Chapter 4: Welcome to Black Shadow Pack

"Alpha has such a good eye. He chose such a beautiful person to be the Breeder..."

"I think I'll get an erection just by looking at her."

"She belongs to Alpha Cayden. She's not someone your soldiers can have their eyes on."

"Enough! What are you doing near Tori's ward? Get out of here quickly. She still needs to rest." 

My head was dizzy and muddled. The voices seemed to come from the distant clouds, ethereal and indistinct.

My consciousness began to struggle.

I tried hard to wake up but was dragged back into the depths of darkness by the heavy exhaustion. I couldn't tell whether it was reality or a dream. Until the voices gradually faded away, my body became heavier and heavier, and my mind sank into darkness once again.

There was a throbbing in my head that brought me back to consciousness.

I heard a strange beeping sound that was constant and extraordinarily annoying. I slowly opened my eyes and tried to adjust to the light. It quickly became apparent that the room was rather dim.

I was filled with confusion and had no idea where I was. I tried to search my memory for clues and upon looking around I realized I was in the middle of a hospital room. I gradually remembered I had gotten into Jace's car after being sold to Black Shadow by my cold-hearted father.

I tried to sit up, but pain instantly penetrated my body and it was all I could do to hold back the sobs and breathe carefully.

"Relax." A low and gentle voice came from somewhere nearby.

I looked around and saw a woman standing by a chair next to the bed. She was tall and graceful. A head of blonde hair as bright as the sunlight fell in waves to her waist, and her turquoise blue eyes were deep and mesmerizing.

With a kind face and a look of concern in her eyes, she said softly, “You are badly injured. You have old wounds all over your body, and I think you have suffered severe beatings at one time or another."

"Where am I now? Who are you?" My voice was raspy, my eyes filled with panic, and my body shuddered involuntarily and slightly.

“Apologies for forgetting to introduce myself. I'm Ava.” Ava gently took my hand and tried to calm my panic. "You're in Black Shadow, it's safe here."

"Liam might find me and he won't leave me alone." I lifted the blanket and began pulling at the tubes and wires hanging from me, ignoring the sharp pain in my side and head. I needed to get out of there.

"No, Liam wouldn't dare trespass here." Ava rushed to stop me, pressing her hands firmly against mine. "Don't do this, no one is going to hurt you."

The sound of steady, strong footsteps came and Beta walked in. His posture was straight, his pace firm, his eyes cold yet with a hint of imperceptible concern.

"These are the doctors and nurses who specialize in helping you recover and treating you." His voice was low and full of authority.

The pretty short-haired female nurse then looked at me with a gentle smile and said softly, "Hello, I'm Iokaste, but you can call me Kas. Let me know if you need anything in the future." Her voice was crisp and pleasant.

"You must be starving. I'll have Kas get you some food." Beta's voice was low and commanding. 

Shortly after, Kas left and then returned with a plate of food. 

She entered the room with a gentle step and carefully placed the plate on the small table in front of me. "It's strawberry cheese bread. I hope you'll like it, Miss Tori."

It was a strawberry cheese bread that looked extremely tempting.

Every movement I made was exceptionally difficult due to the pain of the injuries on my body. I struggled to raise my hand and a pain shot through my shoulder, causing my hand to tremble slightly and my fingers to just barely reach the edge of the bread. I took a small bite, and the sweet flavor instantly spread across my tongue, mixing the tartness of the strawberries with the aroma of the cheese.

The smell made my nose slightly sore. "This bread is so well made. It reminds me of my mother…"

Before I could finish my words, the tears came back uncontrollably.

“Kas, Tori doesn't want to talk right now. Let's give her more time."

"Okay brother, I will be more patient," Kas said.

She called him ‘brother’. I couldn't figure out how they could be siblings. Kas seemed more lively, which was the opposite of Beta's character.

I was slightly formal, but still responded politely, "Thank you. I will return the favor by working hard here in the future."

Beta Jace frowned slightly and shared a look with Kas that seemed to have a deeper meaning in it.

Kas sighed softly before speaking slowly, "Oh dear, you don't need to work. It seems you don't know what you're here for."

"You came here to be conceived."

"Conceived?" I asked, my eyes wide with shock. "Wasn't I sold here to be a maid? What does this have to do with the pregnancy you mentioned?"

I pursued the question eagerly, and my body unconsciously sat up a little straighter, ignoring the sharp pain coming from my wound.

Kas waved her hand, signaling me to take it easy. "Don't be in a hurry. When your body recovers, we will tell you everything in detail. Right now, the most important thing for you is to recuperate. Only when your body is well can you cope with what's behind you." Her eyes held a hint of helplessness and appeasement.

Beta Jace stood by, silent, but his gaze stayed on me as if there was an extra hint of complexity in those cold eyes.

"Can I ask what this is all about?"

I tried to lift the blanket off my body, holding back the pain in my body as I moved. I didn't want to be the maid of a dangerous and brutal Alpha forever.

No one answered me, and I looked up.

All of a sudden, everyone stopped talking. Ava quickly finished my vital check and put away the equipment, while Kas moved closer to Jace.

Kas seemed so uncomfortable all of a sudden. Her bubbly and happy nature drained away as she moved closer to Jace. Jace himself was standing up straight like he always does. Even Ava, who had just been relaxed and carefree, had taken on a more professional demeanor. She stood firm as if she was waiting for her next directive.

What was going on...?

I heard footsteps approaching. Two... maybe three people?

A tall, dark figure entered my dimly lit room.

He was a giant of a man with tan skin and jet-black hair. His jawline was strong and accented the masculinity he held. I had never seen a man move the way he did—graceful yet with a merciless glint that lay behind his gorgeous eyes. 

He was across the room, but even the aura that seemed to surround him showed the power he held, and it terrified me.

My stepbrother Liam and even my father had shown me pain throughout my life... but neither of them held the same intimidation this man carried.

I couldn't help but notice how his blue eyes seemed to pierce into my very soul.

Thud, thud, thud.

I could hear my heart beating fast.

How could someone be so dangerous yet... alluring? Why did I feel drawn to him?

The moment he set foot into the room, it became eerily quiet. So quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

I was so captivated by his appearance that it took me a moment to realize the change in the mood of the others around me. Kas, Jace, and Ava all had their eyes cast to the floor, and their necks were turned slightly toward the side—a common show of submission within wolves.

There was only one occasion when I had known wolves to act in this manner, and that was for...

Realization sunk in, and I felt myself begin to panic.

 It was clear as day, and I was so blinded by the sight of him that I didn't notice.

This was him… the Alpha of Black Shadow!