Mira was short of breath as she ran through the endless, identical hallway.
Thud! Thud!
Footsteps echoed behind her. She immediately slipped into a dark corridor.
"You hear that?" one of the guards muttered.
"Hear what?" a second asked, glancing around.
"Footsteps." The first guard eased his sword an inch from its scabbard and moved quietly toward the dark corridor.
She whispered a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess, begging not to get caught.
Every instinct screamed to run, but she stayed hidden, knowing one mistake could be her last.
"Forget it," the second guard snapped. "That wing is off limits. You snoop around in there and the Alpha will have your head. Let's go."
She slumped against the wall, finally letting air fill her lungs after they left.
A sound from the dark room behind her stopped her escape.
She was certain she heard Varek's voice.
Carefully, she leaned closer and peeked through the narrow opening.
Inside, two men knelt on the floor, covered in blood and dark bruises. Varek stood over them, still as a statue. His face stayed calm and cold as they begged.
"You swore loyalty and still betrayed the pack. Mercy is what your kind lacks now."
The men's cries grew louder.
"We would never betray the pack, please Alpha, we don't know anything."
"Please… we have families," they begged, hoping to move him, but he remained unfazed.
He turned slightly to the guard beside him.
"Take them away," he said.
The men froze.
"No, please…" one started.
"Lock them in the lower cells," Varek continued, calm as ever. "Give them no food or water until they speak. If that does not work, execute them."
The guards pulled them to their feet.
Their voices rose in panic as they were dragged out, echoing down the corridor.
Mira stepped back from the door, her chest tight.
"You are next," he said.
His gaze locked on the door. A slow, predatory grin spread across his face.
Mira staggered back, heart pounding wildly.
The thought of him knowing she was there sent a sharp chill down her spine.
"He is a monster with a tarnished soul," she thought fiercely.
The words echoed inside her head as her stomach twisted painfully.
"What are you doing here?" a voice suddenly asked behind her.
Mira gasped and spun around.
A tall, broad-shouldered man stood there. Strikingly handsome in a dangerous way. Dark hair fell loosely across his forehead. A sharp jaw, shadowed with stubble, and a thin scar cut through one eyebrow. His piercing amber eyes studied her calmly.
"I… I was trying to find my room," she stuttered.
He said nothing, his amber eyes fixed on her, calm and unreadable.
"I got a bit lost. All the doors look the same, and I thought… I thought this was my room." Her fingers twisted nervously.
"I swear, I didn't mean to overhear anything or spy. I really didn't."
Silence stretched as he studied her face, as if weighing every word.
A scream echoed from inside the room.
"Please… I want to go back," she pleaded, praying he would not turn her in.
"Follow me," he ordered, walking away.
Mira hesitated, then followed.
As they moved through the endless hallway, workers stopped to greet him. That made Mira curious.
He noticed her look.
"My name is Lucien. I'm the Beta of the Blood Moon Pack, and Varek's brother."
"No wonder they look alike," Mira thought.
With Varek, every muscle in her body stayed braced for impact. Lucien felt different. He spoke softly, almost kindly, but stillness lived in his eyes.
Lucien noticed her reaction.
"My brother must have made an impression. Don't worry, he is not usually like that. Kindness is not a luxury we survive on here."
They stopped in front of a heavy wooden door.
"This should be yours."
She hesitated before opening it.
"Thank you."
"You should be more careful with your escape next time. The walls in the Blood Moon Pack have ears," Lucien said with a smirk.
Her heart hammered.
"I… I wasn't trying to escape. I only…" she started.
Lucien left before she could finish, leaving her uncertain.
She sank onto the mattress, chest tight, mind racing.
How did Lucien know she wanted to escape? If he knew, Alpha Varek likely knew too.
Fear curled in her stomach at the thought of ending up like the men Varek punished.
She pressed herself into the mattress and made a silent promise. She would stay patient. She would never admit she tried to run again.
She froze.
Someone else stood in the room.
Varek leaned against the wall, arms folded, eyes sharp and cold.
"Hello there. You could not wait for a proper introduction, and you are already snooping around and making friends with people you should not. It seems I will have to teach you a lesson," he said with a sly grin.
He walked toward her, calm and steady. The way he moved tightened her stomach. Like a hunter closing in.
He grabbed her wrist before she could pull away and placed a cold golden bracelet around it.
"What are you doing? Let go of me," Mira struggled, trying to pull free.
Varek only smiled, watching her for a reaction. Nothing happened.
Her arms stayed strong. Her legs did not shake.
She frowned and tugged at the bracelet again.
Behind her, his smirk faded.
His eyes dropped to the shackle.
Then back to her.
He pushed off the wall and stepped closer, studying her like something had gone wrong.
"You should be on the ground by now," he muttered.
"If you want to kill, then do it. Do not handcuff me like a slave," Mira shouted, unaware of what Varek was doing.
"You also have the power to resist wolfsbane. Who on earth are you?" Varek said, his expression caught between shock and amusement.