My heart thundered so loudly I could feel it in my throat.

I tried to keep my breathing steady, tried not to show the fear burning in my chest, but my whole body was shaking. Leon stood in front of me, tall and calm, his eyes locked on mine with a darkness that made my stomach twist.

He didn't move at first.

He just stared - almost like he could read every thought in my head.

Then he finally rose to his feet.

For a moment, I thought he was going to drag me back to the bed or pin me against the wall. My hands balled into fists as I prepared myself for anything.

Instead, he walked away.

Straight to the wooden drawer pressed against the wall.

My breath caught.

My mind screamed.

Aaron had a drawer like that too...

That was where he kept his sharp tools.

His ropes.

His needles.

His belt.

My throat tightened painfully.

My knees trembled.

My vision blurred with old memories I wanted to forget.

Leon pulled out a small box - the same size as the one Aaron used to carry.

The same shape.

The same color.

My heart nearly stopped.

My fingers slid slowly toward the ceramic jug on the table.

I didn't want to die helpless.

I didn't want to be beaten again.

If Leon tried to hurt me...

If he tried anything at all...

I would crack his skull open first.

My grip on the jug tightened with every step he took closer.

My breath grew shallow.

Sweat gathered in my palms.

Just one moment.

One wrong move from him and I would swing.

He reached me.

Stopped in front of me.

Then he opened the box.

My arm froze in mid–air.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Inside the box... there were no knives.

No needles.

No ropes.

Only bandages.

Ointments.

Clean cloths.

Medical herbs.

My chest rose sharply.

The jug slipped from my weak fingers and dropped loudly to the floor.

I just stared at him... frozen... trembling...

While he calmly took out the items and knelt beside me.

He didn't shout.

He didn't force me.

He didn't even look angry that I tried to hit him.

He simply reached for my knee, the one swollen and bruised from Aaron's kicks, and began gently cleaning the wound.

I stared at him in shock.

His touch was warm.

Soft.

Almost too gentle for a man who looked like he could break bones with his bare hands.

My heartbeat slowly steadied.

He knew I was going to attack him - he must have been watching my every move - and yet he didn't even react. He just focused on the wounds, rubbing ointment across my torn skin with slow, careful motions.

He didn't treat me like an object.

He treated me like I mattered.

His deep voice cut through the silence.

"I won't hurt you, Brenda."

He didn't even look up, but his voice shook me deeply.

It was thick.

Low.

Sincere.

My fingers loosened.

My shoulders dropped.

I slowly let go of the fear long enough to breathe again.

I placed the jug gently back on the ground.

He paused.

Then looked at me.

For the first time, I understood the look in his eyes - and it scared me even more than any threat could.

His eyes were soft.

Apologetic.

Like he hated himself for something he did or something he wished he could change.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," he whispered.

My throat tightened.

I didn't want those words to touch me, but they did.

They hit the deepest part of me - the part that had always hoped someone... anyone... would come.

Just once.

But hope is dangerous.

Hope is deadly.

Hope is a lie.

I swallowed it quickly.

"Nobody does anything for free," I said harshly. "Why did you bring me here?"

Leon wrapped the bandage around my leg with slow, practiced movements, then smiled faintly.

"Because I can't stand to see you get hurt like that."

I scoffed loudly.

"You just want to get fucked. Wasn't that night enough for you?"

His smile fell instantly.

He rose to stand in front of me, jaw tight.

"Brenda," he said quietly, "sex or no sex... I would have saved anyone in your position. You were being mistreated. Badly."

I let out a cold, bitter laugh and pushed myself to my feet.

Pain shot through my ribs but I ignored it.

"If that's the case, you should've brought every girl at Alpha Aaron's mansion," I snapped. "Then maybe your story would make sense."

I walked past him, ready to leave the room, but before I could take two steps, his hand wrapped tightly around my arm.

His voice was firm.

"I don't care if you believe me or not. But you're safe here."

I turned slowly, staring at his hand gripping my arm.

His fingers were warm... steady... almost protective.

Not violent like Aaron's.

His grey eyes held mine.

"Let. Me. Go," I ordered.

Instead, his grip tightened slightly - not to hurt me, but to keep me still.

"I'm sorry, Brenda," he said softly, "but you're my responsibility now. And it's my duty to protect you. I can't let you leave."

Something snapped inside me.

I screamed, full of anger.

"So imprisoning me makes you a protector?! So you think-"

I didn't even finish my sentence.

