Chapter 4

• The entryway was as grand as I had imagined, with high ceilings and an elegant chandelier hanging from above, its crystals catching the flickering light of the sun rays. The walls were adorned with rich tapestries and portraits of stern-faced ancestors, their eyes seeming to follow us every move. The air was thick with the scent of polished wood, old leather, and a hint of something more earthly.
• I think it might because they are wolves, so the scent of the forest lingered with them. Serena scoffed, then I remembered she could hear my thoughts. I flinched in anticipation, waiting for her to either hit me or rip my throat out.
• When I opened my eyes, she was smirking in my face.
• “This is the living room, the other servant girl had started the job, but like I said, she suddenly dropped dead. Now, get to cleaning. My brother will get here shortly, and he hates a mess.’’
• My gaze darted around the room, taking in the luxurious furnishings, the handcrafted rugs, the antique furniture, and the gleaming marble floors. Everything was polished to perfection already, a stark contrast to my own disheveled appearance. I suddenly felt like an intruder in a world of wealth and power that I didn’t belong to.
• “That is correct, you might just be the smartest human I have met thus far. Not even your queen, or whoever the richest person in the human is, could begin to comprehend our amuse wealth.’’
• “Who did you come to have so much money?’’ I didn’t realize the question had foolishly left my lips until Serena raised a brow at me.
• Serena gave a smirk. “As those bloodsuckers say, if you have been alive for centuries and is still broke, might as well walk out into the sun. My family have been around since this earth was still young, we found old, gold and other precious gems. We made railways, hotels and so much more. Now, get to work. My brother won’t be as kind as me.’’
• My eyes were drawn to the grand staircase that spiraled upwards, its dark wooden banisters glistening in the firelight. The sheer scale of the mansion was overwhelming, and I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cool air blowing from the air-conditioning.
• “Get to work!’’ Serena yelled.
• I nodded, my was throat dry. “Thank you,” I managed to say, though the words felt hollow and inadequate in the face of her fear.
• As Serena walked away, leaving me alone in the magnificent room, I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. The silence of the mansion was almost oppressive, the grandeur of the surroundings were a constant reminder of how far I was from everything I had known. My hands shook slightly as I looked around, feeling like a lost child in a strange, intimidating world.
• But wasn’t this now a strange and intimidating world.
• I couldn’t help it, I moved to the sofa, and sat down heavily. This place, in fact, everything about this was overwhelming. I oddly felt self-conscious and vulnerable in the midst of such luxury.
• I gazed into the fire, not understanding why it was lit in the middle of the day, while the air was on.
• The fire in the hearth crackled softly, as I continued to stare into it, I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to kill the rising tide of panic. The mansion was a symbol of my new reality, a world I hadn’t chosen but was now a part of, and the weight of it all pressed down on me.
• My thoughts raced as I tried to process everything that had happened, the auction house, the encounter with the witch who tried to save me, and the looming uncertainty of my future. The mansion was beautiful but also cold and unwelcoming, a stark reminder of the dark path I had found myself on.
• In that moment of solitude, I allowed myself to feel the full extent of my fear. I was alone in a strange place, with no clear idea of what the future held. This place felt like a cage, its beauty a mask for the uncertainty and danger lurking just beyond its walls. I missed my parents, my little sister, and how I used to tell her stories of a world before this.
• I looked around once more, my eyes settling on the portraits of the stern-faced ancestors. Their gazes seemed to bore into mine, as if judging my presence and the turmoil I felt. I swallowed hard, trying to push aside the rising anxiety.
• For now, all I could do was take things one step at a time. I had no choice but to find a way to navigate this new world, to understand the rules and adapt to this new reality. The mansion was a symbol of both my refuge and her confinement, a place where I would have to learn to survive and find my place.
• I began to wish my family were with me, the separation weighed more on my mind, at least here, we all would be safe from those other creatures. That’s assuming the rumors were true, that wolves lived in a realm to their own, I would have to test that theory.
• I jumped to my feet, with a new resolved, seeing that I was alone. Who would stop me?
• "The guards,'' a pinching voice came.
• I turned around with what I guess was the look of horror on my face, I was relieved to see that it wasn't Serena, but I still wasn't out of the clear. This woman was still a wolf, and there was no telling what she would do to me.
• To my surprise, she smiled. "You can call me Genevieve; I am the Alpha's mother.''