Chapter 24: The Rules

Sofia woke with a sharp gasp.

Cold.

That was the first thing she felt.

Her body ached, heavy and sluggish, like she had been dragged through pure exhaustion. Her throat burned. Her head throbbed. For a split second, panic surged through her—

Rain.

The last thing she remembered was kneeling on the hard ground, the cold rain soaking her to the bone. The eyes watching. Her body shaking until it finally gave out.

She pushed herself up slightly, her heart racing.

This wasn’t the yard.

Her gaze moved slowly around the room as confusion settled in. Dark stone walls. A large, silent space. A massive bed. Heavy curtains. And on the wall—

Her breath caught.

Damien’s portrait.

This was Damien’s room.

Her heart skipped painfully.

She looked down at herself.

She was wearing one of his shirts.

“How…?” she whispered.

Before she could gather herself, the door opened.

Sofia froze.

Damien stepped inside.

His hair was wet, darkened by water, droplets sliding down his neck and shoulders. A towel was wrapped low around his waist, his chest bare, still damp from the bath. He looked like he had just come in from the rain—or washed it off himself.

Their eyes met.

The air shifted.

For a long second, neither of them spoke.

Sofia’s heart began to pound, memories crashing into her all at once. The yard. The rain. Kneeling. Collapsing. And then—

Nothing.

Her fingers tightened in the fabric of his shirt.

“Damien…” she said softly, uncertain. “Why am I here?”

His jaw clenched.

“Alpha Damien,” he corrected coldly.

Sofia swallowed.

“Stand up,” he ordered quietly, his eyes already assessing whether she could.

Obediently, she pushed herself off the bed. Her legs shook, feeling too weak to carry her weight, but she forced herself upright.

“Look at me,” Damien ordered.

She turned—but she couldn’t meet his eyes. Her gaze stayed on the floor.

Damien took one step closer.

“Eyes up.”

She obeyed.

The moment her eyes met his, she flinched. There was no warmth there. No softness. Just the calm, merciless control of a predator staring at his prey.

“I have rules,” Damien said flatly. “Rules you will follow as my slave.”

Sofia’s breath caught.

“Rule one,” he continued, his voice low and sharp, “You do not speak to anyone unless I allow it,” he said. “Your voice is no longer yours.”

She nodded quickly.

“Especially Mathew,” he added. His eyes darkened. “If I ever see you talking to him again,” he said calmly, “you will learn exactly how brutal I can be.”

Fear slid down her spine.

“Yes, Alpha,” she whispered.

“Rule two,” Damien said. “You stay where I put you. You go where I tell you. You do not question me.”

Her throat burned.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Rule three,” he went on, stepping even closer, “no one touches you.”

His jaw tightened.

“You belong to me,” he said quietly, like it was a fact that could not be changed.

Sofia’s heart pounded so loud she was sure he could hear it.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Silence fell between them.

Then Damien turned away.

“Go get dressed,” he said coldly. “Properly.”

She blinked. “D-dressed?”

“You’re going out with me,” he said without looking back. “Now.”

Her stomach twisted.

“Yes, Alpha,” she whispered again.

Without waiting for more words from him, she noticed her clothes on the floor and picked them up. Then she opened the door and walked out of the room.

Outside, Sofia leaned against the wall and sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to steady her emotions before moving again.

She knew the packhouse too well. It had once been her second home, back when she and Damien were friends. It had once been her safety.

Now, it felt like a prison with no doors.

She found the small room she assumed was hers, stepped inside, and shut the door. Slowly, she sat on the narrow bed—barely large enough for one person.

She looked around the small room.

It was plain. Cold. A narrow bed. A small table. A chair.

On the chair were a few simple clothes.

She walked over and picked them up. They were plain. No color. No beauty. Just enough to cover her body.

She went into the small bathroom and washed slowly. The water was warm, but it didn’t take away the ache in her bones or the pain in her heart.

When she finished, she dressed quietly.

Then she stood in front of the small mirror.

The girl staring back at her looked tired. Her eyes were dull. Her face was pale. Her shoulders were slumped.

She barely recognized the girl staring back at her.

“How long…” she whispered, her voice shaking, “how long will I live like this?”

No answer came.

A knock suddenly sounded on the door.

She flinched.

The door opened, and a guard stood there. He didn’t look at her face.

“Alpha Damien is waiting for you,” he said flatly.

Sofia nodded.

“Yes,” she whispered.

She followed the guard outside.

The yard was busy.

Horses were lined up. Warriors stood ready, dressed in hunting gear, weapons strapped to their sides.

They were going hunting.

Her heart sank.

Damien was already mounted on his horse. Other warriors sat beside him, waiting.

Sofia looked around.

There was no horse for her.

Damien’s eyes flicked to her.

“You’ll walk,” he said. “Behind me.”

Her legs felt weak, but she nodded.

The group began to move.

Horses stepped forward, hooves hitting the ground.

And Sofia walked behind him.

Her feet hit the dirt. Her legs burned. The distance felt long already, and they hadn’t even left the pack grounds.

No one spoke to her.

Some warriors glanced back. Some looked away. Others ignored her completely.

She kept her head down and just walked.

They walked for hours through the woods.

The trees grew tall and thick, blocking the sun. The ground became rough, full of roots and stones. Sofia’s legs ached badly. Her feet burned with every step she took.

Every time she stumbled, Damien slowed the group without explanation.

She didn’t understand why Damien had brought her.

She wasn’t a warrior. She didn’t even have her wolf yet.

So why was she here?

Her chest felt tight as fear slowly crept in.

Suddenly, Damien raised his hand.

“Halt.”

Everyone stopped at once.

The forest went quiet.

Too quiet.

Damien straightened on his horse, his eyes sharp as he sniffed the air.

“I can sense them,” he said darkly. “Everyone alert.”

Sofia’s heart dropped.

Sense who?

Then she heard it.

A low growl.

From the trees.

Her breath caught.

Figures stepped out from the shadows—men with wild eyes, torn clothes, and dark, dangerous auras.

Rogues.

Damien growled, his voice deep and furious.

“What are rogues doing in my territory?”

The rogues laughed.

“We are just here to say hello to the new Alpha,” one of them sneered.

Sofia stood frozen. She had no wolf. No weapon. No way to fight.

Fear wrapped around her chest so tightly she could barely breathe.

Then the rogues attacked.

Everything exploded into chaos.

Warriors shifted. Wolves lunged. Growls and snarls filled the air.

Damien leapt from his horse, shifting mid-air, crashing into the fight with deadly force.

The forest shook with violence.

Sofia stood alone.

No one was coming for her. No one was paying attention to her. She felt invisible. Right beside her, warriors and rogues were fighting, but no rogue or warrior looked her way or even acknowledged her.

At least… that’s what she thought.

But as Damien fought like a beast, tearing through rogues, his eyes kept flicking back to her, checking and watching her.

But Sofia didn’t see that.

All she saw was danger.

Blood. Teeth. Claws.

And no one protecting her.

Her heart screamed.

This is my only chance.

If she stayed, she would die.

If she ran… maybe she would live. Maybe she would be free from being Damien’s slave.

She took a step back.

No one noticed.

Another step.

Still no one.

The fight was loud. Wild. Distracting.

Then Sofia turned, and she ran.

Branches scratched her arms. Roots tripped her feet. Her lungs burned, but she didn’t stop.

She didn’t look back.

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