadline.

She walked to the large wardrobe. It held simple, high-quality clothes. Sweaters. Slacks. Simple dresses. All in neutral, earth-toned colors. She noticed the slight musky odor. It was the same scent that had hit her in the coffee shop. Dax's scent. The clothes were pre-scented. The Alpha marked his territory efficiently.

She chose a thick, gray sweater and a pair of black slacks. She changed quickly. She felt more prepared in the functional clothes. She had to conserve her strength.

She went back to the bed. She sat down. She looked at the door. She looked at the lock. She needed to know the code.

Dax would return. He would return soon. He would check on his property. She had to be ready.

She forced herself to relax. She focused on the breathing exercises her mentor had taught her. Inhale. Exhale. Control the heart rate. Control the fear.

The heavy door unlatched. The sound was distinct. Dax entered the room. He did not knock. He did not hesitate.

He saw the empty dinner tray. He saw the crumpled ashes in the fireplace. His golden eyes narrowed.

"You did not eat," he stated.

"I do not take orders from kidnappers," Elara countered. Her voice was level.

He walked to the tray. He checked the plates. He saw the ashes in the fireplace. He walked to the fireplace. He picked up the tongs. He examined the ash. He understood the message.

"You defy me," he observed. It was not a question. It was a clinical assessment.

"I reject the protocol. I reject the claim."

Dax turned from the fireplace. He moved toward her. She remained seated. She met his gaze.

He stopped a foot from the bed. His presence was massive. It blotted out the light. "Defiance is unwise, Elara. It is punishable. I do not tolerate disobedience."

"I am not your pack. I am not your dog. Punishment is irrelevant to a free person."

A look of detached annoyance crossed his face. He reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small electronic packet. It was black and sleek. He tossed it onto the bed next to her.

"Your laptop," he said. "Your phone. Your recorder. They are all inside. They are all unusable. The packet dampens all signals. It is a failsafe. You are isolated. You are disconnected."

Elara's breath hitched. That packet was her lifeline. Her communication to the outside world. Her escape route. Now it was a paperweight.

"Why tell me that?" she asked.

"Information is power. I remove your power. You need to know the reality of your situation. You need to stop fighting things you cannot win. You will spend your energy on things that matter."

"What matters?"

"Survival. My claim is the only thing that guarantees your survival now. The other packs know I have you. They know you are the Luna. They will try to take you. They will try to kill you to weaken me."

"The other packs." Elara focused on the new information. "Who?"

Dax paused. He saw the shift in her focus. The journalist was back. He decided to leverage the information.

"The Lycians. They are led by Lycian Thorne."

"Thorne? Another one?"

"He is my younger brother. He is the rightful heir. He is the one I locked away. He wants this territory. He wants my title. He wants me gone."

Elara remembered the file. The brother was locked away. Dax lied about the curse. Dax was the villain.

"You are the monster," she accused. "You stole his title. You locked your own brother away."

Dax's jaw tightened. "I protected this pack. Lycian is weak. He is sentimental. He would have led us to ruin. He is not the Alpha the territory requires. He is irrelevant."

"He is the rightful heir. You usurped him."

"I took what was necessary." He ignored her moral judgment. "The Lycians are currently operating south of here. They are watching this compound. They saw me bring you in. They know you are key. They will strike before the full moon."

"The full moon. The claim. Seven nights."

"Precisely. Seven nights. You are the target. You are the center of the conflict. Your survival depends on me."

Elara looked at the electronic packet. Useless. She looked at the locked door. Impenetrable. She looked at the huge man standing over her. Unstoppable.

"What is the claim?" she asked. She kept her voice flat. She needed details.

Dax sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight. He was close. Too close. The scent was a physical presence. It was warm. It was intrusive.

"The claim is a biological necessity. It is the completion of the mate bond. It anchors the wolf. It confirms the Luna's status to the pack. It allows her to shift."

"Shift?" Elara recoiled. "I am human. I do not shift."

Dax reached out. He took her hand. His skin was warm and rough. The contact was instant electricity. Elara tried to pull away. His grip was firm. He examined her hand. He turned it over.

"You have the mark," he stated. He pointed to a small, almost invisible crescent scar just above her wrist bone. It was faint. She had always thought it was a childhood injury.

"Every human born to a shifting bloodline carries the mark. It is dormant. It requires the Alpha's Claim to activate. You are not human. You are dormant wolf. I will activate you."

He released her hand. The spot where he touched her tingled. The implications were staggering. She was not a journalist. She was not human. She was the enemy. She was the key.

"You are lying. My parents were human."

"Your mother was a Lycian. Her family were shifters. She abandoned the pack to live a human life. A pathetic, fearful life. She gave you the mark. She gave you the scent. She passed the wolf to you."

Elara felt the blood drain from her face. Her mother. A wolf. Her parents' disappearance. Not a boating accident. Not a journalistic target. A pack issue. A consequence of her bloodline.

"My parents were killed because of this," she realized.

Dax nodded slowly. "They were hunted. They were executed. They abandoned the pack. They betrayed the code. Lycian's people are ruthless. They punish betrayal."

"And you knew this. You knew who I was when you took me."

"I knew your bloodline was Thorne territory. I knew you were the mate. I did not know your parents' full history. That is irrelevant. Your connection to the Lycians makes you a security risk. You are a vulnerability. You are also my strength."

"I am your hostage."

"You are my mate. The term is interchangeable. In this life, the strongest takes the prize. I took you. You are the prize."

He stood up. He walked back to the door. "Do not attempt to destroy the furnishings. Do not attempt to harm yourself. You will eat your food. You will sleep. I return before sunrise. You will be ready for your first lesson in pack dynamics."

"My first lesson is obedience," Elara stated.

"Precisely," Dax confirmed. He paused at the door. He looked back at her. "You are smart. That is a strength. Use it to accept your reality. Do not use it to fight me. You will not win."

The door opened. It closed. The lock clicked. He was gone.

Elara was left with the knowledge. She was not fully human. Her parents were shifters. They were executed by Dax's rival brother. Dax knew. He held the key to the mystery of her parents' death. He held the key to her freedom. He held the key to her wolf.

She walked to the window. The full moon was not yet visible. But the atmosphere was heavy. The forest was dense. The air throbbed with a dark, wild energy. Seven nights.

She looked at the tray of untouched food. She looked at the useless electronic packet. She looked at the faint crescent mark on her wrist. She was a weapon waiting to be armed. She was a captive waiting to be claimed. She was a Lycian traitor in a Thorne stronghold.

She went to the safe. She began to examine the electronic lock mechanism. She was a journalist. She was an investigator. She was a traitor's daughter. She would not wait for the claim. She would not accept her fate. She would find her way out. She would find the truth. She would destroy the Alpha who imprisoned her. She would start now. Her training dictated action. Her bloodline demanded revenge.

The electronic lock was complex. It required a sequence of numbers. Dax's hand movements had been quick. Too quick to see. She needed to observe him again. She needed a pattern. She needed a weakness.

She moved to the large, custom-built desk. She found a sharp letter opener. It was her first tool. Small. Insignificant. But functional. She slipped it into the pocket of the gray sweater.

She sat in the armchair. She waited for sunrise. She waited for Dax's return. She was ready. The game had changed. It was no longer about journalism. It was about survival. It was about revenge. It was about the Claim. She would be prepared.