The days blended together in Blackthorn Manor, a haze of cold stone, harsh orders, and the stench of fear.Julia had learned quickly: survival meant obeying. Not resisting. Not crying. Not hoping for mercy.
But some nights, when the moon was high and silver, her wolf stirred rebelliously inside her, howling for freedom, for justice, for revenge.We can't fight yet, Elara whispered. But we will.
Julia's body ached constantly. Her wrists still bore faint scars from silver chains. Her muscles were sore from endless chores, from forced training, from the sparring that left her wolf form trembling in exhaustion. Every time she collapsed, Alan's voice echoed in her ears.
"You are mine. Every part of you."
She had learned to anticipate his steps, the twitch of his hand, the cold stare that could freeze her soul.
She had also learned to fear Olivia.
The mistress had been waiting for her in the hallway this morning, grin sharp enough to cut. "Rise, little Luna," Olivia had mocked. "Your Alpha has a new task for you today."
Julia had swallowed her nausea. There was no room for defiance. Not yet.
The Punishment of Pride
Alan had summoned her to the training hall again — this time, the room was darker, torches flickering shadows across the cold stone floor. The warriors had already gathered, eyes flicking toward Julia like she were a curious animal in a cage.
Alan's amber gaze pierced her chest. The bond whispered beneath the surface, a painful tug that she refused to acknowledge. Her wolf whimpered at his proximity — a ghost of a connection she could feel but could not act upon.
"You have disappointed me again," Alan said, voice low, grinding against her ears like sandpaper. "Your chores were incomplete. The manor still smells of dust. Your wolf is weak. Your body is weak. Your mind…fragile."
Julia swallowed hard. "I…worked as fast as I could—"
He cut her off with a sharp gesture. "Enough excuses. You exist to serve. To obey. And to please me."
Her stomach twisted. Her wolf roared in fury. We will not submit like this!
"Shift," he commanded.
Julia's body stiffened. The word was absolute, Alpha power slicing through the air, bending her wolf beneath the surface.
Elara hesitated. We're not ready… we're still weak…
But Julia forced herself, gritting her teeth as her bones cracked and reshaped. Pain tore through her as fur sprouted across her body. Claws dug into the stone floor. She collapsed, trembling, before fully rising.
Alan's amber eyes burned brighter. "Pathetic. You are mine… and yet, you cannot even stand as a wolf."
Julia felt tears sting her eyes. "Alpha…please—"
He leaned close, voice a razor against her ear. "Do not speak unless spoken to."
Olivia's Poison
After the punishing training session, Julia was sent to the manor kitchens to prepare the warriors' meals. Every dish had to be perfect, every movement precise.
Olivia appeared without warning, leaning against the doorway with a predatory smile. "Ah, little Luna, you look tired. Perhaps you've learned obedience now?"
Julia refused to rise to the bait. "I work as instructed," she muttered.
Olivia chuckled, stepping closer. "Oh, you will learn obedience… in more ways than one. The Alpha expects… satisfaction."
Julia's stomach turned. Her body felt violated by the mere implication. She had not yet been asked to warm his bed, but Olivia's words were a reminder of what awaited her.
"You will never break me," Julia whispered under her breath.
Olivia's eyes gleamed with malice. "Oh, my sweet Julia… you will break. Soon. And I will enjoy watching it."
A Moment of Solitude
By the time the sun had set, Julia returned to her tiny room, barely able to stand. She collapsed on the cot, pressing her hands to her face.
Elara howled inside her mind, full of anger and fear. We are not weak! We cannot be broken!
Julia's hands trembled. "I know, Elara… I know. But he's…he's…unrelenting. He doesn't care. Nothing I do can fix this."
Her wolf whimpered. We must survive. Wait. Wait for the right moment. When he least expects it…
The idea of patience was torture. Julia wanted to scream. To fight. To tear Alan apart with her claws and teeth. But she could not. Not yet.
The Alpha's power was overwhelming. His control over the pack was absolute. And her body and wolf were still weak, broken from the forced sparring, the chores, the endless punishments.
We endure, she whispered into the darkness. We survive… and one day, we rise.
Alan's Dark Obsession
Meanwhile, in the Alpha's chambers, Alan sat alone, staring at the empty space where Julia had stood.
He could still see her trembling, still hear her voice begging, still feel her wolf's subtle pull beneath the surface. The fated mate bond tugged relentlessly at him, a constant whisper he fought to ignore.
She hurt Mary.
He repeated the words to himself like a mantra, sharpening the hate, fueling the cruelty he had just inflicted.
But late at night, when the manor was silent and Olivia slept in her chambers, he felt the tug again — a warmth, a pull he hated to feel.
Why won't she forgive me? Why does she look at me like that?
Alan's fists clenched. He tried to drown it in rage. Tried to crush the whispering bond beneath layers of hatred and punishment.
But every time he did, he felt something inside him fracture — a loneliness, a regret, a dangerous yearning he refused to acknowledge.
The Breaking Point
That night, Julia lay on her cot, staring at the ceiling. Her wolf curled protectively beneath her mind.
Elara whispered, The next step will come soon. Prepare yourself.
Julia closed her eyes. She imagined Alan's face — cruel, cold, yet endlessly tied to her by the fated bond. She imagined the injustice he had inflicted. The pain he had caused.
And a small spark of something darker than despair ignited inside her.
I will survive this.
I will rise.
And when the time comes… he will regret every tear he made me shed.
The moon outside the window shone down like a silver knife, a silent witness to the chains of her life.
And somewhere, deep in the manor, Alan's anger and obsession churned — the beginning of a storm neither of them could escape.