Under the Alpha's Umbrella

Chapter 1

Elsa Pendragon

No matter what I did, nothing seemed to last. So when I overheard talk of a mysterious castle offering work, even though the conditions sounded strange, I didn’t hesitate. I had nowhere to turn and no one to rely on, so hiding away from those who meant me harm seemed like the safest option.

Since Caelum's death, I’ve had to fend for myself. Caelum used to tell me stories about my parents, and he didn’t sugarcoat anything. The villagers called Caelum a wizard, and he blamed everything on me. I was born under the blood moon, a time when destiny weaves its most tangled webs. My mother died the moment she brought me into this world, an exchange of life for life.

Despite the darkness surrounding my birth, my beauty was undeniable. The villagers whispered about it, saying I could "calm even the fiercest of beasts with a single glance." You’d think this beauty would bring me some kindness, but it only made things worse.

They called me a cursed wolf, claiming I carried darkness wherever I went. Caelum was the one who raised me after my mother passed. I never knew my father, and he was never spoken of. I doubt even Caelum knew who he was.

So when the chance to disappear into the shadows of that castle came, I took it without a second thought. The life I left behind was nothing but whispers and curses, and I hoped the castle would offer me a new beginning.

Life was never kind to me, but living with Caelum was the closest thing to happiness I ever knew. When he died when I was 16, I thought I could manage on my own in the little hut we shared. But the threats started coming, and they came from men I thought I could trust.

At first, they were kind, but their true intentions soon showed. I remember old man Marcus, who had been Caelum's friend. He came to the house after her death to offer his condolences. But as he stood there, his hand slid down from my shoulder to my thigh. Before I knew it, he planted a slimy kiss on my lips.

Disgust doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I wanted to tear my lips right off my face. I shoved him, and he stumbled back, crashing into the table and hurting his back.

He cried out, and people came running. I tried to explain, but the scene didn't look good. They helped him up, all of them giving me judgmental looks. I didn’t care, as long as they got his disgusting self off my property.

The next day, I went out to get food when two men blocked my path. They were older, and I recognized them as men from Redwood—I had seen them around before.

One of them called out my name, "Elsa."

Out of respect, I stopped and approached them.

"Oh, beautiful Elsa," the man began, "I heard about what happened last night. I hope you are well?" His words seemed kind, and for a moment, I was touched by his concern. It warmed my heart.

I responded with a smile, but when I looked up at him, I noticed his eyes wandering down to my breasts and then all around my body. He unknowingly licked his lips. Disgust welled up inside me, and I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

"Where are you going, love? I'm not done talking to you," he said, his grip tight and painful.

"Let go of me! You're hurting me!" I said firmly, trying not to raise my voice and cause another scene.

"Oh, you want me to let go, huh?" he sneered. "Then why don't you let go of all the men you have under your cursed charm? Stop seducing the men of this village! Every man here talks about you! Is that normal?"

His words cut deep, and the fear and anger in his voice made my blood run cold. It wasn’t concern that brought him to me; it was something far darker.

"Caelum is dead now, and you'd think whatever curse he placed around you would die with him, but instead, it’s only gotten stronger," the man sneered, leaning in close, his breath hot against my neck as he sniffed me like a wild animal.

With every ounce of strength I had, I pushed him away and bolted, my heart pounding in my chest.

"You can't run for too long, Elsa! We’ll come for you soon! You don’t know what plans we have for you!" he shouted after me.

As I ran, the village came alive with cruel whispers and mocking laughter. My name echoed from all sides, and I heard them hurling insults and slurs—“witch,” “seductress.” The weight of their words bore down on me like a heavy, suffocating blanket.

One voice stood out from the rest. "She won't be around for too long. They’re coming for her this evening..."

Fear gripped me, twisting my stomach into knots. I knew then that I had to leave the village, and fast. I ran into the woods, desperate to escape the piercing eyes and hateful voices.

Under the shelter of a large tree, I collapsed, exhausted, and soon fell into a restless sleep. When I awoke, the sky was dark, the village lights far in the distance.

Cursing under my breath, I realized how late it was. I needed to get back home, but every rustle in the woods filled me with dread. I began the long walk back, my heart heavy with fear and uncertainty.

Though I was sixteen, I had yet to find my wolf. I even doubted if it would ever come. This was another reason the people of Redwood saw me as strange, beyond just my beauty.

Carefully, I made my way back to the small house where I lived. But as I approached, just a few meters away, I saw lights flickering outside. I quickly ducked behind a tree, my heart pounding in my chest.

There were men, a handful of them, each holding a lit torch, wandering around the house. Their intentions were clear, and my fear grew with each passing second.

"Search every inch of that little house!" one of them barked.

I recognized the voice instantly—it was the man who had attacked me earlier that day. But he wasn’t alone this time; he had brought others with him. What could they possibly want from me?

I stayed hidden, watching them from afar, hoping they would leave soon. But their determination was clear, and I knew they wouldn’t give up easily.

“Let’s burn down the stupid hut!” one of them shouted carelessly.

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of those words. Burn it down? I could feel panic rising within me.

“If we burn it down, she’ll never come back. Let’s instead keep a watch on the house. We’ll know as soon as she arrives,” another man suggested, his tone cold and calculating.

Fear gripped me, but I knew I couldn’t stay hidden forever.

At that moment, I knew there was no going back.

After the men finally left my house, I made up my mind—I had to leave the village for the city. I gathered what little I had and set out on the journey, my heart heavy with fear and uncertainty.

The city was different, harsher in its own way. Since arriving, I had moved from one job to another, lying about my age and even trying to change my identity to escape my past. But no matter where I went, the men always seemed obsessed with me. Their advances were relentless, and each time, I ended up harassed and forced to leave, starting over in a new place.

I was just an innocent girl from Redwood, but the city had changed me. It had hardened me, forced me to see the world differently.

Three years had passed since I arrived in the city, and in that time, I learned a bitter truth: men would always be dogs, driven by their desires. If I wanted to survive, I had to learn to use every opportunity to my advantage.

I managed to join a pack with some friends I made when I arrived in Rockvalley. But even among my so-called friends, I was never truly accepted. Karl, the alpha who once claimed to love me, rejected me when my wolf never came. He had sworn I was his mate, but without my wolf, I was nothing in his eyes.

I moved on, trying to build a life for myself. I worked at various diners, doing my best to keep my head down, but the advances from men were inescapable. Every job was the same—a new start, a new chance at normalcy, and then the inevitable harassment that drove me away.

I had become a wanderer in the city, searching for a place where I could belong, where I could be safe. But deep down, I knew that as long as I was without my wolf, as long as I was different, I would always be running.

I eventually found work at a bar, where I met Loretta. She was different—bold, fearless, and unbothered by the dangers of the world. Loretta took me under her wing and taught me how to turn the tables on men who tried to take advantage of me. She showed me how to drug them, take what I wanted, and leave them none the wiser. It wasn't something I was proud of, but it felt like survival.

Each time I did it, I had to leave my job behind and move on, terrified that the men would come looking for me. The money I stole was never enough to secure a stable life, but it was enough to keep me moving, drifting from one city to the next, always searching for a place where I could finally belong.

When I arrived in Siltravania, everything changed. I fell in love with the city the moment I set foot in it. Siltravania was unlike any place I had ever seen—beautiful, vibrant, and full of life. For the first time, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could finally stop running and build a life for myself here.

I found work at a bar, doing my best to keep a low profile little did I know that no matter how hard I tried, laying low would be impossible.