A New Term

POV: Malia

Don’t make a sound. Don’t make a sound.

The accusation hung in the air, a toxic cloud threatening to choke me. I stood still, my head bowed toward my chest, praying the mahogany floorboards would split open and swallow me. The silence in my brother's office felt suffocating, a thick tension wrapping around my windpipe.

A shadow fell over my worn shoes. The subtle shift of heavy boots scraping against the floor warned me of his approach. Alpha Rafe stood directly in front of me. He radiated a stifling heat, smelling of rain and dark pine. Before I could shrink back into the safety of my own shadow, his large, warm hand reached out. Rough calluses brushed my skin as he tilted my chin upward, forcing my gaze to meet his burning crimson eyes.

Slowly, his long fingers wrapped around my throat. He didn’t squeeze to choke me, but the grip remained firm and unyielding, a clear display of undeniable power.

"You poisoned your parents?" his deep voice rumbled, the bass vibrating through my chest. He searched my face, scanning my terrified features for any sign of guilt.

"I was six," I spluttered out, the words scraping past his fingers. A frantic tremor seized my body, rattling my bones. "I just made them lemonade." My voice cracked, trembling in my defense. I explained the best I could, my breath hitching as I insisted I was ignorant of what was in that pitcher. The memories of my parents were blurry, faded snapshots, but the crushing guilt and the endless beatings that followed their deaths remained branded into my skin.

Rafe's intense stare held mine for a beat longer before his hand dropped from my neck. He turned his imposing frame toward Brant and Vance. "Hardly seems fair to blame a six-year-old."

Brant scoffed, his face twisting into a nasty snarl. "A six-year-old should know the difference between simple plants."

Rafe shrugged his broad shoulders, shocking everyone in the room. "Sounds to me like she was set up. We all know standard wolfsbane doesn't kill our kind anymore. We evolved past that centuries ago. It merely causes temporary illness."

My breath hitched. What did he just say? Standard wolfsbane wasn’t lethal? My whole life, the pack had beaten that narrative into me. I killed them. I was the monster. Now, this Alpha dismantled my lifelong nightmare with a simple biological fact.

Rafe narrowed his eyes, his tone dropping into a dangerous mutter. "Which only leaves Blood of Wolfsbane." His crimson eyes shifted directly to my brother, suggesting that a child was set up by someone else.

"You weren't there, Alpha Rafe," Brant hissed through gritted teeth, his chest puffing out in forced bravado. "It was Wolfsbane."

Rafe nodded slowly. "You are correct. I was not present. But tell me this, Brant. Where would a six-year-old get Blood of Wolfsbane?"

The question struck a nerve. Brant slammed his fist onto his desk, redirecting the conversation. "I didn't invite you here to discuss my slave! Or what happened to my parents. We are here to finalize an alliance treaty."

Rafe snatched his leather jacket from the chair. He wore a simple black tee and dark jeans, lacking the heavy tattoos typical of rival Alphas. "You are right. And now I have a few things to mull over."

"I thought we agreed on the terms," Brant argued, a hint of panic slipping through his anger.

"Nothing has been signed," Rafe countered, refusing to put pen to paper just yet. "Now, I will show myself out."

The heavy oak door clicked shut behind Rafe.

The shift in the room's atmosphere was instantaneous. The moment the latch secured, Brant and Beta Vance rounded on me with terrifying fury.

Brant lunged. He swung his heavy fist directly into my stomach. The blow landed with a sickening thud, knocking the wind out of me. I collapsed to my knees, my shins slamming against the hardwood. I gagged, clutching my abdomen as agonizing pain radiated through my core, twisting my insides into tight knots. I fought to draw a breath, but my lungs refused to expand.

"What lies have you been whispering to him?" Brant demanded, his spit hitting my cheek.

"N-nothing," I gasped, desperate for oxygen. "I swear."

Vance stepped closer, his boot kicking me sharply in the ribs. "Did you tell him something? Did you run your mouth?"

"No!" I whispered my innocence, burning tears flooding my eyes.

Brant grabbed a fistful of my dark hair. He yanked my head back, sending shooting pain down my spine. My scalp burned. He leaned in, his foul breath washing over my face.

"If you have ruined this alliance, you won't see daylight again," he hissed.

He didn't let go. Instead, he dragged me physically out of the office. My knees scraped against the rough wood as he hauled me down the dimly lit hallway toward the basement. The air grew colder the closer we got. The basement wasn't just a cellar; it was a dungeon of silver cages and endless darkness. The stench of damp earth and rusted metal drifted up the stairs, a metallic tang that coated the back of my throat. I knew those cages. I knew the bite of the silver bars.

