The Wolf Queen’s Awakening

CHAPTER 004

The Eisenclaw Estate stretched endlessly before me; polished marble gleamed beneath golden chandeliers casting shadows across walls like silent ghosts. Each step felt heavier, as though fate were pressing upon my back; wrists still hurt from iron shackles being forced upon them prior to entering; an illusion of freedom!

Eyes followed me as I passed by. Pack members shied away as I approached, whispering between themselves with their curiosity as a blade cutting into my skin. None of them acknowledged or spoke directly to me beyond stealing glances or whispered acknowledgments; to them I was nothing, less than nothing.

Elias Falken walked ahead, his presence oppressive. He remained unreadable, not once looking my way since we entered his domain. But his soldiers were another story. They watched me with something between suspicion and amusement—one, in particular, having sharp blue eyes, looked upon me with suspicion before leaning in toward another soldier and laughing as they leered closer, asking questions like, "Not much of a warrior is she?"

and, "More like an orphan pup."

Words ripped at my soul as Elias spoke. Clenching my fists tightly, my nails dug into my palms—trying not to give in. We stopped in front of a large door made of dark wood carved with intricate patterns depicting a battle between wolves. Elias turned slightly, his voice flat: "This is where you will stay."

As I opened the door, my jaw dropped at a room so magnificent it made my breath catch: A king-sized bed draped in soft fur blankets, a vanity, and a wardrobe larger than any room at home had ever been revealed to me; even an inviting fireplace where softly crackling embers added another element. And yet... It was all too beautiful. All too beautiful to be my prison home.

Elias turned away without speaking a word as I asked why I was here, and my voice came out more lucid than expected. "You'll find out soon enough," was his reply.

After he had left, my stomach turned. His scent of pine needles and ash filled the air like an ever-present fog bank, overwhelming and ineluctable. Exhaling slowly, I slowly made my way towards bed, running my fingers across its soft fabric; this room and bed should have been comforting, but they had been anything but.

"The night was oppressive.

As I lay awake, my thoughts cycled through every incident of the last few days: Viktor's disdainful remarks, being forced before Alphas, Elias staring intently as he observed me like some inexplicable puzzle he couldn't solve, and Viktor sneering at me while Elias studied me like some type of foreign object—all were vivid memories that my body refused to forget.

I was used to silence, but here it was different. The walls echoed with whispers from an unfamiliar world and pack that wasn't my own; suddenly, it seemed I was alone like never before. Footsteps. Muffled voices just beyond the door. As soon as they heard this news, they turned their head slightly and started listening in.

"She wasn't what I expected," Elias' voice, both low and sharp, lamented. "In fact, she's worse; without its counterpart, it would be useless.

Something inside me shifted when his words cut deep. Years of pretending not to care what others thought about me, that their cruelty had diminished; but hearing it from him made it hurt even more than I'd hoped.

"Why does she smell different?" Another voice, this time unfamiliar—Johan Keller—asked. After some silence filled their conversation between their words—in which I could almost hear Elias' thoughts—Johann Keller replied with, "I don't know." And my spine tightened even further with worry as my questioning soul tried to comprehend what different meant or how?

As soon as they started talking, my heart rate escalated quickly. Whatever they were discussing could not be ignored—they were being watched and had questions for which I wasn't certain I wanted an answer.

Morning came too quickly. A knock at my door startled me awake; without waiting for permission or asking my permission, the guard entered without delay, placing food onto a small table near the fireplace and saying simply, "Eat." His tone was curt but uninterested in our discussion.

"Why am I being treated as a guest?" I inquired, eyeing my plate of eggs, bread, and still-sizzling meat on its tray. It smelled good—almost suspiciously good. The guard shrugged his shoulders: "Orders." WTF?

"Alpha Elias." I frowned, not understanding this game at all; yet here he was, feeding me like it were something worth living for. Why was he doing this to me? -

Once again alone, I tried my hardest to eat despite feeling unease in my stomach. And then suddenly the door opened a second time.

Elias was my target this time around. His presence filled the room instantly; wearing a dark shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair slightly tousled from lack of sleep, his gaze was direct towards me; I met it without backing away.

"You're awake." His tone was unassuming, but something seemed amiss beneath it.

He shrugged and responded in kind; without much amusement visible on his face, he moved closer, hands in pockets, with sharp eyes scanning me like they were searching for something hidden beneath my skin.

I hated how this man made me feel vulnerable without even touching me. "What do you want?" I demanded of him.

"To understand who and what you are." His cold laugh trailed my lips: "Nothing." I replied flatly.

"I don't believe in anything. And neither do you." Amid our silence was something unsaid; then he took a slow step toward me, almost touching me but not quite; instead, he leaned close enough for his scent of pine needles and firewood to take over, warming me as it did so.

"You don't smell like them," he whispered almost inaudibly, making a face. My throat dryly closed as his dark gaze flashed with curiosity before waiting patiently for my reply—something which, from his perspective, I had none—although this time, even I wasn't sure of.

His gaze lingered on me for far too long before he finally turned away and said, "Tonight. At my table." To my shock and horror, this statement seemed unexpected and unnecessary: "What?"

And with that statement came no room for negotiation—just questions and the faint scent of firewood in the air.

As evening fast approached, a dress was left for me: soft yet expensive fabric that fit perfectly, reminding me that Elias expected me to play my part. I slipped into it eagerly.

As soon as I entered the dining hall, the atmosphere changed abruptly. Elias sat atop a long table, watching me with unreadable eyes while his men whispered and stared. Tension increased further when I took an empty seat near "him—"Eat," was his command.

"Leonie," Elias asked with his low voice. I swallowed hard as my response: "Nothing."

He lightly touched my wrist, sending a shockwave of heat down my arm. "Lies,"

The air felt too thick and charged with emotion; then Johann spoke from across the table with his gaze sharply focused: "We'll find out soon enough." My stomach turned as his words rattled through me like an anchor from an anchor line.

First and foremost, since arriving here, I realized something frightening—they weren't simply watching me; they were seeking out the truth—something I wasn't even sure existed yet! And what could possibly be its source?