Leon suddenly lifted me off the ground with one strong arm under my legs and one behind my back.

A sharp gasp escaped me.

I panicked and grabbed him tightly around his neck, squeezing with all my strength so I wouldn't fall. My eyes were squeezed tightly.

My heart hammered violently.

"Put me down!" I yelled, terrified.

He didn't.

Instead... he smiled.

A soft, teasing smile.

"You always pretend to be strong," he said quietly, brushing a thumb over my hair. "But you're just afraid of heights, aren't you?"

My face burned in shame.

I opened my eyes slowly - and froze when I saw how close we were.

His breath brushed my cheeks.

His chest rose and fell against mine.

His scent - warm, masculine, almost intoxicating - filled my lungs.

For a second, everything stopped.

He looked at me like he could see straight through me.

His grip on me slowly tightened, pulling me even closer.

A heat I didn't understand rushed through my stomach.

"No," I whispered internally. "Don't feel anything. Don't feel anything."

But my heart didn't listen.

My voice cracked.

"Let me go."

"Sure," he said lightly, loosening his arms as if he was really going to drop me hard against the floor. 

I panicked and clung to him tighter, my arms locking around his neck.

His soft laugh vibrated through his chest.

"I thought so," he whispered, pulling me securely against him again.

He walked to the bed with slow, steady steps, then lowered me gently onto the soft mattress. One of his arms stayed behind my head so it wouldn't hit the bed too hard.

He tucked the blanket around me like I was fragile glass.

He touched my head softly.

"Stop acting strong around me," he whispered. "From now on... let me be your strength."

Then he walked away.

My heart thundered like drums as I watched him leave the room.

The moment I heard the door slam shut, I sat up sharply, ignoring the pain stabbing through my ribs and wrist.

I pulled the blanket off and stumbled toward the window.

Locked.

I didn't stop.

I pushed.

And pushed.

And pushed harder.

Pain exploded through my whole body - my wrist felt like it was breaking - but I didn't stop.

I pushed until the window finally cracked open.

Cold wind hit my face.

I held my breath.

Then I jumped.

My feet hit the ground painfully.

My leg bent awkwardly.

My ribs screamed.

But I didn't stop.

I couldn't let Leon cage me.

I ran.

Straight into the darkness of the night.

Outside was nothing like the warm room behind me.

The air was cold.

The woods looked alive, their shapes twisting into frightening shadows.

I walked deeper and deeper, forcing my shaking legs to keep moving.

The forest grew darker with every step.

No guards followed me.

Leon barely had any.

I slipped out easily.

But now I was alone.

Alone in a forest that felt like it wanted to swallow me whole.

The moon hid behind thick clouds.

The trees towered over me like giants.

The night sounds grew louder... sharper... more dangerous.

My breathing became uneven.

My body trembled from cold and fear.

I didn't know where I was going.

I didn't know where the road was.

I didn't know if I would survive.

Then I heard it.

A soft... low... dangerous growl.

Right behind me.

My blood turned to ice.

I turned slowly, shaking so hard my knees almost buckled.

My heart dropped.

A pack of black wolves stood behind me.

Their eyes glowed.

Their teeth shined.

Their bodies were tense with hunger.

One stepped forward.

Then another.

I stumbled back, breath shaking.

My lips parted in a trembling whisper.

"No... no... please..."

The wolves lowered their heads...

And prepared to attack.

My legs trembled so much it felt like the ground was shaking under me.

I took slow steps backward, never turning my back to the wolves.

Their growls grew louder... deeper... hungrier.

I could feel their breath brushing my skin even before they jumped.

And they jumped together.

Like they rehearsed it.

Like they waited all night for this moment.

I screamed as they rushed toward me.

My legs wouldn't move. 

Just when I tried to force it my feet slipped on the wet leaves.

My back hit the cold ground.

I shut my eyes tight as their paws hit the soil around me.

I thought that was it.

I thought this was how I would die - alone and unwanted in the middle of a cold forest.

But then-

A sharp, cracking sound ripped through the air.

A wolf cried out in pain.

I opened my eyes slightly... blinking through the blur... and saw a shadow moving faster than any human ever could.

I blinked again.

My vision cleared.

And I saw him.

Leon.

He was fighting three wolves at once.

Claws slashed across his skin.

Teeth snapped at his throat.

But he moved with a speed that didn't seem real.

His body twisted sharply.

His arm swung with deadly force.

He tore into their hides like they were nothing.

