Nadja slowly opened her eyes. Her head throbbed and she was confused. Her weak and aching body was not used to the comfort of the huge bed where she was lying. She sat up startled, eyes wide as she realized she was in an unfamiliar place, so different from the cell where she had slept for the past few years.
The room she was in was large, larger than she had ever dreamed a room could be, with two wooden doors on opposite sides of the room, and a double door on the wall next to the bed. A small table with two chairs in front, a white porcelain jug, and a small basin. It was a sober, minimalist room, despite displaying economic power. A large window was half-open, the gray curtain pulled to the sides, letting in the light that hurt her eyes upon waking.
It was a space devoid of warmth, a cold place, both in terms of temperature and appearance.
Her fragile mind worked intensely to position itself in reality. She lifted the blanket that covered her and breathed a sigh of relief to find out she was still dressed, but the relief was short-lived as she noticed that the sheet had stains left by her. She jumped out of bed unsteadily, terrified of the punishment she would suffer for dirtying the luxurious bed of…
Whose?
Where was she?
Unconsciously, she took steps back until her back hit the cold white wall of the room. She closed her eyes tightly, and images of what had happened the day before filled the gaps in her recent memory.
She remembered the escape, losing the only person she trusted, throwing herself off a cliff, miraculously still being alive and, finally, the males who found her… and the monster. The enormous creature, a mix of wolf and human, something she had never seen and didn't even know existed. A being so strong and powerful that it drew her in immensely, even though she was terrified.
The leader of the group that had imprisoned her for so long was a strong wolf and she feared him, but nothing compared to the one who jumped on her before she lost consciousness. That creature could easily eliminate her insignificant existence, so how was she still alive?
Her heart raced with fear as she looked again at the stain she had left on the bed. She had suffered violent punishments for making mistakes smaller than that, just to imagine the consequences made her shudder, and she ran to take off the bed linens. She needed to wash them as quickly as possible to hopefully lessen the violence she would suffer.
As soon as she ripped the sheet from the bed, the bedroom door opened and she turned towards the noise with tear-filled eyes, struggling to hold back her cry, for she knew from experience that if she cried, the punishment would be even worse.
A beautiful woman with red hair entered the room, her cunning eyes met Nadja's and assessed her without shame. The newcomer lifted her face, inhaling noisily, and her eyes became even brighter.
— Luna… — She said, pleased with herself, then smiled and repeated the word, this time addressing Nadja. — Luna, my name is Tabita, I am the Beta's mate.
Nadja knew what a Beta was, the wolf that had chased and threatened her before she threw herself off the cliff was a Beta. They were strong and cruel, looking at her with dirty and wicked eyes when they visited the cells, and many of those who visited their territory paid to abuse omegas.
Betas were bad, but even they were not as terrifying as an Alpha…
Tabita's words made her even more anxious, and Nadja tried to keep silent, fearing she might say something foolish that would worsen her situation.
Anxious in the presence of the Luna before her, Tabita cleared her throat and continued to speak:
— Hm… I brought these clothes for you, I hope they fit. Hm… It was Alpha Dérik who ordered m to bring it and ask how you are.
Tabita's last words brought a mix of emotions to Nadja's heart. Somehow, she knew that was the name of the creature that captured her, a creature that both attracted and repelled her. He was an Alpha, it couldn't be different, as the aura was unmistakable, but for Nadja, alphas were synonymous with cruelty. The most wicked visitors of the tribe where she had been imprisoned were alphas. They hurt the omegas without mercy, forcing them to do things that should not be imposed on anyone.
Even the alphas who bought Lunas were cruel, carrying them like objects while they shouted and cryed, begging for help.
Help that never came…
Rebeca said they were not their mates, and that what they were doing was a great offense to the mother goddess, Hecate.
Nadja wondered why such a powerful goddess did not defend her daughters…
— Luna, your bath is ready. — Tabita pointed to the bathtub full of warm water.
Her words awakened Nadja, who remained curled up in the corner.
— You better hurry, Luna, Alpha Dérik ordered that you go with him for lunch, he gets quite grumpy when he has to wait.
Tabita was smiling, but her words made Nadja shudder. An angry Alpha was the last thing she wanted to face. She didn't understand what kind of prison she was in now, or what that monstrous Alpha intended, but it was better not to anger him until she learned the rules and what her tasks would be…. If she worked well and behave obedient, maybe she wouldn't suffer much, for she doubted the possibility of escaping from such a powerful creature.