Chapter 8 A Rash Welcome

• Niamh led me into the main building itself, and it was beyond my imagination. Whatever I had seen outside the building was just the tip of the iceberg; the inside’s grandeur was undeniable. It has a sleek design of a setting that was almost outside the medieval setting but retained elegance.
• Its façade was carved from a honey-colored stone. The smooth surface basked in the sunlight. From the sides, the tall and narrow windows stretched upwards with glinting panes. The roof was made of ironwork that was woven together.
• The driveway was paved with gleaming black stone. A fountain bubbled and splashed in the middle, cooling the atmosphere. All these were accompanied by colorful flowers that flanked the passage.
• “What is this?”
• I thought in my mind, but that was just the beginning. We entered a courtyard on the right side that was made of polished flagstones. There was a crafted image of the pack’s crest resting in the frame at the front. It was a place filled with beauty, luxury, and power.
• After a few minutes’ walk, we finally got to the room she was taking me to.
• “You will be staying here for a while. Once we receive the Alpha’s command, we will do the needful. However, whatever you need will be provided for you swiftly and you will also have your attending maids,” she explained everything, but I heard nothing.
• I was too carried away with the scenery in front of me. Nothing mattered at that point. All these were things I had only read in books. Seeing them for real got me speechless, and my brain refused to work.
• I could only respond with a “hmm” before I reached for the huge door that was twice my height. If I hadn’t balanced well, I would have tumbled inward because the guards at the door parted the door as I approached. I had forgotten that I was no longer in my small bookstore.
• As soon as I walked into the room, I hadn’t even had time to look around before hands flew from nowhere.
• “Stop!... who are…” my top was gone
• “What is…” the plain leather belt that was holding my skirt in place escaped from my waist with a pull. The brown skirt with a few patches that I was putting on was lying at my feet in just a blink of an eye.
• I was half naked. The beige linen pants I had under were hanging low at my waist, with the ropes threatening to pull apart with any slight provocation. The soft linen wrapped around my chest had already gone away with the top as it got pulled.
• The horrific look on my face was ignored by every single one of them. It was normal to them, like they had done this over and over, so feeling guilty or shy was out of it.
• “What are you all doing?” my voice was louder than I had intended, but it was for the better.
• Who strips someone naked without their permission? Only the maids of the Shadow Moon Pack!
• “You will have your bath now. It might be unusual, but please bear with us." One of them notified me and stepped in front of me.
• Her expression was stern, but not unkind. It was something she was doing out of duty and didn’t care about whatever I was. I had interacted with enough humans to understand every signal and body language.
• At her signal, I was dragged to the left side of the room, where the bathhouse was located. It was small, simple, and made of rough-hewn stone and timber. The door was hugging the frame tight with iron hinges and a latch that was pulled off mercilessly by one of the maids.
• The inside was dimly lit with a few narrow slits to permit sunlight. Warm, humid air filled the scent of hot water and soap. A large wooden tub dominated the center of the room, steam rising from the water it held. By the side was a simple wooden bench that held a few bathing items, like a scooping spoon and a lump of coarse soap.
• The house was sparkling clean, even with the wooden structure. I didn’t have the time to digest everything before I was led into the bathtub. Hands from everywhere filled my body as they washed my filth away.
• Although the approach was annoying, the outcome was something I could tolerate. I was dressed in a cream-colored long-sleeved gown. It was fitted at my waist, hugging my slender figure. While falling to the floor in soft folds.
• It had silver embroidery at the neckline and sleeves that beamed elegance and my hair was packed in a neat low burn, leaving a few loose strands on my face. No jewelry was added to my appearance, but the powder’s smell was heavenly. A new version was staring at me in the mirror that was carved into sturdy dark wood with elegant carvings on the legs and edges. There were a few candles plain and metal holders around it. One of them reached out to a crystal vial filled with a fragrant perfume and applied it to my skin, patting it to perfection.
• “Your meal will be brought soon. Kindly make yourself comfortable. We welcome you to the Shadow Moon Pack.” The senior maid informed me and they all marched out of the room.
• I turned to watch them leave me and my thoughts in the large room. It was three times the size of my room at the bookstore, so the loneliness and unfamiliarity tugged harder at me. I didn’t know what to do next or where to go.
• It was better with the Alpha because I was familiar with him but being on my own terrified me a bit. I pulled out my thoughts as the door opened to see the maids coming in with a wooden cart carrying several food items.
• They wheeled it to the right side of the room, where an oak wooden table was rooted firmly on the stone floor. The surface was polished to a warm sheen and two high-backed chairs with wolves’ carvings were facing each other as they hugged the table. At the sides were silver candelabra rests that held three white candles each. It had beeswax scents mixed with wood.
• The golden-plated dishes, cutlery, and goblets were set for me as they ushered me to have my first decent meal in over thirty hours. As I settled at the table, my mind shifted to Damien.
• “I wonder if he had time to eat already. It looked like he had so much to do earlier.”
• I shook my head as fast as the thought came. I didn’t have the time to worry about him; he’s the boss here after all.