His Mate-Killer's Fate

Chapter 4: New Life

*Rayan’s POV*

The banging on my door shattered what little peace sleep had offered me.

I jolted awake. My wolf immediately became alert beneath my skin. The morning light shined through the expensive curtains, but it felt harsh against my eyes.

The knocking came again, sharp, impatient, demanding immediate attention.

"Up! Now!" a voice shouted from the hallway. "I don't have all day to waste on lazy wolves."

I stumbled to the door. My body was still heavy with exhaustion from yesterday's drama. When I opened it, a stern-faced woman stood in the corridor. Her graying hair was pulled back in a bun that made her already sharp features look like carved stone.

"Ms. Betty," she announced, though I hadn't asked. "Head of household staff. And you're the... the cursed thing the Alpha dragged home like a stray dog."

The insult felt like I was being hit by a physical blow, but I kept my expression neutral. I had learned long ago that showing pain only invited more of it.

"Don't just stand there staring," she snapped, pushing past me into my quarters. "You think you can live here for free? Eat our food, sleep in our beds, and breathe our air without earning your keep?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand.

"The Alpha doesn't need to know about every little detail of running this palace. He has more important matters than worrying about one useless mouth to feed." The way she looked at me showed obvious disgust. "You'll make yourself useful, or you'll find yourself back in the wilderness where you belong."

She kept a bucket, a scrub brush, and a map of the palace in my hands.

"Kitchen floors first. Then the servants' dining hall. After that, the lower-level washrooms. And don't you dare complain, I've seen what happens to girls who think they're too good for honest work."

The threat was clear. Ms. Betty might not have the authority to throw me out, but she could make my life miserable enough that I would want to leave on my own.

"I understand," I said quietly.

Something in my tone made her pause. Maybe she had expected tears, anger, or for me to beg her. Instead, I simply accepted the bucket and brush like they were gifts rather than punishments.

This is my life now. From a respected pack warrior in training to someone a common servant could boss around without consequence. The fall was so complete it almost felt like freedom, as there was nowhere left to fall.

For the next several hours, I scrubbed floors until my knees were raw, and my hands were cracked and bleeding. The palace servants watched me work with a mixture of pity and superiority. Some gossiped about me, but none offered to help.

I didn't ask for any anyway. Pride was a luxury I could no longer afford, but my dignity was something I could choose to keep or surrender with every action I took.

By late morning, my assigned tasks were finally complete. I dragged myself back to my quarters. All my muscles ached from the chores I was not used to. But as I opened my door, the scent of fresh bread and warm soup made my stomach turn with hunger.

A tray sat on the small table by the window. It was a simple but nourishing food, just as Rowland had promised yesterday.

Even in this place where I was less than nothing, Alpha Kalen's word was law. His protection extended even to ensuring I was fed. The thought should have brought comfort. Instead, it raised more questions that had no answers.

I washed the servants' grime from my hands and face, changed into one of the clean dresses that was brought for me, and sat down to eat.

The food was better than anything I had tasted in my former pack's kitchens. It was rich with flavors. But every bite reminded me of the price I was paying for this luxury. I was a kept thing now, wholly dependent on the whims of an Alpha I barely knew.

*****

As the afternoon shadows began to lengthen, a soft knock interrupted my thoughts. This time, the sound was respectful rather than demanding.

"Come in," I called.

A young servant girl peeked around the door. Her eyes were wide with nervous curiosity. "Begging your pardon, miss, but I have a message from Beta Rowland."

I nodded for her to continue.

"There's to be a pack meeting this evening. You're to be ready when the escort comes for you." She paused, then added in a rush, "He said to tell you that attendance is not optional."

My stomach dropped. A pack meeting meant facing all of them, every wolf who had whispered about my cursed nature, every face that had looked at me with fear and disgust.

"What time?" I managed to ask.

"Just after sunset, miss. The escort will come for you then."

