Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 12: 11

The pack was much larger than I had imagined.

Fenrir commanded an enormous village and did so masterfully. I also understood why Selena and I hadn’t discovered anything about them since we arrived in the country—they barely left the village. Fenrir had built a city in the middle of the forest, capable of supplying everything his pack needed. There was a school for the pups, electricity, and plumbing. There were places to buy food, like small markets, and most of the food was produced by them. There were also stores with some clothing items. When necessary, a few wolves would go to the city to gather supplies.

It was a small, modern, and cozy city, surrounded by trees and nature.

All the pack’s money came from exporting wood. They managed the sale and shipment of logs to other countries, which was a very lucrative business.

By this point, they already knew about me. And those who didn’t had at least heard something. It was obvious by the way their eyes followed me as we walked through the village while Alexandra showed me every detail. They didn’t trust me, but they seemed to respect me somehow. Perhaps it was because I was tied to their alpha, or maybe it was just part of their culture. I couldn’t say for sure, but I liked it.

"Fenrir cares about product quality, customer satisfaction, and environmental sustainability, as well as being highly efficient in operational processes. That’s why he’s successful in his business."

I bit my cheeks, feeling a strange sensation. I liked the place; I could live there with my sister under different circumstances. I’d love to be part of a pack like that, so modern and… light.

"I still don’t know the name of the pack," I confessed, observing the construction of the village houses, all built with stone and wood.

Alexandra pulled her black braided hair back.

"Dăneşti. That’s the name of our pack." She playfully bumped her shoulder against mine. "By the way, that’s the name of your mated wolf: Fenrir Dăneşti."

I huffed.

"Thanks for the information."

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, it was important for me to know a little more about him. Fenrir saw me as an intruder, a problem he couldn’t solve, so when he wasn’t treating me with disdain, he was fucking me.

"How far is the city from the village?"

Alexandra gave me a serious look.

"Why are you so eager to escape, Savannah?"

"It’s just curiosity."

She shook her head.

"No, it’s not. You seem genuinely interested in the village, the pack, and how things work, but I can also see you’re interested in figuring out how to leave." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Look, I know Fenrir isn’t the best company. He’s stubborn, spoiled, and arrogant. But… you were lost and alone in the forest, in the middle of a heat you couldn’t control. We’re trusting you, showing you how our pack works, even though we know absolutely nothing about you—where you came from, what pack you belonged to, and most importantly, why you were alone. Who were you running from? Wolves don’t roam alone unless they’re traitors."

My hands started trembling. I rubbed my palms on my dirty dress and diverted my gaze to the village, observing it from the small dirt mound we stood on.

"I’m sorry, but… I can’t say anything. It’s not just my secret," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Revealing the truth to her, even a small part, would put my sister’s safety at risk. I would never do anything that could harm this pack. I was loyal to my race, even though most of them didn’t deserve it.

She squeezed her eyes shut, exhaling a tired breath.

"I’ll choose to trust you, then… just, please, don’t be a traitor. Don’t make me regret this trust."

Anger burned in my chest, spreading through my veins.

"Believe me, Alexandra, I may be many things in this life, but a traitor is not one of them," I hissed, unable to hold back my irritation.

"All right. I just… I’d hate to witness what Fenrir would do to you."

My heart started pounding faster.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound calmer than I felt.

"Temperament isn’t exactly his strong suit. Fenrir is a hot-headed male and fiercely loyal to our pack. He may not be able to kill you, but that doesn’t mean he’d make things easy for you."

"Then it’s a good thing I’m not a traitor, isn’t it?"

Knowing about his temper didn’t ease my nerves at all. Hunter was a psychopathic bastard who would keep hunting me until he got his hands on me just for the sake of revenge. Meanwhile, Fenrir was a proud ass who wouldn’t rest if I tried to leave, just to feed his inflated ego.

Selena and I had a lot of problems ahead.

So many I couldn’t even measure them.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Alexandra pulled it out and read the notification before turning back to me.

"Nicoleta got some new clothes for you. Shall we go check and see what fits?"

I glanced at the phone in her hand, silently cursing myself for not stealing one when I got away with my sister. A phone would help us communicate. Tremendously.

She noticed my interest and hesitated before asking,

"Do you want to borrow it?"

I shook my head, snapping out of my daze.

"I don’t know how to use it."

Her eyes widened as she gasped.

"You’ve never had a phone?" she asked, stunned.

"My father didn’t allow it," I revealed. "But he had one, so I know the basics of how they work."

"Your father is dead? You speak of him in the past tense…"

"Yes," I confirmed, running a hand through my hair.

I didn’t trust Alexandra, but the information about my father was so… shallow that it was something I could share.

"I can check with Fenrir about getting you a phone…" she offered as she walked down the mound of dirt, analyzing the path.

"It’s not necessary."

"And why not? Everyone in Dăneşti has a phone. You’re part of our pack now, too."

"Because I wouldn’t have anyone to call," I confessed, feeling my heart constrict.

Without Selena, I had no one else in the world. And my sister knew as little about phones as I did—almost nothing. Why would I want one if I had no one to talk to? Wasn’t that the main advantage of having such a device?

She extended her hand, offering to help me down to the flat ground. I hesitated for a moment. A brief moment. Then I took her hand and jumped, landing on my feet.

After everything that had happened, I had a huge problem trusting people, whether in words or actions.

"You can talk to me," she said after some time walking in silence.

"What?" I asked, blinking in confusion.

She waved the phone in her hand and smiled at me.

"You can talk to me on the phone. If you didn’t have anyone to talk to, now you do," she explained before quickening her pace, walking ahead of me.

I froze for a moment, analyzing her carefree attitude.

"Thank you," I whispered, clearing my throat to hide the lump forming there.

All Alexandra wanted to offer me was friendship. And I’d love for things to happen under different circumstances, for me to be who I was in the past. But that wasn’t me anymore. And as much as her gesture moved me, I still couldn’t bring myself to trust her.