Chapter 4 An Unexpected Betrayal

"I don't want"

Freya's face fell in disappointment. She had to work under him.

Luna Athena's eyes twinkled. "Oh, I thought you could use a personal helper, since you killed the previous one." And again, Freya shuddered at the revelation.

Alpha Torin had already returned to his seat. The Omegas were now flanking him, their heads bowed, while another two members of the pack entered to clear the dead body on the floor.

"He looks weak," He said, his gold eyes locking onto Freya's again. He leapt to his feet again, and before she could look up, he already had his hand under her chin, tilting her head here and there. Why was his touch having effects on her? What the hell was this? What was this strong connection she was feeling? Was it about his sinful appearance?

"MATE" That voice in her head was loud this time around. What? The voice disappeared as soon as it came. What did it mean by Mate?

"...and he looks feminine." The Alpha's comment jolted her out of her head. Damn it. Freya suddenly felt insecure. How could he tell? She had a moustache on for gods sake. She would be damned to be caught. His eyes lingered on her than necessary.

Freya forced her expression to remain blank, but inside, her heart slammed against her ribs.

Lowering her voice slightly to maintain her disguise, she responded, "You shouldn't underestimate me, Alpha." She schooled her tone to be confident. "I can be a loyal servant. I will never give you a reason to be angry at me."

The words were a desperate bid to survive, and to remain under his crib.

The Luna was now watching. She had brought Freya, whom she thought was a man, because she wanted to please the Alpha and show she cared, but as usual, he couldn't be pleased.

Torin released Freya abruptly, as if losing interest.

He turned Luna Athena. "I have no need for a human personal assistant anymore. I have a Beta." But the Beta was always away on missions.

Luna Athena smiled knowingly. The humans killed his brother, it was understandable.

"Perhaps. But you seem to kill them faster than you reject them." She reached down and stroked the black cat in her arms. "You haven't killed this one. Does that mean he might be different?"

Torin's gaze flicked back to Freya, and she flinched.

Something in him hesitated. He didn't know why. There was nothing remarkable about this human. He looked weak, fragile, and insignificant.

"Keep him out of my way." He ordered. "I don't need another useless human"

"As you command, my Alpha." Alpha Torin gave them his back, and walked away from the hall.

The Luna settled into her throne beside his as she addressed Freya, "You're lucky, pretty boy," she mused. "Not many humans survive their first encounter with our Alpha."

Freya forced a tight smile. She had come this far, had endured the humiliation of being treated like cattle, had hidden her identity only to be dismissed like this?

He had rejected her, and now she had to work her way into impressing him.

Luna Athena, now seated languidly in her chair, gave a slow, dramatic sigh. "Well, Ariel, it looks like you'll be joining others in the packhouse basement." She tilted her head, pale fingers stroking the black cat curled on her lap. "Unless you prove you're worth keeping."

Freya swallowed the burning rage in her throat and dropped to one knee. She had to stay here. She had to be close to the Alpha for her plans to work out.

"My Lady," she said, lowering her gaze in forced submission. "Please don't send me back. I can be of great use to you."

The Luna's interesting gaze flickered with amusement. She leaned forward, her pale silver hair spilling over her shoulder.

"Is that so?" Her voice was laced with mockery. "Then I shall put you through some tests." The Luna suggested, leaning back into her seat elegantly. The cat looked at Freya again and mewed.

*

The tests started the next morning, after she had a rough time sleeping in the basement along with the human men. The basement was a smelly, unhealthy place to be. Freya would do anything to avoid to be returned there.

And mysteriously, she had seen Alpha Torin's golden eyes in her dream all night. Crazy.

It was intensely uncomfortable, redressing herself in a way that she would appear masculine, but she was able to give the look. Thankfully, she had held on to the glue she used in plastering the moustache to her face the previous night.

She couldn't believe her first trial was to combat, but she was a skilled hunter, so she didn't allow it to faze her. Standing in the midst of wolves, they lounged around the clearing, some perched on ledges like hungry predators as their eyes glinted with cruel anticipation.

"Let's see what the pretty human's got!"

"Yayyyy!" They cheered in anticipation. She had no doubt they were going to have wonderful orgasms witnessing her getting killed. She could only hope she wins.

Just then, her opponent arrived. To her surprise, he was human, who looked frail and sick. Her heart twisted in her chest. She was expected to fight this one? She would just kill him.

"This is your first task, Ariel. Impress me." Luna Athena, as usual with the big black cat in her hand, smirked. Freya had a feeling she wanted her to kill the man. Why?

Even the wolves' cheers lowered as they saw the weak man. They were probably expecting someone better.

"He looks too easy to be defeated. Challenge me with someone more powerful." Freya shouted. The Luna suddenly look displeased. "No. Him first."

Freya's face bowed in disappointment.

The moment the fight began, the man lunged at her in blind desperation. She sidestepped, driving her elbow into his ribs. He collapsed with a choked wheeze, but she didn't let up. A knee to the face sent him sprawling.

The watching wolves jeered and whistled.

"Didn't expect the pretty boy to be a fighter."

"He's fast," another muttered, intrigued. Freya crouched next to the trembling man, gripping his tunic. "Stay down," she hissed under her breath, making her voice as low as ever, knowing that the wolves had the ability to hear her if her voice was a bit louder. "Don't make me kill you." The man got the message and quickly acted unconscious when Freya gave him a not so painful blow to his chest.

What Freya didn't know was, across the training ground, Alpha Torin was somewhere, peering at her.

A heartbeat later, the Luna clapped her hands once. "Enough. Ariel wins."

Freya let out a slow breath, stepping back as two guards dragged the unconscious man away.

Just before the Luna could say more, a feminine voice soared amidst the little crowd around them. "Before you say she wins, why not let her compete with me?"

A cold chill ran through Freya. Who the hell knew she was her? And why did her voice sound very familiar?

Heads veered toward the new attention, but Freya hesitated. She was scared to look. She feared that she already knew who exactly that was.