I lay frozen on the ground, my body trembling, but my fear began to shift into something else.

Shock.

Confusion.

A strange, cold ache that made no sense.

Leon was strong... stronger than any alpha I had seen.

He moved like a storm - fast, dangerous, unstoppable.

But the wolves were not weak either.

They attacked together.

They bit his legs.

They clawed at his sides.

But he still didn't stop.

Not once.

He fought like he was protecting something more precious than his own life.

He fought like he was protecting-Me.

One by one, the wolves fell.

Their bodies hit the ground with heavy thuds until finally-

Only Leon was left standing.

His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths.

Sweat dripped down his face.

His back was turned to me.

My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.

I saw his shoulders shaking.

I saw his fists clenched.

I saw his rage... like a fire burning under his skin.

I curled myself tighter on the ground.

My lips parted, but nothing came out.

Then-

A sudden movement.

A shadow breaking through the bushes.

A wolf I didn't see earlier jumped out of the darkness, teeth bared, running straight for Leon's back.

"WATCH OUT!" I screamed with everything in me.

My voice cracked with fear.

Leon turned - but it was too late.

The wolf sank its teeth deep into his shoulder, slicing through  Leon's back with claws.

Leon's scream tore through the night.

Not a weak sound.

Not a cry.

But a roar filled with pain.

And fury.

He grabbed the wolf and slammed it against a tree.

They rolled across the ground, biting and clawing.

This wolf was different.

Stronger.

Faster.

More vicious.

Leon was bleeding heavily now.

His breaths were unstable.

His movements grew slower with each second.

I watched him fight until my own lungs hurt.

But finally-

With one last burst of strength, he grabbed the wolf by the neck...

...and slammed it so hard the forest shook.

The wolf fell still.

Leon staggered forward, barely standing.

His legs trembled violently.

His breathing was sharp and uneven.

Yet he still tried to walk toward me.

I stood slowly, bracing myself.

I expected anger.

I expected shouting.

I expected him to grab me and throw me against a wall like Aaron used to.

My fists clenched hard.

"I-" I began to speak, ready for whatever came.

But his voice cut through my fear.

Soft.

Weak.

Barely above a whisper.

"Are you okay?"

My fists loosened instantly.

My entire body softened.

My heart stilled.

I looked into his eyes, searching for anger, searching for violence... searching for anything that looked like Aaron.

But there was none.

All I saw was disappointment...

And something that felt dangerously like worry.

He didn't shout.

He didn't blame me.

He didn't even look at my face too long, like he was afraid of scaring me again.

He simply took off his long robe, stepped close to me, and wrapped it gently around my shoulders.

Slow movements.

Shaky but careful hands.

He couldn't even look me in the eye. His silence weighed heavier on me.

Something sharp pierced my chest.

I didn't want kindness.

Not this kind.

Not from him.

Anger I could handle.

Pain I understood.

Violence I was used to.

But this-

This made me feel guilty.

This... hurt me more than any hit Aaron ever gave me.

I stayed silent as he adjusted the robe around my neck, making sure it covered me fully.

"Let's go," he said quietly.

But his voice shook.

That shake scared me more than the wolves.

"He's an alpha," I told myself silently. "A wolf cut shouldn't be so bad. He should heal fast... shouldn't he?"

We walked through the woods.

I could hear the leaves crunching under his unstable steps.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Then-

A loud thud behind me.

I spun around.

Leon lay on the ground, completely unconscious.

"LEON!" I screamed, running to him.

My heart pounded so violently it hurt.

I hadn't felt this kind of fear since the day my father abandoned me.

I lifted his head and placed it on my chest.

His skin felt cold.

His breaths were barely there.

"Leon... wake up," I whispered, slapping his cheek gently.

"Please... wake up."

But he didn't move.

My hands shook as I touched his shoulder.

My palms came back covered in blood.

"No," I whispered.

"No... no... no..."

He should've healed.

Why wasn't he healing?

I turned him slightly and saw the wound on his back.

It was black.

Dead-looking.

He was poisoned.

Wolfsbane.

A cold wave rushed through my stomach.

If he died...

It would be because of me.

I grabbed him from under his arms and dragged him through the woods with all the strength I had.

His weight pulled my muscles apart.

My ribs felt like they were cracking.

My wounds reopened and warm blood dripped down my sides.

But I didn't feel any of it.

I only felt fear.

"HELP US!" I screamed into the forest.

No one answered.

My voice broke.

"HELP!" I screamed again, louder.

