Chapter 12: A Taste of Kindness

Chapter 12: A Taste of Kindness
Ivy’s POV

Alpha Lucien stepped into the room, his boots echoing softly on the tile. His eyes locked onto mine, and I couldn’t look away.

I braced myself. For anger. For a growl. For punishment.
But instead… he tilted his head and asked,

“Did you find enough to eat?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

He gestured to the plate. “You’ve got crumbs on your face.”

I looked down, completely mortified.

“You didn’t leave me any food,” I muttered defensively, shame twisting into bitterness. “You locked me in there. What did you expect me to do? Starve quietly?”

Lucien exhaled slowly and then walked over, crouching in front of me so we were eye level. He didn’t look angry. Just… observant.

“I didn’t mean for you to go hungry,” he said, voice low. “That was a mistake. I had warriors assigned to bring you something.”

“Well,” I said, folding my arms, “they didn’t.”

He looked at me for a long, silent moment. And then… he smiled. A little.

“You’re braver than you look, trespasser.”

I scowled. “I’m not a trespasser.”

“You crossed our borders without permission.”

“I was running for my life.”

He didn’t answer that. Just stood and turned away, walking over to the counter. He grabbed a clean glass, filled it with water, and brought it to me.

I stared at it.

“Drink,” he said. “You look like you’re about to faint.”

I took the glass, hesitated, then drank. Cold water. Gods, it was heaven.

He watched me silently the whole time.

When I finished, I met his gaze again, voice quieter now. “Why are you being nice to me?”

Lucien didn’t answer right away. He just studied me, like he was trying to figure thatbout himself.

Then he said, “I don’t know yet.”

And with that, he turned and walked out of the kitchen—leaving me standing there with an empty glass, a full stomach… and a thousand questions.
..........

The sun was already high in the sky when I woke, its rays spilling through the thin curtains and casting soft golden beams across the floor. I blinked against the light, stretching slightly, confused by the absence of cold. No howling wind, no cracked floor, no crusted blood. Just warmth. Stillness. A soft bed beneath me.

I sat up slowly, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach. My baby. Still there. Still safe, for now.

It took me a few moments to piece it together. I was still in Crescent Pack. Still in the room Alpha Lucien’s warriors had thrown me into. I half-expected to wake up and find that yesterday had been some kind of hallucination. But the ache in my legs and the dull throb in my back told me otherwise. And so did the memory of Lucien’s unnerving smile.

He hadn’t killed me. Not yet.

I stood up cautiously, shuffling toward the window. My bare feet whispered against the wooden floorboards. Pulling the curtain aside, I stared out at the view below, and blinked in surprise.

It was beautiful.

The Crescent Pack grounds stretched out like something from a forgotten dream. Stone pathways carved around neat gardens. Warriors trained in the courtyard, precise and disciplined, their movements sharp like blades slicing the wind. Children darted between buildings, laughing. Maids carried baskets of laundry. People smiled. Laughed. Lived.

It didn’t make sense.

This wasn’t the cruel, savage pack I’d heard about. Crescent was supposed to be unwelcoming. Dangerous. A death trap for outsiders. But… this looked like something close to peace.

A knock broke through my thoughts, and I turned quickly, heart pounding.

The door creaked open, and two women stepped inside. One held a pile of neatly folded clothes, simple but clean and clearly made from good material. The other carried a tray.

And oh, the scent.

The smell hit me like a punch to the gut, warm bread, roasted herbs, butter, sweet fruit. My stomach roared in protest, reminding me just how long it had been since I’d last eaten something that wasn’t scavenged or stolen or raw.

“Good morning,” the older woman said kindly. “The Alpha asked us to bring these for you.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded. I watched as they set the clothes and tray down on the small wooden table near the bed. Then, without waiting for thanks or questions, they left, quiet as shadows.

Only when the door clicked shut again did I move closer

The food was still warm.

Eggs, roasted potatoes seasoned with something earthy and savory, slices of freshly baked bread with soft butter on the side, and a small bowl of colorful berries. There was even tea. Steam curled from the cup like a breath, its scent floral and sweet.

But my eyes caught something else. A small folded piece of paper tucked neatly beneath the edge of the plate.

I reached for it, fingers trembling slightly.

“I didn’t forget to feed you today.”

My breath hitched.

Alpha Lucien. 
I didn’t know how I knew, it just felt like him. 

I stared at the note for a long moment. Then, with my hands still shaking, I dropped to the floor beside the tray. Not the chair. I wasn’t used to things like that. I sat on the floor, curled up beside the food like a starving animal.

And I ate.

God, I ate.

The first bite of egg was soft, rich with flavor. The potatoes melted in my mouth, herbed and golden. The bread, warm, buttery, heavenly. I moaned softly without meaning to, cheeks heating with the sound. I didn’t care. I tore another piece, dipped it in the tea just to feel something sweet and warm on my tongue.

Tears burned behind my eyes as I ate, slow, careful, reverent. As if each bite might vanish if I moved too fast

It had been so lonng since food felt like comfort. So long since I could taste something without fear that it might be the last. For a moment, everything else faded. The fear. The pain. The questions.

But the quiet crept back in.

Why was he doing this?

Why feed me? Why be kind?

This was Crescent Pack. I was a trespasser. A pregnant rogue. A nobody from Blackwood Pack who had fled in the middle of the night.

So why?

Was it pity? Strategy? Was this a game?

Maybe he was trying to lower my guard. Make me soft. Make me grateful. That was how manipulation worked, wasn’t it? They build you up, make you feel safe, and then shatter you the moment you start to breathe.

I looked down at the empty tray, my fingers curling tightly around the edge.

No one ever gives you something for nothing.

Especially not Alphas. 

Maybe Lucien wanted something. Or maybe he was just waiting to see what I’d do. Maybe this was all some sick test.

Still… that note. The warmth in his eyes last night. The food. The silence.

If it was a trick, it was a damn convincing one.

But I wouldn’t fall for it. Not yet.

Let him think I was softening. Let him think I was grateful.

Because as long as he was feeding me, as long as he kept me alive, I’d keep gaining strength. Enough to protect myself.

And enough to protect my baby.

No matter what this Alpha’s game was, I’d survive it.

I had to.