The morning sun poured through the small, cracked window of Kiera’s room, but she didn’t feel its warmth. She sat on the bed, knees pulled up to her chest, trying to piece herself together after last night. Her thoughts were heavy, and the silence in the room felt like it was choking her.

A knock on the door snapped her out of her haze. She flinched and sat up straight, wiping her face quickly. Before she could answer, the door creaked open, and a maid stepped in. The woman’s face was stern, her eyes sharp as they scanned Kiera.

“Get up,” the maid said, setting a tray of food on the small wooden table. “Eat quickly. Alpha Ryker has sent word.”

Kiera’s stomach tightened at the mention of his name. She forced herself to nod, though she didn’t feel like eating. “What… what does he want?”

The maid crossed her arms, watching her with a cold gaze. “He says you’re to join the other slaves in the fields. You start today.”

Kiera’s heart sank. The fields. She’d heard the whispers about how harsh the work was, how cruel the overseers could be. Her fingers trembled as she picked up a piece of bread from the tray.

“After you eat, put this on,” the maid said, tossing a rough, plain dress onto the bed. It was dull brown, with patches and tears that spoke of its use. “This is your new uniform. You’ll wear it from now on.”

Kiera looked at the dress, her throat tightening. She didn’t argue. She didn’t ask questions. She simply nodded again.

The maid smirked slightly, as if pleased with her silence. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. Don’t make me wait.” With that, she left the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Kiera forced herself to eat, though every bite felt like it would come back up. When the tray was empty, she reached for the dress, running her fingers over the rough fabric. She swallowed the lump in her throat and changed quickly, feeling a sharp sting of humiliation as the scratchy material pressed against her skin.

The maid returned, looking her over with a curt nod. “Come. I’ll take you to the fields.”

They walked in silence through the winding hallways of the estate, the grandeur of the palace mocking Kiera’s plain, degrading attire. When they stepped outside, the bright sun made her squint, and the heat hit her like a wave.

The fields stretched out before them, filled with slaves bent over rows of crops. Overseers with whips paced back and forth, shouting orders and striking anyone who moved too slowly. Kiera’s heart raced as she took it all in.

“This is where you’ll be working,” the maid said, her tone indifferent. She pointed to a group of women planting seeds in the dirt. “Start over there.”

Kiera nodded, keeping her head down as she made her way to the group. The other slaves barely glanced at her, too focused on their tasks. She knelt in the dirt and began working, her fingers already sore from gripping the tools.

It wasn’t long before she felt eyes on her.

She glanced up and saw a guard watching her. He was young, with a smug grin and a leering gaze. His uniform marked him as new, and his arrogance was clear in the way he carried himself.

“Hey, you,” he called, walking toward her.

Kiera froze, her hands tightening on the tool in her grasp. She didn’t respond, hoping he’d lose interest.

But he didn’t. He stopped in front of her, crossing his arms as he looked her up and down. “You’re new here, huh?”

Kiera nodded, keeping her gaze on the ground. “I’m just here to work,” she said quietly.

The guard chuckled, a low, mocking sound. “Work? That’s cute. But you see, we have our own rules around here. And Alpha Ryker lets us… enjoy ourselves with the slaves.”

Kiera’s stomach churned. She shook her head, still not meeting his eyes. “I’m not here for that. I’m only here to do what I’m told.”

The guard’s smile disappeared. His expression darkened, and his hand shot out, grabbing her by the arm. He yanked her to her feet, his grip bruising.

“You think you can talk to me like that?” he hissed, his face inches from hers. “You’re nothing but a filthy slave. You don’t get to decide anything.”

Kiera’s breath hitched as she tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.

“Alpha Ryker lets us do what we want,” the guard continued, his voice dripping with malice. “And you’re no exception.”

Panic clawed at Kiera’s chest as he began pulling her toward the estate. She stumbled after him, her mind racing.

“Let me go,” she pleaded, her voice shaking. “Please—”

“Shut up,” he snapped, tightening his hold. “You’ll learn your place soon enough.”

As they approached the doors, Kiera’s heart sank. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to stop him.

But before they could go any further, a shadow loomed over them.

“Alpha!.”

The guard froze. His head whipped around, and Kiera followed his gaze.

Alpha Ryker stood a few feet away, his arms crossed and his eyes colder than she’d ever seen them. The air around him felt heavy, oppressive.

“What are you doing?” Ryker asked, his voice calm but deadly.

Darius stammered, his grip loosening on Kiera. “I—I was just… taking her to—”

“To your room?” Ryker finished for him, his tone icy.

Darius’s face paled. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.

Ryker stepped closer, his gaze never leaving the guard. “Did I give you permission to take her anywhere?”

“N-no, Alpha,” Darius stuttered.

Ryker’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Then explain to me why you thought it was a good idea.”

Darius let go of Kiera and took a step back, his hands trembling. “I didn’t mean—”

“Silence,” Ryker snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut.

The guard flinched, his head bowing.

Ryker turned to Kiera, his expression unreadable. “Are you hurt?”

Kiera shook her head quickly, though her heart was still racing.

Ryker’s eyes flicked back to Darius. “You’ve overstepped your bounds,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “And you’ll pay for it.”

Darius fell to his knees, trembling. “Please, Alpha… I didn’t mean to—”

“I said silence,” Ryker barked.

The guard clamped his mouth shut, his body shaking.

Ryker’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before he turned back to Kiera. “Go back to the fields,” he ordered, his tone softer but still firm. “You’re not done yet.”

Kiera nodded and hurried away, not daring to look back.