My throat burned.

My chest ached.

My legs shook violently.

"I stopped crying three years ago," I whispered to myself.

"I don't know how to cry anymore..."

But inside, something felt like it was breaking open.

Finally-

I heard faint voices.

"Alpha Leon!" someone shouted in the distance.

Lights flashed through the trees.

Relief washed over me so suddenly I almost collapsed.

"OVER HERE!" I screamed with the last strength I had.

Guards rushed to him.

They lifted him from my hands.

The physicians carried him into the palace.

I sat outside the room, unable to breathe, unable to think.

I could hear him screaming from inside.

Every scream felt like it tore through my own skin.

Every cry felt like a stab to my chest.

This was my fault.

All of it.

Hours passed.

Maybe more.

Finally the physician stepped out with a tired sigh.

"He should survive," he said. "But he is weak. Very weak."

I didn't wait for more.

I pushed the door open.

My legs shook as I walked in.

Leon lay on the bed, breathing heavily.

His chest rose and fell with pain.

His lips were pale.

His skin was cold.

I froze at the sight.

Something inside me fell apart.

I moved closer, step by step.

My throat burned.

My heart felt too heavy for my chest.

I reached out and placed my hand softly over his.

His skin was warm but weak.

A terrible thought crossed my mind.

He wouldn't be here if he hadn't tried to stop me.

And if he kept trying to protect me...

He might get hurt again.

I shouldn't wait till alpha Aaron comes for me. Because I knew he's capable of destroying everything just to get what he wants.

Worse.

My heart broke quietly.

I knew what I had to do.

I had to leave.

I turned slowly, ready to walk away while he was too weak to stop me.

But then-

A soft grip wrapped weakly around my wrist.

I froze instantly.

My breath caught in my throat.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't think.

I didn't know what I felt - fear, guilt, pain, relief... maybe all of them at once.

His voice came out broken... soft... fragile.

"Don't go..."

Another breath.

"Don't leave me again, Brenda..."

My heart shattered.

Completely.

I sat on the cold floor, hugging my knees. My chin rested on them as if all the strength in my bones had collapsed. My eyes were open, but everything looked far away... like the world was happening behind a glass wall.

I kept replaying it.

His voice.

His face.

The way his words sliced into the parts of me I thought were long dead.

"Don't leave me again."

The way his voice cracked when he said it...

It shook me. It broke something inside me.

And I hated that.

I hated that I felt anything at all.

For years, pain was the only thing strong enough to keep me alive.

Pain sharpened me.

Hatred kept me breathing.

But tonight, everything got mixed-pity, guilt, confusion, weakness. Emotions I threw away long ago came crawling back like hungry shadows.

I dug my nails into my skin.

"No," I whispered to myself. "I can't fall again. Not here. Not because of him."

Leon was dangerous for me. Not because he was powerful-but because he made me feel.

If I stayed, I would get weaker.

If I stayed, I would forget my purpose.

If I stayed... the people who destroyed my life would walk free.

I lifted my head slowly, staring at nothing.

"I will make him send me away," I whispered.

My voice trembled, but the decision was firm.

"If he refuses to let me go, then I will force him to."

The night air was silent when I pushed his door open.

Slammed it, actually.

I wanted chaos.

I wanted noise.

I wanted him annoyed.

But the moment the door flew open, I stopped breathing.

He sat on the edge of the bed, shirtless, his back facing me.

White bandages wrapped around fresh wounds.

Old scars crossed his skin like forgotten stories.

He looked like a man who had survived too many battles alone.

For one second, my revenge plan paused.

Seeing his injuries made something inside me twist painfully.

I swallowed the feeling quickly and walked in.

He didn't turn.

He didn't flinch.

He knew I entered-he always knew.

I moved until I knelt right in front of him. Our eyes met.

His gaze was tired, deep, unreadable... but far too calm for a man who should be furious at me.

I forced a soft smile.

"Let's get married."

His eyes widened.

The shock in his face almost made me burst into nervous laughter.

He said nothing, so I continued.

"You're doing all this because you want me. Fine. You can have me. But on one condition..."

I took a deep breath.

"...you'll let me go back to Aaron's side for six months. After that, I'll return. I'll marry you. I'll stay forever."

His jaw tightened.

His shoulders stiffened.

His breath changed.

"No."

His voice was gentle. Too gentle.

"I won't let you go."

I felt irritation crawl up my spine.

"Listen, if you insist on keeping me here, I will keep trying to escape. If you let me go, I promise I'll come back."

