Isabella's Pov.

"Now then," she said in a normal voice, "let me tell you about your duties. You'll be working primarily in the main house – cleaning, laundry, serving meals when needed. The Alpha likes his coffee black, no cream or sugar. The Luna prefers Earl Grey tea with honey and lemon. Young Mila is vegetarian, so keep that in mind when you're helping in the kitchen."

"What about Beta Ethan's preferences?"

Margaret's lips pressed into a thin line. "The Beta can fend for himself."

After Margaret left, I lay on my narrow bed and stared at the ceiling. I'd come here hoping for a fresh start, but instead I'd walked into what felt like a nest of vipers. A Beta who apparently preyed on female staff, a Luna who seemed to hate me on sight, and an Alpha who made my heart race but was completely off-limits.

And through it all, that strange pull toward Nathan continued. Even now, lying alone in my room, I could sense him somewhere in the castle. It was like a compass in my chest, always pointing toward him.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, someone was shaking me gently awake.

"Isabella? Isabella, wake up."

I opened my eyes to see Marcus standing over me, looking worried.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"Almost dinner time. Margaret sent me to get you. Apparently, there's been a change of plans, and they need extra help serving tonight."

I sat up, instantly more alert. "Serving? But I thought I was just supposed to help in the kitchen."

Marcus looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, the Luna specifically requested that you serve the main dining room tonight."

My stomach dropped. "She requested me specifically?"

"I'm afraid so. And Isabella? Whatever you do, don't make eye contact with her. Don't give her any reason to single you out. Just do your job and get out of there as quickly as possible."

We made our way to the kitchen, which was a hive of activity. Cook was barking orders while several assistants chopped vegetables and stirred pots. The smell of roasting meat and fresh bread filled the air.

"Ah, there's our new girl," Cook said when he saw me. "Welcome to the madhouse. You ever served nobility before?"

"Not exactly," I admitted.

"Well, it's not rocket science. Keep your eyes down, speak only when spoken to, and whatever you do, don't drop anything. The Luna's been in a mood all day."

One of the kitchen maids, a girl about my age with red hair and freckles, approached me. "I'm Sarah," she said. "I'll show you how to set the table properly."

For the next thirty minutes, Sarah walked me through the intricate process of formal dining service. Which fork went where, how to pour wine without dripping, how to serve from the left and clear from the right.

"The most important thing," Sarah said as we arranged the final place settings, "is to be invisible. Don't draw attention to yourself. Especially not tonight."

"Why especially tonight?"

Sarah glanced around nervously. "Because the Beta requested that you specifically serve his section of the table. And trust me, you don't want to be alone with him."

My hands started shaking as I arranged the silverware. "What does that mean?"

"It means he's planning something. He always requests specific girls when he has something in mind. And those girls usually don't last long here."

Before I could ask what she meant by that, Cook was shouting for us to start serving. I followed Sarah and two other servants through the swinging doors that led from the kitchen to the main dining room.

The dining room was enormous, with a table that could easily seat twenty people. Tonight, though, only four places were set. Nathan sat at the head of the table, looking handsome but tired in a dark blue shirt. Lily sat to his right, wearing a low-cut red dress that showed off her ample cleavage. Ethan sat across from her, his dark eyes immediately finding me as we entered the room.

Mila and James were notably absent.

"Where are Mila and James?" Nathan asked as we began setting down the first course.

"Mila said she was tired," Lily replied, not looking up from her soup. "She's having dinner in her room with the boy."

I kept my eyes down as I placed a bowl of soup in front of Ethan, but I could feel him watching me. When I moved to pour his wine, he leaned back in his chair so that I had to reach across him, putting me uncomfortably close to his body.

"Thank you, Isabella," he said, his voice low and intimate. "You smell lovely tonight."

I didn't respond, just continued with my duties. But I could feel heat rising in my cheeks, and I knew everyone at the table had heard his comment.

Nathan's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. Lily, however, looked like she was ready to murder someone.

The meal continued in tense silence for several minutes. I moved around the table, refilling water glasses and removing empty plates, trying my best to be invisible. But every time I came near Ethan, he found some way to make contact – brushing his fingers against mine when I set down his plate, letting his hand graze my hip as I reached past him.

"So, Isabella," Lily said suddenly, making me freeze in place. "Tell us about yourself. Where exactly did you come from?"

I glanced up, meeting her cold blue eyes for just a moment before looking down again. "Just a small town, ma'am. Nothing interesting."

"Oh, I doubt that," Ethan said with a smirk. "A beautiful girl like you must have quite a story."

"That's enough," Nathan said quietly, but there was steel in his voice.

Lily's eyes flashed with anger. "Enough? I'm just trying to get to know our new staff member. Is that not allowed anymore?"

"You're making her uncomfortable," Nathan replied.

"Am I?" Lily turned to me with a saccharine smile. "Are we making you uncomfortable, Isabella?"

It was a trap, and I knew it. If I said yes, I'd be calling out the Luna and the Beta. If I said no, I'd be lying, and Nathan would know it.

"I'm just here to do my job, ma'am," I said carefully.

Lily's smile turned predatory. "Good answer. And what exactly do you think your job entails?"

Before I could respond, she continued. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like your job involves flirting with my mate and my Beta."

"I haven't-" I started, but Lily cut me off.

"Don't lie to me, girl. I've seen the way you look at Nathan. I've seen the way you present yourself. Walking around here like you own the place."

"Lily," Nathan warned, but she ignored him.

"And now you're all over Ethan too. How convenient."

I felt tears of frustration and anger starting to form, but I blinked them back. I would not give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"I apologize if I've given you the wrong impression, ma'am. That was never my intention."

