The Royal Alpha: Aden

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

Something stirred Laura from her sleep.

It was not the clanging of metal or the shattering of glass, nor was it a harsh sound to the ears.

She could still feel the weakness of her body and the dryness of her throat, but aside from that, she felt no lingering pain—unlike what she had experienced the night before she lost consciousness.

She woke to the warm kiss of sunlight touching her cheeks, streaming through a window draped with gently swaying grey curtains.

Despite her weakness, she managed to sit up and glanced around her surroundings.

It was a small, old house made of wood. It had likely been abandoned for a long time, as thick dust and cobwebs filled every corner.

Her gaze then fell upon herself. The tattered clothes she wore were gone; she was now dressed in white garments that felt clean and light against her skin.

She slowly raised both hands and examined them closely, as if searching for something.

They were spotless. There was no trace of wounds, bruises, or even the marks left by the chains she had worn for years. The same was true for her feet.

Just the night before, her feet had stung terribly from deep wounds, yet now, not a single scar remained.

She wondered if she was dreaming, or perhaps her body had finally given in to all the hardship and she had passed away for good.

While she was lost in amazement, she heard the sound of wood falling from outside. Slowly, she stood up and walked toward the open door, which was only about four steps away from the bed.

She peeked discreetly outside to find the source of the noise. Not far off, she spotted a strongly built man.

He was bare-chested, and his well-sculpted body glistened with sweat under the sunlight.

The sound she had heard came from the logs he was splitting with an axe.

Laura furrowed her brows in deep thought, wondering who this man could be.

Aside from his perfect physique, he had hair as black as night with streaks of ash grey. It was neatly trimmed, though a longer section at the nape of his neck was styled in a braid.

'Could he be a rogue?'

She whispered to herself.

Her gaze wandered away from the man and scanned the surroundings. The area was surrounded by tall trees, and there was no sign of any other houses nearby.

'So you are awake.'

Laura’s heart skipped a beat when the man, who was moments ago standing at a distance, suddenly appeared right in front of her.

Her eyes widened in shock, and her gaze immediately fell upon his hands — he was holding the axe he had just used to split wood.

'Oh dear, forgive me. I didn't mean to frighten you.'

He said with a grin upon seeing how pale she had become from fear.

He lowered the axe he was holding, took a piece of cloth hanging by the side of the house, and used it to wipe the sweat from his body.

I took a small step back and gripped the edge of the wooden door, as if hoping it could hide me, yet my eyes remained fixed on him.

'You lost consciousness on the road last night, so I had to carry you. I hope you’ll forgive my lack of formality,' the man said while drying himself off. His gaze was not on Laura, but wandering around the thick cluster of surrounding trees, as if he were searching for something there.

“I do not know what time he will return, but I am certain that he will come back."

The man said this, leaving Laura wondering exactly who he was referring to.

She remained pressed against the door, and perhaps noticing the unease or discomfort written on her face, the man offered her a gentle smile.

"You must be starving. I made some soup; I will heat it up and serve it for you," he said.

Laura immediately moved away from the door to let him pass.

She watched him for a moment before stepping outside of the house herself.

She walked slowly, her eyes wandering over her surroundings. She had no idea where she was, but the feeling was not bad at all; there was a profound sense of peace in this place.

Far from any settlements, there was only fresh air and the sound of birdsong amidst the silence.

She tilted her face toward the sky, feeling the warm rays of the sun against her skin. Closing her eyes, she let the cool morning breeze embrace her entire being.

It had been such a long time since she had experienced this familiar sensation — the scent of morning dew, which she was only now able to enjoy once again.

The man served the soup he had mentioned to her on a small table.

Her stomach was growling with hunger, but she was torn between her need for food and the thought of whether she should accept a meal from a complete stranger.

He did not seem like a bad person, yet her hesitation was clear and impossible for her to hide.

'Go ahead, eat while it is still hot. Don't worry, there is no poison in it.'

The man said, as if he had read exactly what was going through her mind.

It was only then that she picked up the spoon, gently stirred the soup in the bowl, and finally took her first bite — the first food she had eaten in three days.

Meanwhile, the man walked toward the doorway and leaned against the frame as he watched her eat.

'You do have a name, don't you?

I am Damien. I was the one who came to get you yesterday,' he said.

At this, Laura lifted her gaze to look at him.

