LYDIA'S POV

　　As I lay down to rest, I resolved to keep my guard up. There was something off about Alpha Matthews' over-eagerness and the strange welcome I had received. Until I understood what was really going on, I would trust no one.

　　When they left I instantly ran towards the washroom and puked everything I ingested. I could tell that there was something wrong about their food, so I threw most of it but had to take few sips when I realised that the Alpha's eyes were fixed on me.

　　As I lay in the cozy room, the soft crackling of the fire doing little to ease my unease, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Alpha Matthews' hospitality had been overwhelming, almost suspiciously so. Every instinct I had told me to stay alert.

　　I decided to rest, but not truly sleep. Instead, I pretended to drift off, slowing my breathing and relaxing my body. Hours passed, and the house grew silent, the storm outside a muffled roar. As the night deepened, I heard the soft creak of the door opening. Keeping my eyes closed, I listened intently.

　　Footsteps approached, and a hand gently shook my shoulder. "Lydia," Alpha Matthews' voice whispered, "are you awake?"

　　I remained still, feigning the deep, even breaths of someone in a drugged sleep. I felt him lift me effortlessly, his strength surprising. He carried me through the hallways, his footsteps eerily silent against the wooden floors. My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my breathing steady, determined to maintain the ruse.

　　We descended a set of stairs, and the air grew cooler and damper. The sound of the storm outside faded, replaced by the soft echoes of a stone passageway. I peeked through my eyelashes, seeing only flickering torchlight casting shadows on rough-hewn walls. He was taking me somewhere deep within the house, somewhere hidden.

　　After what felt like an eternity, we emerged into a large, cavernous room. The air was thick with the scent of incense and something metallic—blood, perhaps. My pulse quickened as I took in the scene through slitted eyes.

　　The room was dominated by a stone altar at its center, surrounded by dark figures in hooded robes. Candles cast a dim, eerie light, illuminating strange symbols etched into the walls and floor. Alpha Matthews laid me gently on the altar, his movements careful and deliberate.

　　"Is she ready?" a voice asked from the shadows. It was a woman's voice, cold and authoritative.

　　"Yes," Alpha Matthews replied, his tone reverent. "She's been drugged and will remain unconscious until the ritual is complete."

　　I fought to keep my breathing even, every instinct screaming at me to get up and run. But I had to know what was happening, and I had to wait for the right moment.

　　I lay on the cold stone altar, my body motionless, my breathing slow and steady as I maintained the pretense of being drugged. The damp air of the cavernous room mingled with the acrid scent of incense, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made it difficult to concentrate. Yet, I forced myself to stay alert, to listen. It was the only way I would understand what was happening and find a way to escape.

　　I could hear three people moving around me. One of them was Alpha Matthews; his scent was unmistakable. The other two were different—there was no wolf scent about them. They moved with a strange, fluid grace, their footsteps barely making a sound.

　　"Is this enough?" Alpha Matthews' voice cut through the silence, filled with uncertainty.

　　"Shh… we are preparing for our ritual," one of the hooded figures hissed at him, silencing him immediately.

　　Ritual? The word sent a chill down my spine. The other two must be witches. But why do they have no scent?

　　The hooded figures began to chant in a language I didn't understand, their voices rising and falling in a hypnotic rhythm that set my nerves on edge. Alpha Matthews moved to stand at the head of the altar; I could hear his footsteps echoing on the stone floor.

　　"Congratulations, Alpha, your sacrifice has just been accepted," one of the voices said, a tone of dark satisfaction colouring the words.

　　Sacrifice? Am I the sacrifice?

　　"Oh, thank Goddess!" Alpha Matthews sighed in relief, his voice trembling with emotion.

　　"Do not invoke your Goddess here," the voice snapped, sharp and commanding. "We are dealing with demons, and they do not take kindly to such blasphemy."

　　"My apologies," Alpha Matthews said hastily. "But… I just wanted to ask if her sacrifice is enough for this week. There are not many people left in the pack. I need to be sure that she is sufficient."

　　The gravity of his words hit me like a blow. Sacrificing me was meant to bring some form of benefit to the pack. But what could be so dire that they would turn to demons for help? Only the most powerful and evil demons ask for such a huge sacrifice and I wonder what started it?

　　Since when did demons start getting involved with the wolves?

　　The other figure, the one who had been silent until now, spoke in a low, sinister voice. "Her sacrifice will suffice for half a month of clear weather. The demons are appeased, for now."

　　Clear weather? They were sacrificing me to ensure good weather?

　　Is this why I was hit by a storm when I arrived?