I walked beneath the dim light of the torches, and though the hallway stretched empty, I felt eyes on me. Whispers clung to the walls, voices singing soft songs of mourning, chilling my bones.

It was my first time stepping into the West Wing. What should have been a tour weighed on me instead, tearing me down from the inside. Every step threatened to break me, but I swallowed the tears.

Killian despised stubborn women. Fine, then I would show him just how stubborn I could be. I’d rather scrub floors as a maid than warm his bed as his mistress.

Lost in thought, I almost didn’t hear the shallow voice at my side.

“You can go in,” Lupa said.

Her tone grew firmer, nudging me back into myself. “Go in.” She urged.

I blinked, my lashes fluttering nervously as I finally looked up. The enormous door looming before me stole the breath from my lungs. Dark wood, embroidered in gold, with beautiful carvings of wolves that seemed alive, as though I were staring into the very forest itself.

“Sire Killian is waiting for you.” Lupa’s voice echoed in my head again as she pushed the door open.

“You don’t want to keep him waiting. Just… show your appreciation.”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. If anything, it carried pity.

I gathered every ounce of courage and stepped into the room, slow and deliberate, letting each movement radiate confidence. But that confidence vanished the moment I grasp in my surroundings.

The chamber was a shrine to his wolf nature, wolf statues supporting lamps, tapestries depicting hunts, and in the center, a carved fountain spilling streams of water that echoed softly through the room. The curtains were massive, heavier than the Italian silks I had once admired, draping over every corner.

And then his voice shattered the silence.

“Come in.”

The sound boomed from behind the curtains, tearing me from my thoughts.

“Here goes nothing,” I muttered under my breath and drew the fabric aside.

The second chamber was darker, more intimate, and infinitely more dangerous. I had no time to appreciate its beauty before my eyes caught the figure before me.

Killian.

He stood in a loose robe, his broad chest exposed, the lines of his muscles sharp in the dim light. His robe slipped lower across his thigh, revealing just enough to make me lose every sensible thought.

“Elysian?” His voice was deep now, calm and alluring.

“Ye..yes,” I stammered, biting my lower lip.

“What are you staring at?” He asked, his tone low but commanding as he moved closer.

“Nothing. I just came to say thank you,” I managed, though my voice trembled.

“You didn’t come on your own,” he murmured, stepping into my space. “I summoned you.”

“Oh… I wasn’t told.” My words rose sharper, as though I could burn out the shivers racing through me.

He smiled, predatory. “You look… enticing. I almost can’t wait.” His breath brushed against my neck, warm and heavy.

“Can’t wait for what?” I swallowed, the lump burning down my throat.

“To know what you taste like,” he whispered, pulling me into his grip.

“Wait… I came to talk,” I stammered, my voice cracking but loud enough to jar him.

His lips brushed my skin. “We can talk after.”

A helpless sound escaped me when his tongue trailed across my neck, searing heat where it touched. His fingers slid beneath the hem of my gown, creeping higher up my thigh. My body betrayed me with a quiet moan escaped my lips, my senses blurring into surrender.

“Elysian…”

Arlie’s voice pierced through, faint but sharp, echoing inside my mind.

If she was in me, living through me,how could she not feel this intoxication?

Gathering what little clarity I had left, I blurted, “I came to talk about Thorne.”

Killian froze, his eyes flickering with annoyance. “What about him?”

“What happened to him? Where is he?” I pressed, forcing my voice steady.

“He’s far from here. Somewhere he can’t hurt you.” Killian’s tone softened into a whisper as he pulled me tighter.

His lips trailed lower to my breast and I thought I was lost again, until salvation came in the form of a voice.

“Sire, forgive me, but your attention is needed.”A female voice disrupted the sexual tension between us.

Killian’s entire body stiffened, his chest rumbling with a growl. “What?”

“The Alpha sent a message,” came the female reply.

“I’ll join you soon,” he barked, pulling away. His robe shifted back into place, though his eyes still burned. He turned to me sharply. “Get out.”

The command was all I needed. I darted out without a second thought, my dress disheveled, my heart pounding.

But I stopped short.

In the first chamber, a woman stood waiting. She was stunning, dressed in garments nearly identical to mine, though hers glittered with authority.

“Hi,” I muttered, nerves fraying as I tried to brush past.

“Wait.” Her voice was cold, sharper than a blade. Her gaze hardened, her lips curling with disdain.

“I am the head of the She-Wolves’ quarters. The next Luna of Bloodmoon. You will not rush past me without showing respect.”

Her words dripped with venom.

“I..I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Good day,” I blurted, bowing slightly before slipping past her.

But I had struck her pride, and she wasn’t about to let me go so easily.

“Guards!” she snapped.

Before I could react, the two stationed by the door moved, blocking my path. The woman’s eyes glowed with fury as she stepped closer, her presence suffocating.

I froze as the guards closed in, their shadows stretching across the polished floor. The woman’s glare was sharp as ice, and the walls seemed to lean in closer, suffocating me.

“This way,” she commanded, her voice velvet with steel

.

My pulse hammered. I realized with a jolt, I wasn’t being escorted. I was being taken somewhere, though for what, I had no clue. Every instinct screamed to run, but the corridor ahead twisted into darkness, the shadows moving like living things, whispering secrets I wasn’t meant to hear.

“I didn’t know what I was being punished for, it’s certainly not about spending time with Killian, what then is my offense?” I tried wrapping my head around my situation but nothing added up.

A chill ran down my spine. Something, or someone, was watching, waiting. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it. And with each step, the air grew heavier, thick with silent threats.

Then, a low, deliberate click echoed from behind me. I didn’t get the chance to even know who it was.

A voice cut through the tension, soft, icy, and cruel:

“You won't be leaving anytime soon,” I can bet my life she meant that with her last blood.

And just like that, I knew: I wasn’t in control anymore. Every step I took pulled me deeper into a game I didn’t understand, a game that could cost me everything.