_Anya's POV_

The three days before the execution felt longer than all the years I had lived in that pack.

After the trial, the guards dragged me back to the cellar and threw me inside. This time they did not even look at me. The door slammed shut and the sound echoed in the darkness like a final sentence.

Three days.

Only three days until dawn came for me.

No one brought me food and water. My throat burned with thirst and my stomach hurt until the pain became dull and heavy. My body felt weaker with each hour that passed. 

On the third day, the weakness became so bad that even breathing felt like work.

I did not know if it was still night or already close to dawn. No light reached the deep part of the cellar. Time had no shape there. 

I had prayed so many times during those three days that I no longer knew whether I was praying aloud or only in my heart.

"Moon Goddess," I whispered with cracked lips, "if this is truly my end, please do not let it hurt for long. And if I am innocent, then please let the truth come out one day. Even if I am not there to see it."

Maya stirred weakly. You are not going to die, she said.

I wanted to believe her but the words felt too fragile against the weight of everything around me. "How can you still say that?"

Because I can still feel something, she whispered. Something is coming.

I did not understand what she meant.

A little while later, footsteps echoed down the stone staircase.

The iron door opened. Torchlight flooded the cell so suddenly that my eyes burned. I lifted a shaky hand to shield them.

"Get her up," a guard said.

They pulled me to my feet but my legs were too weak to hold me. They dragged me up the stairs and outside. The cold morning air hit my face and I took a sharp breath. The sky was pale. Dawn was coming.

Then I saw where they were taking me.

In the open square, a raised wooden platform had been built. The whole pack had gathered around it. In the center of the platform stood a heavy wooden frame and beneath it hung a sharp blade that shone in the early light.

A guillotine.

My whole body went cold.

I had heard stories about public punishments when I was younger but I had never seen this place being used. The sight of it stole what little breath I had left. There were rows of people standing around the platform already. Faces I knew. Faces that had watched me work for years without ever really seeing me.

Today, they had all come to see me die.

The guards dragged me closer. My knees threatened to give out with every step.

"Please," I whispered. "Please, I am innocent. I did not do this."

No one answered.

At the front stood the Alpha and the Luna in dark ceremonial clothes. The elders were near them. My father and mother stood to one side. Talia was there too, wrapped in a cloak, looking weak enough to play the victim but not weak enough to miss my death. Leon stood not far from her. His face was hard and pale. His eyes met mine for only a second before he looked away.

That hurt more than anything.

The guards forced me up the wooden steps of the platform. I stumbled and almost fell but they jerked me upright again. My wrists were still locked in iron cuffs. The metal had rubbed my skin raw.

The Alpha spoke loudly so everyone could hear. "Anya Taylor, you were judged by this pack and found guilty. Your sentence will now be carried out."

"Please," I cried. "Please, Alpha. I am innocent. I did not poison Talia. Someone framed me. Please show mercy. I do not want to die."

He did not react. 

I turned toward Leon. Tears blurred my vision. "Leon, please. Please say something. You know me. You know I would never do this."

His jaw clenched. For one terrible moment, I thought he might step forward. But he did not move.

One of the guards came behind me with a black cloth.

"No," I gasped, trying to pull away. "Please, no."

He yanked my head back and tied the cloth over my eyes. Darkness swallowed everything at once.

I could hear the murmurs of the crowd more sharply now. I could hear the wood creak beneath my feet. I could hear my own breathing which was ragged and uneven. Hands gripped my arms and pushed me forward. My knees hit rough wood. They were forcing me down.

"Hold her still," someone said.

Rough hands pressed down on my shoulders. Another hand forced my head lower. My cheek brushed the cold wood beneath the blade. I started shaking so badly that I could barely form words.

I tried to pray.

"Moon Goddess, please receive my soul," I whispered through tears. "Please forgive me for all the things I could not be. Please... please..."

My voice broke completely.

Then, just as the executioner moved, a strong male voice cut through the square.

"Stop."

Everything went silent. 

The Alpha's angry voice echoed across the square. "Who dares interrupt this execution?"

Another male voice answered at once. "I am the Beta of the Fireblood Pack. My Alpha has ordered this execution to stop."

A wave of whispers rushed through the crowd.

Fireblood.

Even in my fear, the name struck me. Fireblood was one of the strongest packs in the region. Everyone knew that.

The Alpha sounded enraged. "Why would the Alpha of Fireblood interfere in a matter that does not involve his pack?"

Before the Beta could answer, another voice spoke. This one was deeper.

