SARENA
WEEKS passed, yet I was still here—still trapped inside the walls of the hospital, surrounded by white sheets, antiseptic air, and the constant beeping of machines that reminded me my body was still recovering.
Doc Elena visited me often. She never failed to check my condition personally, always calm and composed, like nothing in this world could shake her.
And with her was Laila—the young woman who had become my shadow ever since I woke up.
Laila was the one who stayed the longest. She brought me food when I couldn't stand the smell of hospital meals. She adjusted my pillows when my ribs ached too much to move. She spoke to me as if I was normal… as if I wasn't someone who had crawled out of a nightmare.
Somehow, we clicked easily.
Maybe because we were the same age. Or maybe because Laila had the kind of warmth that made silence feel less heavy.
Still… no matter how much time passed, one thing never changed.
I never saw the red-haired man again.
The man who entered my room the day I woke up.
I learned his name through Laila.
Zython.
Just hearing it made my chest tighten, even though I couldn't explain why. Maybe it was the way he looked at me that day—blank and unreadable, like I was something he wasn't sure he should touch.
According to Laila, Zython was one of the owners of this hospital.
That fact alone felt unbelievable.
A man like him didn't seem like someone who belonged in a place meant to heal people. He looked more like someone who belonged in war.
Laila also told me he had been visiting the hospital frequently lately because he had someone staying in the VIP room.
A patient and someone important.
Curiosity gnawed at me for days until I finally asked her one afternoon, unable to hold it in any longer.
"Who is the patient in the VIP room?" I had asked quietly.
But Laila only shrugged, looking genuinely clueless.
"I don't know," she admitted. "Only Doc Elena knows… and one private nurse. Zython personally assigned that nurse, so no one else is allowed to enter."
That answer only made my questions multiply.
If it was just an ordinary patient, why keep it hidden?
Why guard them like they were precious?
Today, Laila brushed my hair while I sat in front of the tall mirror in my private room. Her movements were gentle, careful—like she was afraid she might hurt me if she pulled too hard.
The room was far from ordinary.
The window beside me stretched almost from floor to ceiling, offering a clear view of the city outside. Tall buildings reached toward the sky like steel giants. The streets below were alive with moving cars, people, and noise that I couldn't hear from this high up.
Surrounding the hospital grounds were beautiful trees—green, healthy, full of life.
Everything outside looked so normal.
So peaceful.
It felt strange… Because the last time I had seen the world, I was locked in a cage—surrounded by stone walls and metal bars, breathing in blood, fear, and despair.
Now, the air smelled clean, like flowers.
Laila's brush slid through my hair smoothly.
Then, as if she suddenly remembered something exciting, she leaned closer with a bright expression.
"Did you know Alpha Kazer came here earlier?" she said, her voice almost dreamy as she spoke his name.
My body stiffened instantly.
Alpha…
Kazer.
Even the sound of his name felt sharp, like a blade pressed against my skin.
But Laila didn't notice my reaction. Or maybe she did, and she simply didn't understand it.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed with admiration.
"I didn't see him myself," she continued, smiling. "But the staff said he passed through the hospital. I swear… he's really amazing."
Her hands kept brushing my hair, gentle and slow.
"I owe him my life," she added, her tone softer now, more sincere. "When I was younger, my whole family died in a tragedy. I was left with nothing. No one. And Alpha Kazer… he helped me. He didn't have to, but he did."
I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
At my pale face.
At the faint scars that still marked my skin.
At the hollow look in my eyes that no amount of sunlight could erase.
I forced myself to smile at her words, even though it felt wrong on my lips.
Because the Kazer she was describing…
Was not the Kazer I remembered.
The man I met that night was not someone who looked like a savior.
He was a monster dressed in human skin.
His golden eyes had been cold and empty, like he didn't care whether I lived or died.
Like killing me would have meant nothing.
Yet Laila spoke of him as if he were a hero.
As if he was someone worthy of loyalty.
"Really?" I murmured, my voice quiet.
Laila nodded enthusiastically, brushing the ends of my hair.
"Yes! And you know what?" she said. "I'm part of the ReightonPack," she added proudly, as if being a member of that pack was the greatest honor she could have.
My fingers twitched slightly against my lap.
