The Packof the Westwood Wolf

Dream or Nightmare?

Now, there was onlyone reasonable explanation.

I was either dreaming or living the most fucked up dayof my life.

“W-Westwood Wolves?” I repeated because I couldnot have heard him right, because I had to have misheard.

Cyrus hardly looked at me,radiating supreme unbothered energy. "Yes."

Yes?! That was it? Just yes? Not even a "Surprise! Haha,just kidding, we’re really going to a lovely quiet village where no one ever turns into a fucking monster”?

Before I could process the bombshell that I was apparently dragged into werewolf territory, the naked guy— a fucking werewolf—who just shifted in front of me like it fucking wasn’t a terrifyingly insane act to perform in front of someone you just practically met turned to Cyrus.

Because, yeah. Totally normal behavior. Nothing weird here at all.

“Theo, has the crisisbeen addressed?” Cyrus said, sounding asconcerned as someone asking if dinner reservations were set.

Theo chuckledlow on the line like they were sharing a private joke rather than discussing whatever horrible thing had just happened. "We reached a compromise."

Cyrus mocked with aneye roll. “Took them long enough. Greedy bastards."

I couldn’t get past the fact that Theo had literally been a wolf about thirty seconds ago, so honestly, their casual conversation about “crises”and “compromises” were the least of my concerns. But my brain hadn’t quite made it past my mouth yet, so I was still standing there— blinking like a broken marionette.

Then, as if he’djust remembered I existed, Theo’s penetrating stare turned to me.

"And who is she?"

I gulped.

Cyrus,the absolute beast, wasted no time before delivering what could only be the worst possible introduction of all time.

"My new slave."

He said it so casually. As if he werereporting a weather forecast. Like this was some perfectly acceptable thing to sayin public.

My jaw unhinged. "Excuse me?! "

Theo arched his brow and looked at me like Iwas a stray cat Cyrus had found on the street. “Again? Another human?”

Cyrus merely sneered, an assuring expression as a knife-wielding clownin a dark alley.

Theo sighed heavily and pinched the bridge ofhis nose. “You have an unhealthy obsession, myfriend.”

“Not anobsession,” Cyrus corrected smoothly, “just a preference.

Oh, fantastic. This complete and utter psychopath enjoyed collecting humans the same way some people collected rarecoins. I was living the dream.

Theoshifted his gaze back at me, this time giving me a full once over, his piercing eyes consuming me as if calculating just what level of disappointment I was about to be.

“With any luck, thisone lives.”

I froze.

Excuse me?

My brain screeched to a halt. My soul briefly left my body. It was likemy stomach fell so quickly it broke the sound barrier.

“…What do you mean by that?” I asked, voice embarrassingly cracking at theend.

Theo cocked his head to one side, putting on the most obnoxiouslyinnocent expression I’d ever seen, dancing with devilry. "Mean by what?"

Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps the part where you just suggested I waspast my prime? Maybe expand on that before Ibegin screaming?

Cyrus snickered, a nasty little sound that dripped sarcasm and came outtotally unaffected by the panic that had begun to creep through my bones. "Relax, Agnes. No one’s going to kill you."

I narrowed my eyes at him,very suspicious. “You say it like it’soptional.”

Theo shrugged. "That depends."

Ihated that I needed so badly to clarify that sentence.

"Depends on what exactly?" I did, squeezing my own arms tighter as if that could somehow stop the fucking circus I was inthe middle of.

Theo andCyrus shared a look before smirking. “It depends on howmuch support you are.”

Oh. Oh.

Fantastic. Because that wasn’t a totallyterrifying thing to hear at all.

I was so doomed.

I looked at him, then his still-outheldhand. He hadn’t shaken hishand yet? Not happening.

Instead,I gave him a sickly, false smile. “Who am I to shake the hand of someoneso… powerful and good? After all, I’m just a lowly,back-Stabbing human.”