"Forgive me, Alpha of the Silvercrest Pack. I did not wish to interfere in your internal matters. But this issue now concerns my pack as well."

Something in that voice made the entire square go quiet again.

"I am Jacob, Alpha of the Fireblood Pack," the man continued. "This girl has connections to my territory. The poison she used is made from a rare plant that grows only within Fireblood land. That means someone from my pack has been in contact with her or she has been in contact with people tied to my territory. Either possibility makes this more than a simple poisoning case."

The Alpha said sharply, "She was judged by my court. She is guilty."

"And I do not dispute that you judged her according to what you knew," Alpha Jacob replied calmly. "But if this poison came from my territory, then this matter also touches my pack. There may be traitors among my own people. There may be enemy packs involved. There may be a larger conspiracy here. If you execute her now, the trail dies with her."

Silence stretched for a moment. I could hear my own heart beating beneath the cloth.

Then the Alpha spoke again. "You ask a great deal. Why should I hand over a condemned prisoner to another pack?"

Alpha Jacob answered without hesitation. "Because if she has accomplices, then those accomplices may not only threaten Fireblood. They may threaten Silvercrest too. If word of her death reaches them before we uncover the truth, they may hide, flee or strike first. Let me investigate. Let me carry out the punishment after I learn who else is involved."

The Alpha's voice hardened. "This is my prisoner."

"And this poison is from my land. That gives me cause to intervene. I will keep you informed of every development. If she is only a foolish girl who acted alone, then you lose nothing but a few days. If she is part of something larger, then executing her now could cost both our packs dearly."

There was another pause. I could hear movement in the crowd and the low murmur of uneasy voices. The men holding me had eased their grip but they had not let go.

Then the Alpha said, "You should not mistake Silvercrest for a weak pack, Alpha Jacob."

"I would never insult your strength, Alpha. But Fireblood is stronger in numbers and defense. If enemy packs are involved, I am better placed to draw them out and destroy them. Let me do this properly. I ask for the prisoner under inter-pack investigation rights. You have my word that I will send updates."

The Alpha did not answer at once. When he finally spoke, I heard his reluctance clearly. "And if I refuse?"

"Then any threat tied to my territory will remain hidden. If that danger later turns toward Silvercrest, the cost will be on all our heads. I would prefer cooperation. But I will not walk away from a matter involving my own pack."

The silence that followed felt endless.

At last, the Alpha exhaled sharply. "Very well. You will take custody of the girl for investigation. But this does not erase her sentence. If you uncover nothing, she remains condemned."

"Agreed," Alpha Jacob said at once.

The hands on my shoulders lifted. Someone untied the cloth from my eyes. Light rushed in so suddenly that I blinked hard. My vision swam for a moment, then slowly cleared.

The first thing I saw was a man standing a few steps away from the platform.

He was young but there was authority in the way he held himself. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in dark clothes that fit his powerful body. Everything about him spoke of strength.

And yet his face was calm....too calm.

His gaze settled on me and for one strange moment I saw no open cruelty there. It should have comforted me but instead, it made me uneasy in a way I could not explain.

So this was Jacob, the Alpha of Fireblood.

The man whose name I had heard in whispers before. He was supposed to be cruel, ruthless and heartless.

He stepped closer and looked at me fully. I felt filthy beneath that gaze. My clothes were torn and dirty. My hair was tangled. My wrists were bruised. My body shook from weakness.

Still, he looked at me as if I were worth seeing.

"Bring her down," he said.

One of his men moved at once but before I could understand what was happening, Alpha Jacob himself reached out, grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. His hand was strong. 

I stumbled off the platform. My legs nearly gave out. He tightened his grip and dragged me forward before I could fall.

I looked back once. Leon was staring at us.

Shock was written all over his face. It was as if he could not believe what was happening right in front of him. Our eyes met for the briefest second. There were too many things in his expression for me to name. But it did not matter now.

Alpha Jacob kept pulling me toward a line of dark vehicles waiting near the square. Several armed men stood nearby. More cars waited behind them. Fireblood had not come lightly. They had come prepared.

My breath shook as I walked or rather as I was half dragged beside him.

Should I feel grateful that I had been spared? Or should I be afraid that something worse than death now waited for me?

I had heard stories about the Alpha of Fireblood. About the punishments in his territory. About how he dealt with enemies. Perhaps the blade would have been kinder.

Alpha Jacob opened the back door of one of the cars and pushed me inside. I landed awkwardly against the seat. I was too weak to resist. A moment later he slid in beside me. His Beta took the front passenger seat. Another man got behind the wheel.

