"If there's nothing more to add... leave my presence, you old men. I want to be alone," Rollo said, his voice icy , and his cold eyes narrowing at the council of elders.

The men stiffened, glancing at one another before lowering their heads. Not a word escaped their lips. Slowly, and carefully, they turned and filed out of the chamber, the scrape of their sandals against the stone floor echoing in the silence they left behind.

Rollo's gaze followed them until the door clicked shut. At last, the room was his alone,

No sooner had the elders left, a knock slammed against door. Rollo hissed, wondering who dared disturb him.

"Who the hell is that?" Alpha Rollo demanded.

"It's me, Soren," that was the voice of his trusted guards.

"Come in, Soren," Rollo said.

Soren entered quietly and bowed, his expression unreadable.

"You're fast. Did you get the item?" Alpha Rollo asked, his eyes narrowing.

"She's here," Soren replied simply.

Rollo's gaze sharpened. "Bring her in... I want to see what she looks like."

Soren bowed again and left the chamber. The echo of his footsteps faded, replaced by tense silence. Moments later, the door opened, and Soren returned, with Freya.

Soren made her kneel. She obeyed, but her eyes stayed locked on Alpha Rollo's, fearless and unwavering. He studied her, intrigued by the boldness in her gaze, the way she looked at him without flinching.

Yet beneath that fearless facade, fear churned deep inside her. Every nerve screamed in warning. She had heard the stories of Alpha Rollo... The Lone Wolf, feared across lands for his ruthlessness. And now, here she was, kneeling before him, with her heart hammering.

Rollo's gaze stayed fixed on Freya, studying her every movement, every blink. Who was this girl who dared look him in the eye without flinching? Everyone knew who he was.

The tales of Alpha Rollo, The Lone Wolf, spread fear across every village, every town. People trembled at his name. Yet here she was, kneeling before him, unafraid... or at least, appearing so.

But something gnawed at him. Her face revealed nothing. No fear, no respect, no submission.

Even her posture gave nothing away. He searched her eyes, scanning for any flicker of emotion, any hint of thought he could read... but there was nothing. Like a wall, she offered him only stillness, and silence. And the more he looked, the more the curiosity inside him grew. Who was this girl who dared to meet the gaze of The Lone Wolf and give nothing back?

He hadn't seen a woman so fierce, so unyielding. And yet, her parents had given her to him. Perhaps she had always been stubborn.

"This is Freya. She is an ex-Luna... she used to be the Luna of the Goldside Pack," Soren announced.

Rollo's eyes narrowed as he studied her. An ex-Luna, that explained much. No wonder he couldn't read her emotions. Her calm, fearless facade wasn't just defiance... it was control, honed from years of leadership and command.

She had learned to hide everything, to give nothing away.

Still, something about her unsettled him. The way she met his gaze without fear, the way she remained perfectly still even in his presence... it was rare. Very few dared to challenge him like this, and even fewer survived the encounter unshaken. Freya was different, and he intended to discover why.

"Take her to the room prepared for her. Make sure the maids see to her every need. And ensure she has a proper shower," he instructed.

He lingered, a predatory gleam in his eyes, as if already mapping out the control he would exert. His plans for her were clear and cold... she was to be added to the collection of his pleasures, a possession to satisfy his desires. She would have no choice in the matter.

They took her away and handed her over to the maids, who moved quickly to clean her off. She had acted brave earlier, standing in front of the Lone Wolf without flinching. But the moment she faced him, her breath caught.

This was the first time she saw the Lone Wolf himself. Until now, it had always been his beta who visited her pack for meetings and announcements. Facing the real man was nothing like she imagined.

She was directed to a good room, treated with quiet respect because they knew she used to be Luna in the neighboring pack. No one dared handle her carelessly. After she finished bathing, the maids dressed her quickly and left as soon as their work was done. The room fell silent once the door closed.

She sat for a while, trying to steady herself after everything that had happened. Minutes passed slowly. Nothing happened, no one returned, and the stillness pressed on her. Then her stomach rumbled hungrily, pulling her to her feet at last.

She decided she needed to find something to eat, so she stepped out of the room and walked quietly down the hall. Ahead of her, she noticed a fine-looking woman hand a maid a small portion of something. Curious, Freya hid behind a pillar and followed the maid from a distance. The maid didn't look back, until she reached a corner where she poured the portion into a jug.

Freya's instincts stirred. She kept following, and the path led her straight to the chambers of the Lone Wolf. The moment the maid stepped inside, Freya rushed forward, grabbed the jug, and poured everything out. The jug slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.

