Chapter 11 Delphine

Valencia’s POV

I got up and looked at the woman who had woken me. She had sandy blonde hair braided back, kind black eyes with a sprinkle of freckles across her nose. I instinctively clutched the blanket around me.

Seeing my terrified expression, she showed a friendly smile. "Good morning," she said softly. "I'm Delphine. Alpha Logan sent me to help you get dressed and show you around the pack house."

I stared at her in surprise. "He sent you?"

"Yes." Delphine pointed at the clothes on the chair. "These are for you."

I looked at the bundle - a linen chemise, a cotte, a kirtle, and a leather outer garment. The fabrics looked clean and well-made. Much better than anything I had worn in years.

"These are for me?" I asked, hardly believing it.

"Of course," Delphine smiled. "Alpha Logan was very specific about what you would need."

I felt overwhelmed. No one had given me new clothes since I was enslaved. "I can dress myself," I said quickly when Delphine moved to help me.

"Are you sure? It's quite a lot of layers."

I nodded. "I'll just wear the chemise. I don't feel cold."

Delphine looked shocked. "Just the chemise? But it's barely covering anything."

"I'm used to it," I said simply.

She watched with concern as I slipped the thin linen garment over my head. It fell to mid-thigh, much shorter than a proper dress, but it felt luxurious compared to my torn slave rags.

"Well," Delphine said uncertainly, "if you're comfortable. Should we start the tour?"

I nodded, following her out of Alpha Logan's room. The hallway was dimly lit by torches mounted on stone walls.

"Alpha Logan finds collars troublesome. None of the slaves in our pack wear iron collars. And we don't call omegas or the wolfless 'slaves' - we just call them servants."

I felt shocked. I had never imagined that slaves could go without wearing collars. I felt dejected. I was clearly now the lowest-ranking person in this pack - the only one still wearing a collar. I remembered again their undisguised looks of disdain.

"Alpha Logan will definitely find a way to remove this collar. Don't worry." She comforted me.

"Really?" Her words undoubtedly gave me great confidence.

She nodded with a smile. "Alpha Logan is omnipotent." She took my hand and led me down the stairs.

I thought of Alpha Logan's cold expression. I felt a bit more anticipation toward him.

"The castle has five levels," Delphine continued as we walked. "The bottom level has storage rooms, the armory, and the well. The kitchen help drew water from the well daily for cooking. Oh, by the way, I must remind you to stay away from the well on the first floor. That's the castle's important water source. The well has 24-hour real-time guards. If inspection is needed, two people must be present at the same time. No one can violate this rule."

I met her eyes and nodded. She paused, lowering her voice slightly. "There are also dungeons beneath the first level. Most people don't know about them. Alpha Logan rarely uses them, but they're there if needed." She seemed uncomfortable discussing it and quickly continued. "The second level has rooms for Beta and Gamma families, plus the kitchens. The third level is the great hall where most daily life happens. The fourth level is for the Alpha family."

"What about the top level?" I asked.

Delphine's expression grew somber. "That used to be the watchtower and defense platforms. But it was destroyed about a hundred years ago."

"Destroyed? How?"

"Dragons," she said quietly. "From Aldermere."

I felt my blood turn cold. My father had told me stories about the ancient dragons of Aldermere. They had once ruled the entire Vyrmarch continent with fire.

"I thought all the dragons died in Aldermere's civil war," I said carefully.

"They did. But not before doing enormous damage to Valdoria. That's why Aldermere is confined to the northern wastelands now - they lost their greatest weapons."

We passed through the great hall, a spacious room with long wooden tables and a massive fireplace. Several pack members glanced up as we walked by. Their expressions ranged from curious to disapproving when they saw me. I did my best to ignore their stares.

As we descended to the second level, Beta Dorian and a group of warriors hurried past us in the hallway. Their faces were grim.

I caught fragments of their urgent conversation as they rushed by.

"...found the rogues' retreat route," Dorian was saying to his men. "They headed north after the attack."

"Should we pursue them?" one of the warriors asked.

"Not yet. We need more information first," Dorian replied, his voice fading as they disappeared around the corner.

I slowed my steps, processing what I had heard. Delphine noticed my distraction and gently touched my arm. "Beta Dorian has been very busy with pack security since the attack," she said diplomatically, guiding me forward.

I nodded, but my mind was racing. If the rogues had fled north, that would take them toward Aldermer. Was that significant? Or just coincidence?

"The attack really shook everyone," Delphine continued softly. "Losing Alpha Wiley like that... it was terrible."

"You knew him?" I asked.

"Not well, but he visited sometimes for pack meetings. He seemed like a good man." Her expression grew sad. "His poor mother. To lose her mate and son so close together."

I thought about Luna Kestrel's anguished screams, the way she had thrown herself over Wiley's body. Death is the great equalizer.

"Come," Delphine said, leading me toward the stairs. "Let me show you the rest of the castle."

We continued down the hallway when two young men appeared around the corner. They were clearly twins - identical golden hair, bright green eyes, and strikingly handsome features. They wore fine silk tunics that looked expensive.

The twins stopped when they saw us. Their eyes lingered on me with obvious curiosity.

"Good morning, Delphine," one of them said politely. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Valencia," Delphine replied. "Valencia, meet Clarence and Elias."

The twins exchanged a meaningful look. "Ah," Clarence said. "You're the slave Alpha Logan brought back."

I nodded, unsure how to respond.

"Welcome to Cliffwatch Pack," Elias added with a charming smile.

I felt my cheeks grow warm. I hadn't expected them to be so friendly to me. Most pack members had looked at me with disgust or suspicion, but these two seemed genuinely welcoming.

"Thank you," I said quietly, still surprised by their kindness.

After they walked away, I turned to Delphine with questions burning on my tongue. "Who are they?"

"War orphans," Delphine explained. "Alpha Logan took them in when they were children and has been training them as future Alphas. They're both incredibly strong warriors."

I was shocked. "They look like they're only fifteen. How old is Alpha Logan? Is he in his thirties?"

Delphine laughed gently. "The twins are sixteen. Alpha Logan is thirty-one now. He brought them back when they were only three years old."

My mouth fell open in surprise. "Thirty-one? But he looks like he's barely twenty. Time hasn't left any marks on his face at all."

"Alpha blood runs strong," Delphine said with a knowing smile. "Especially in someone as powerful as Alpha Logan. He ages much slower than ordinary ones."

That explained so much. No wonder he seemed so experienced despite his youthful appearance. He had been leading this pack for years, probably since he was very young himself.

"The pack accepts orphans as potential leaders?" I asked, still processing this information.

Delphine's expression grew more serious. "Cliffwatch Pack only cares about strength, not bloodlines. If you can fight and lead, that's all that matters."

That made sense, especially if the rumors about Alpha Logan being illegitimate were true. "Can a pack have two Alphas?" I asked.

"No, only one. Eventually either Clarence or Elias will challenge the other for the position. When Alpha Logan steps down, one of them will take over."

We finished touring the castle and headed outside. The morning air was crisp and clean. "Where are we going now?" I asked.

"The blacksmith shop," Delphine replied. "Alpha Logan wants the smith to forge you a proper weapon."

My heart sank as reality crashed back over me. The challenge. I had accepted Amara's challenge in a moment of anger. In six days, I would face a trained Gamma warrior in combat.