Outside, engines started one after another.

As the cars began to move, I turned my head and looked out the window. Silvercrest was already falling behind us.

My throat tightened.

I did not know whether I was leaving death behind or driving straight toward it.

Then I became aware of Jacob's gaze on me. I turned slowly. He was already watching me.

Our eyes met. For a second I forgot to breathe. His expression was unreadable but then he gave me a small smile. It was not warm enough to erase my fear but it was still the first smile anyone had given me in what felt like forever.

"Do not worry," he said quietly. "I am going to get rid of those handcuffs."

Before I could react, he took my chained wrists in his large hands. His grip was steady. Then I felt the sharp pull of his strength.

The iron snapped. I stared at the broken cuffs in shock. He had broken them as if they were nothing. He had not hurt me at all.

My wrists fell free into my lap. Red marks ringed my skin. I rubbed them weakly, unable to look away from him.

He leaned back slightly. His blue eyes were still on mine.

"Do not be afraid," he said in that calm voice. "You are safe with me."

My heart gave one strange and confused beat.

Safe?

After everything that had happened, the word did not feel real.

I stared at him. Was he truly helping me? Was this kindness? Or was it only another trap waiting to close around me?

The car kept moving. And beside me sat a handsome Alpha with golden hair, blue eyes and a soft voice that made no sense at all.

Sometimes the most dangerous monsters were the ones who smiled gently before they destroyed you.

_Anya's POV_

The car moved smoothly but I felt anything but calm. 

I sat stiffly against the leather seat, trying to keep as much distance as possible between myself and Alpha Jacob, even though there was not much room. Every time the car turned, I became more aware of him beside me. He was too close. 

My wrists still stung where the iron had rubbed my skin raw. I kept rubbing the red marks and tried not to think about everything that had just happened. Only a short while ago, I had been kneeling beneath a blade, waiting to die. Now I was sitting in a car beside one of the strongest Alphas in the region.

Nothing made sense.

He had told me I was safe with him.

Safe.

The word kept repeating in my mind but it did not feel real. How could I be safe with a stranger? How could I trust an Alpha I had only heard frightening things about?

Maya stirred inside me. He is dangerous.

I know, I answered silently. But he saved us.

That does not mean that he is good.

I swallowed hard. Maya was right. In our world, being saved did not always mean being rescued. Sometimes it only meant that one cage had been traded for another.

I lowered my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. My throat was still dry. My body still felt weak. The silence inside the car made everything worse.

At last, I forced myself to speak.

"Why would you help me?" My voice sounded small and rough.

Jacob turned to me. He looked almost surprised by the question. "Oh," he said. "Is it not obvious?"

No, it was not obvious. None of this was obvious. Everything about this felt wrong, strange and unreal.

He must have seen the confusion on my face because his mouth curved into a faint smile. It was not mocking exactly but there was something unreadable in it.

"It is because you are my mate," he said. "I need to protect you. Can you not feel the mate bond between us?"

For one moment I thought I had heard him wrong.

My mate?

The words struck me so suddenly that I forgot to breathe. I looked at him in disbelief. My mind could not even form a proper thought at first. Then everything rushed in at once.

No.

That was impossible.

Leon was my mate. Leon had been the one the Moon Goddess had chosen for me, even if he had rejected me. The pain of that bond breaking still lived inside my chest like a wound that had not closed. And second-chance mates were rare. So rare that most wolves only heard stories about them.

Why would the Moon Goddess give someone like me another chance?

I was nothing. I was the unwanted orphan. The maid. The girl who had been dragged to her execution while people watched.

I shook my head slowly. "No," I whispered. "I do not feel the mate bond between us. Maybe... maybe you are mistaken."

Jacob's expression did not change. If anything, he seemed more certain.

"No," he said calmly. "My wolf cannot be wrong. You are my fated mate. It may take some time for you to feel the bond. Not every pair recognizes each other in the exact same way. Some mates do not sense the full bond instantly."

I frowned at him. That did not sound right.

Everything I had ever heard about mates said the same thing. The bond struck quickly and strongly. There was no confusion.

I had felt it with Leon: the shock, the pull and the pain.

What I felt with Jacob was not that.

But still, I was not an expert on mate bonds. No one had ever taught me much about them. Maybe there were things I did not know.

Maybe he was telling the truth. But if he was, why did it still feel wrong?

Something about this was not adding up.

Maya paced restlessly inside me. I do not like this.

Neither do I.

