“Strip the wolf pelts from the wall” what? Had she just heard the Alpha wrong?

“I…I don’t understand ,” Freya muttered, hoping she had heard him wrong. Alpha Torin turned to her. “I don’t repeat myself, frail human.” Freya would have felt insulted by how he qualified her but she was more concerned with the order the Alpha just gave her.

Her eyes flicked to the high hallway just outside the main chamber, where at least thirty massive wolf pelts were nailed to the stone walls in rows—some fresh, some rotting. Their blood had seeped into the stone, making it sticky and sour. They were hung as trophies. Warnings.

“You want them taken down?”

“I want them skimmed off the walls. You will clean the blood too.” Freya blinked. She didn’t sign for this. She didn’t even imagine that such task could be given to her when she learnt she would be his slave. This wasn’t okay in anyway.

“And when you’re done,” he added, “you’ll scrub the floor with wolfbane water. And you will do it on your knees.”

Freya stared at him dazedly until he growled at her.

She turned without a word and walked out to the hall. Where would she start from? It was unbelievable that he was kissing her moments ago and now giving her tasks as this.

She hadn’t even had the time to dwell or think about the kiss because he had almost killed her after, then it was shortly after that Luna Athena and her supposed bestfriend came in to drop a blow.

She shook her head from the thought, or else it would weaken her and she wouldn’t be able to focus on the task at hand that she dared not do.

The stench coming from the wall hit her first, then the rot. The nails had been hammered deep into the thick hides, some curled with age, others fresh and still dripping with blood. She took a breath, grabbed the nearest hide by the edge, and began to undo them.

The earlier she started, the better. The more she worried about it, the more she could be at risk of facing the Alpha’s wrath.

The metal sliced her palm, and she winced. But she didn’t stop after that. The first pelt tore free, leaving behind a smear of dried sinew. Her arms trembled at the sight. She dropped it beside her and moved to the next.

And the next.

And the next.

It was hours before the last one fell. Her back screamed in protest, her fingers shredded and ached, her knees bloodied from crawling. Even, her throat burned from holding back sobs she refused to release.

If this is what she would be subjected to, was it not better that she ran away instead?

A bucket of wolfbane sat nearby. She dipped a cloth in it and began to scrub the floor as ordered.

The toxin in the water burned her skin instantly and the already wounded skin sizzled with pain. She groaned inwardly, her eyes shutting to compose herself and not scream out of pain.

Tears threatened to spill yet she didn’t let it. She should get done with this and treat herself later. She touched the wolfsbane water again and a sudden sharp scream left her lips out pain.

That was when she heard footsteps. The person eventually emerged. Freya identified her as one of the Omegas from the morning. The one who had been silent when the two other Omegas taunted her. —Kiera.

The omega had been watching from the far side of the hallway, pretending to be busy. Her hands shook as she stepped closer and dropped a bucket of clean water. She looked hesitant, a clean cloth in her other hand.

“You shouldn’t be touching wolfbane with bare skin,” she whispered to Freya.

Freya didn’t look at her. “What happens if I do?” She asked as if she wasn’t dealing with the torturous effect already.

“You’ll blister. You will have scars on your… beautiful body. It’ll feel like your blood’s on fire.”

Freya’s fingers trembled as she wrung the cloth and kept scrubbing. The pain kept intensifying, but she was more angry than the physical pain she felt.

“I’ve felt worse,” she whispered, still not looking her way.

Kiera bent beside her, placed the clean cloth down, and without asking, dipped it into the clean water she brought and began to scrub beside her.

“You’ll get punished,” Freya murmured with a tight voice as if she were in pain, startled by Kiera’s attempt to help her.

“I’ll say I dropped something,” Kiera whispered back. “They won’t look twice at an Omega like me.”

Freya paused. She met Kiera’s eyes for a heartbeat. There was pity in them, quiet defiance and of course, there seemed to be pain in them..

A strange comfort bloomed in her chest.

But it was short-lived. Her hands started to burn. “Oh universe…” Freya feared as her skin started to burn than usual. The pain was so terrible that she had to drop the scrubbing cloth in her hand.

“You see?” Kiera dropped the cloth in her hand and moved to a trembling Freya to access her hands without touching it. “Oh my goddess, your…your hands are shredding, please stay away. I will help you clean it.”

“Oh no, don’t bother. I…” She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the terrible discomfort she was feeling. “I don’t want you caught.”

“Nonsense, you will kill yourself.” Kiera whispered to her. Freya looked at her, wondering why she was helping her. It made her remember Beta Caleb whom she hadn’t seen after he brought food for her in the dungeon.

She thought all wolves were wicked.

She reluctantly stepped back and let Kiera clean the floor with the clean water. But her heart wouldn’t stop beating faster in her chest. If Alpha Torin catches them, she would be doomed.

“I will soon be done,” Kiera looked up to tell her, and surprisingly, there was a smile on her face. Despite herself, Freya found herself giving her a smile back. She would be damned if this implicated Kiera.

As if the universe was against them, the click of boots was heard venturing their way. “Hey…go now!” Freya whispered harshly but before Kiera could step out, Luna Athena stepped in, looking around with her scary hazel eyes.

Freya looked away, but she didn’t dare dip her hand back inside the wolfsbane water to convince that she had been the one working.

Kiera dipped her head low, hands folded behind her body as she greeted the Luna.

“My Luna,” She acknowledged.

Luna Athena looked from Freya to Kiera, “What are you both doing in here?” Her eyes trailed Kiera’s wet hands and then… Freya’s reddened and shredded hands that were now shaking terribly.

It wasn’t long till it clicked. Instead of looking at Kiera, her boots clicked further as she stepped beside Freya. “Are you sharing your duties with her? Why is she helping you out?”

Before Freya could speak, Kiera beat her to it.

“No, my Luna. Freya didn’t want me to help. I offered to.” Her voice shook. Freya was scared to death, she would be broken if Kiera were to be punished or killed because of her. She was aware of how reckless Alpha Torin could be, and even the Luna.

“Nonsense Kiera. Why are you lying? I called you to help. You resisted but I begged you because my…” She bared her hands before her and looked down at it. “My hands were burning from cleaning with wolfsbane water.”

Kiera’s lips fell open, unable to speak. She had offered to help Freya, why was she taking the blame? Oh gods, Freya would get herself killed.

Luna Athena sneered, and before Kiera could defend Freya again, the Luna’s hand lashed out to hit Freya hard on her cheek. Freya fell to the floor, her vision blurring instantly, but she held onto her emotional strength. She didn’t even whimper nor make a face that showed how hurt she was.

Her jaw clenched, and rage filled her, yet she slowly stood again, looking indifferent. Kiera’s hand flew to her lips to cover her mouth in shock, tears glistening but dared not allow them fall.

Luna Athena grabbed Freya’s hair, tilting her head backward. “I told you I will make your life hell here, now…” She took turns to look at them both.

“You both should follow me to the Alpha.” Kiera gasped as a whole new version of fear coursed through her.