"No."

He didn't shout.

He didn't argue.

He just refused.

I stood immediately, anger exploding through me.

"I tried to be reasonable because you got hurt saving me, but you want it the hard way."

I stepped closer, glaring into his unmoving eyes.

"If you don't let me go, I swear I will make your life unbearable."

Then I stormed out before the emotions in my chest could betray me.

The next morning, I sat in front of the maids like a commander inspecting soldiers.

They stood in a straight line, hands folded, heads down.

"You," I said, pointing at one in the middle.

She flinched.

"Tell me everything you know about your Alpha."

They all exchanged confused glances. Maybe they expected me to ask for food or clothes, not information.

The chosen maid finally spoke.

"Since we started serving here, the Alpha... he's always been alone. He rarely speaks to us. But Madam Clarita knows him best. She raised him."

My eyes narrowed with interest.

Another maid added quickly, "He loves Madam Clarita like a mother."

Ah.

There it was.

A weakness.

I smiled slowly.

If something happened to the nanny he adored, he'd be too distracted to notice me slipping out of this mansion forever.

I asked, "Apart from Madam Clarita, who else is dear to him?"

They hesitated.

Then one spoke boldly, "The Alpha has never brought any woman here. You are the first, you must be really special to him."

My heart skipped in confusion.

I don't know why that comment hit me so hard.

I didn't want it to.

But something warm tried to move inside me.

I cleared my throat.

"I didn't ask about his love life," I muttered and walked away awkwardly.

But my cheeks were warm.

I hated it.

---

I went to the back of the mansion, where the maids said Madam Clarita often stayed.

I heard a loud clap-wood hitting wood.

When I stepped in, I saw the nanny frowning at two crying maids.

She slammed a plank against the table again.

"Recook this! The young master does not eat shrimps! How many times must I repeat myself?"

Her voice was sharp enough to cut metal.

Her grey hair was tied neatly behind her head.

She looked old but strong enough to break a bone with her bare hands.

Then she turned and saw me.

The glare she shot me made my heart jump.

I came to use her against Leon, but now I was the one frozen.

She walked toward me with the speed of a storm.

Stopped right in front of me.

Stared into my soul without blinking.

Before I could speak, she grabbed my ear.

I screamed.

She dragged me across the kitchen like a stubborn child.

I was too shocked to even resist.

She stopped in front of half-chopped vegetables.

Then she slapped a knife into my hand.

"Leon got hurt because you were stubborn," she said.

"If you want to leave so badly, fine. But first, cook him a proper meal to thank him for saving your life."

I stood there, useless, stunned.

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out.

Her authority felt heavier than Leon's.

She held my wrist and placed the knife firmly in my palm.

"Revenge is good," she said bluntly, "but you need power to fight power. Right now, you are only digging your grave."

My eyes widened.

My heart raced.

How did she know?

Did Leon tell her?

Did he know my plans already?

Questions flooded my head, but she kept talking.

"I was there the night you arrived," she said softly. "I tended to your wounds myself. I heard you scream in your sleep. I know you hate him. If you return to where you came from, it can only be for revenge."

My chest tightened.

Tears threatened to fall, so I turned away quickly and blinked hard.

She continued, "If you couldn't fight him while you were under his roof, what makes you think you will defeat him by going back weaker than you left?"

Her words hit me harder than any slap.

I stood still, breathing heavily as memories of my past flashed through my mind-my pain, my suffering, everything I had buried.

She put her hand on my arm gently.

"Chop those vegetables. The young master is hungry."

Then she walked away.

Her words didn't follow me.

They stabbed me.

Tears slid down my face before I could stop them.

She didn't know what I had gone through.

She didn't know how deep my hatred ran.

She had no right to speak to me like that.

"You don't understand," I whispered with my voice trembling.

"You don't know how much I've suffered."

My whole body shook with anger.

Her voice came again from behind, calm but firm:

"And you don't know how much the young master has sacrificed for you."

I froze.

She didn't wait for me to ask questions.

She simply left me there, alone with a knife and a mountain of emotions clawing at my chest.

Tears fell faster.

"His sacrifices are nothing compared to my revenge," I whispered.

"I will leave this place. Even if I have to break everything to do it."

My hand tightened around the knife.

"I will leave... even if I have to kill someone to get out."

The knife stabbed into the cutting board with a sharp, angry sound.

The vegetables shook.

But my resolve... it stood still.

The war inside me had just begun.