Jacob must have noticed my unease because he shifted slightly toward me. Before I understood what he was doing, he reached out and touched my chin. He gently turned my face toward him.

I flinched so hard that my whole body jerked. His hand stopped at once. For one terrible second we simply stared at each other. My breathing turned shallow. I hated how quickly fear had risen inside me. I hated even more that he had seen it.

Something flickered in his eyes. Then, to my surprise, his voice softened. "You should not be afraid of me. I do not bite."

I said nothing.

He gave a low huff that almost sounded amused, then withdrew his hand and leaned back. "At least not without reason."

That did not help.

He must have seen the new alarm on my face because he smiled again, this time a little wider, as if he found my reaction entertaining.

"I was joking," he said.

I was not sure that he was.

The car fell quiet again for a moment. I looked out the window but all I saw was the road stretching ahead and the morning light growing slowly stronger.

Then Jacob spoke once more. "You will stay with me in my pack. My pack members will be happy that I have finally found their future Luna."

My stomach twisted. Future Luna? 

The title felt too heavy even in my thoughts.

I had been treated like I was worthless all my life. I had lived as a servant. I had been rejected in front of everyone. I had nearly been executed. And now this powerful stranger was speaking as if I would become his Luna.

He did not know me at all.

He did not know that I was not worthy of such a title. He did not know that I was not Luna material. Sooner or later, he would find out.

And then what?

Would he reject me too, just like Leon had?

Or would it be worse?

The thoughts would not stop. My chest felt tight. I did not know how I was supposed to survive this new mess when I had barely survived the last one.

The car finally slowed down.

I looked out the window and saw tall walls and large metal gates opening before us. Beyond them stood the Fireblood pack estate.

My breath caught.

The place looked powerful. The pack mansion stood ahead, made of dark stone with wide steps and tall windows. It was grand but not soft. It felt like the kind of place where rules were strict and weakness was not tolerated.

Several people were already waiting outside.

Jacob picked up a long coat and handed it to me. "Put this on quickly," he said. "My mom will reprimand me if she sees you in those clothes. She will say that I am not taking good care of you."

I looked down at myself. My clothes were torn and stained with dirt and blood. Shame crept over me.

Without a word, I took the coat and wrapped it around myself. It was too big but it covered me.

The car stopped fully. Jacob stepped out, then came around and opened my door like a gentleman. That alone made me pause. I did not know what to do with such a gesture coming from a man like him. He held out his hand and after a moment, I took it.

The people waiting outside looked at me immediately. At the front stood an older woman with blonde hair touched with silver. She carried herself with quiet authority. Beside her stood servants holding trays. One tray held glasses. Others held garlands and jewelry.

I stopped walking. What was this? 

The woman stepped forward and looked at Jacob first. "Son, is this your mate?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes, mom, she is the one. Your future daughter in law."

The woman smiled warmly and looked at me. "She is so pretty. You are very lucky that the moon goddess has blessed you with a mate like her."

I did not know what to say. No one had ever spoken about me that way before.

Then she asked gently, "What is your name?"

I swallowed and answered softly, "Anya."

Her smile widened. "Oh, such a cute name for you. It suits you very much."

Before I could react, she picked up one of the glasses from the tray and held it toward me.

"Here, drink the sacred water."

I frowned slightly and looked at Jacob.

He explained calmly, "It is an old tradition in our pack. New members drink water from the sacred well inside our territory. It is believed that the well has been blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."

Then he added, "Drink it. It will do you good."

I hesitated but everyone was watching me. I felt like I had no choice. So I took the glass and drank.

The taste made me pause. It was supposed to be tasteless but it was not. There was a slight sour taste to it. It was faint but I noticed it. I lowered the glass slowly.

The old woman turned to the others at once. "Adorn her with the garland and jewelry. She is your future Luna. She should be given a warm welcome and the respect that she deserves."

The servants came toward me immediately.

They began placing the garland around my neck and fastening jewelry onto me. I stared at them in disbelief. The pieces looked real. They were made of heavy gold and diamonds. 

It felt wrong on my skin. I wanted to remove all of it. But Jacob was watching me closely and I had a strong feeling that he would be very angry if I refused.

So I stayed quiet and kept my face neutral.

The woman looked pleased. "These are our ancestral jewelry and I have been waiting since long to pass these on to my daughter in law. Now, that Jacob has brought you here, we should start the wedding preparations."

I stared at her. "What? Wedding?"

Jacob spoke before she could continue. "Mom, it is a bit too fast. We need to give Anya some time to adapt to the pack first. Let her feel comfortable first."

