"I am not a child anymore, Father. If something or someone threatens the pack, or me, I deserve to know."
"There is no threat," Maximus replied without looking up. "Only a matter that needs handling."
"You are hiding something."
Finally, he looked up at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "There are things I must deal with as Alpha. You do not need to know every detail."
"I know, but I am not just your daughter. I am a member of this family, of this pack. I have the right to—"
"You have the right to be safe, Ariadne," He cut in. "That is all."
She could only stare at him as frustration crept into her chest. She knew that tone. The conversation was over. But just for now.
"Very well, Father."
With that, she walked out of the study chamber and couldn't stop thinking about what he was hiding. The way he dismissed her like her opinion didn't matter, left an ache in her chest.
All her life, she'd lived under his rules—sheltered, guarded, obeying every command. She knew he did it out of love and fear for her safety, but sometimes, she wished things were different. Sometimes, she wanted to choose her own path… speak her own mind… protect herself.
But he never asked.
He never gave her the chance.
Just outside the chamber, she saw Viggo standing silently. He didn't speak when she stepped past him, but just fell into step behind her as they walked into the dim hallway.
When they reached her chamber doors, she slowed to a stop. She didn't move or open the door. After a while, she turned to him. "Who is the stranger and what is my father planning?"
Viggo looked at her, unreadable as always. "It is nothing to worry about, Princess."
"That is what my father said. But I am not blind, something is going on."
He stayed silent for a second longer, then gently spoke, "Your father would never let anything harm you. Trust that."
"I do trust that—and him," Ariadne said and released an exasperated sigh. "But I also know when he is hiding something. And now you are too."
There was a brief pause before he spoke. "Get some rest, my lady. It has been a long day."
She stared at him, her jaw clenched. Knowing she wouldn't get any more from him, she turned away with a frustrated sigh, pushed the door open, and stepped inside her room.
"I will be right outside if you need me," Viggo added, but she did not respond.
Without looking back, she slammed the door shut behind her and leaned her back against it for a moment. The silence inside felt louder than ever.
She didn't know who the stranger was or his mission in Draventhall. Adding to that, she didn't know what her father was planning, but one thing was certain.
She would find out as always.
Even if no one wanted her to.
•°*****°•
THE NEXT MORNING~
The training pit was loud with the clash of wooden swords and the thud of bodies hitting the ground. Dust rose with every step, settling on sweat-slicked skin as the soldiers trained without clothes.
Their muscular bodies were on full display, glistening with sweat and streaked with dirt and old bruises. Around their waist a thick, brown leather belt was fastened tightly, holding up a rugged, knee-length skirt made of layered fabric and leather strips. It was practical for movement but still tough enough for training.
Leather bracers were worn on their forearms to protect them against blows, while some had simple shoulder harnesses made of rough hide. Their feet were either bare or strapped into simple sandals with bindings that wrapped up to their calves.
Off the side of the pit, Maximus stood with Viggo and Olsen, watching with a stern expression as Kieran approached, escorted by two guards.
He was dressed like the rest of the soldiers, bare from the waist up, wearing only a knee-length skirt and no sandals. But even among the strongest warriors, he stood out, looking like a god in human form.
When he finally reached the side of the training pit, Maximus addressed him with a hard and distant voice that rose above the chaos.
"From this day on, you will train with the others. Prove yourself worthy of joining my pack or die in the attempt."
Without a response, Kieran turned to look at the training ground. It was the same ground his people once walked on. The same place where many of them fought before they were killed by the werewolves and witches. The same ground stained with their blood.
Now, he stood there—alone.
A stranger among enemies.
No one around him knew who he truly was or what this place meant to him. They only saw a quiet man, but didn't see the memories buried beneath his silence.
"Do you not hear the Alpha, stray?" Cassius asked, his voice sharp as a blade. His glare held no patience, only displeasure.
Viggo and Olsen stood nearby. They were silent but their expressions matched Cassius', hard, unwelcoming, and full of doubt. To them, Kieran was nothing but an outsider, a stray from nowhere. A man who didn't belong.
Kieran slowly turned to face them with eyes just as cold as theirs. When he remained silent, Maximus looked at the men beside him, and with just a glance, they understood what to do.
Olsen was the first to move. He grabbed Kieran's arms and twisted them behind his back, holding him tight. Then Cassius stepped forward, punching Kieran hard in the face and stomach again and again until he fell to his knees before Maximus. He coughed and spat out blood, but still, he didn't make a single sound.
As Maximus stepped closer, Olsen held Kieran up. There was no resistance from him as he stayed still. With his cold and burning eyes, filled with rage, he looked up at the man who had taken everything from him. The man whose very breath made his blood boil.
"You will address me as Alpha," Maximus said coldly. "You may be nothing, from mud, but here, you will obey or die."
But still, Kieran said nothing. His jaw remained locked, his eyes unblinking, and his silence was louder than words.
When Maximus saw that, his face twisted in irritation. In one swift move, he grabbed a handful of Kieran's dark long hair and yanked his head back roughly. His sharp and menacing claws scraped against his scalp, digging into his skin and drawing blood.
The red slowly ran down Maximus' fingers and the side of Kieran's face, but he didn't flinch. He didn't cry out as his eyes, still burning, stared up at Maximus.
"Perhaps, he is deaf and dumb" Viggo spat out and the men who had stopped training laughed.
Maximus didn't release his grip. Instead, he stretched out his other hand behind him without taking his eyes off Kieran. Olsen, already familiar with the gesture, stepped forward and placed a sharp blade into his palm.
With a slow and deliberate motion, Maximus brought the knife close and began cutting through Kieran's long dark hair. Strands fell, brushing past his shoulders and scattering to the dusty ground.
Laughter broke out across the training grounds. Loud, cruel, and raucous.
"Looks better already!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"Thought he was a girl," Another added, howling.
Kieran stayed silent, but his teeth gritted together. His fists clenched behind his back where Cassius still held them tightly and his jaw tensed. With fury in his veins, he watched his hair fall.
But he did nothing.
He was not who he used to be.
This new, unfamiliar, and weak body was a shell compared to what he once had. And even the power that once shook mountains now couldn't keep him from falling to his knees.
So he remained on his knees, bleeding and humiliated.
"You are fortunate I do n
ot tear that tongue from your mouth," Maximus growled close to his ear. "We will see how long you last on that pit"