Chapter 3 The Alpha's Command

Rowena's heart raced as the Alpha led her through the dense Silver Forest. Every step he took seemed deliberate, his movements controlled, while she was left in a whirlwind of confusion and resistance. She had no choice but to follow him, the pull of his presence too strong for her to ignore. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to break free, to run as far as possible, but her feet were glued to the earth beneath her. Something in his aura was suffocating, yet in a way, it was intoxicating. Her wolf growled restlessly within her, torn between submission and defiance.

The night air had grown cooler, but Rowena barely noticed. All she could focus on was the Alpha's every move. He was a force of nature, a being so overwhelming that it felt as though the world bent to his will. Her gaze flickered up to the dark sky, where the moon's pale light poured through the trees, bathing the forest in an eerie glow.

The Alpha's strides were long, purposeful. She felt the distance between them closing as they continued deeper into the forest. His presence was magnetic, and she had to force herself to look away. She wasn't sure if it was his confidence or the sheer strength radiating from him, but there was something about him that unsettled her.

As they neared a clearing, Rowena's senses heightened, picking up the scent of other wolves. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the area, her instincts telling her that they weren't alone. The Alpha's movements were unfazed, almost as if he anticipated her discomfort.

"Relax," he said, his voice low but commanding. "They won't hurt you."

Rowena didn't respond. She couldn't afford to show weakness, not in front of him. Not when everything about this situation felt wrong.

A group of wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes glinting with the same alpha-like power that the man who had captured her exuded. They were tall, muscular, their coats varying in shades of gray, black, and brown. They watched her with interest, some with curiosity, others with disdain.

The tension in the air thickened. Rowena's heart pounded as she felt the weight of their collective gaze. These wolves were not like the lone wolves she had encountered in the wild. They were part of a pack-united, bound by something far greater than just survival. And she... she was the outsider, the one who didn't belong.

Rowena stood tall, her posture defensive, but she could feel the unease creeping into her bones. Her wolf was restless, uneasy under the scrutiny of so many powerful beings. Despite her efforts to keep her composure, she could feel the surge of fear threatening to break through.

The Alpha noticed her discomfort and gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake of his head. "Don't worry. They'll respect you."

"Respect?" Rowena scoffed under her breath. "How do you expect me to believe that?"

The Alpha's eyes gleamed with a knowing look. "It's simple. You earn respect, or you don't survive. The pack isn't here to coddle you. They don't care about your past or your scars. All they care about is power."

Rowena's lips pressed together into a tight line. She didn't need a lesson in power. She had spent her whole life surviving in the shadows, clinging to whatever scraps of strength she could find. But the idea of earning respect in this world-of becoming something more-was foreign to her.

Her eyes flicked back to the wolves who had gathered around them. They weren't waiting patiently. They were assessing her, calculating what kind of wolf she was. And the way they looked at her-it was like she was already a pawn in their game, a piece to be moved when necessary.

One of the wolves, a female with a sleek silver coat, stepped forward. Her gaze was sharp, calculating, and she gave Rowena a once-over that made her feel like prey.

"So, this is her," the female said, her voice laced with skepticism. "The rogue wolf you've been watching."

Rowena's hackles raised at the woman's tone. She didn't like being called a "rogue," nor did she like the way they all seemed to assume that she would just fall into line.

The Alpha glanced at the female with a calm authority that made Rowena's heart flutter with unease. "Yes, this is Rowena. She will be staying with us."

"And why should we trust her?" the female asked, her tone more challenging than before. "You said she was strong, but I don't see anything that sets her apart."

The Alpha turned to face Rowena, his eyes intense. "Because she has something you don't. Something I've been waiting for."

Rowena felt her breath catch in her throat as his gaze met hers. The words were simple, but the weight behind them was undeniable. Something she had, something the pack didn't know about yet.

The female wolf stepped back, but not before giving Rowena one last cold stare. "We'll see about that."

The other wolves murmured among themselves, but Rowena didn't focus on them. Her mind was racing, her thoughts a tangle of questions. What did the Alpha mean? What was it about her that could possibly matter to them? She had nothing left, nothing but a fractured past and the wolf inside her that she could barely control.

"Come," the Alpha said, his voice bringing her back to the present. "We have a long night ahead of us."

Rowena's eyes narrowed. "What's next? What do you want from me?"

The Alpha didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned away, the sound of his footsteps ringing through the clearing as he moved toward the distant ridge. "You'll learn soon enough."

Rowena hesitated for a moment before following him. Her heart was still racing, her mind still reeling, but she knew there was no turning back now. Whatever this was, whatever he wanted, she was already in too deep to walk away.

As they ascended the ridge, the moon high above them, Rowena's thoughts were consumed with a single, burning question: What did the Alpha know about her? And how was it that he was the only one who seemed to see her potential?

The answers eluded her, just out of reach, but the truth was slowly unfolding around her. And with every step she took toward the unknown, her doubts only grew stronger.

Whatever happened next, she knew one thing for sure-she was no longer the weak, forgotten wolf of the past. She was about to find out what it meant to truly survive in this new world. And in this world, there were only two choices: power or death.

And she wasn't about to die.