Isabella's Pov.

"Thank goodness," I sighed with relief, settling into the back seat. "I was starting to think I'd be walking all day."

I didn't waste a single minute of my precious time, and I bought several things from here and there, carefully choosing each item.

"This dress is pretty," I said, holding it up to myself in the mirror. "And this one makes me look more mature." I didn't buy any fancy, expensive clothes, and I didn't really want to impress anyone except Alpha Nathan.

"I want him to see the real me," I decided, "but maybe just a slightly improved version." So, I wanted to appear normal somehow, but beautiful and confident at the same time.

I finally finished my shopping spree, and the patient driver took me back to the nearest place he could drop me off. "This is as close as I can get you, miss," he explained apologetically.

I asked him politely to drop me by the side of the highway, not wanting to cause any trouble.

"Thank you so much for your help," I said gratefully, tipping him what little I could afford. And yup, I lifted my heavy shopping bags with both hands and hurriedly went back to the lake house, my heart pounding with anticipation as I waited for Nathan to show up or at least for his Beta Ethan to appear.

But absolutely no one appeared that entire day, and my excitement slowly turned to crushing disappointment.

"Where is he?" I asked the empty air around me. "Why isn't he coming?" In complete frustration and emotional exhaustion, I fell asleep on the old couch, still clutching my shopping bags.

And the next morning, I walked slowly to the front door to fill my lungs with some fresh morning air, only to find another beautiful basket filled with colorful flowers and no note again.

"More flowers," I whispered, bending down to pick them up. "But still no message, no explanation." That discovery made me absolutely insist on making a bold move and not waiting around for Alpha Nathan any longer.

"I'm done waiting," I declared to myself firmly. "If he won't come to me, then I'll go to him."

Yes, I wore one of my nicest new outfits and made the brave decision to visit the impressive Alpha castle directly.

"This is it," I told myself, checking my appearance one last time. "No turning back now." I had absolutely no plan at all, except seeing Nathan and talking to him face to face and telling him clearly that I did accept his offer, whatever it really meant.

"I'll figure it out as I go," I decided, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

But once I actually reached there, which was not too difficult to find because the massive castle was huge and positioned right in the middle of the Pack territory, everyone knew exactly where it was located.

"Wow," I breathed, staring up at the imposing structure. "It's even bigger than I imagined." But the truly hard thing was figuring out how to step inside that heavily guarded castle.

There were so many intimidating guards stationed everywhere, and I had absolutely no idea what to tell them or how to explain my presence.

"What am I supposed to say?" I worried, wringing my hands nervously. "Hi, I'm here to see your Alpha because I think we're mates?"

I prayed desperately that I might find Ethan anywhere around the area, hoping to talk to him and get his help.

"Please let him be here," I whispered under my breath. "Please let someone help me figure this out." But I couldn't see him anywhere, no matter how hard I looked around.

The massive gates were way too huge and tall for someone like me to even think about jumping over.

"There's no way I'm getting over those," I realized, feeling defeated.

So, by walking back and forth nervously like some kind of suspicious thief or creepy stalker, trying to work up the courage to approach someone, one of the stern-looking guards finally stopped me.

"Hey, who are you, and why are you here?" he demanded in a gruff voice, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. His tone was definitely not friendly, and his eyes were cold and suspicious.

I gulped nervously, my throat suddenly feeling very dry, and I started fiddling anxiously with my trembling fingers.

"Um, well, you see..." I stammered, trying desperately to think of a quick, believable answer that wouldn't get me in trouble.

So I finally said in a shaky voice, "Sir, I'm here to meet the Beta. He asked me to come here today." The lie felt bitter on my tongue, but I didn't know what else to say.

He suspiciously leaned in much closer to my face, making me extremely uncomfortable, and I could smell coffee on his breath.

"I asked you a direct question - who are you?" he repeated more firmly, clearly not satisfied with my previous answer.

I lowered my nervous gaze to the ground and replied in a very low, barely audible voice, feeling completely intimidated, "I'm Isabella." My name felt strange coming out of my mouth in this scary situation.

He said in a deep, graving tone that made me want to run away.

"Okay, wait right here and don't move an inch. I will go inform the Beta that you're here." His words sounded more like a command than a suggestion.

And yes, in just a few minutes that felt like hours, Ethan was standing directly in front of me, looking surprised and not entirely pleased.

He quickly placed his strong hands on my shoulders and immediately pushed me away toward one of the private corners, away from the other guards' curious eyes.

"Isabella, why are you here?" he asked in a hushed but urgent tone. "What are you thinking, showing up like this?"

I trembled honestly, feeling overwhelmed and confused. I had absolutely no clear idea what I was doing or if this was a terrible mistake, but I decided to tell him the complete truth.

"I'm here to see Alpha Nathan," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I miss him so much it physically hurts, and I can't stand being away from him anymore."

Ethan immediately placed his hand firmly over my mouth and shushed me urgently, looking around frantically.

"Shush, are you completely insane?" he hissed under his breath. "You need to go back to the lake house right now, before someone important sees you here!" His eyes were wide with panic, and I could tell he was genuinely worried.

I shook my head vigorously in disagreement, feeling more determined than ever.

"Please, I really need to see him right now," I pleaded desperately. "I can't wait another day, another hour. I'll do anything."

He huffed loudly, clearly annoyed and frustrated, and kept staring around us nervously as if he was constantly checking to see if there was anyone around who might be listening to our conversation.

