Chapter 3

BETRAYAL AND FEAR

My eyes darted toward the window, and my heart stilled as I caught sight of a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness.

The rogue wolf. It hadn’t given up its hunt.

It had found me again.

I gulped down hard, taking a deep breath afterwards, trying to steady myself. Just then, something sharp yanked my hair, and I was violently pulled backward. The ground rushed up to meet me, and I hit it with a painful thud.

I gasped, a cry escaping my lips as I instinctively reached for my head. I twisted to see who had attacked me, and there she was—a girl with fiery eyes and an expression filled with hatred.

Before I could scramble to my feet, she grabbed my hair again, yanking my head painfully backward, her fingers like claws digging into my scalp.

“Who the hell are you?” She spat, her voice dripping with venom. “How dare you touch my Oliver?! You think you can have him? I’ll show you! I’ll kill you!”

I flailed desperately, trying to pry her fingers from my hair, but her grip was too strong. The pain was searing, and all I could do was cry out. “I don’t even know him! I swear, I’m no one! Why would I snatch Oliver from you? You can have him…he’s all yours!”

My words came out in a frantic rush, my only hope that she would let go. I didn’t care who Oliver was to her or why she was so possessive—I just wanted her to stop pulling my hair.

Her face twisted with rage, and I could feel her fingers tighten even more. “Liar! You’ve been plotting this all along, haven’t you? You think you can sneak into our pack and steal him from me?!”

“I don’t want him!” I yelled, my voice cracking with the pain. “I swear!”

Just as I thought she might tear my scalp off, a deep, commanding voice cut through the air. “What’s going on here?”

Her grip loosened instantly, and I collapsed to the ground, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I looked up, dazed, to see the Oliver, I was almost killed for. The girl’s demeanor shifted instantly, and she backed away, her hands trembling slightly.

“Oliver…” She murmured, her voice suddenly soft and pitiful.

Oliver moved toward us, his gaze flicking between the girl and me, but I could see his attention was focused on her. “Hailey” He growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “You know how much I hate repeating myself, so you better start speaking.”

Hailey swallowed hard, visibly shaken. “I…I saw her” She stammered. “I saw her sneaking into the pack. I’m sure she’s a spy sent by the rogues.”

Oliver’s eyes narrowed, and I could feel his stares swallowing me up as it shifted to me. My heart pounded in my chest, terror coursing through my veins.

“She’s not a spy,” he snapped, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “I brought her here myself.”

Hailey’s face twisted with a mix of shock and anger, but she quickly masked it with a gasp, feigning surprise. “She told you that right? But what if she’s lying? What if the rogues sent her to infiltrate our pack?”

“They didn’t” Oliver growled, his patience clearly wearing thin. “She was being attacked by them when I found her. I saved her.”

I watched as Hailey’s expression darkened, but she quickly covered it with an exaggerated look of concern. “But what if that’s exactly what they wanted you to think? What if it’s all a plan to get her into the pack, to spy on us for information?”

Oliver’s jaw clenched, his fists curling at his sides as he glared at Hailey. “Enough.”

Hailey flinched, her expression going sober “I never knew you’d bend your own rules, Alpha,” she said, her voice dripping with manipulative sweetness. “Allowing a rogue into our pack without a proper check. Are you really willing to risk the safety of the pack?”

I saw Oliver’s face darken, his muscles tensing as his fury rose. He turned his attention back to me, and I felt a cold dread settle in my stomach. “You’ll be watched closely” He snarled, his voice cold. “If I find anything suspicious, I’ll snap your head off myself and feed your body to the vampires. Do you understand?”

My throat tightened, and I could only manage a nod.

He let out a low growl, standing abruptly. “Good”

With that, he stormed out of the cot, his footsteps heavy and full of anger. Hailey lingered for a moment, giving me a smug grin before she followed him, leaving me alone and trembling on the floor.

I pulled my knees up to my chest, feeling my heart race uncontrollably. Fear coursed through my body like an unstoppable current, and I couldn’t hold back the tears that burned at the corners of my eyes.

What was I supposed to do now? I should leave but I've got nowhere to go!

I was trapped, surrounded by people who hated me, accused of things I didn’t even understand. And worse, I had somehow become the target of this mad girl’s obsession with her Alpha.

I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. There was no escaping this. No running away. I had to survive, even if it meant enduring this torment.

NEXT MORNING

The door creaked open, startling me from my restless sleep. I looked up to see him Oliver standing in the doorway, his imposing figure blocking the light. His expression was cold and indifferent, as if the events from the night before hadn’t happened at all.

“Get up,” he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion. “You have work to do.”

Scrambling to my feet, I winced as my body protested from the hard floor I had slept on. My muscles ached, and the remnants of last night’s attack still stung. I trailed behind him, trying to match his brisk pace, but his strides were too long, too fast. Couldn’t he slow down for once?

He led me to the edge of the grounds, where the warriors were already gathering for their morning drills. I could feel their eyes on me as we passed, whispers and murmurs trailing in our wake. I kept my head down, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze.

“You’ll assist with the training today” Oliver said curtly, not sparing me a glance.

I nodded silently, my mind buzzing with questions and anxiety. The fear from last night still gripped me tightly, but I forced myself to focus on what was in front of me.

Lucas, one of the head warriors, signaled for me to follow his orders.

As the morning passed, I did my best to keep up with the instructions, assisting where I could, though I knew I was being watched closely, but I didn't know who it was.

Just then I saw Hailey walking toward me with a slow clap. I froze. The memory of her assault flashed before my eyes, and my muscles tensed in fear.

“Well, well” She sneered, standing a few feet away. “The little rogue playing warrior now?”

I said nothing, keeping my gaze focused on the ground, my hands trembling.

“No matter the trailing you'd take omega, you don’t stand a chance against me” She hissed. “You’re nothing. Nothing but a worthless rogue. But don’t worry—I’ll put you in your place.”

Before I could react, she lunged at me, her fist connecting with my lip, sending a sharp burst of pain through my body. I staggered backward, tasting blood.

Shit! She's crazy!