"Wasn't it?" Lily stood up abruptly, knocking over her wine glass in the process. The red liquid spread across the white tablecloth like blood.

"Look what you made me do!" she shrieked, though I was nowhere near her when it happened.

I immediately moved to clean up the spill, but Lily grabbed my wrist, her nails digging into my skin.

"Don't you dare touch that. You've done enough damage for one night."

"Lily, let her go," Nathan said, his voice deadly quiet.

But Lily was on a roll now. "No, I think our new maid needs to learn her place. Don't you agree, Ethan?"

Ethan was watching the scene with obvious enjoyment. "I think the Luna makes an excellent point. Respect is very important in a household like this."

"Then perhaps Isabella should show her respect properly," Lily said, her grip on my wrist tightening. "On her knees."

The room went dead silent. Nathan's chair scraped against the floor as he started to stand, but Ethan held up a hand.

"Now, now, Alpha. Let your Luna handle household discipline. It's not really your concern, is it?"

I could see the internal struggle playing out on Nathan's face. He wanted to protect me, but interfering with his Luna's authority over the household staff would cause a scene that could have political ramifications.

"Kneel," Lily commanded, using the Alpha voice that compelled obedience.

But something strange happened. The command hit me, but it didn't stick. I felt the pressure of it, the magical compulsion that should have forced me to my knees, but my body remained upright.

Lily's eyes widened in shock. "I said kneel!"

Again, nothing. If anything, I felt stronger, more defiant.

"I heard you," I said quietly. "And my answer is no."

The silence that followed was deafening. It was unheard of for a servant to resist an Alpha command, let alone a direct order from the Luna.

Lily's face went white, then red with rage. "How dare you! Guards!"

But before anyone could move, the dining room doors burst open and Mila strode in, her eyes blazing with fury.

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, taking in the scene – Lily still gripping my wrist, me standing defiant, Nathan half-risen from his chair, and Ethan watching it all with amusement.

"Your brother's new whore is refusing to follow orders," Lily spat.

Mila's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Excuse me? What did you just call her?"

"You heard me. This little slut has been making eyes at Nathan all day, and now she's being insubordinate."

What happened next was so fast I almost missed it. Mila crossed the room in three quick strides and slapped Lily so hard across the face that the sound echoed through the dining room.

"Don't you ever," Mila said, her voice low and deadly, "speak about my friend that way again."

Lily stumbled backward, holding her cheek in shock. "You... you hit me!"

"And I'll do it again if you keep running your mouth."

"Nathan!" Lily turned to her mate, tears streaming down her face. "Are you going to let your sister assault me?"

All eyes turned to Nathan, who was still standing frozen beside his chair. For a long moment, he just stared at the scene in front of him. Then, slowly, he sat back down.

"Mila," he said quietly, "perhaps you should take Isabella back to her room. I think that's enough excitement for one evening."

Lily's face crumpled. "That's it? That's all you're going to say?"

Nathan didn't respond. He just picked up his napkin and began cleaning the wine stain from his shirt.

"Come on," Mila said, putting her arm around my shoulders. "Let's get you out of here."

As we headed toward the door, I heard Ethan's voice behind us. "This isn't over, Isabella. We still have so much to discuss."

The threat in his words made my skin crawl, but I didn't look back. I just let Mila guide me out of the dining room and away from the disaster I'd somehow created.

"I'm so sorry," I said as soon as we were in the hallway. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen."

"None of that was your fault," Mila said firmly. "Lily's been looking for an excuse to cause drama, and you just happened to be the convenient target."

"But I resisted her Alpha command. That's not normal, is it?"

Mila stopped walking and turned to look at me with sharp eyes. "No, it's not normal at all. Isabella, what exactly are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's your heritage? Your bloodline? Because regular wolves can't resist Alpha commands."

I hesitated. I'd never told anyone about my mixed heritage, partly because I didn't fully understand it myself. "My mother was a wolf. My father... my father was something else."

"Something else like what?"

"A bear shifter."

Mila's eyes widened. "A bear shifter? Isabella, do you have any idea how rare that is? Bear-wolf hybrids are practically mythical."

"I don't know anything about being a hybrid. I've never even shifted."

"Never shifted? How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"Most wolves have their first shift by eighteen at the latest. The fact that you haven't shifted yet, combined with your ability to resist Alpha commands..." Mila trailed off, looking thoughtful.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you're much more powerful than any of us realized. And that makes you very dangerous to people like Lily and Ethan."

We'd reached my room by now, and Mila pushed open the door. Inside, James was sitting on my bed, building a tower out of blocks.

"Mommy!" he said happily when he saw us. "Isabella said I could play in here while she was working."

"Did she now?" Mila smiled, but I could see the worry in her eyes. "Well, I think it's time for bed, little man."

"Aww, do I have to?"

"Yes, you have to. Say goodnight to Isabella."

James hopped off the bed and gave me a quick hug. "Goodnight, Isabella. Thanks for letting me play with your blocks."

"They're your blocks, silly," I said, ruffling his hair. "I was just borrowing them."

After Mila took James upstairs, I sat on my bed and tried to process everything that had happened. The confrontation with Lily, my strange ability to resist her commands, Ethan's threatening words, and the revelation about my heritage.

The day was awful and regretted following Nathan.

But I decided to go to the small lake since it was after midnight and fresh breath air.

Before I could open the door of my room, Nathan barged inside and locked the door behind him. I raised my brows; he bit his lips, "I missed you."

I confidently walked to the door and unlocked the door, then said off my shoulders, "Get out now."

"What!" he opened his mouth flabbergasted.

I repeated in a dark tone, but a broken heart, "I SAID GET OUT NOW ALPHAAAA."