Chapter 4 The wolf in the shadows

RAINA

"Please, stay still, my lady," the maid said, her hands were gentle but the water was too warm. I flinched as the rough cloth brushed over a bruise along my ribs, one of many. Steam filled the air, carrying the faint scent of donkey milk and rose oil. I couldn't remember the last time I had been bathed by anyone other than myself, much more with rose oil and donkey milk.. didn't even know that was a thing.

The room glowed in soft gold light from a chandelier that hung like a thousand stars hanging from the ceiling. Every corner was too beautiful, too polished, too unreal. I didn't belong here.

I was a slave, cursed at birth , not a lady as the servant had called me. And yet here I was, half-naked in a tub carved from marble, three servants kneeling beside me as if I were something precious, and two others standing by holding the large white cotton towels.

Something I had never imagined could happen to me.

My heart raced with every stroke of the cloth. The scent of the soap reminded me too much of Luna Fran's chambers, and my stomach twisted. Was this a trick? Had they decided to humiliate me before executing me for daring to cross the Supreme Alpha's path?

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

The maid hesitated. "Orders from the Supreme Alpha himself," she said softly.

My chest tightened. Zane.

I remembered his eyes; dark, burning, endless. The way the world seemed to still when they met mine. The way my breath caught and my wolf stirred restlessly, as though she recognized him. But that couldn't be right?, this isn't a movie where the poor orphaned girl marries the prince, this is real life, my life.

When the maids were done, they dressed me in a soft white nightgown that felt like clouds against my skin. I couldn't stop touching the fabric, half afraid it would vanish. My hair ... white as snow was brushed until it shimmered. Then they left me alone in the room so large I could have fit the Moonshire kitchen inside it twice over.

The bed looked too big, the sheets too clean. I sat on the edge, my body trembling. I was supposed to be happy about this, after all, this meant they hadn't killed me. But all I could think was why?

Why would the Supreme Alpha, ruler of all packs, take an interest in a cursed half-blood like me?

The maids had whispered as they worked, glancing at me as though afraid to speak too loud. I caught fragments of their gossip. "She smells strange..." "The Supreme has never brought anyone to the east wing before..."

I wrapped my arms around myself, pulling the blanket up. The ointment they had rubbed into my bruises tingled, but my heart hurt more. I had to leave, escape now or face eminent death.If I stayed, I would be killed for sure, or worse, become a pawn in whatever game these powerful wolves played. The door creaked, and my breath froze. A shadow appeared - tall and broad.

My wolf whimpered before I could even see his face. The air changed; it thickened, charged like electric.

It was him

"Why are you here?" My voice was barely a whisper. He didn't answer, only the sound of his breathing, slow, like a predator stalking prey. I turned my head slightly, and there he was. Alpha Zane.

The Supreme Alpha of all the clans. He stood partly in shadow, only the faint glow of moonlight revealing the sharp line of his jaw, the cold perfection of his expression. His eyes glimmered like the moon itself.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," he said quietly, though his tone was more command than concern.

"I.....I didn't know this bed was mine," I stammered.

His gaze swept over me, lingering on my large breast. I saw the conflict flash behind his eyes, like he was fighting something within himself. The air between us felt tensed. Then he turned and stepped back into the shadow. "Rest." And just like that, he was gone.

I stared at the door long after it closed. My pulse hammered against my ribs, my breath shallow. Something in his voice... in his eyes... stirred a part of me I didn't understand.

But my fear was stronger, because I knew what men like him did when they felt something they shouldn't.

I waited until the castle went silent, until even the crickets outside stopped chirping. Then I slid off the bed and tiptoed to the door. The floor was cold against my bare feet. My heart pounded so hard I was sure someone would hear it.

The hallway stretched before me, long, lined with portraits of Alphas past. The lights flickered weakly. I crept through the shadows, hugging the walls. My hands trembled with every step I took.

I needed to find Diego. He was the only one who might help me. I slipped past guards, holding my breath as they passed, then darted into the side passage I had remembered from earlier when we arrived. The scent of roasted meat drifted faintly from the kitchens far below. The castle was so vast I could easily get lost in it.

Finally, I found the hallway leading to the guest quarters where the Moonshire pack stayed. My stomach clenched as I heard voices ahead-laughter, clinking glasses. I moved quietly, keeping to the shadows until I reached the door I believed was Diego's.

