The Alpha's Secret Luna

Chapter 17

The dawn light sifted faintly through the curtains of the room where Sophia was currently in. She lay curled beneath the heavy cloak he had thrown over her shoulders the night before, the folds of fabric dampening the chill that seeped through the cracked windowpane. The fire in the hearth had long since faded to ashes and she was hit with how cold the room was.

She stared at the ceiling before rubbing at her eyes as if trying to quell the remnants of sleep. She took in the room, Orion wasn't present. She was the only one in the room.

She had tried to stay awake the previous night, waiting until he came back so he could explain that he meant by her leaving and also tell her who the fuck Tobias was. The only people she knew were Brynhild, Lysander the grumpy doctor, Ronan the funny one and Orion the annoying one. And he really was annoying. She disliked him a lot. Why couldn't he be like the others or be as likeable as Brynhild?

She groaned low in frustration and slammed a fist into the wall beside the bed. Her cheek flushed with heat and pain. "Fucking brick wall," she muttered bitterly, eyes narrowing at a crack in the wood.

The faint creak of the door made her whip her head toward it. Her pulse quickened at the faint hope it might be him, finally coming back to talk. She could see herself giving him an attitude as he tried to explain what he had meant but she wouldn't give him the time of the day or the attention. She was going to treat him the same way he had treated her. But it wasn't Orion who stepped in, it was Brynhild.

She moved quietly, her heavy cloak rustling softly as she crossed the room. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes were bland, at least they looked bland to Sophia but there was a tension around her shoulders. She carried a bundle of supplies wearing no trace of warmth or softness in her demeanor.

Sophia remained silent and Brynhild's presence alone seemed to fill the room with unspoken authority. She prepared a bath for Sophia and gave her a change of clothes.

Without a word, Brynhild set the bundle she had carried carefully on the floor and began unpacking, thick, woolen clothes stitched with subtle lines of silver thread, a sturdy leather satchel filled with dried fruits, cured meats, and fresh-smelling bread; waterskin tied with leather straps and a small, tightly wrapped cloth containing a few useful herbs and salves.

Sophia watched quietly, suspicious of the woman's silence and sharpened gaze.

Brynhild glanced over once, the faintest flicker of annoyance passing through her pale eyes, but said nothing.

Time stretched tense between them. The only sounds were the soft clinks of packing and the distant wind brushing against the wooden walls.

Finally, Brynhild slung the satchel over her shoulder, the weight settling heavily. She gestured toward the door without meeting Sophia's gaze. "We should leave soon. Tobias will be waiting."

Sophia stood stiffly, her muscles tight beneath the soft cloak she put on after changing. She hesitated though still not comprehending what was going on.

"Who?" she asked quietly.

But Brynhild said nothing.

Exasperated and feeling increasingly abandoned, Sophia sighed and followed her out of the room.

The compound was still mostly quiet, with the few awake residents keeping to their routines, yet a small undercurrent of curiosity flowed beneath the muted voices and curious stares.

They reached the heavy main gate where a young man stood waiting, leaning casually against the stone wall. His dark hair was tousled in that carelessly charming way that bore just the hint of defiance, careless like he did not owe the world any explanations.

He looked young around twenty one or twenty two. His lean frame was clad in a snug leather jacket, worn but well cared for, the sleeves rolled up to reveal long forearms crossed nonchalantly like the biting cold didn't faze him. His skin was a warm bronze, kissed by the sun, a sharp contrast to the pale frost lingering on the ground.

Three silver rings attached to colourful feathers glinted along one ear. They each had their own designs and it resembled the feathers that were woven through Brynhild 's hair but each a different colour. His dark eyes watched her every move and he looked like he was aware of everything that was happening in the compound right now.

He straightened when Brynhild and Sophia approached, pushing off from the wall and stepping forward with a friendly grin.

"You must be Sophia," he said smoothly, voice low and warm but with an edge of steel that pulled taut the air between them. "Tobias."

Sophia blinked, startled by the ease of his introduction. "Yeah. That's me. And you're…? I'm not exactly sure what's going on."