Pack.
That word carried weight.
It carried meaning.
It wasn't just a name—it was a world. A hierarchy.
Laila smiled proudly, her eyes shining.
"Alpha Kazer rules the pack," she explained. "And he has four sworn brothers who help him run everything." Her smile widened. "Zython is one of them," she added.
My throat tightened.
So it wasn't just coincidence.
He wasn't just some visitor.
He was part of his circle.
Part of his power.
And his visit was to keep an eye on me.
I felt my stomach twist as Laila kept talking, completely unaware of the storm building inside me.
She continued brushing my hair, humming softly, as if she was telling me a harmless story.
But I couldn't stop thinking about it.
ReightonPack.
There was something about it that made my head spin.
I forced myself to keep my expression calm, but inside, I felt it—an ugly chill crawling up my spine.
Because if Laila was right… Then the man who almost killed me that night wasn't just some stranger.
He was an Alpha.
And I was lying in a hospital that belonged to him.
And the scariest part?
I didn't even know why they were keeping me alive.
Laila's voice was still floating in the air, warm and excited, when the door suddenly opened.
The soft click of the handle made us both pause
Her hand froze mid-motion, the brush still tangled gently in my hair.
I lifted my eyes toward the entrance—and the moment I saw Doc Elena step inside, a smile formed on my lips without me even realizing it.
It was automatic.
Instinctive.
Doc Elena stepped inside with her calm, steady presence. The moment she entered the room, the air felt… safer. Lighter. Because somehow, in the short time I had been in this hospital, Doc Elena had become more than just my doctor.
The way she checked on me, the way she spoke to me, the way she always looked at me with quiet concern… it was the same way she treated Laila.
I pushed myself up from my seat, ready to greet her properly—but my body froze, and my smile vanished.
Because she wasn't alone.
The second I saw the shadows moving behind her, my heart dropped straight into my stomach.
Five men walked in after her.
And in an instant, the air changed.
It felt like the warmth in the room was ripped away, replaced by something cold and heavy—something suffocating.
My heart dropped so hard it felt like it slammed against the bottom of my ribs.
I recognized them immediately, even though I had only seen them briefly… that night.
Before I could stop myself, my feet moved.
One step backward.
In front of me were the men Laila had been talking about.
The Alphas.
My entire system screamed danger.
My skin prickled, my blood turned cold, and I could feel my face draining of color as panic surged through me like poison.
They were here.
They actually came.
The five men stood behind Doc Elena like a wall of power—towering, dominant, suffocating.
Three of them wore expressions carved from irritation and impatience, as if merely being in my room offended them. Their eyes held sharpness… judgment… like they had already decided what I was worth.
But the other two… Kazer and the man beside him stared at me with unreadable stillness.
Their eyes swept over me slowly, coldly, as if they were studying me—my scars, my bruises, my posture, my weakness—as if they were inspecting me like an object… like a piece of property that had finally been recovered.
I felt exposed.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't even blink.
My body trembled with the need to run, but my legs refused to cooperate.
Then I felt it—a firm squeeze on my arm.
I flinched and instantly turned my head to the side. It was Laila
Her fingers curled gently around me, grounding me back into reality. Her touch was warm, steady, and familiar, and it was the only thing keeping me from collapsing right there.
I swallowed hard, forcing air into my lungs.
One breath.
Then another.
I forced my lips into something that resembled a smile, even though it felt like my face might crack.
Laila, unaware of the war happening inside me, stepped forward with excitement glowing in her eyes.
"Good afternoon, Alphas!" she greeted cheerfully, her voice filled with admiration and respect.
The men acknowledged her with small nods, their expressions barely changing.
Then, without asking for permission—as if my room belonged to them—they walked further inside and took their seats on the long couch near the window.
The couch that had once felt too big for just me and Laila suddenly felt far too small for the weight of their presence.
I didn't want to move.
I didn't want to go closer.
But Laila gently guided me forward, and Doc Elena remained by my side, like she could sense the fear boiling inside my ribs.
I followed.
Not because I wanted to.
But because I couldn't risk Laila noticing.
She didn't know.
She didn't know what happened that night.
She didn't know what kind of monster Kazer had looked like in the dark.
And I refused to drag her into it.