His mother sighed, then nodded. "Fine. You are right. Take her to your room, then. Give her a tour of the pack house later. I have some things to arrange. I will have dinner with both of you this evening."

"Of course, Mother," Jacob said.

He placed a hand lightly at the middle of my back and guided me toward the open doors of the mansion.

My entire body had gone tense again.

I had no idea what was happening. None. It felt as if I had escaped death only to fall into the hands of something I did not understand, something that looked kind but made my heart uneasy.

They believed I would make the perfect Luna for this pack.

But they did not know me.

They did not know I had spent years scrubbing floors and serving food, being told to lower my eyes and keep quiet. They did not know how badly I would fail whatever test this was. They did not know I was not suited to stand beside a powerful Alpha like Jacob.

What would they do when they found out?

As we reached the threshold of the mansion, I lifted my eyes toward the dark entrance ahead. Cool air drifted out from inside, carrying the scent of polished wood, stone and something ancient I could not name.

Maya whispered inside me. Something is wrong.

Yes, I thought as Jacob led me over the threshold.

Something was very, very wrong.

And deep in my bones, I knew this was only the beginning.

_Anya's POV_

The moment I stepped inside the mansion, I felt smaller than I ever had before.

The entrance hall was enormous. The floor beneath my feet was polished stone so smooth that it caught the light from the high chandeliers above and threw it back in pale gold. The ceiling was so high that I had to tilt my head to see it properly. Long dark curtains hung beside tall windows and portraits of stern-looking men and women covered the walls. They all looked powerful and important.

Everything around me felt rich and heavy. It did not look anything like the Beta house where I had grown up. That house had been large too but it had never felt like this. This place felt like power had been built into every wall and every stone.

I pulled Alpha Jacob's coat tighter around myself.

He noticed.

"You are cold?" he asked.

"A little," I admitted.

His eyes lingered on my face for a second. "That will not be a problem for long."

I did not ask what he meant. He began to walk again and I followed because I had no choice.

As we moved deeper into the mansion, I looked around carefully. My heart was still racing but curiosity pushed through some of the fear. Wide hallways stretched in several directions. There were more staircases than I could count. Servants moved quietly through the corridors with lowered eyes. Some glanced at me quickly before looking away.

I could feel their curiosity. I could also feel their surprise. Of course they were surprised. Their Alpha had returned with a strange girl in torn clothes and had introduced her as his mate.

Alpha Jacob must have sensed my unease because he spoke without looking at me. "Do not worry about them. They know better than to disrespect you."

That did not comfort me much.

He gestured toward a wide archway on the left. "That is the main kitchen. There are smaller kitchens on the upper floors but most meals are prepared there."

I turned my head and saw a large bright room beyond the archway. Several women were working quickly inside. The smell of bread and meat drifted into the hall and my stomach twisted painfully at the scent. I had been starved for days. My body remembered that too well.

Alpha Jacob's gaze flicked toward me. "You will be fed properly here."

I lowered my eyes. I did not know why that simple sentence made my chest feel tight.

We kept walking. As we passed another corridor, he said, "The omegas and lower-ranking servants live on the lower floors. The upper floors are for higher-ranked wolves, guests and members of the main family."

That made sense. It was the same in many packs, though Fireblood seemed far stricter about order and rank than Silvercrest. Even the way the servants moved told me that.

Maya stirred inside me. This place feels too controlled.

Yes, I thought. Everything here feels watched.

We reached the grand staircase in the center of the mansion. It curved upward in a wide sweep, with dark railings and silver details worked into the metal. I stopped for a moment just to stare at it. It looked like something from a story. It was too grand and perfect to be real.

Alpha Jacob noticed my pause. "You have never seen a staircase before?" he asked and there was the smallest trace of amusement in his voice.

Heat rose to my face. "Not like this."

For a moment, he said nothing. Then his expression changed just slightly. "Well, you will see many things here that you have never seen before."

I could not tell if that was a promise or a warning.

We climbed the stairs together. My legs were still weak and by the time we reached the upper floor, I was already tired. Alpha Jacob slowed his pace without saying anything. I noticed that too.

The upper hallway was long and lined with closed doors, tall lamps and rich carpets that softened our footsteps. Then another hallway came after that....and then another. Each one looked almost the same as the last. It was beautiful...but also confusing.

I frowned and looked around, trying to keep track of where we were going, but after only a few turns I had already lost all sense of direction.

Alpha Jacob glanced at me. "What is it?"

"This house is too big," I said quietly. "It would be easy to get lost here."