Tobias chuckled lightly. "I'll be taking you out. Away from here."

"Why?" she demanded, folding her arms. "And where the fuck is away from here?"

Before Tobias could answer, a shadow moved silently behind her, and a cold, sharp voice cut through the morning light.

"Exactly what it means, away from here."

Sophia whirled around, eyes wide as she realized she never heard him approach and from the look on Tobias' face, neither had he even if Sophia was sure he had been paying attention to everything happening in the compound.

Orion stood just a few paces away, his intense gaze locked on hers.

She opened her mouth to argue, to demand answers, but the words stumbled and fell.

"I…I don't understand."

"We are or rather Tobias is taking you back to where you can from." Orion told her.

"But I don't know where I came from," she said bluntly, "so how the hell can I go back there?"

Orion's dark eyes hardened, unmoved by her protests.

"It doesn't matter," he said, voice flat as a blade. "You have to go."

The way he dismissed her words, the way he refused to even acknowledge her questions or her existence as more than a problem, it ignited a spark of fury within her.

"You really are a brick wall aren't you? And idiotic stubborn mule and even worse. I just told you I don't even remember where I come from and you insist on me leaving. To go where?" Her voice rose slightly, catching Tobias' attention.

Tobias let out a short, amused laugh but with a glare from Orion he covered it with a cough.

"Anywhere except here." Orion said to her.

"Do you perhaps have a place I can stay then? In the place you are sending me to." She asked him.

"I'm not sending you anywhere. I'm letting you go so you can find your way." Orion argued.

Sophia glared at him. She imagined throwing a stone at him or just unscrewing his brain so she could see what the hell was going on inside it. But then was there any reason to not leave this place? There really wasn't. She wasn't from here, Orion had made that clear but there was this undercurrent of fear in her bones at leaving the walls of this place. But she also knew she couldn't stay in a place where she wasn't welcomed. There was no point fighting to stay here.

As if Orion had read her thoughts, without a word, he pivoted away, his long strides taking him back toward the center of the compound, leaving Sophia with her thoughts.

Brynhild stepped forward with a soft sigh.

"I apologize for his manner," she said softly, "He's… complicated."

Sophia scoffed. "Complicated? More like an idiot."

Brynhild smiled at her.

"I really can't stay?" Sophia asked her with pleading eyes. "I'll do anything you guys want. I'll stay just a little bit." She begged.

Brynhild's face softened, and though her hands were steady, her body language screamed helplessness and regret.

"I wish I could say yes," she said gently. "But it's not within my power."

Before Sophia could press for more, Brynhild pulled her into a brief, warm embrace. The scent of leather and musk surrounded her, familiar and oddly comforting.

She pulled back just enough to meet Sophia's eyes.

"I packed food, warm clothes, and water for the journey," Brynhild said quietly, voice tender but firm. "Take care of yourself. I hope our paths cross again."

The weight of her words settled heavy in Sophia's chest, mingling with the cold morning air.

Tobias stepped forward, slinging the leather satchel over his shoulder.

"Come on," he said, voice rough but inviting. "We don't have much time left. I only have a few hours to make it where I need to go."

Sophia hesitated, eyes darting between Brynhild's pale silver gaze and Tobias's dark eyes.

Without another word, she followed, footsteps echoing uncertainly on the stone path.

The path outside the pack's grounds was barren and gray beneath an overcast sky. The chill seeped deep, nipping at exposed skin, but Sophia felt too restless to notice much beyond the raw truth of her situation.

Her mind spun with questions, tangled memories and dizzying gaps; every step forward felt like walking blind, fumbling for a vanished self.

Tobias kept a steady pace beside her, silently. He led her towards a huge carriage that was attached to four huge black beasts. They growled and Sophia jumped, staring at Tobias with wide eyes.

"You said you were escorting me but this looks like you are feeding me to wolves." She said to him,

Tobias laughed. "They are wolves but I'm not feeding you to them."

He jumped on the carriage and extended his hands to her, which she took after much debate.

"If I die, I'll hunt Orion."

Tobias turned to her and threw his head back laughing loudly.