The maid gasped by this act. Alpha Rollo looked at Freya in pure shock, his eyes narrowing as if trying to understand why she would dare break it.

The maid gasped as the jug shattered, and Freya pointed at the spilled liquid. "It's poison," she said. "I saw her put something into the jug."

Alpha Rollo's eyes shifted to the maid. "Is that true?"

The maid bowed low. "Alpha, no. It's the herbal medicine you instructed Miss Dorcas to prepare."

Rollo's gaze returned to Freya, confusion tightening his expression.

"Herbal medicine," he repeated. "Do you know how rare that tea is? Hard to find. And my jug is too damn expensive, it's a limited product."

Freya swallowed but didn't look away. "I only acted because I thought..."

He raised a hand, stopping her. "The jug is gone. The tea is gone." His voice dropped dangerously. "Tell me, Freya... how should I punish you for the damage you caused?"

I was in total confusion, trying to process everything that had just happened. I stared at the shattered jug and the spilled drink, my mind racing with a mix of fear and disbelief.

Slowly, I raised my head to meet the Lone Wolf's gaze, searching for any sign of anger or judgment in his eyes. His expression was unreadable, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling.

The tension in the room pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. Every nerve in my body screamed for me to stay calm, yet panic churned beneath the surface, and I choose not to show it.

He should be angry, because I had just broken the jug he claimed was rare, expensive, and nearly impossible to replace. I stared at the maid and caught the look on her face, her eyed wide, filled with shock and disbelief... as if I had completely lost my mind.

Her gasp still echoed softly in the chamber, and I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on me. Every second stretched unbearably long as I waited, unsure of what the Lone Wolf would do next.

It's just the way I saw the woman give the portion to the maid earlier, and the way the maid carefully poured it into the jug. Everything about it seemed suspicious to me.

Something didn't feel right, and I couldn't ignore the uneasy knot forming in my stomach. My instincts screamed that the portion wasn't what it seemed... that it could be poison. I acted on that thought, trusting my gut even as fear gripped me. It replayed in my mind, convincing me that I had to intervene before it was too late.

But I thought wrong, it wasn't poison at all, but medicine prepared for Alpha Rollo. If I had stayed out of a matter that wasn't mine, I wouldn't have ended up in this mess.

My heart sank as I realized how my actions, though well-intentioned, had only caused trouble. Yet, I couldn't stop myself from caring... why did I even care for someone who had bought me from my parents, someone I wasn't supposed to feel scared for? My own stubbornness had all collided in one moment of reckless choice.

"I thought it was poison, that's why I threw the jug away," I said truthfully, my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart. But he only scoffed, as if my honesty were an offense.

Is he serious now? I had only spoken my truth, yet that was the expression he gave me, as though I had some hidden motive.

"You just came to this pack a few hours ago, and you've already ruined two things... the medicine, which is rare, and the jug, which is a limited and expensive item," he said.

"I didn't mean to," I said softly, hoping he would understand.

"You all leave me and her," he commanded, and the guards and maid bowed before silently exiting the room. The door clicked shut, leaving us alone. He turned to me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe, like he was assessing me.

"Maybe if you begged me, I'll consider forgiving you," he said, his tone teasing... sounding dangerous.

"I am sorry, forgive me," I replied immediately, not wasting a single moment.

He looked shocked at my quick apology. Apologizing wasn't new to me... I had spent my whole life apologizing, often for things I didn't even do.

*

*

*

He studied Freya's expression carefully, but he couldn't read it. That 'sorry' hadn't come from her heart, yet it didn't seem forced either. It was a strange mix, and it piqued his curiosity even more.

"How long were you a Luna, and why did your husband leave you?" he pressed.

She tilted her head slightly, a hint of defiance in her eyes. "How did you know it was him who left me, and not the other way around?" she asked, her tone calm but challenging.

He looked at her thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing slightly. "With this character and behavior of yours," he said slowly, "no man would ever want to stay close to you."

Freya's eyes flashed, a mixture of disbelief and defiance. "Then why did you want me here, if no man would want to stay close?" she challenged, her voice steady.

He let out a short, incredulous laugh. "I can't believe you actually think you're here to be my Luna," he said, shaking his head.

She could not believe this... that was not what she meant at all. Her thoughts tangled as shock rippled through her, yet she forced herself to remain calm, masking every emotion behind a steady expression.

"Don't get this the wrong way," he said coldly, his voice stripped of any warmth. "You are here to warm my bed."

Hearing this, her breath caught, but she didn't show it.

"I'll add you to the roster," he continued, as though discussing something trivial. "There are turns. When it's your turn, make sure you don't stay silent, but moan aloud... or I won't stop."