His mouth curved faintly. "That is true."

He kept walking. "You will learn it in time."

I was not so sure.

At last, after what felt like far too many turns, we reached the end of a long hallway. There were only two doors there. They were facing each other across a small stretch of carpet.

Alpha Jacob stopped and pointed to the last door on the right. "This is my room."

I immediately became tense again. Then he turned slightly and pointed to the door beside it.

"You will stay here for now."

I blinked and looked at him.

He must have understood the question in my face because he continued in the same calm tone. "I know that you are not comfortable living with me directly. I will give you some time to adjust to the pack first. The room next to mine is yours for the time being."

I stared at him. That was not what I had expected.

"But," he added and his eyes held mine now, "after our marriage, you will stay with me."

My stomach tightened again.

Marriage.

Every time he said things like that, it felt as if I was hearing about someone else's life and not mine.

I said nothing.

Alpha Jacob opened the door and stepped aside for me to enter.

The moment I walked inside, I forgot how to breathe for a second.

The room was larger than the entire sleeping area I had been using in my former house. A huge bed stood against the far wall. It was covered in dark red and cream blankets so soft that they looked unreal. There was a fireplace with carved stone around it, a thick carpet under my feet and tall windows covered with elegant curtains. A cushioned chair sat near one corner beside a small table with books stacked neatly on it. There was even a dressing table with a mirror framed in silver and beyond another door, I could glimpse what looked like a private bathing room.

I turned slowly, taking it all in. I had never seen such a room in my life. Not even Talia had a room like this.

My throat tightened strangely. I did not belong in a place like this. I felt like a dirty thing someone had dropped by mistake into a room meant for someone better.

The Alpha was watching me carefully. "You do not like it?" he asked.

I looked at him quickly. "No. I mean... I do. It is just..."

"Too much?" he finished.

I gave a small nod.

For the first time since we had entered the mansion, he gave me a smile that looked almost real. "You will get used to it."

I doubted that.

A knock came at the open door. I turned and saw the dark-haired man who had sat in the front of the car when we arrived. He stepped inside with a straight posture and sharp eyes. He looked younger than Alpha Jacob, but there was still something powerful in him.

Alpha Jacob spoke first. "Anya, this is Dominic. He is my Beta."

Dominic bowed his head slightly toward me. "Luna."

I startled at once. "I am not..."

The Alpha cut in smoothly. "She will be."

Dominic's face did not change. "Understood, Alpha."

That small exchange made me feel even more awkward.

Alpha Jacob turned to Dominic. "Make sure all the servants understand that Anya is to be taken care of properly. I want no mistakes."

Dominic nodded. "Of course."

"And her lunch will be served in her room," Alpha Jacob continued. "I have a meeting and will be busy for several hours."

Dominic bowed his head again. "It will be done."

I felt a small rush of relief at that. I was not ready to sit in some great dining room surrounded by strangers staring at me. Eating in private sounded far better.

The Alpha glanced at me. "That is fine with you?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "I... I would rather stay here."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded as if he had expected that answer.

"To be honest," I added quietly, "I do not know how the others would treat me when you are not there."

His eyes sharpened slightly. "No one will mistreat you here."

That sounded firm enough to make Dominic go even straighter beside the door.

Alpha Jacob continued, "If you need anything, tell the maids. I will be back by evening. I have an important meeting to attend."

I nodded.

My mind was still trying to take in too many things at once. The room. The mansion. His strange kindness. His certainty that I belonged here. None of it felt real.

Then, before I understood what he intended, the Alpha stepped closer.

I froze.

He bent his head and pressed a light kiss to my cheek. The touch was brief and soft. It was completely unexpected. But it made heat rush through me so fast that I almost stepped back in shock.

When he pulled away, I could feel my face burning. He looked almost pleased by my reaction.

"Rest," he said quietly.

Then he turned and walked out with Dominic. The door closed behind them. For several seconds I did not move.

Maya's voice rose inside me at once. I do not like him.

My fingers lifted to my cheek where he had kissed me. "I do not know what to think of him."

You are blushing.

"I am not."

You are.

I was.

That only made me more upset.

I dropped my hand and moved farther into the room, trying to distract myself. I took off the heavy coat and set it across the chair. Then I sat carefully on the edge of the bed.

The mattress sank softly beneath me. Even that felt strange. Everything in the room was too soft....too clean....too warm.

I had spent the last few days in darkness, hunger, pain and fear. Now I was in a room fit for a princess. The change was too sudden. My mind could not keep up with it.