Chapter 5

Chloe's POV

I didn't know whether to feel relieved or terrified when Balthazar's gates finally disappeared behind us. I'd escaped, but not because I was free. Another man had paid for me.

Ken didn't explain why Gideon had changed his mind. He simply led me outside, opened the door of a black car, and ordered me to get in.

I obeyed, but the moment I stepped inside, panic rushed through me.

My shoes and the bottom of my dress were covered in mud from crossing Balthazar's wet compound, while the car looked painfully expensive. The seats were soft leather, the interior spotless, and a thick wool carpet covered the floor beneath my muddy feet.

A brown stain appeared almost immediately.

"Oh no."

Ken glanced back from the front passenger seat. "What's wrong?"

"I'm getting mud everywhere."

Ken glanced back. "What?"

I looked down at my muddy shoes. "The carpet."

He followed my gaze. "It can be cleaned."

Then he turned back around. "Sit down."

Easy for him to say. He wasn't the one who had just dirtied an Alpha's expensive car. After everything I'd heard about Gideon Blackwood, I had no desire to discover how he reacted when someone damaged his belongings.

I pulled my feet together and remained as still as possible as the convoy moved away.

Several black vehicles travelled with us, some ahead and others behind. Men wearing Gideon's black wolf crest occupied every one of them, and the sight reminded me that the man who had bought me was clearly not an ordinary person. Even Balthazar, who ruled his territory through fear, had been careful around Gideon.

I understood why even more when we eventually entered Blackwood territory.

The first security checkpoint was guarded by armed men, with several unusually large wolves prowling nearby. The massive gates opened the moment our convoy approached, and every guard lowered his head as we passed.

Another checkpoint appeared farther ahead, then another several miles later. Watchtowers lined sections of the road while armed men patrolled the entrances. More of those enormous wolves moved through the surrounding forest.

I couldn't stop staring at them. They were much larger than any wolves I'd ever seen, which only brought back everything I'd heard at Balthazar's compound.

Werewolves.

Huge wolves moved through the forest beside them, and every time I saw one, I had to remind myself that what I'd believed impossible only days ago was now right outside my window, and this place wasn't making the stories any easier to dismiss.

"How large is Blackwood territory?" I finally asked.

Ken glanced at me. "Larger than most packs in the East."

We had already travelled a considerable distance since crossing the first gate, yet there was still no sign of the main house.

When we eventually reached the Pack House, another set of guarded gates opened to allow the convoy through. The enormous building stood at the center of the base, surrounded by smaller structures and training grounds where Pack members moved about.

Ken led me inside, where a middle-aged woman was already waiting.

"This is Maeve, the Pack Steward," he said before turning to her. "Alpha Gideon's orders. She's staying here."

Maeve studied me briefly before nodding. "Come with me."

I followed her upstairs to a guest room. It was large and comfortable, with a private bathroom and more space than I needed. After Balthazar's cages, I should have been grateful, but I had already learned that comfortable rooms could still have locked doors.

Maeve opened the bathroom and pointed inside. "Wash yourself before you settle in, and make sure you bathe properly every day."

I frowned. "Every day?"

"Every single day. Alpha Gideon is extremely particular about cleanliness. Dirt, unpleasant smells, and unnecessary mess irritate him. You'll save yourself trouble by remaining spotless."

I immediately remembered the muddy wool carpet in his car.

Wonderful.

Maeve showed me where to find towels and clean clothes before explaining the rest of the rules. "Don't wander around the base. The third floor is completely off-limits unless you're specifically called there, and keep quiet at night. People here have duties at all hours, so don't become a disturbance."

"I understand."

She paused at the door before adding, "And don't trust everyone you meet simply because you're inside Blackwood territory. Stay where you're supposed to be and keep out of trouble."

Her warning unsettled me.

"Am I allowed to leave this room?"

"When necessary. That doesn't mean you should wander off."

With that, she left.

I bathed until there wasn't a trace of Balthazar's compound left on my skin. Maeve brought dinner later, but Gideon never came.

Not that night.

Not the next morning.

By the second day, I stopped asking Maeve where he was.

By the third, every footstep outside my room made me look toward the door.

By the fourth, I had started wondering if Gideon had bought me only to forget I existed.

I should have been relieved. No one beat me or inspected me like merchandise here. I had food, clean clothes, and a comfortable bed.

Yet the longer Gideon stayed away, the more restless I became.

What happened to a woman when the Alpha who bought her no longer wanted her?

That night, rain hammered against the windows, keeping me awake long after the Pack House had gone silent.

Then, sometime after midnight, my bedroom door opened.

I sat up sharply.

A tall figure stepped through the darkness, rainwater dripping from his black clothes.

My breath stopped.