He wanted to be her friend? That was weird, but she didn’t care. She just wanted him to leave, they should all let her be. She tilted her head up to see him still gazing at her, eyes squinted like he was analyzing her.

“Why?” She felt tempted to ask, to hope he meant it.

“Because I don’t believe you deserve what’s being done to you.” He had her attention. She wanted to believe he was serious. He was looking at her harmlessly but she couldn’t just trust him.

She scoffed. “What do you want?”

“I already said it. To be your friend, that’s what I want.”

Before she could reply, he added. “Do you know Penelope?” Freya noticed how his expression turned hard as he asked her that question.

“No, don’t know what you are talking about.” She shifted to the wall, ready to fall asleep on the floor, but Caleb spoke again.

“You look like you need to be fed. Do you want something to eat?” Freya didn’t miss how he intentionally diverted the conversation. Who was Penelope? But most of all, the food part was important. But…

“Who asked you to poison me? Is it Luna Athena?” She questioned defensively, shifting even impossibly closer to the wall and holding her knees to herself as if that would save her from being harmed if he was going to harm her.

Beta Caleb shook his head, and offered her his hand. “I’m here to make you survive, trust me.” A small bright smile lightened up his face as if presenting himself as harmless.

Freya held back her stubbornness, still looking at him warily, she slowly and hesitantly stretched her hand forward to take his. Caleb met it midway, clasping her soft but dirty hand in his.

“You see? Not hard.” Then he withdrew his hand. “I will bring you food.” He promised, but Freya didn’t put her hopes up. Twenty minutes later, Beta Caleb brought the meal to her by himself.

“I will be here till you finish eatin…” He hadn’t finished talking, Freya grabbed the plate from him and started devouring it. This was the second food she would be eating since four days ago. It didn’t take her time before she finished eating it at all. Beta Caleb’s gaze did not leave her till she finished eating it.

How could she look Exactly like Penelope? She even had a big appetite just like her.

“So is this when I expect the poison to start working?” She sarcastically asked as she finished gulping down the water he gave her also.

Caleb barely scoffed. “Your Thank you is weird.” He packed the two empty plates while Freya’s eyes traced him. He straightened and stopped to look at her again. “I will go now.” He started to turn.

“Wait,” The word slipped out of Feya’s lips before she could stop it. Caleb half-turned her way.

“Will…do you think he will kill me?” The wariness and fear in her voice was palpable. Caleb almost felt his heart that hadn’t felt anything in a while tighten. He made a decision at that moment as he looked at her.

“I will not let him kill you.” He didn’t say more, he left. Freya sunk back to her position on the floor. To think the Beta, second in command to the most dangerous Alpha in Eryndor, Hollow Vale, didn’t hate her as his Alpha did.

He had said he wanted to be her friend, gave her food, and then said he would help her to survive… Was this the master of the universe trying to help her? Sleep took her away almost immediately. She was totally exhausted.

*

Meanwhile, outside at the packhouse, laughter was circulating among the pack members as they gossiped about a particular person.

“To think she had pretended to be a boy and deceived us. Just if I had known, I would have taken her to my bed and made her serve me all night. It was sad our Luna had to take her.” Rekk commented with both regret and condescension.

“And who said the whore is now out of reach? You can still mount her like you want. No one would hold you for it.” Grigor, one of the gammas added, eyes glinting with menace.

“Not when she’s dying away in the dungeon. If she is not dead already. I heard that our Alpha hadn’t been feeding her.” Rekk responded, now holding a Indian hemp to his mouth and taking drags.

“Nonsense. Have you been blinded to what has been happening around you? She didn’t die when our Luna stabbed her right in her chest and you think tying her away in the dungeon is what would kill her? That girl has crazy powers. She was probably sent here to kill us all.” Zayad, another of the pack members, who had a reputation to have raped a human maid to death some months back interfered with his croaked voice.

“Power or not, she’s still nothing. I will crush her with my boot once like a bug. No female has powers in her like a male wolf, stop talking about her like she’s untouchable.” A Gamma named Damian, spited with disdain.

“I agree. Power or no power, she would still end up where every woman belongs…” Rekk’s eyes gleamed with cruelty as he looked at his pack family. “…she will end up bent, wet, choking on my cock and screaming my name till she’s reminded a woman’s power means absolutely nothing where a man is.”

“You say that again and I will feed you your tongue.” They all stilled as a familiar voice intervened, footsteps walking in amidst them in a pair of luxurious black boots, another type of the many he had.

Beta Caleb had his hands to his sides, clenched into fists, eyes narrowing with annoyance.

No one dared to speak.

“If I catch anyone speak about the girl again, you will be losing more than the tongue you've used in talking about her. You will lose your ranks.” Caleb threatened, meaning every word.

Rekk shrank back in his chair, Grigor looked down, Zayad had a look of annoyance on, but he dared not speak back to the Beta. But Damian rose.

“You don't tell us what to say, Caleb. You are not our Alpha,” Damian said rudely, eyes sparkling with envy. Every other person was shocked but Caleb didn't look a bit dazed, his expression was same.

“Swallow back your words, Damian.” Caleb warned.

“Or what?” Damian sneered, his arrogance taking over.

Before he could blink, Caleb closed their distance and struck him hard on his jaw with a brutal punch, sending the Gamma sprawling on the floor. The impact causing blood to drip from his mouth and nose.

The others shrank further. Though scared, Damian was visibly livid as he accessed the blood on his face in his position on the floor.

Beta Caleb loomed over him, still very composed as he said, “That was mercy, you are lucky I didn't kill you. I can't say about next time”

Then he looked at them all. “Now when you all are having your sick conversations, you keep the girl out of your lips or you will be reminded of why I don't get crossed. Understood?” They each muttered words of compliance, only Damian was still seething with rage on the floor.

As Caleb turned and walked away, Damian wiped his lips with the back of his hand annoyingly.

“We should orchestrate a meeting with the Alpha soon, the girl must be killed.” He sneered angrily.