"Please..." I begged through my tears, dreading the dark cell. "Please don't put me down there."

He ignored my pleas. He grabbed the heavy iron handle of the basement door and flung it open.

But instead of an empty stairwell, a massive figure blocked the path.

Alpha Rafe stood right there on the other side, leaning casually against the cold stone wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

Brant halted, shock registering on his face. His grip on my hair loosened just enough for me to draw a jagged breath.

"Alpha Rafe," Brant murmured angrily, scrambling to regain his composure. "I thought you had left."

"I said I would show myself out," Rafe replied, his tone smooth as glass. "I thought I had found the exit door. Instead, I found a basement, riddled with your sister's strange scent."

Rafe pushed off the wall. His crimson eyes took in my trembling frame, my underfed body, the exhaustion weighing me down, and my bruised state.

"Is this how you treat your family?" Rafe asked.

Brant defended my punishment. "This is pack business. She is responsible for the death of our parents. This is what she deserves."

"You should keep your nose out of other packs' affairs," Vance chimed in, puffing out his chest.

A dark smirk curled Rafe's lips. A low rumble vibrated in his chest. "If I agree to this deal, everything about your business becomes my business. Tell me, what was the plan for her down there? No food? Locked away for a week? Beatings?"

"We don't—" Brant started.

"Really?" Rafe cut him off, an eyebrow arched. "You expect me to believe you were just putting her to bed? I have already stopped you from hitting her once. She is starved. Exhausted. For a sister of an Alpha, she is treated like dirt. Regardless of what she allegedly did as a pup."

"She did it!" Brant seethed, his face flushing crimson. "And she has nothing to do with our alliance."

"That is for me to decide," Rafe stated coldly. He let his gaze drift around the shadowed hallway. "Where is your mate, Brant? I would be interested to know how she feels about this."

I squeezed my eyes shut, a fresh wave of panic rushing over me. If Luna Valeria got involved, the basement would be the least of my worries.

"On second thought," Rafe sneered, "why bother her? I am certain she is just as vile as you."

I opened my eyes, stunned. Why was he defending me?

"I have a proposition for you, Brant," Rafe said, issuing a cold ultimatum.

"We have already agreed on terms," Brant argued stubbornly.

"I am adding one term to our agreement," Rafe declared, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. "Let me take her away to my pack, and then you, Brant, will have a deal."

I stood frozen in shock. My heart stopped beating. My blood ran cold. Me? Why would a powerful, legendary Alpha like him want a broken, useless Wolf like me?

Brant didn't even hesitate. A gleam of eager relief flashed in his eyes, thrilled to be rid of his burden. "Deal." He thrust his hand forward for a handshake.

Rafe ignored Brant's outstretched hand. He stepped past my brother, closing the distance between us. I flinched, expecting a blow, but his large, warm palm cupped my face. The heat of his touch sent a strange spark racing through my veins.

"Ensure you have everything packed," he murmured softly, his thumb gently dragging across my bottom lip.

He pulled back, striding down the hallway toward the front door. He paused with his hand on the handle, casting a deadly look back at Brant and Vance.

"If I find out anyone has laid a single hand on her before we leave, the alliance contract will be the absolute last thing you will ever have to worry about."

The door slammed shut behind him. The echo rang through the hall.

"Get out of my sight!" Brant snapped at me.

Hurrying away, I scrambled to my feet and made my way up the creaking stairs, banished to my cramped room. The space was practically bare. A thin, lumpy mattress lay in the corner, offering no comfort against the winter drafts. A small wooden crate served as my dresser, holding my few threadbare shirts, a spare pair of faded trousers, and a cracked comb. I packed my meager belongings into a worn canvas bag, securing the fraying straps in less than a minute. It was a pathetic collection for a life lived over two decades.

The rest of the night dragged on in agonizing slowness. I spent a sleepless, anxious night curled up on the floor, staring at the water stains mapping the cracked ceiling. Sleep refused to come. My mind spun in chaotic circles, haunted by his words and the lingering warmth of his touch on my mouth.

Why was I so interesting to the Alpha of the most powerful pack in the territory? The Moonscar pack was desperate to link with his territory because his warriors were unmatched, legends of brutal strength and tactical brilliance. They conquered rival territories with ease. Where did a defective omega like me fit into his grand plans? Did he want a new slave to scrub his floors? Or was this some twisted game to torture Brant?

And beneath all the panic, his words echoed in the darkness, pulling at a thread that threatened to unravel my entire existence as I tried to comprehend what on earth Blood of Wolfsbane truly was.