chapter 16
By Monday afternoon, Ferial was exhausted. Work had been long, her feet were dying, and all she wanted was to go home, change into her loose house-clothes, and pretend the district didn’t exist.
But life hated her.
Deeply.
Because as she and Abdie walked out of the factory gates, two enforcers in full uniform were waiting.
Waiting for them. Waiting for them to complete the punishment the Alpha heir gave their group.
“Ferial and Abdie?” the taller one said, reading from a digital pad.
Abdie groaned loudly. “Oh COME ON. It’s been one day!”
The enforcer didn’t even blink. “You two have been requested for early cleanup duty for the two day punishmen.”
“During workdays? But most of the others can’t—” Ferial began.
“We know,” the wolf said. “That’s why the Alpha heir assigned different time slots. You two and five others are on rotation today.”
Abdie muttered, “Betrayal. This is targeted harassment.”
The enforcer’s ears twitched. “We can add extra duty for complaints.”
“No sir,” Abdie said instantly. “We love cleaning. Passionately. Cleaning is in our blood.”
Ferial smacked him.
They were escorted through the district—straight into the military command center again. Today, though, they weren’t being marched in like criminals. Today they were being delivered like unpaid interns.
One of the enforcers led them into a large mess hall: long tables, steel benches, huge steaming trays of food behind a serving counter, and several wolves already sitting and eating.
Five other humans were already sweeping, scrubbing, and carrying crates of utensils. Most looked one motivational speech away from rioting.
“Alright,” the enforcer barked. “You two: floors, tables, and later you’ll help with food service. Try not to break anything.”
Abdie saluted him dramatically. “Yes, General Sir Wolf Man.”
The enforcer rolled his eyes and left before he committed a crime.
Ferial grabbed a rag and a bucket, sighing. “Let’s just finish before something goes wrong.”
Something went wrong immediately.
Because the door at the far end opened—
—and in walked the Alpha heir.
Not just him.
Half the high-ranking wolves followed behind him, some still holding files, others talking quietly, all radiating cold, disciplined power.
Ferial froze.
Abdie whispered, “Oh no. Why now? Why HIM? Why when we’re ugly and sweaty?”
"We are always ugly and sweaty. Lucky if we have a decent bath after work." She countered.
The wolves took their seats. The room went quiet.
Ferial focused on wiping the table.
Do NOT look at him.
Do NOT think about him.
Do NOT—
“Miss Ferial Samsodien.”
Her hand jerked so hard she almost dropped the cloth.
He stood only a few meters away, hands clasped behind his back, expression unreadable—but his eyes unmistakably locked on her.
“Y… yes?” she managed.
“You missed a spot.”
She blinked at him.
Then at the table.
Then back at him.
The Alpha heir of the district… just pointed out… a spot.
Abdie whispered, horrified, “Is he… joking with you?”
The other wolves definitely noticed. Heads turned. Some stared openly. His second-in-command’s jaw dropped halfway to the floor.
Ferial, mortified, wiped the imaginary spot.
“Better,” he said.
She glared at the table like it personally offended him. “It was already clean.”
One corner of his mouth twitched.
TWITCHED.
Wolves stared like someone had turned water into wine.
His second-in-command blinked several times. One general whispered, “Did he just—did he almost smile?”
The Alpha heir ignored them all and turned toward the serving line.
“Is the meal ready?”
The human cooks scrambled. “Yes, Alpha heir!”
He nodded, then addressed the humans cleaning.
“Those assigned to kitchen duty,” he said, looking directly at Ferial, “assist the staff with food distribution.”
Her pulse stuttered.
Great. Now she had to serve him food.
The universe hated her personally.
Abdie elbowed her. “If he asks for extra gravy, I’m fainting.”
“Shut up.”
They put on aprons and gloves and stood behind the counter. Ferial was assigned ladling stew into bowls. Abdie scooped rice, looking like he was mentally preparing a will.
The wolves approached in a line.
Some looked amused. Some looked curious. Some tried to avoid staring at the humans too hard.
Then he stepped forward.
The Alpha heir.
She held the ladle tightly and prayed she wouldn’t spill anything.
He held out his tray.
She ladled stew.
He didn’t move.
She blinked up at him. “Uh… is that enough?”
He glanced at the single ladle of stew.
Then at her.
“Do I look like someone who eats one spoon of food?”
Several wolves choked.
A lieutenant actually coughed stew out of his nose.
Ferial’s brain short-circuited. Was he—was this flirting? Teasing? Mocking? What was happening?
“I—sorry—I—um—” she stuttered and nearly dumped half the pot into his bowl.
He raised a brow. “I asked for more, not the entire pot.”
The wolves erupted in silent laughter—silent because none of them dared make actual noise.
Abdie was shaking, trying not to explode.
Ferial muttered, “You’re welcome,” under her breath.
He stepped aside, but not before saying softly—too softly—
“Try not to mop the walls when you’re done.”
Her eyes widened.
He walked away calmly as though he hadn’t just shattered the entire reputation of being emotionally dead.
His second-in-command immediately approached Ferial with a stunned look.
“What did you do to him?”
“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” she whisper-screamed.
The wolf blinked. “He doesn’t joke. Ever. Not even during war.”
Abdie muttered, “She’s cursed. That’s the only explanation.”
For the rest of dinner service, the wolves kept casting glances at her like she was a new species. Some even lined up again just to see if the Alpha heir would react.
He didn’t.
But the damage was done.
By the time cleanup ended, every wolf in command had seen it:
The Alpha heir cracking jokes.
Smirking.
Speaking casually.
At a human.
At her.
When they were finally dismissed, Abdie grabbed her arm.
“Listen to me carefully,” he said. “We’re moving to the mountains. Tonight. Pack the bags.”
“Abdie—”
“That man joked. Wolves don’t joke. They threaten, they order, they brood—BUT THEY DO NOT JOKE.”
Ferial sighed, staring back at the command building.
And though she would NEVER admit it aloud…
Her chest fluttered.
Her stomach twisted.
And she felt the unmistakable sense that something large, dangerous, and irreversible had shifted.
Because the Alpha heir joked with her.
And wolves never joked by accident.