Chapter 4

Freya's POV

I woke to the sensation of cool hands on my fevered skin.

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. The touch was gentle, professional, spreading something soothing over the worst of my burns.

I tried to speak, to move, but my body felt like it was made of lead. The fever had me in its grip, making everything hazy and strange.

"Shh," a familiar voice murmured. "Don't try to move. You're burning up."

Strong hands rolled me carefully onto my stomach, and I felt my shirt being lifted away from the worst burns. There was a sharp intake of breath.

"Fuck, Freya. What did you do to yourself?"

I didn't do anything, I wanted to say. Your precious Luna did this. She marked her territory and made sure I knew exactly where I stood.

But the words wouldn't come. Instead, I felt the blessed relief of healing salve being applied to my injuries, followed by the strange tingling sensation that meant Zander was using his Alpha strength to accelerate my healing.

"This should help with the infection," he said quietly, his voice closer now. "But these burns are severe. What happened?"

I managed to force my eyes open, blinking away the fever haze until his face came into focus. He was kneeling beside my bed, his expression tight with concern that looked almost genuine.

"Training accident," I whispered, the lie scraping my throat raw.

Zander's eyes narrowed. "Training accident? Freya, these are fire burns. Severe ones."

"Slipped during knife work," I improvised. "Fell into a torch bracket."

Patient. He wanted me to be patient while his future Luna tortured me for sport.

"After the bonding ceremony," he said, his voice dropping to that intimate tone I knew too well, "after everything settles down, I'll reassign you back to my personal detail. Things will go back to normal."

Normal. As if there was anything normal about this situation. As if I'd still be here after the ceremony to resume whatever twisted relationship he thought we had.

"Of course, Alpha," I managed. "Whatever you need."

"Get some rest. You'll need your strength." Zander said.

He was almost to the door when I found my voice again. "Alpha Zander?"

He stopped.

"She's lucky," I said quietly. "To have someone who cares about her happiness so much."

For a long moment, he didn't move. Then, without turning around, he said, "So was I."

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving me alone with the scent of healing salve.

The next morning, I woke to a bucket of ice water being dumped over my head.

I shot upright, gasping and sputtering, my injuries screaming in protest as the frigid water hit my burns. A young omega maid stood beside my bed, holding an empty bucket and wearing an expression of smug satisfaction.

"Luna Susanna's orders," she announced. "You're to be ready for guard duty in ten minutes."

I wiped water from my eyes, trying to process what had just happened. "guard duty doesn't start until—"

"Luna Susanna's guard duty starts when she says it does." The maid set the bucket down with a loud clang. "She's waiting in the east courtyard. Don't keep her waiting longer than you already have."

The omega swept out, leaving me dripping and shivering in my soaked bedding. Every instinct I had screamed that this was deliberate humiliation, but I forced myself to get moving. The faster I dressed, the faster I could get through whatever fresh hell Susanna had planned.

I made it to the east courtyard in eight minutes, my damp hair still clinging to my neck and my leather jacket squelching with each step. Susanna was waiting under the covered walkway, wrapped in an elegant fur-lined cloak that probably cost more than I made in a year.

"There you are," she said brightly. "I was beginning to think you'd decided to sleep in."

"Sorry, Luna. I wasn't informed of the schedule change."

"Oh, didn't I mention? I prefer to start my days early. Fresh air and exercise, you know." She gestured toward the open courtyard, where fresh snow had fallen during the night. "I thought I'd take a walk. You can stand guard while I walk."

Something cold settled in my stomach that had nothing to do with my wet clothes. "Of course, my lady."

"Wonderful. Take position by the fountain, would you? I want you where I can see you."

The fountain was in the center of the courtyard, completely exposed to the elements. Snow was still falling in fat, lazy flakes that would soak through my already damp clothing in minutes.

But I took my position without complaint, settling into the alert stance that had been drilled into me since childhood. Feet apart, hands clasped behind my back, eyes scanning for threats that we both knew didn't exist.

Susanna began her "walk," which consisted mainly of pacing along the covered walkway while I stood in the falling snow. Every few minutes, she'd call out some observation about the weather or the architecture, clearly expecting responses that I provided in clipped, professional tones.

After an hour, I was soaked to the skin and shivering hard enough that my teeth chattered. My burns had reopened under the wet leather, and I could feel blood seeping through my shirt.

"My, you look cold," Susanna observed, her voice dripping with false concern. "Perhaps next time you'll remember to dress more appropriately for the weather."

"Yes, Luna."

"I think that's enough fresh air for today." She pulled her cloak tighter around herself, making a show of warming her hands. "But first, I find myself in need of some grooming assistance. My usual maid is feeling poorly."

Of course she is.

"I'm not trained in personal service, Luna." I said carefully.

Susanna's eyes flashed. "Are you refusing to follow my orders?"

"No, Luna. I'm simply explaining that I lack the necessary skills—"

"Then you'll learn quickly, won't you?" She was already heading toward the pack house. "My chambers. Now."