I knocked softly.

"Diego," I whispered. "It's me."he didn't answer.

I knocked again and still no reply. I panicked, maybe he wasn't here. Maybe......

The door behind me creaked open.

"Looking for someone?"

The familiar voice made my blood run cold. I turned around slowly. Alpha Dirke stood there, dressed in a robe of dark velvet, a cruel smile on his lips. His eyes gleamed with malice.

"Well, well... the little half-blood thinks she's a princess now."

I took a step back, clutching my hands together. "I......... I was just......."

"Just what?" His tone dripped with mockery. "Sneaking around the Supreme's castle like a thief? Or trying to seduce him with your cursed stench?"

My throat tightened. "Please, Alpha, I wasn't....."

He moved faster than I expected, closing the distance between us. His hand shot out, gripping my chin hard enough to make me wince.

"Listen to me, you filthy mistake," he hissed. "You will stop whatever charade you are pulling. The Supreme may pity you now, but he'll learn what you are soon enough. And when he does, I'll make sure he rips your heart out himself."

His breath was hot and sour against my face. My wolf whimpered, but I forced myself not to cry.

"I don't understand," I whispered. "Why are you doing this?"

He laughed, low and cruel. "Because your father should never have been Alpha. The Moon Goddess punished him for defying her and you are the proof of his sin. You shouldn't even exist." His fingers dug deeper into my jaw until I tasted blood.

"I will make sure your death redeems our pack," he growled. Suddenly, the air shifted: electric, thick, and violent.

Dirke froze, his grip slackened.

A growl-not human, not even fully wolf rumbled from behind him, deep and lethal.

"What the hell is happening here?

Dirke paled instantly and released me. He turned, bowing so fast his head nearly hit the floor. "My Lord! Forgive me, I......."

I stumbled back, clutching my aching jaw.

Alpha Zane stood at the end of the hall, his expression unreadable, but his eyes... they burned into mine. He took a step forward, and I felt the pull again, the invisible string tying me to him. My knees nearly buckled.

"What did you do to her?" Zane's voice was calm, but every word carried power.

"N-nothing, my Lord. I found her wandering......."

"She doesn't answer to you here," Zane cut in sharply. "Leave."

Dirke hesitated, his face twitching. "But, my Lord, she......"

"Now."

Dirke bowed lower, muttered something I couldn't hear, and hurried off. His scent lingered; bitter and hateful.

I stood frozen, every muscle tense. My breath came shallow and quick.

Zane approached me slowly, his gaze never leaving me. "You shouldn't have left your quarters," he said, but his tone lacked the harshness I expected.

"I... I thought I was being set up," I whispered.

His jaw tightened. "By who?"

I didn't answer. My throat was too dry, my body trembling too much.

He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him. His eyes flicked briefly to the faint bruise still on my jaw, and something in his expression changed, something protective.

My wolf whimpered again, louder this time, and to my horror, I felt tears sting my eyes.

"Why do you fear me?" he asked quietly.

"Because everyone does," I breathed.

The silence between us was suffocating.

Zane's eyes darkened, and his voice dropped lower. "They hurt you often, don't they?"

I swallowed hard. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters," he said, so firmly it startled me.

For a heartbeat, I saw it, the flicker of something human behind the Supreme Alpha's mask. Then he turned away, his shoulders rigid.

"Go back to your quarters," he said finally. "Before I forget I'm trying to be merciful."

He started to walk away, but I couldn't move because my wolf was howling inside me, calling his name, not with fear, but with longing. I pressed a hand to my chest, breathless. Something was wrong. The pull was stronger now, almost painful.

He paused, as if hearing it too. Then he turned his head slightly, and for the briefest moment, our eyes met again. Something ancient sparked in the space between us, something neither of us could fight.

And then suddenly we both heard a crash. It echoed from deeper inside the castle. A low growl followed, distant but fierce.

Zane's head snapped toward the sound, his posture shifting instantly into that of the predator, the Alpha, the ruler.

"Stay here," he commanded.

But before I could answer, he was gone, disappearing down the hall like a shadow swallowed by darkness. I pressed my back against the cold wall, shaking.

And deep inside, my wolf whispered what I didn't dare admit out loud.

He's not just watching you, Raina.

He's bound to you.