“My father did the same thing to me that yours did to you,” Alpha Elias said, his voice steady. I leaned forward slightly, intrigued by the unexpected confession.


    “Really?” I asked, curiosity piqued.


    “Not quite as bad as what your father did. He was… something else entirely. But abuse is what ties the whole Vanguards Pack together. I founded it when I was seventeen. Since then, I’ve been rescuing werewolves who’ve suffered just like we did. I built this pack from the ground up,” he exined.


    “So all of your warriors used to be abused?” I asked, trying to understand.


    “Yeah. Some were kids, some were adults. Many were Omegas, or treated as ves in their former packs. I get tips from people–warnings about others who are being mistreated. I help them escape and bring them here,” he said.


    “Did you ever think your mate would be one of them?” I asked after a pause.


    “No. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever find my mate at all. So when I did find you… it meant a lot more than I ever expected,” he replied quietly.


    A strange feeling settled over me after he said that. I couldn’t quite name it–something warm, unfamiliar. He said he was happy to find me. Was this… happiness? I don’t think I’ve ever truly felt that before. Whatever it was, I liked it.


    Because Alpha Elias’s pack location was secret, he told me we’d take a longer, more discreet route to avoid being tracked. When we finally arrived, I saw that the territory was nestled deep within a gully, surrounded by forested hills. It was a perfect ce to hide–naturally guarded,


    with lookouts stationed above.


    The homes here were all small log cabins, somepleted, some half–built, and a few dozen already upied. We drove through the center of the little vige and stopped at thergest cabin at the far end. Even then, it wasn’t grand–just a single–story cabin, unlike the sprawling


    packhouse I grew up in.


    Alpha Elias stepped out first and came around to open the car door for me. The bleeding from my head had stopped, and I didn’t feel dizzy anymore, so I stepped out on my own.


    I looked around at the vige. All I could see were cabins–no stores, no gathering ces, nothing like what I’d known before. I couldn’t help but wonder where they got food and


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    supplies. And it was so quiet–no lights, no voices, no movement. We were surrounded on all sides by trees climbing up the hill around the gully. It was oddly peaceful… but a little eerie.


    “I told you it’s not much,” Elias said,ing up beside me.


    “It’s peaceful,” I replied honestly.


    He nodded slightly. “This is my house, behind us,” he said. We turned and headed toward thergest cabin. As we walked in, he flicked on the light in the living room. The space opened right into the kitchen and dining area–simple and functional.


    To my surprise, the inside was really nice–modern, even. Definitely better than I expected. There was electricity, an oven, a microwave, and plenty of cooking tools. Everything looked


    clean and familiar.


    He pointed toward the television and started telling me about all the apps and streaming services he had, but I didn’t really understand any of it. I just listened quietly, trying not to


    look confused.


    The cabin was fully furnished, and I realized how big it actually was. It felt strange that he lived here alone. But I guessed it made sense–the Alpha always got the biggest house. Still, he didn’t seem like the type to unt authority. I’d heard how he talked to the others. He didn’t lead through fear or dominance. He was different from any Alpha I’d ever known.


    He had told me he was raised like me. Maybe that’s why he didn’t take his people for granted. He remembered what it felt like to be nothing. To be used. And ording to him, I’d had it


    even worse.


    “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the ce,” he said, breaking me from my thoughts.


    I realized I was still standing in the entryway, so I slowly stepped forward. He led me down. the hallway and showed me around: his bedroom at the far end, a bathroom beside it, an office on the opposite side, and a spare bedroom next to that.


    He flicked on the light in the spare bedroom and gestured for me to go inside, telling me this would be my room–at least until I felt more settled here.


    “I get this whole room to myself?” I asked, astonished, stepping inside and taking in the space. There was a real bed with a soft–looking mattress, big windows covered by curtains, and even a wardrobe–though I had no clothes to fill it.


    “Yeah, it’s yours. Do you like it?” he asked, and I turned around to look at him. He seemed a little nervous, like he wasn’t sure how I’d respond.


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    “I love it,” I said with a soft smile. It was far more than I ever imagined. And this only confirmed what he’d said–he wasn’t going to pressure me into anything. We weren’t even sharing a room. He meant it when he said he’d take things slow. He kept his word.


    “We’ve been on the road most of the day. It’s prettyte, and we haven’t eaten,” Alpha Elias


    said.


    “Oh–dinner!” I perked up, brushing past him as I made my way to the kitchen. “What do you


    have in here?”


    I began rummaging through cabs, trying to figure out what I could cook when Alpha Elias walked in behind me. Without saying much, he gently took everything from my hands and


    motioned for me to sit down.


    So I did, settling at the kitchen table, watching in confusion as he moved about preparing food. I had no idea what was happening. Why was <i>he </i>cooking? Wasn’t that supposed to be


    my job?


    “You don’t strike me as someone with a big appetite,” he said, ncing over his shoulder at <ol><li>me. I shook my head. </li></ol>


    “When was thest time you ate?” he asked. <fn32f7> Chapters first released on FιndNovel</fn32f7>


    “I’m not sure. Maybe four days ago? Something like that,” I replied quietly.


    “Four days?” he repeated, frowning. “Was that normal for your father?”


    “Yeah. He’d feed me when he felt like it. Sometimes it was shorter gaps, sometimes longer,” I exined. I noticed his eyes darken to ck for a moment before fading back to their usual


    clear blue.


    “Well, that’s never happening again,” he said, turning his attention back to the stove. I only hoped he didn’t give me too much food–I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it.


    While I sat there, my thoughts wandered to how quiet the entire vige was. I hadn’t seen or heard anyone else.


    “Where is everyone?” I asked suddenly.


    “They’ll be back tomorrow,” he said. “After we were attacked on the road, I sent everyone to our secondary location–just to be safe. Once we’re sure it’s secure, they’ll return. The warriors are still around, though. They’re out in the woods, taking turns on patrol to keep this ce protected.”


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    I <i>nodded </i>and looked around the house from where I sat, noticing the little things. Objects I would’ve never been allowed to touch before.


    Alpha Elias ended up making a really nice meal, even though it was something quick because of howte it was. When we were done, he went to his bedroom, and I stayed back <i>to </i>clean the kitchen and wash the dishes.


    When he returned, he stared at the spotless kitchen, looking almost stunned.


    “I was only gone five minutes,” he said, clearly surprised. I smiled at him.


    Then he handed me some clothes–his clothes–since I didn’t have anything of my own to


    wear.


    “You probably want a shower. Everything you need is in there,” he said.


    I took the clothes and headed to the bathroom. I ended up scrubbing myself three times just to feel clean, and washed my hair again and again until the grime was gone. When I finally stepped out, I felt cleaner than I had in years. My hair, wet and curly, had returned to its


    natural light brown.


    I slipped into one of Alpha Elias’s shirts–it fit more like a dress on me–and a pair of basketball shorts. When I came out, he was sitting in the living room watching TV.


    “Wow<i>,</i><i>” </i>he said, sitting up straighter. I immediately looked down at myself, panicked


    something was wrong.


    “What?” I asked, tense.


    “Nothing,” he said softly. “I thought you were beautiful before. But this… it’s nothingpared to now.”


    He asked if I wanted to watch a movie with him. I agreed and sat down on the opposite end of the couch. At some point during the film, I must’ve dozed off, my head resting on the


    armrest.


    I didn’t know how long I had been asleep, but when I opened my eyes, there was a dark,


    looming figure standing over me.


    “Father,” I gasped, my voice sharp with fear.


    <b>2 </b>