Chapter 1: Shadow Claws

— Leia Steele —

The entire territory of the Shadow Claws Pack was in utter chaos and there was only one reason as to why – he was coming back.

His real name is Viktor Morgenstar, but every single person who has ever come across him knows him as the Dark Alpha. Some feel fortunate to know him for he is powerful in a lot of ways, but the others, the unfortunate ones like me, to us it was like the shadow of death looming over us.

One mistake and it would be over, so it was better to not experience firsthand nor learn how he got such a name in the first place.

Tragically, that was what happened to his parents and his own mate and it did not end well for any of them. At least, according to what I have heard from the whispers along the corridors.

“Look at this pathetic little slave on the floor. How does it feel to be like dirt? Oh, you missed a spot.” A man dressed in fine black leather pushed me to the ground, causing me to spill the bucket of water all over the marble floor I had just meticulously wiped seconds ago.

I pushed the urge to either cry, scream, or punch him deep down inside. Neither of those would help me in my situation and I learned that the hard way on my first week here in this godforsaken Pack when one of them saw me crying.

What he did next was something I had no idea anybody could do as he gathered his friends to slap me and with every tear that fell from each slap, they made me wipe it off the floor.

Three months ago, I had no idea my life with my father would inevitably become worse, but that all changed when my own so-called father sold me to be a slave here. To be nothing but somebody they could order around and humiliate to make themselves feel good in their own twisted way.

A couple of girls in long and nice flowy dresses passed by me, giggling as they watched me get back down on my knees and scrub the floor clean. To them, I was just dirt, while they all looked pristine and elegant to please the men in their Pack.

The women and men of the Shadow Claws Pack lived in a strict hierarchy. If you did not have the name or the money, you were to be treated like trash because to them, you were one.

I despise them all, but mostly I despised myself for being too weak to do anything about it, but then again, what could I do? I have long accepted the fact that being a slave to these horrible people was all my life could amount to.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Why are there still specks of dust in the Alpha’s quarters? Who the hell was assigned here?!”

The deep and angry voice came a few feet from where I was scrubbing, but it was not hard to immediately figure out who it came from.

Gamma Cane was a man you would not often hear speak as he liked to be deep in his thoughts, so when he does speak up, it means whatever he says should be taken very seriously for fear of consequences.

“Gamma, it was the June girls. I specifically told them to get it done as quickly as possible as the Dark Alpha is nearing so I have no clue as to why it is still dirty.” The man in the black leather who shoved me earlier informed him before bowing his head.

No matter how high and mighty others acted around us slaves, when it came to the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, they were not nearly as powerful as they were so they had to bow and follow whatever it was they wanted.

In a sense, they were also their slaves. We just had it far worse as we were at the very bottom of the food chain.

“The June girls, huh?” Another man spoke with a hint of speculation in his tone. I knew instantly that it was Gamma Cane’s brother, Beta Calypso.

Suddenly, I get flashbacks of the very first day that I met the two of them. The day that they both promised me hell, and so far, that was exactly what they and everyone in their Pack has given to me every single second I lived here as their prisoner.

“Girls like that should get a punishment for not doing their jobs properly. What do you think, little brother?” Beta Calypso turned to the Gamma with his bone-chilling grin and even if they were not talking about me, I felt fear creeping into my spine.

They were so terrifying that the entire hall stood silently as everyone waited for Gamma Cane’s response.

“Bring them to the fight box. I’m sure the Alpha would love a good show to unwind after his long trip, and it shall be good entertainment for us, too.” Gamma Cane proudly stated, lifting his chin a little higher.

Goddess, not the fight box. I had never been to it, but I knew that whoever was brought there had to fight for their lives with any means necessary and the people watching would bid on the survivor, should there even be one.

It was completely inhumane, but then again, was there anything in this Pack that wasn’t?

Not a second later, the people in the hall started to cheer loudly for Gamma Cane’s response, fueling his ego even more.

Vultures, all of them. Psychopaths who enjoyed seeing other people be tormented for their own amusement.

“You!”

Oh, fuck.

I quickly turned my gaze away from him, scrubbing harder on the floor and pretending I had not heard him nor had I been watching with the side of my eye this whole time.

Please don’t make him go here. Please don’t make him go here. Please tell me he didn’t see me. Please let him be talking to someone else. Plea–

“I’m talking to you, you filthy trash.” Gamma Cane said, his voice louder as he was now standing right in front of me, his dark black shoes inches away from my hands on the floor holding the wet rag.

How the hell did he get to me so fast? I could not fathom the extent of their strengths and whatever other skills they had.

I swallowed nervously before managing to stutter a reply, “Y– yes, Gamma?”

“Look at me when I am talking to you!” He ordered before a loud slap echoed along the hallway, and for a second I thought he had not hit me, but the searing pain almost numbed my entire face.

When I licked my lips, I tasted metal. And right after, I felt my nose start to drip blood.

Great, now I have to clean that off the floor too.

I saw Gamma Cane’s hand inching towards me once again and so as quickly as I could, I held my hand out to cover my face and began to plead.

“I’m so s– sorry! I’m sorry, Gamma! P– please don’t h– hurt me! I p– promise I didn’t– didn’t mean to!” I cried out in desperation while bowing at his feet.

It felt degrading and every inch of my body felt disgusting to me, but I had to do it. Another slap and I knew I would black out. Who knows what else they would do to me if that happened? What unspeakable horrors the men here would try on me when I cannot do anything to defend myself?

“Leave her be, Cane. We have far better things to do with our time. Alpha’s going to be here any minute now and you still haven’t finished your plan to take over the Greyhound Pack, haven’t you?” Beta Calypso commented, and my heart began to beat even faster in my chest both from nervousness and shock that he had stopped his own brother from hurting me further.

This has never happened before. Was he… becoming kinder towards me? Was he… protecting me?

“Fuck, shit, you’re right, I need to finish that or he’s going to get my ass. I’ll see you at the banquet then.” Gamma Cane said to him in a hurry as he turned away, but not before giving me an eerie glare.

I gulped before wiping the blood on both my lips and nose with the back of my hand, gritting my teeth so I wouldn’t burst into tears.

I was stronger than this. I am stronger than this.

My heart almost leapt out of my chest when someone gripped onto my wrist and I was even more surprised when I looked up and saw that it was actually Beta Calypso. I thought he had already left, too.

What is he still doing here?

“W– what is it, B– Beta?” I asked with a shaky voice as my wrist in his hand trembled.

He was so close to me that I could clearly see the deep green in his eyes. They were a lot like the forest, but then again, it’s been awhile since I’ve been outside for more than a few minutes so I wasn’t exactly sure if I was remembering it correctly.

Beta Calypso was only older than me by a few years, but with his knowledge and strength, one would think he had been here longer. It was like that with the Dark Alpha and his closest companions. Something about them always made them seem so much more… different from the other wolves.

More powerful. More intimidating. Just… more.

The longer the Beta held onto me and stared into my eyes, the weirder I felt.

Why was he looking at me like that? Were his eyes more brown or more black? Did he always have that straight cut on top of his right brow? Did he get it from a battle before he began to heal?

I always knew that women and some men threw themselves at whoever was closest to the Dark Alpha wherever they went, but I never saw the Beta in that way. I never saw any of them in that way. Maybe because they were always so brutal and uncaring of me, but now that Beta Calypso was so close, and my heart was beating so fast…

Could it be possible that there was something more I could feel for him?

That he felt something more for me?