She disappeared as quickly as she had come, leaving me alone with my growing fear. Why would Alpha Kalen want me at a pack meeting? Was he planning to make some public declaration about my purpose here?

The hours until sunset crawled by. I tried to read one of the books on the ornate shelf, but the words blurred together meaninglessly. I attempted to nap, but sleep fled from my anxiety.

Finally, as the last light faded from my window, I heard footsteps in the hallway outside my door.

"Time to go, Rayan," Rowland's voice called through the door.

I opened the door to find him waiting with two guards. Their expressions were neutral. None of them spoke as we made our way through the palace corridors and out into the evening air.

The meeting ground was a natural amphitheater carved into the hillside. Hundreds of wolves had gathered. They went silent as we entered. Every eye turned to watch me walk down the central aisle.

I kept my chin up despite my wolf cowering inside me. These people had already decided what I was, and showing fear would only confirm their suspicions.

"Sit there," Rowland murmured, indicating a spot in the front row. It was visible to all but separated from the pack proper.

Soon, the crowd went silent again as Alpha Kalen stepped into view.

My heart skipped a beat.

When I saw him in my pack yesterday, I had only seen his presence, dark and intimidating. But now, seeing him clearly under the light, I finally understood why maidens in every territory whispered his name like a prayer.

He was strikingly handsome. Sharp cheekbones gave his face a fierce beauty, and his dark hair fell in soft waves. Every movement of his body carried both danger and control, like power held on a leash. No wonder other Alphas feared him; power like his was intoxicating even from a distance.

And terrifying.

He settled into the throne-like chair. He looked at all the pack members assembled, and when his eyes finally landed on me, something I couldn't explain passed between us.

My wolf sat up, alert.

"My pack," he began. "As you have seen, I have brought a newcomer into our midst. From today, she will be a member of this pack."

On hearing that, the pack members began to murmur. He raised one hand, silencing murmurs.

"The woman before you is under my protection," he continued. His tone left no room for argument. "Anyone who harms her, threatens her, or acts against her answers directly to me."

Before Alpha Kalen could continue, a voice called out from the middle of the crowd.

"Alpha, what about the rumors? They say she killed her mate the moment he marked her." The speaker was a middle-aged man with graying hair. His voice carried the authority of a council member. "How do we know she won't bring death to our pack? To you?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the gathering like wildfire. Various voices rose in support of the challenge. The noise grew louder, more insistent, until it filled the amphitheater with barely controlled panic.

Kalen's eyes went completely cold. The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees as his power rolled over the crowd like a physical force. The murmurs began to die slowly, as if someone had severed every vocal cord at once.

"Silence."

The single word carried such deadly authority that several pack members actually stepped backward in fear.

"Did I ask for your opinions?" His voice was soft now, which somehow made it infinitely more terrifying. "Did I request a debate about my decisions?"

No one dared to speak.

"I am your Alpha. My word is law. My judgment is absolute." He rose from his chair. "Anyone who dares question my decisions again will learn why other Alphas fear to speak my name. When the time is right, you will understand my reasons. Until then, you will obey without question."

He looked over the crowd, his eyes lingering on the man who had spoken first. "Is this clear?"

"Yes, Alpha," came the response from hundreds of voices.

But I could still feel their resentment beneath their compliance. They would obey because they had no choice, but acceptance was different.

As Alpha Kalen began to speak of pack business like territory patrols, trade agreements, and upcoming ceremonies, my attention drifted to the crowd. Most faces showed hostility, but one stood out.

A young woman sitting several rows behind me watched me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. She was breathtakingly beautiful, she had delicate features like someone who is a highborn, and she had absolute confidence.

It was the way she looked at me that made my wolf stir uneasily. It was not with fear or disgust like the others, but with calculation. Like I was a puzzle to solve, or a threat to measure.

When our eyes met, she didn't look away. Instead, she smiled, an expression so cold and predatory it froze my blood.

Who was she? And why is she looking at me in such a manner?