Chapter 53

Celia

When I first received news that I would be moving into Soren’s grand mansion in the heart of his pack, tucked away inside a villa where only his closest family and other nobles live, I thought that I would be stuck having to play a game that I never wished to be a part of.

Werewolf nobles are brutal. I know this firsthand from working with the noble she-wolves in the hospital. They were so cruel, effortlessly so, and always snickered and laughed when someone below their rank failed or made a very tiny mistake that should never have been a problem in the first place.

What would life be like in an environment with them in it? Would Soren subject me to a classical style of court inside his pack where I would be surrounded by them with nobody else to reach out for or find solace in?

I have only been here for a few days and I am already moving away. I suppose I am grateful for getting away from the nobles and their prying and judging eyes, the way they always have to make a comment on the littlest of things.

However, being tucked away into a dark corner of the Alpha King’s domain seems like a false promise of calm.

It will be just us. The two of us together inside a home with nothing else except for the tainted past we share as well as the unresolved angst that has brewed between us.

Soren has been so kind to me lately, though, so I should give him the benefit of the doubt, right?

I slip my clothes into one of my bags by the large windows of my bedroom. While I pack, the outside nature has kept me calm and has put my anxieties at ease. A few birds fly past the window, their dark appearance a stark contrast against the bright blue sky.

It is beautiful outside. I bet the breeze feels even nicer. I should try to find some time to go out there before we leave.

Movement catches my attention. I lean forward and look at the lawn where a dark figure sprints across the lawn. They hold a large envelope in their hands and disappear from my sight. I let out a quiet breath, ready to move back, when their body catches my attention again.

They run even faster than before, their long dark hair flowing in the wind behind them. They wear a mix of black and brown clothes and their skin looks dirty from afar.

Have they been out in the woods? And what happened to the envelope they held in their hands?

Something about them irks me. Something feels off and unnatural about their presence at Soren’s mansion. They do not share the same uniform as his soldiers — or the Lycan soldiers for that matter — and they just look out of place compared to everyone else who looks composed and well put together.

My interest is piqued, though, and I push away from my bags and piles of clothes, moving towards the bedroom door and into the hallway. Servants pass me by with a quick bow of their head while I walk down the corridor, quickly traveling down the steps.

My steps become heavy as I close the distance between me and the door. Unease fills my body and I hesitate to take the last step, remaining frozen on the stairwell while the world passes me by.

A servant brushes past me and I latch my eyes onto her. She moves with calculated ease, having traveled this path many times before. She greets other servants as she moves inside a room just to the side of the stairs, the same room that the backdoor is attached to.

I take the final step down the stairs and slowly creep across the marble flooring, leaning my body to the side as I watch her open up the door and intercept the man’s envelope before I can. I watch as she opens it up, pulling out a long piece of white paper, bright red stains scattered across the material.

The servant screams, the sound curdling my blood and sending shocks across my body. It is a scream of pure horror, one that would be found in the movies instead of real life.

My heart drops inside my chest and my stomach twists and churns. Goosebumps overtake my skin and body. I take a step backwards, moving towards the stairs in a zombie-like state and feel something hit my back.

I gasp, almost jumping out of my skin right then and there, and turn to see Soren standing behind me. He does not look down at me and instead looks in the direction of the servant who is now surrounded by soldiers and guards.

“What happened?” I ask him, half expecting him to automatically know all of the answers to the questions that swirl around my mind.

Soren does not answer. My body goes cold and I turn back to the servant, watching as soldiers peel the envelope from her hand and usher her away.

“Soren,” my voice raises, feeling his hands grab my waist, pulling me into his embrace, “what is that? Is that blood?”

I turn to look up at him, my feet no longer on the ground as he swoops me up into his arms with ease. He is quick up the stairs. I twist and turn in his arms, struggling to be set free and to go investigate what the man left at the door.

“Let me go!” I demand, landing a weak punch onto his back.

Soren does not even move. He continues on his path and moves back down the hallway. He retraces the same steps I took before and heads in the direction of my bedroom.

The echoing sounds of yells and barking commands floats up the stairs, tingling my ears like it is mocking me and just how easily it was for Soren to take me away. I groan and continue to wiggle in his arms, trying to break free.

“Soren! What is going on?” I ask, watching as he kicks open the door.

“It isn’t safe for you down there,” Soren responds. He closes the door and locks it with one hand, moving me towards the bed and setting me down.

I huff and slip off of the bed, ready to make my way back towards the door to go back downstairs but Soren is quick to stop me. I look up at him and narrow my eyes, unsure if he is int he dark just as I am or if he knows what is inside the envelope.

“Are you ready to go?” Soren asks, looking down at me with a silent plea behind his eyes.

I take a quick glance to the side, looking at my half packed bags as chaos reigns on the floor below us. Slowly drawing in a deep breath, I nod and push past him, aiming for my bags.

“You’re going to have to tell me what happened,” I breathe out, shoving the rest of my clothes inside the bag.

“I know. I will soon, I just need to make for sure it is safe for us to leave, okay?”he says from behind me.

I weakly nod, having to blindly put my trust in him that everything will be okay.