The smirk disappearedfrom Cyrus’s face at once. He turned his head toward me so quickly I worried about hisneck breaking. Uh-oh.

“Agnes,” he said slowly, his voicedipping to something dangerously low.

"What?" I blinked innocently. "I’m just being respectful."

“That was sarcasm,” hespat.

"Oh, was it?" I feigned surprise.

Theo laughed. "I like this one."

Cyrus, annoyed noteven a bit, found my wrist and pinched. "Apologize."

I raised my chin, unwillingto cower. “For what?”

His grip tightened. "Now."

Everybone in my defiant being screamed NO but his eyes? They were glowing red.

I gulped.

“…Fine.”

I gesturedto Theo, spat through clenched teeth. “My apologies, great andmighty wolf man.”

Theo grinned. "Accepted, little human."

I rolled my eyes.

Oh, I hated it here already.

THE TEA DISASTER

“You have got to bekidding me.”

Cyrusspit out the seventh cup of tea that I made for him. SEVENTH.

“This is disgusting,” he pronounced theatrically, asthough I had given him poison.

“You know,” Isaid, deadpan, “normal people just drink tea and continue with their lives.”

“I’m not normal,” he said withoutmissing a beat.

“No, you are the painin my ass,” I grumbled under my breath.

“What was that?”

I gave him aninnocent smile. “Nothing, Master.”

His eyes narrowed. He didn’t believe me.

Cyrus crossed his arms. “Are youtelling me you really don’t know how to make a simple cup of tea?”

I threw my hands up. “Oh, my deepest apologies! “Oh, I missed the course where theytrained me for slave work and sold me like a cheap goat!”

His gaze darkened. "Watch your tone."

“Youneed to be cautious with your expectations. I wasn’t exactly brought up in a'How to Serve Your Overgrown Wolf Master' type of environment.”

He leaned in, voice dipping to some lowand dangerous. “You will learn.”

I puffed, grabbing the tray offthe table. “Oh, your Majesty, allow me tomake you another.”

But as I trudged to the kitchen, a questionnagged in the back of my mind.

Wait… is he actually a king?

Everyone in thisplace would practically bow when he walked by.

I hesitated, glancing back. “So, like, are you,a literal king?”

Cyrus raised a brow. "I am the Alpha of this pack. So, in a sense… yes."

I snorted. “Weird. Kings are usually old. You’re… young.”

His scowl could havemelted steel. “Tea. Now.”

I grinned, turning away. My favorite pastime wasofficially annoying him.

An Unexpected Ally

Just then a girl strolled in while I was trying toremake the tea.

“Need help?” she asked, witha friendly smile.

I narrowed my eyes. “Who are you?”

“Not someone important,” shesaid cryptically. “But I do know how to make tea that won’t have you thrownout a window.”

That got my attention.

She ambled over, collectingleaves and grinding them up with honey, and then a squirt of lemon. Then she added the mix to hotwater, stirred and strained it.

“There. Perfect.” She handed me the cup.

I blinked. That was it?

“That’s the very same thingI did,” I grumbled.

She laughed. “It’s all in the technique.”

I squinted ather, then sighed. Whatever.

I took the tray and rushed back toCyrus.

He raised the cup to his nose, then took a grittysip.

I held my breath.

“Adequate,” he finally muttered, draining therest.

I could have fallen to myknees with relief.

And then — because the universe hates me— his eyes locked on mine.

“You haven’t made thistea yourself, have you?”

I swallowed. Busted.

“…Should it matter?”

Cyrus reclined again,folding his arms. “If there is one thing I hatein this world, it’s disobeying my orders,”

Oh, forthe love of — he got the tea he wanted, didn’t he?!

“Well, sorry formaking your life easier,” I said.

Cyrus’s gaze darkened. “I’m warning you, Agnes. Next time, you obey.”

His tailcoat had been removed, andhis shirt was half unbuttoned.

I turned away so quickly that Inearly gave myself whiplash.

Damn it.

This place wasgoing to kill me.