So I walked with them.
Slowly.
Like a prisoner being escorted to judgment.
Doc Elena and Laila sat beside me, while the five men sat across from us—dominant, silent, watching.
The air felt too thick to breathe.
My heart hammered so violently I thought they might hear it.
Doc Elena broke the suffocating silence first.
"Sareya," she asked gently, her voice calm and motherly, "are you feeling better today?"
I nodded.
That was all I could manage.
I couldn't find the right words.
Because every tiny movement I made—the way I shifted my hands, the way my shoulders rose with each breath—was being observed by those five men.
They didn't blink.
They didn't look away.
They watched as if they were waiting for me to crack.
I tried to look at them, to observe them, but that might have been a mistake—because my eyes met Kazer's.
His golden eyes locked onto mine immediately, and I felt my chest tighten.
He didn't blink.
He didn't move.
His face was emotionless, carved from stone, yet the weight of his stare pressed down on me heavier than chains.
I forced myself to focus on Doc Elena instead, though I could still feel Kazer's scrutinizing gaze on me. Doc Elena explained everything to them about my condition and the treatment that needed to be done.
As I listened, I suddenly remembered something she had told me weeks ago.
"I will bring people who can answer your questions."
My throat tightened.
So this was what she meant.
I opened my mouth, about to speak—but Doc Elena spoke again before I could.
"Sareya…"
She reached for my hand and held it firmly, squeezing it as if she could pour strength into me.
When I looked into her eyes, I saw it.
Worry.
Sadness.
And something else—something heavier.
Guilt.
It made my stomach twist.
"Based on your lab results… your condition has stabilized," she began, a gentle smile touching her lips.
She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Your wound has healed completely, and everything looks fine," she continued, her voice steady but filled with warmth. "You can finally leave the hospital… go home and rest." She squeezed my hand reassuringly. "But don't worry—I'll still be keeping an eye on you, with checkups and follow-ups. You're not on your own."
My eyebrows pulled together.
Leave?
Go home?
My mind spun.
Home?
Where?
I didn't have a home.
Confusion crashed over me like a wave, and I must have looked lost because Doc Elena squeezed my hand again.
"Don't worry," she reassured softly. "You won't be alone. You have a place to stay."
My chest tightened.
A place to stay?
My thoughts spiraled into panic.
The only family I ever had was my grandparents—and even they were gone from my life the moment I was sold like an object.
I had no one.
No relatives.
No friends.
No place.
No life to return to.
I mustered all the courage I had to ask.
"W-where am I supposed to go?"
Doc Elena's expression softened, as if she could read the fear in my eyes.
"You will be staying at the estate of the ReightonPack, Sareya."
When I heard her answer, my blood ran cold, and for a second, the world stopped
My body went rigid, as if every bone inside me had locked into place.
My heart slammed against my ribs so violently it hurt.
The sound of her words echoed inside my skull like thunder.
ReightonPack.
My head snapped toward the men in front of me.
Zython had a smirk on his lips now, as if he found my shock amusing. He leaned back slightly, completely relaxed—like this was entertainment.
The man beside him—brown-haired, with a sharp jaw and tired eyes—let out a heavy sigh, as if he were already annoyed by the idea.
I could feel it.
The tension.
The irritation.
Four of them looked displeased, as if they didn't like this decision any more than I did.
As if I were a burden being forced upon them.
But Kazer…
He didn't react at all.
He didn't sigh.
He didn't smirk.
He didn't show irritation.
He didn't show anything.
He only stared at me, reading every emotion i had.
Looking at him made me realize something terrifying.
This was a decision that had been made long before I woke up.
My fingers trembled in Doc Elena's grasp.
My mouth went dry.
And the only thought I could form was filled with dread.
Why?
Why would I have to live with them?
Why would I be forced into the very pack that belonged to the man who nearly killed me?
I looked from one Alpha to the next, my breathing turning shallow, my voice caught somewhere deep in my throat.
And finally, the question escaped my mind like a silent scream.
Why do they want me?
What am I to them?
Because I could feel it in the way they looked at me…
I wasn't being sent there to be protected.
I was being sent there because he claimed me.
And whether I liked it or not…
I was already trapped again.
To be continued...