Chapter 5

Madeline’s POV

Nervously, I raised my hand and used my index fingertip to try to push the knife a little further from my neck and forced a terrible smile, “I said thanks… Thank you for letting me stay.”

“Stay in this dangerous place where the word ruthless probably was born…” I added silently.

Completely unimpressed, he put down the knife and threw it on the hidden sheath on his combat boots. “Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t seen what Demonmaw is really like.”

With that, he turned and faced the two guards who sneaked earlier and was now immediately shut off with his mere stare. “See that she’s fed and has somewhere to rest.”

Sitting properly, letting my legs on the ground, I quietly said, “I can take care of myself.”

Instantly, a cold smile formed on his lips. “That’s funny when it’s coming from someone I just dragged out of the dirt.”

My brows furrowed, and without thinking, I glared at him, forgetting every fear as it was covered with annoyance. “Well, I didn’t ask for your help and for the record, you tossed me on your shoulder, not dragging me.”

“No?” His voice turned sharp. Leaning down so it’s only me he could speak, he said, “Then I guess I should have just left you there and let your pack shred you to pieces.”

He stood tall, looking down at me with only his eyes. “You’re in my pack now. Keep your head down and follow the rules. Step out of line, and I won’t be so generous next time.”

Standing up, I looked him in the eye. “I don’t need your generosity.”

 A low growl escaped his lips. “You need a hell of a lot more than you think.”

Glancing at the guard, he ordered, “Take her to the barracks! Keep her away from the main house.”

My eyes widened, looking back and forth between him and the guard who had his hand on my arm, trying to guide me away.

Great! I really ignited his anger. Foolish me.

What was I thinkin,g triggering the big bad black wolf instead of pleasing h,im knowing full well how dangerous this place was?

But no, I just had to run my mouth and kept throwing sarcastic remarks. It’s like my mouth didn’t have any break.

With a scowl on my face, I followed the guard who brought me into the barracks, which were very far from the main house where I had to walk. Basically, it’s a small cement, dimly lit room with a stiff mattress on a metal bed frame, which size was barely enough for one person.

Exhaling deeply, I slammed myself down onto the edge and clenched the side. “Great… First, I was almost rejected by my mate. Second, I was being hunted by my own kingdom. And now I’m imprisoned.”

“What’s next?” I asked frustratedly as I spread my arms and let my back fall on the mattress, feeling almost like I landed on a freaking rock, making me wince and hold my slowly healing injured shoulder.

With my mind running with thoughts about Amanda, Felix, the kingdom, and now Alpha Keiran and this pack, I could only whisper under my breath, “I can’t stay here… I can’t…”

Later that night, a pack doctor came in and helped me and my wounds quite harshly ,if I may add. Nonetheless, I was thankful that whatever he put on my wounds was like magic because when I woke up the day after, I felt like new.

I stretched in and started throwing punches and kicks in the air like I used to do when I practised alone in the back forest of the kingdom, a smile forming on my lips, remembering how good it felt.

I hadn’t even sweated yet when footsteps echoed in the hallway. The door creaked open, and a guard stepped in, tossing me bread and water I barely caught from unpreparedness.

“You’ll need your strength!” He angrily said.

My brows furrowed, flatly asking, “For what?”

To my surprise, his cold face let out a smirk. “Surviving.”

Surviving what exactly?

I wanted to ask, but he quickly turned away and left.

“I need a plan,” I said under my breath while staring at the bread and water, contemplating whether to eat it or not.

But considering they had a pack doctor look at me, I thought they wouldn’t bother to poison my food, so I did eat it anyway.

Changed into sweatpants and a tight shirt with a hoodie over that one of the female guards I hadn’t seen before tossed to me earlier, I went out of the barracks and followed her until we arrived at a massive building.

“Damonmaw Academy…” I read the plaque on the door, a foreshadowing panic forming within me.

Coming in, I was greeted to find a large training field inside bustling with warriors in training, sparring and practising their combat techniques, with clothes almost the same as mine. It turned out it was a uniform.

In the middle of the mood, Alpha Keiran.

“Demonmaw doesn’t waste time on the weak. You train hard, or you die fast.” His voice boomed in the room, eyes landing on mine with his next words.

Now, I know what the guard meant when he said I needed that food to survive.