'So he is the man in the hoodie from yesterday?' she wondered silently.

'Are you mute? You haven't spoken a single word. Can you hear me?'

He asked one question after another, trying to make sure she understood him.

It was only then that Laura found the courage to speak. She cleared her throat, her voice sounding dry and rough from not speaking freely for such a long time.

As a slave, she was forbidden from speaking unless necessary. She was not allowed to complain or answer back when no one addressed her, and so silence had become second nature to her.

'I-I a-am L-Laur.. Laura,'

She stammered softly.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of the man's lips as he nodded his head, looking genuinely pleased and interested to know her name.

'A-Are y-you m-my n-new m-master?'

She asked, still stuttering.

“Master?'

'Oh no, not at all. You’ve got it wrong. The truth is, I believe he has taken an interest in you — that is why I bought you.'

'It has actually been a very long time since I saw him show interest in anything... or rather, anyone, for that matter.'

There he went again, speaking about someone who wasn't even there.

'H-Him? W-Who is he?' Laura asked.

'You will get to meet him soon enough. He is probably on his way back here right now.'

With that said, the man stepped outside and resumed the work of chopping wood that he had earlier set aside."

"Laura was left alone with that thought.

There was yet another person she would have to face aside from this man.

While she felt no sense of danger from him, she wondered if the same would hold true for the person he spoke of. She didn't even know if that person was a man or a woman.

Even so, it did not matter much for the moment.

Whatever was to happen in the coming hours was not worth overthinking. The truth was, she had already survived the worst of her circumstances — being a slave displayed for sale in the market.

Now, she simply had to prove herself to the person who had pulled her out of that life, so that he would never regret choosing her."

Minutes turned into hours; time seemed to drag on endlessly when you were waiting for something. Anxiety gnawed at Laura, twisting her stomach into knots every time she thought about the person who was supposedly her new master. The hours passed until the afternoon sun began to set. She remained seated in the corner of that small hut, beside the bed, waiting with an unsettled heart.

Earlier, Damien had said he was leaving to find the person he had been speaking of, but he had not returned yet even now.

From her spot in the corner, she lifted her gaze toward the open doorway.

The surroundings suddenly darkened, turning the world into a shade of deep grey.

She stood up and walked to the door, where she realized that thick clouds had completely blotted out the remaining light in the sky.

A strong wind began to blow, carrying the scent of damp leaves and the fresh earthy aroma of the soil.

The trees around her swayed violently under the force of the gale.

Her attention was then drawn to the chopped logs left stacked outside to dry.

She quickly ran over, gathered as much wood as her arms and hands could carry, and brought them inside the house.

She was caught in the pouring rain just as she was making her way back, right before she could bring all the wood to safety.

Before long, heavy rain came pouring down, filling the silence with its sound.

She closed the window and door to keep the rain from getting inside the small house, then set about building a fire and sat down beside it.

Night would surely swallow the surroundings completely in just a short while, so it was best to have a fire ready beforehand.

There was nothing to cook with or do inside the hut. Aside from the old, dusty bed, the only piece of furniture was a small table.

The heavy rain was soon accompanied by thunder and lightning. She could hear the strong wind battering the house, and she was certain that if it continued, the roof would be blown right off.

'Where did this storm come from? The sunlight was so beautiful just this morning, with absolutely no sign that a storm was approaching.'

She wrapped her arms around her bent knees as she sat before the blazing fire.

Fear of being alone began to creep over her, but she forced herself to fight against it.

The world outside was filled with noise: the relentless pounding of rain mixed with the rustling of leaves from the wildly swaying trees. She also worried about the shifting roof, which looked as though it could be swept away by the powerful wind at any moment.

"She was in that state when a strange new sound suddenly mixed with the noise of the storm.

Even though her wolf had not fully awakened, her senses were sharp. She could tell someone was walking toward the house.

The footsteps were unfamiliar—slow and heavy with every stride.

She remained seated, staring intensely at the door and waiting for what was to come, until a powerful force suddenly swung it wide open.

Her eyes widened in shock; she had not realized the presence she sensed was already so close.

As the door flew open, a violent gust of wind rushed inside, instantly extinguishing the fire that served as her only source of light.

It felt as though a ball of air had lodged itself in Laura's throat, and for a few seconds, she was certain her heart had stopped beating entirely."