Chained to the Enemy Alpha
Chapter 102: No Sleep

Chapter 102: Chapter 102: No Sleep

Lily couldn’t sleep. The new bed was comfortable, softer than anything she’d had before, but her mind refused to rest. Thoughts of Zayn lingering at the door, the pack, and her new responsibilities swirled endlessly.

Outside her window, the first hint of dawn colored the sky.

Her stomach growled loudly. Dinner had been tense, now hunger clawed at her from within. Unable to bear it any longer, Lily threw back the covers and got out of bed. She dressed quickly, not bothering with anything elaborate.

The hallways were silent as she made her way downstairs. Her bare feet padded softly against the wooden floors. When she reached the dining hall, she found it empty as expected, chairs still neatly tucked under tables from the night before.

Lily headed toward the kitchen door, but paused.

Something wasn’t right.

She sniffed the air. It wasn’t the pleasant aroma of breakfast being prepared. It was something sharper. An acrid odour.

Smoke.

Frowning, she followed her nose through the dining hall and out the side door. The moment she stepped outside, her eyes widened in alarm. Thick gray smoke billowed up from the rear of the packhouse where the storage area was located.

Heart pounding, Lily raced across the grounds. As she rounded the corner, she gasped. The large wagons containing the confiscated rations were engulfed in flames. These were rations they desperately needed for winter!

She wanted to scream. To call for help. But she was mute, what could she do?

Zayn.

Lily spun around and sprinted back to the packhouse. She took the stairs two at a time, lungs burning from exertion and smoke. When she reached Zayn’s door, she pounded on it frantically.

The door swung open almost immediately. Zayn stood there shirtless, his hair disheveled. There were dark circles under his eyes. Was he unable to sleep, too?

“Lily?” he was surprised to see her.

Lily’s hands flew in rapid signs, trying to explain the emergency. The look of confusion said it all. He couldn’t understand her; she was signing too quickly. Desperate for him to understand, she looked around for another solution.

She pointed toward the window, miming flames with her hands.

“Fire?” he asked in confusion.

Zayn frowned until he inhaled deeply. His expression changed instantly as he caught the scent of smoke. Without another word, he brushed past her and looked out the window she pointed at. His body tensed at what he saw.

“Shit,” he growled, already moving.

Together, they ran downstairs. When they reached the burning wagons, the heat of the flames forced them back. It had spread to all five wagons now, crackling loudly as they consumed the food that was meant to see them through the harsh winter months.

Zayn tilted his head back and let out a powerful howl, the sound echoing across the packhouse grounds. The Alpha call would wake every wolf within miles.

Lily didn’t wait for others to respond. She raced to the dining hall, grabbing metal pots and pans from the kitchen. She banged them together loudly, adding to the alarm as she ran through the packgrounds.

“Fire!” someone shouted, catching on to her message. “Fire in the storage yard!”

Within minutes, wolves poured out of their homes. Warriors organized a bucket line from the well to the burning wagons while others used blankets to try to smother smaller flames that had begun to spread to nearby structures.

Lily worked alongside them, passing buckets and beating at stray embers with a wet cloth. Through the chaos, she spotted something glinting in the dirt near the first wagon. Edging closer, she discovered a shattered oil lamp, its glass fragments scattered across the ground.

This wasn’t an accident.

“Everyone, form three lines!” Zayn bellowed above the commotion. His commanding presence brought order to the panic. “First line on buckets! Second line on smothering the outer flames! Third line, protect the packhouse!”

The pack moved with practiced efficiency under his command. By the time the sun had fully risen, the fire was extinguished.

Lily stood back, covered in soot and sweat, surveying the damage. The rations were ruined, charred beyond recognition. Her heart sank at the gravity of their situation. fr\(e)ew(e)b.(n)o (v)(e)l.com

Across the yard, she spotted Zayn and Ezra in intense conversation, their expressions grim. She couldn’t hear their words, but their body language said it all. Zayn ran a hand through his ash-streaked hair, his jaw tight with tension.

Lily looked past them to the fields stretching beyond the packhouse. The harvest was still months away. Even if they planted now, they wouldn’t have enough time before winter set in. They needed food, and they needed it soon.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to Zayn and Ezra. Both men fell silent as she approached. Lily raised her hands, signing carefully so that Martha, who had joined them, could translate.

‘I have some ideas.’

Zayn’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded for her to continue.

‘We need to trade with other packs for immediate rations. And we should start planting faster-growing crops right away—radishes, lettuce, anything that can be grown in a short season.’

“We have limited resources for trade,” Ezra pointed out, his tone skeptical but not dismissive. “What do you suggest we use to trade?”

Lily bit her lip for a moment, considering their options.

‘The crystal totems. We can sell them quickly, they’ll bring us enough funds to tide us over until we can replenish our supplies.’

Zayn studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “The totems are valuable, but finding buyers on short notice won’t be easy.”

‘Then we find the right market,’ Lily signed. ‘One where buyers won’t ask questions.’

Ezra frowned. “And where exactly would we find such a market? We can’t exactly announce we have ancient artifacts for sale.”

Zayn’s posture changed subtly, his eyes widening with sudden realization. “The underground market,” he said quietly.

Lily nodded, relieved that he understood.

Ezra widened his eyes in surprise.

“Zayn, you can’t be serious,” He added, “The underground market...”

“It’s the perfect place,” Zayn said, “No questions asked. We will be able to get what we need.”

Ezra placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. His expression was grim. “Have you forgotten what that market sold?”

Zayn’s expression darkened. How could he forget? Lily knew what Ezra meant to. The underground market was a breeding ground for crime. Her brother, Xavier, was a frequent patron.

That alone should disqualify it from use.

‘What choice do we have? If the other packs refuse to trade with us, we are doomed.’

Lily’s words hung in the air.

Lily couldn’t forget the broken lamp she had seen. The fire wasn’t an accident. Someone was sabotaging their chances of survival.

“Lily is right. The underground market is our best bet,” Zayn concluded.

Ezra cursed beneath his breath, “Fine, even if we wanted to, we can’t.”

‘Why not?’ Lily signed, wondering what the issue was.

Zayn exchanged glances with Ezra.

“Based on our intel, not everyone can enter and purchase from the market. You need to be introduced by someone credible who’s already a part of it,” Zayn explained.

‘So we just need to find a contact person?’

“Yes, but it’s not that simple. Especially when the only person we know who knows how to find one is...” Ezra looked reluctant to say who it was.

So Lily turned to Zayn.

“Xavier.”