Chapter 5 Unknown Fate
1300 Words
Cassandra
My breath hitched as I opened my eyes slowly. I used my palms to steady my head, but the pain I felt was too intense, making me lean against the bed with difficulty. My body felt sore, as though I had been torn apart and stitched together again without care.
The ache was deep and unrelenting, spreading through my limbs and settling heavily in my bones. Every movement felt unfamiliar, as though my body no longer belonged to me.
I raised my head slowly, finally realizing the golden carved ceiling above me. The air smelled different too. Not Ravenclaw, and definitely not home.
The realization hit me like a rock. Wherever I was, it was not a place I recognized, and the unfamiliarity tightened around my chest like a vice.
I tried to sit upright, but pain surged through my ribs, sharp and painful. I instinctively ran my fingers over my abdomen. My heart raced as I thought about my unborn pup. It had to be alive.
Fear clawed at me as I waited for pain, for blood, for any sign that something had gone wrong. I held my breath, listening to my body, praying silently.
I took deep breaths and resolved to ask the man in front of me, however the moment I stared at him, my heart skipped several beats. My eyes met those enchanting blue but cold eyes of his, and I swallowed hard. I tried to look away, but I couldn't bring myself to. His black hair was perfectly trimmed and wavy. His lips were somewhat pink and inviting, they curved into a perfect smile. I proceeded to run my eyes down his broad shoulders and perfectly toned abdomen.
His presence alone filled the room, heavy and undeniable. Something about him made my instincts recoil even as my gaze lingered.
He was an alpha!
Every instinct in me screamed it. However, just as I was about to take it all in, his voice interrupted my thought process.
“Oh! You are finally awake!” He took two steps closer, and I curled my legs up to my chin, wrapping my hands around my body.
My heart hammered violently. My pulse roared in my ears as memories resurfaced without warning.
How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was being caught up in a net on the tree, with wolves of Ravenclaw ready to pounce on me. Could he be my savior or my doom?
“Don’t worry, you’re safe.” He studied me for a while, before finally sitting down on the edge of my bed. The other man, who I figured was someone close to him, left without another word.
The door closing behind him sounded final, sealing me inside a room with a man whose power I could feel without him saying another word.
Flashes of what had happened came flooding my memories. The festival. Rio’s betrayal. The wolf hunt… and how the wolves of Ravenclaw almost had me for dinner some days ago. And my baby…
My throat tightened painfully as the images replayed themselves, sharper and crueler in memory.
And now… This man claimed he saved me.
“My name's Leo, and…”
“M – my b – baby...” I lifted my eyes until I was staring directly at him. My mouth formed an “O” shape but no words came out.
Fear made my voice weak, brittle. I braced myself for his answer.
“Your pup's alright. You have nothing to worry about.” His eyes scanned my abdomen in one swift look, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.
“How do you know?”
“I had the doctor run a thorough check up on you while you were unconscious.”
His words grounded me, even as suspicion lingered.
He reached out, and swept a strand of hair away from my eyes. My cheeks turned pink, and my heart skipped a beat.
The touch lingered far longer in my mind than it should have.
That was when it dawned on me. The wolves are transactional creatures, which simply meant that this Alpha must have saved my life for a reason. I was as good as captured.
The realization settled coldly in my stomach.
My stomach twisted. Another pack… another alpha.
The weight of it pressed down on me, threatening to steal my breath.
“Please,” I searched his eyes for a clue… Something to reassure me, but I couldn't read his expression. “I swear I won't cause trouble…”
Leo stood up from the bed and sat on a couch some meters away from me, facing me squarely.
The distance did little to ease my fear.
“You're safe.” He said flatly, but his words meant nothing to me.
“Where am I?” I asked, my shaking despite my efforts to sound strong.
“Moon Pack. You were found close to our borders. Barely alive.” He stood up and walked towards the door.
Before I could react, the door opened again.
A slightly younger man with softer features came in. He seemed somewhat powerful too, and talked to the Alpha in a manner that suggested that they were very familiar with each other. They whispered to each other, and as much as I tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, I couldn't hear anything. A few minutes later, the man left and the Alpha turned his attention to me again.
The silence felt heavier this time.
“Umm… Can I leave anytime soon?”
My question hung unanswered.
He avoided my question, and asked me instead, “You haven't told me your name…”
“Cassandra.”
The smile he once had on his face disappeared. “You were found near our borders barely alive.”
My throat burned as the memories rushed back. Claws, teeth, pain, the way the wolves had circled me as I begged them to stop. “Ravenclaw,” I whispered. “They were hunting me.”
“I figured it would be them.” He replied flatly. “Ravenclaw does a terrible job at hiding their messes properly.”
“What happens to me now?”
“Actually, that depends on what you can offer.”
My fingers tightened over my stomach. “I don't have anything.”
He chuckled dryly, his eyes lightening up a bit. “You're mistaken, Cassandra. You do have a lot to offer.”
I swallowed hard, and my mouth instantly went dry.
“I swear, I did nothing wrong. I was framed!” I said in one breath.
“I didn't ask, or did I?” He said calmly. “You'll stay.” He added. “Under my protection, of course.”
A sudden relief surged through me.
He sat down on the edge of my bed again, his hand mistakenly brushing against mine. I withdrew my hand instinctively, but a smile broke out at the corners of his lips. “Nothing in Moon pack comes without a price. You should already know that by now.”
The warning was clear, even without him spelling it out.
He stood up almost immediately. “Try and rest. I'd come by after some hours to get you.”
“What for…?” I wanted to sound strong and unfazed, but my voice failed me.
“You'd know when the time comes.”
He closed the door softly behind him, and I could hear the clock ticking away… my heart beat increasing with each tick.
I laid back against the fur bed, and stared at the ceiling, as if it possessed the answers and solutions that I ne
eded.
I was alive and I had survived Ravenclaw, only to step into something far more complicated.
I was no longer free.
- Writer