As she returned to her work, the sounds of the overseers’ shouts and the slaves’ murmurs surrounded her once again. But her mind was elsewhere, replaying the encounter over and over.

Ryker’s coldness, his authority—it was terrifying. But for a brief moment, she felt… protected, She felt safe.

She hit her head with her hand, “So stupid!” How could she feel safe with this devil?

She shook the thought from her mind and focused on the task at hand. Whatever feelings she had didn’t matter. She was a slave, and he was the Alpha.

And in this world, power meant everything.

Kiera was in her small corner of the servant quarters, her body sore from the day’s work. Every muscle ached, and her hands were rough from the tools she’d been forced to use. She tried to relax, but her mind kept replaying Darius’ actions in the field, and worse—Ryker’s cold, piercing eyes.

As the sun began to set, a knock came at her door. Kiera froze. She didn’t know who to expect, but her heart raced as she got up and opened it. One of the older maids stood there, her face blank and her voice steady.

“The Alpha requests your presence in his chambers,” she said simply.

Kiera’s stomach dropped. Her hands trembled as she nodded, too afraid to question it. She quickly washed up and tried to look presentable, though she doubted it would matter to him.

The walk to Ryker’s chambers felt like an eternity. The palace was quiet, with only a few servants moving about. When she finally reached his door, the guards outside stepped aside without a word, their expressions unreadable.

She took a deep breath and knocked softly.

“Enter,” came his deep, commanding voice.

Kiera pushed the heavy door open and stepped inside. The room was massive, lit by a roaring fire that cast shadows on the stone walls. The air smelled of cedar and something darker, something that made her pulse quicken.

Ryker was standing by the window, his back to her. He turned slowly when she entered, his eyes cold and unreadable.

“Kiera,” he said, his voice low but sharp. “Come closer.”

She obeyed, her steps hesitant. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stopped a few feet away from him.

“Tell me,” he began, his tone mocking. “Did you want that guard?”

Kiera’s eyes widened in shock. “No, Alpha. I didn’t—”

He cut her off with a raised hand. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I swear,” she said, her voice trembling. “I was just working, and he… he came to me. I didn’t do anything to encourage him.”

Ryker studied her for a long moment, his gaze intense and unreadable. Then he smirked, but there was no warmth in it.

“Take off your clothes,” he said.

Kiera’s breath caught. “What?”

“You heard me,” he said, his voice hardening. “Take them off. Now.”

Her hands shook as she reached for the ties of her dress. She hesitated, her fear holding her back.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Ryker warned, his tone dangerous.

Tears pricked her eyes as she untied the dress and let it fall to the floor. She stood there, exposed and vulnerable, her arms instinctively wrapping around herself.

“Crawl to the bed,” he commanded.

Kiera froze, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“On all fours,” he added, his voice like ice. “Crawl to the bed.”

Her body moved before her mind could protest. She dropped to her hands and knees, her skin burning with humiliation as she began to crawl. The stone floor was cold against her palms and knees, and every inch she moved felt like an eternity.

Ryker’s footsteps were slow and deliberate as he walked behind her. She could feel his presence, the weight of his gaze on her.

When she was halfway to the bed, he spoke again.

“Stop.”

She froze in place, her body trembling.

Without warning, his hand came down hard on her butt cheeks, the sound echoing through the room. She gasped, her body jolting forward from the force.

“That’s for letting another man think he could touch you,” Ryker said, his voice low and menacing.

Kiera’s cheeks burned, both from the sting of the slap and the shame of his words.

“Keep going,” he said.

She resumed crawling, her movements slow and hesitant. When she finally reached the bed, she stopped, unsure of what to do next.

“Get on the bed,” he ordered.

She climbed onto the soft mattress, her body stiff with fear. She sat on her knees, her arms still crossed over her chest.

Ryker moved to stand in front of her, his eyes raking over her. He tilted her chin up with a finger, forcing her to look at him.

“Do you know why you’re here?” he asked.

She shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. “No, Alpha.”

“You’re here because you need to understand something,” he said. “You belong to me. Not to him. Not to anyone else. Me.”

Kiera nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “I understand, Alpha.”

“That's a Good girl,” he said, his tone softening just slightly. “Because if I ever see another man look at you the way he did, there will be consequences. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Alpha,” she said quickly.

Ryker’s hand moved to her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. But his eyes remained cold, his power and control unmistakable.

“You’re mine, Kiera,” he said, his voice low and firm. “Never forget that.”

She nodded again, her body trembling under his gaze.

Ryker stepped back, his expression unreadable. “You may leave,” he said finally.

Kiera scrambled to gather her clothes and quickly dressed, her movements frantic. She didn’t dare look at him as she left the room, her heart racing and her mind spinning.

Kiera’s hands shook as she finished dressing, pulling the fabric tight around her. Her heart was still racing from what just happened. Her mind tried to process it all—Ryker’s coldness, the way he ordered her around, and how he slapped her. She didn’t know if she was scared or angry, but something inside her twisted.

She could still feel the heat of his gaze burning on her, making her skin crawl. The way he looked at her like she was nothing but an object, his property. She had no choice but to obey, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

As she walked toward the door, she kept her head down, not daring to look back at Ryker. Her body still trembled, but she didn’t let herself break down. Not here, not now.

When she stepped out into the hall, the weight of what just happened hung over her like a dark cloud. Her body ached, her mind was confused, and the fear of what he might do next gnawed at her.

Kiera told herself she had to stay strong. Whatever this was, she had to survive it. But deep down, she knew—she was at his mercy now, and there was no turning back.