Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Freya’s POV

For four days and nights, I had been a prisoner in the Crimson Moon pack.

But I wasn't in the dungeon. I was placed in a room. They gave me food and a new dress.

Maybe the rumors were false.

If this was how Alpha Darius treated his prisoners, they had all been wrong.

He wasn't as cruel as they say. He had spared my life in the banquet hall and also in the woods.

Or maybe this was something worse. My chest tightened.

My mind drifted back to the night I almost escaped.

How had he known I was running away?

Had he left the mating ceremony to chase after me?

And had he carried me all the way back to the pack when he knocked me out in his arms?

I inhaled sharply at the thought. I knew I had no answers to my questions.

My thoughts shifted to Kira.

She was going to be Luna of the Crimson Moon Pack.

Of course, it had to be her.

I had seen the surprise in her eyes when she saw me.

The sunset spilled into the room from the window, casting the stone walls in orange light.

I had been sitting in the same chair for hours, turning the same questions I had been asking myself over and over in my mind.

I needed to move.

I rose from the heavy chair and crossed to the door.

I tried the handle, and the door creaked open. I stilled, expecting a guard to shove me back.

Nothing.

I peeked out the door. The corridor was clear.

No guards. No servants. No voices.

I didn't know where to go, but I couldn't stay in the room any longer.

I stood in the doorway for a moment. Then I stepped out quietly.

If I could locate the kitchen, maybe I could join the servants.

I walked through the corridor, moving further away from the room.

The air felt cold against my skin, and I inhaled deeply, appreciating the freshness of it.

I moved through the hall, realizing quickly that the Crimson Moon pack was in every way different from my pack.

The corridors were a maze of ancient, carved stone and cold marble floors.

My feet came to a sudden halt when I heard voices.

I contemplated turning back, but my legs didn't move.

Two servants were approaching from the east side.

They sighted me and paused momentarily.

“Who’s she?” I heard one of them ask.

“I don’t know… but she’s not one of us.”

“Then what’s she doing here?”

My hands tightened on my dress. I shouldn’t have left the room.

This was a mistake.

I should go.

I turned to leave, but an unfamiliar voice cut through the corridor.

“What’s going on here?”

The voice was sharp and commanding.

Slowly, I turned.

A brown-haired wolf stood a few steps away, her gaze sweeping over us with quiet authority.

She wasn’t dressed like the others. Instead of the elegant dresses I had seen in the court.

She wore fitted dark trousers tucked into worn leather boots, a loose linen shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows.

A dagger rested at her side.

The servants lowered their heads immediately and slipped past her without another word.

I moved to follow them, but she stepped into my path.

I froze.

Her eyes settled on me, sharp and assessing.

“You’re not one of ours.”

It wasn’t a question.

I lowered my gaze, my fingers curling into the fabric of my dress.

“You’re not from here,” she continued, taking a step closer.

I could feel her watching me, studying every detail, and I fought the urge to shrink under it.

Slowly, I lifted my head.

“I—I’m from Moonstone Pack,” I whispered.

Her brow drew together slightly.

“Who brought you here?”

I hesitated.

I shouldn’t tell her.

But something in her gaze made lying feel pointless.

"Alpha Darius brought me here,” I said, my voice low.

Her brow lifted, just slightly. “Darius?”

The name slipped from her in surprise.

I stiffened. She had called him by his name without a title.

“Y—yes…”

Her eyes narrowed, confusion flickering across her face as she studied me again, more carefully this time.

“Why?”

The question came quickly, but she didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, her gaze flicked down the corridor before returning to me.

“You shouldn’t be wandering these halls,” she said, her tone quieter now but firm. “You’re on the wrong side of the pack.”

“Yes,” I murmured.

A brief silence stretched between us.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Freya.”

“Freya…” she repeated it under her breath.

Then she looked at me again, something unreadable settling into her expression.

“I’m Elora,” she said. “Darius’s cousin.”

My eyes widened slightly.

That explained the authority in her voice, the way the servants had stepped aside without question.

She held my gaze for a moment. Then she turned.

“Come with me.”

I hesitated.

Every instinct in me told me to be careful, but I didn't have the courage to refuse.

I swallowed and followed after her.

---

We passed through the narrow corridors and descended a flight of stone steps. The air grew cooler as we moved lower.

I glanced around, memorizing every detail of the pack. Beautiful flowers grew alongside the stone walls in a way I'd never seen in moonstone pack.

I heard a sharp crack of wood against wood, echoing grunts and loud thud of boots against the earth.

Where was she taking me?

Elora pushed open a heavy door, and I followed without a word.

We stepped into a walkway that revealed an open yard below.

My breath caught.

This was the training ground.

The ground stretched wide beneath us, torches lit brightly at every corner. Dozens of wolves moved around in formation, training and drilling.

They moved with precise steadiness and perfection.

The men of the Crimson Moon pack were built like mountains, their frames could terrify even other male wolves.

The men trained like they were preparing for something.

“You shouldn’t be on this side,” Elora said without looking at me. Her eyes were on the men in the yard.

"Then why did you bring me here?”

She was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke.

“I was already headed here,” she paused. “And I didn’t think it wise to leave you wandering the halls.”

I watched her quietly, her hand rested on the dagger strapped by her hips.

She turned to me. “Darius can't know you were here"

I nodded slightly, and we both turned our gaze back to the yard.

My eyes landed on someone. He stood apart from the others, speaking to two wolves in a low voice with his arms crossed.

I froze. He had already spotted me.

He was tall and broad shouldered, his dark hair pushed back from his face.

He wore no shirt despite the cold, and there was a long scar running down his left forearm.

Who was he?

He held my gaze briefly before looking back at the two wolves beside him and continued speaking.

My mind screamed at me to leave.

Elora had said I shouldn’t be here, but she brought me here despite it.

The training ground was no place for an omega.

“That's Kael," Elora suddenly said, startling me. I looked at her. She had been watching me.

“The Delta,” she continued, turning back to the men. “He is not easily impressed.”

She glanced at me, I said nothing.

Suddenly, her eyes drifted behind me, and her

expression shifted. A mixture of stillness and surprise crossed her face.

The ground below stopped moving, and the yard went quiet.

The cracking of wood stopped. The drilling stopped.

Their attention shifted behind us, and one by one, they lowered their heads in a bow.

Kael did not move immediately.

Then, after a beat longer, he dipped his head.

My stomach dropped.

I didn't need to turn around to know who had just entered the walkway behind us.