Chapter 3

ElIZABETH'S POV I groaned, my head pounding as I slowly came to. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was being banished from my pack, and then... nothing. As my vision cleared, I saw a woman with long, curly brown hair smiling at me. “Hey, you’re awake,” she said, her voice warm. I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me. “Who... where am I?” I stammered. “You’re in our pack’s territory,” the woman replied. “My brother, Alpha Lance, found you in a ditch. You’d fainted.” I remembered the ditch, the rain pouring down, and the feeling of desperation. And that was when it all came to me... the rude guy, the kind lady who had helped me out of the ditch, Megan. She helped me sit up, and I saw a tall, imposing man standing in the doorway. His piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into my soul, Lance. He had that same look when we were in the forest, it was chilling and scary. “Ah, you’re awake,” he said, his voice firm, I caught Megan roll her eyes. I already know that he didn’t like me but I nodded slowly anyway as my eyes settled on him. He was quiet and I didn’t know what to say. I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. “I... I’m Elizabeth,” I said slowly. Lance nodded, his expression unreadable. “So, Elizabeth, “ the look in his eyes was a direct pointer to what he was about to say and I knew I had a lot to answer for. “What were you doing out there alone?” “Bad timing, brother, at least let her get better.” “There’s no better time than now, Elizabeth or what do you think?” I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Just... just wandering, I guess.” Lance raised an eyebrow. “Wandering? With no supplies, no food, no shelter? You’re not exactly dressed for hiking.” I felt a surge of panic, unsure how much to reveal. “I... I just want to take back what belongs to me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. Lance’s eyes narrowed. “What belongs to you? What are you talking about?” I shook my head, refusing to say more. Lance’s gaze lingered on me, then he nodded. Megan interrupted again, “We’ll talk more about this later. For now, let’s get you cleaned up and fed.” As he turned to leave, I felt a sense of unease. Something about Lance didn’t feel right. It was like he didn’t believe me and I can not even blame the guy. “Wait,” I said, my voice firm. “What do you plan to do with me?” Lance turned back, his expression cold. “You’ll be staying with us for a while. But don’t get too comfortable. You’re not one of us.” I felt a shiver run down my spine as he turned and walked away. What did he mean? And what lay ahead for me? “Look, I just want shelter till I can find my way.” “Shelter, you will get but finding your way? Not so sure.” As I stood up, Megan, took my arm. “Come on, I’ll show you to the kitchen. You must be starving.” I followed her, my mind racing with questions. What did Lance plan to do with me? And what did I have to do to survive in this new pack? As we walked, Megan chatted about the pack’s daily life, but I barely listened. My mind was focused on Lance’s words, and the sense of unease that lingered. Suddenly, Megan stopped and whispered, “Be careful around my brother. He’s not always... predictable. But you really have nothing to worry about. He is just like that because of the situation in which we found you.” I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What do you mean?” But before Megan could answer, a loud voice boomed from behind us. “Megan, what’s taking so long?” Megan’s eyes darted nervously to the side, and I turned to see lance standing behind us, his eyes flashing with anger. “Tell me you have not started spending quality time with another stray.” “Don’t do that,” Megan warned with anger in her eyes.” “I... I was just showing Elizabeth to the kitchen,” She added. Lance’s gaze lingered on me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. “Elizabeth,” he said, his voice low. “You’re coming with me.” And with that, he turned and walked away, expecting me to follow. But where was he taking me? And what lay ahead? I trudged through the pack’s territory, my head held low. It had been days since Alpha Lance had taken me in, and I’d been treated like a slave ever since. “Hey, you,” one of the pack members called out. “Get over here and help me with the firewood.” I sighed inwardly, but obeyed without hesitation. I’d learned that resistance was futile. Lance had made it clear that I was to do as I was told, without question. As I worked, Megan approached me, a sympathetic look on her face. “Hey, Elizabeth, how are you holding up?” she asked, her voice low. I shrugged, not wanting to show weakness. “I’m fine,” I lied. Megan nodded, but I could tell she didn’t believe me. “I know you’re not fine.” I shrugged, grateful for her concern. But before I could respond, Lance appeared, his eyes scanning the area. “Elizabeth, I need you to come with me,” he said, his voice firm. I followed him, wondering what task he’d assigned me to next. But instead of giving me orders, he led me to a small cabin on the outskirts of the territory. “This is where you’ll be sleeping,” he said, his voice neutral. “You’ll be working in the kitchens, starting tomorrow.” I nodded, trying to process the information. But before I could ask any questions, Lance turned to leave. “One more thing,” he said, his voice low. “If you try to escape, or cause any trouble, there will be consequences. Do you understand?” I nodded, feeling a shiver run down my spine. What kind of consequences? As Lance walked away, I felt a surge of determination. I would not be held captive forever. I would find a way to reclaim what belonged to me, no matter what. But as I turned to enter the cabin, I heard a voice behind me. “You’re going to have a hard time adjusting, Elizabeth,” the voice said. I turned to see one of the pack members, a tall, muscular man with a sneer on his face. “You’re not like us,” he continued. “You’re weak. You’ll never survive here.” I felt a surge of anger, but bit back my retort. Instead, I smiled sweetly. “We’ll see about that,” I said, my voice low. The man’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he might attack me. But then he turned and walked away, leaving me to wonder what lay ahead. As I entered the cabin, I felt a sense of unease. I was trapped, and I didn’t know how to escape. But I was determined to find a way, no matter what. And then, just as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard a faint scratching sound coming from outside the cabin. I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. Who – or what – was out there?