"Isabella, you absolutely can't do this!" he whispered harshly. "Seriously, what do you think you're doing here? This is dangerous!"

I raised my head defiantly and glared intensely into Ethan's worried eyes, feeling a surge of unexpected boldness.

"I want Alpha Nathan, and I want to see him now," I declared firmly. "Let me into that castle immediately." My tone was more like commanding, as if I wasn't going to step away even one inch without meeting Alpha Nathan face to face.

I became much more persistent and stubborn when Ethan suddenly pulled me roughly to his chest in a completely shameless way and whispered softly in my ear, "Did you like my beautiful flowers?"

I widened my eyes in complete shock, feeling like the ground had just shifted beneath my feet! He was the one who had been sending me those gorgeous flowers this entire time!

"What?" I gasped, unable to believe what I was hearing. "You sent them?"

I wasn't completely sure I had heard him correctly. I thought maybe I didn't process his shocking words properly because of my emotional state.

So I asked him in a confused, shaky voice, "Were they sent by Alpha Nathan?" My heart was racing so fast I thought it might explode.

Ethan smirked in a way that made me feel very uncomfortable and gazed directly at my lips as if he was ready to attack them with his mouth at any second.

"No, sweetheart, they were sent by me," he said smoothly. "Listen to me carefully, Isabella." His voice had taken on a different tone, one that made my skin crawl.

And before he could spit out any more disturbing words, I pushed his hands away from me forcefully and sternly warned him, my voice stronger than I expected,

"Listen to me very carefully, Ethan. If you don't go inside right now and tell Alpha Nathan that I'm here waiting for him, then I will definitely tell him all about your inappropriate gifts and what you just said to me!"

He smiled in an evil way that made my blood run cold and nodded slowly, as if he was enjoying some private joke.

"Okay, that's fair," he said calmly. "But since his Luna is currently inside the castle and his sister is there too for an important family meeting, I honestly can't just go and tell him about you being here. But you know what? You can tell him yourself." His tone was suspiciously helpful.

I raised my eyebrows skeptically, sensing that something wasn't right.

"How exactly can I do that?" I asked cautiously. "Didn't you just say that everyone important is inside having meetings?"

I wondered if he was being honest with me! I definitely felt like he was tricking me somehow, and I didn't like the feeling at all.

But he snapped his fingers suddenly as if he had just thought of the perfect solution.

"If you really want him as much as you say you do, then you should be willing to take some risks to get him," he said persuasively. "What if I helped you get a job working as a live-in maid inside the castle? You would find so many opportunities to be around Alpha Nathan throughout the day. So what do you think about that arrangement?"

I couldn't bring myself to say no, especially after I realized with growing horror that Ethan definitely wanted something inappropriate from me. Sex maybe, though I couldn't be completely sure.

"Is that what this is about?" I wondered silently. But the way he was looking at me was genuinely scary and made me feel like prey. His eyes looked exactly like the eyes of a dangerous stalker who had been watching me for way too long.

And if I told Alpha Nathan about Ethan's inappropriate behavior toward me, he probably wouldn't believe my word over his Beta's.

"They're best friends," I realized sadly. "Nathan would never suspect Ethan of something like this." Alpha Nathan and Ethan were like best friends who had known each other for years.

So, to keep myself as safe as possible in this complicated situation, I felt like I had to agree to be a servant in the castle.

But I had absolutely no idea that this decision would turn out to be the most hurtful and hardest thing I had ever experienced in my entire life. To see my real mate with his elegant woman all the time, kissing her passionately and hugging her tenderly right in front of me.

"How am I going to survive watching that?" I asked myself desperately. Dammit! It was going to be too fucking hard to bear.

I nodded slowly after a very long time of thinking through all the possible consequences, weighing my limited options carefully.

"Okay, I do agree to your plan," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan raised his eyebrows high, looking genuinely shocked and surprised. As if he honestly didn't think for even a single second that I might actually accept such a degrading position.

"Really?" he asked again, his voice filled with disbelief. "You're serious about this?"

I blew a long, shaky breath away, trying to gather every ounce of courage I had left, then I said as confidently as I could manage without even blinking,

"Yes, I do agree completely. Let me into that castle right now." My voice was steadier than I felt inside.

And yes, I followed Ethan through the massive gates and toward the castle entrance, my heart beating like crazy drums in my chest with every single step that brought me closer inside.

"This is really happening," I thought in amazement. "I'm actually going to see Nathan." I desperately wanted to turn around and run back to safety, but my foolish heart wanted Nathan so badly, even if I could only be around him from a distance and not actually be his or touch him anymore.

Silly and pathetic? Maybe I was being completely ridiculous.

But once I stepped inside that grand entrance hall, my eyes and Nathan's eyes locked together immediately, as if everyone else in the entire room had disappeared all of a sudden.

"Nathan," I breathed silently, drinking in the sight of him. I couldn't see anyone else or hear anything else around us.

I thought, even Nathan felt exactly the same overwhelming connection. Because he only stared at me intensely as if he was watching the most beautiful moon or the brightest stars in the night sky.

But suddenly, I heard a sharp female voice yelling angrily from somewhere nearby. "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my home?" The voice was filled with fury and disgust.

I realized with sinking dread that my absolute worst nightmares had just begun, because his Luna clearly hated me from the very first second she laid eyes on me.

"She knows," I thought with terror. "Somehow she knows exactly what I am to him."

I bowed my head submissively, trying to make myself as small as possible, and said in the most respectful voice I could manage,

"I'm the new maid, your majesty. I'm here to serve."