Chapter 2
1239 Words
The gates closed behind the SUV with a sound that felt final.
Not like an entrance.
Like a prison door locking.
She watched the iron bars disappear behind them through the rain-covered window, her reflection staring back at her.
A girl who looked the same.
But wasn't.
The old her had died the moment her father looked away.
The girl who believed in loyalty.
The girl who believed family meant something.
The girl who thought strength could protect her from everything.
She was gone.
What remained was someone colder.
Someone who had learned a painful lesson.
Never trust someone just because they share your blood.
The SUV continued through the enormous estate grounds, moving along a long stone pathway surrounded by tall trees. Even in the darkness, she could see how massive the property was.
This was not a home.
It was a kingdom.
And Alpha Dragov was the king.
The rumors suddenly felt real.
The Northern Wolf Territories.
The Dragov Syndicate.
The man who controlled both worlds with an iron fist.
The man fathers warned their daughters about.
The man mothers whispered about when they wanted their children to behave.
The Butcher of the North.
She hated that name.
Not because she believed the stories.
Because she didn't know what was true anymore.
Her father had painted himself as a victim for years. A broken man struggling under impossible circumstances.
But tonight she had learned the truth.
He wasn't a victim.
He was a coward.
The SUV finally stopped.
The sound of the engine dying was followed by heavy footsteps outside.
The door opened.
Cold air rushed inside.
"Get out."
She ignored the command.
The guard beside the door frowned.
"You want to make this difficult?"
Slowly, she turned her head toward him.
Her expression was empty.
He reached for her arm and dragged her out.
The ground beneath her boots was wet from the rain.
In front of her stood the Dragov mansion.
It was enormous.
Dark stone walls.
Tall windows glowing faintly with golden light.
A structure that looked beautiful from a distance but threatening up close.
Like a wolf with its teeth hidden.
Several guards stood around the entrance, watching her carefully.
Not with pity.
Not with curiosity.
With caution.
That caught her attention.
They were not looking at her like a helpless girl who had been delivered as payment.
They were looking at her like they knew she was dangerous.
Good.
She walked inside.
The warmth of the mansion immediately surrounded her, but it did nothing to comfort her.
Everything inside screamed wealth.
Polished floors.
Expensive furniture.
Paintings covering the walls.
A grand staircase stretching toward the upper floors.
Yet despite all the luxury, the place felt empty.
Cold.
Like nobody living here had ever truly been happy.
A woman approached them from the hallway.
She was older, dressed neatly, with silver beginning to show in her dark hair.
Her eyes moved over the girl carefully.
"This is her?"
The guard nodded.
The woman sighed quietly.
"Another one."
The words were barely whispered.
But she heard them.
Another one.
Her stomach tightened.
So the stories were true.
She wasn't the first girl a father had sent to this place.
And she probably wouldn't be the last.
The woman turned toward the stairs.
"Follow me."
She didn't move.
The woman looked back.
"Do you intend to stand there all night?"
She looked around the mansion.
At the unfamiliar faces.
At the armed guards.
At the walls that seemed to close around her.
Then she lifted her chin.
"No."
The woman studied her.
"Good."
She started walking.
The girl followed.
Not because she was obedient.
Because she needed to understand the place she had been dragged into.
Every step deeper into the mansion felt like stepping further into the belly of a beast.
They passed several rooms.
Some were empty.
Some had guards stationed outside.
Everywhere she looked, there were signs of power.
Weapons.
Security cameras.
People who moved quickly and quietly.
Everyone here knew their place.
Everyone except her.
Eventually, they reached the upper floor.
The woman stopped in front of a large wooden door.
"This will be your room."
The word sounded strange.
Your room.
As if she belonged here.
As if this was a choice.
The door opened.
Inside was a bedroom larger than the entire house she grew up in.
A huge bed.
A fireplace.
A private bathroom.
Clothes already placed neatly inside the wardrobe.
Everything prepared.
Everything arranged.
Like they had been expecting her.
She stood in the doorway, unable to hide the anger flashing through her eyes.
"How long?"
The woman looked at her.
"How long what?"
"How long have they known I was coming?"
A pause.
A small one.
But she noticed.
The woman looked away.
"Rest tonight."
That was not an answer.
And the fact that she avoided answering told her enough.
They had planned this.
Maybe weeks ago.
Maybe months.
Her father's debt had not suddenly reached its limit tonight.
He had known.
He had always known.
The realization burned worse than the betrayal.
The woman stepped away.
"Someone will bring food."
"I'm not hungry."
"You should eat."
The woman looked at her for a moment.
Then she quietly closed the door.
Finally.
Alone.
For the first time in hours, she allowed herself to breathe.
She walked further into the room, her eyes scanning every corner.
It was beautiful.
Comfortable.
Safe-looking.
But she knew better.
A cage could be decorated with gold and still remain a cage.
She moved toward the window and looked outside.
The estate stretched endlessly beneath the moonlight.
There was no way she could escape tonight.
Too many guards.
Too many unknowns.
She needed information.
She needed a plan.
And most importantly...
She needed to survive.
Her fingers tightened into fists.
She would find a way out.
The footsteps outside her door made Selene's eyes sharpen.
Someone was coming.
She didn't panic.
Panic was for people who believed fear could save them.
She had learned long ago that survival belonged to those who could think when everyone else froze.
Her gaze moved around the room.
The door.
The window.
The corners.
The small spaces where shadows gathered.
She had no idea who was coming.
But she knew one thing.
She would not allow herself to be caught helpless again.
Selene moved silently.
Years of training guided every step.
She extinguished the candle beside the bed, allowing darkness to swallow the room.
Then she positioned herself behind the door, her back pressed against the wall, hidden from view.
The blade sat firmly in her hand.
Her breathing slowed.
Her heartbeat remained steady.
The lock turned.
The door opened.
A large man stepped inside.
The door began closing behind him.
That was when Selene moved.
Fast.
Silent.
Deadly.
Before he could turn around, she stepped from the shadows and pressed the blade against his throat.
One hand gripped the fabric of his coat, forcing him back against the wall.
The entire world seemed to stop.
For one moment, neither of them moved.
Selene finally looked at the man she had been delivered to.
Alpha Dragov.
The Butcher of the North.
The most feared Alpha alive.
And yet...
He had walked into her room alone.
A mistake.
Her eyes burned with fury as the blade rested against his skin.
"Take one more step," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, "and I'll slit your throat."
- Writer
