Isabella's POV.

I saw them kissing, and my heart felt like it was being ripped apart piece by piece. Nathan looked like he was trying to apologize to his Luna, but in his own way.

The way he held her, the way his hands moved through her hair – it seemed so intimate, so connected. Maybe it was love. Maybe it was just familiarity from living together for years. I honestly had no idea what I was looking at.

"Isabella? Are you okay?" asked the young servant who had been showing me around. His name was Marcus, and he was about my age – maybe nineteen – with kind brown eyes and an honest face that made him look even younger than he was.

"I'm fine," I lied, forcing myself to turn away from the stable entrance. "Let's keep going with the tour."

But I wasn't fine. Not even close. Right then and there, I made a decision that felt like it was tearing my soul in half. I decided to stop thinking about Nathan completely. I chose not to give him any chance to get close to me anymore. I refused to be anyone's mistress, no matter what my heart was telling me.

"The servant quarters are this way," Marcus said, leading me down a stone corridor. "Your room should be ready by now."

As we walked, I kept replaying what I'd seen in my mind. Nathan had to choose between Lily and me – that much was clear. And from what I'd just witnessed, he'd already made his choice. I would never put myself in that position again. Never.

"Here we are," Marcus said, opening a wooden door. "Home sweet home."

The room was small but cozy, I had to admit. Clean white walls, a narrow bed with a patchwork quilt, a simple wooden dresser, and a tiny window that looked out over the training grounds. It was definitely a maid's room, though. I sighed deeply as the reality hit me.

"You look sad," Marcus observed, setting down the small bag that contained all my possessions. "Is it the room? Because I know it's not much, but-"

"No, it's not the room," I interrupted. "It's just... I thought I was finally done playing the maid role, you know? But here I am again, serving others. Not just strangers, but actually serving my..." I caught myself before I said 'mate.' "Serving the Alpha and his Luna."

Marcus tilted his head curiously. "You've been a maid before?"

"Something like that." I didn't want to get into my whole tragic backstory with someone I'd just met. "It's hard, but I'm stubborn. I know I have to fight my fears and make my own path in this awful life."

"Awful life?" Marcus looked genuinely concerned. "Isabella, this is actually a pretty good place to work. The Alpha is fair, Mila is sweet as pie, and most of the staff here are like family."

"Most of the staff?"

Marcus's expression darkened slightly. "Well, there are a few people you should be careful around. But we can talk about that later. Right now, let me help you get settled."

We spent the next hour organizing my few belongings and making the small room feel more like home. Marcus was easy to talk to, and I found myself relaxing for the first time since I'd arrived at the castle.

"So tell me about the other servants," I said as we folded my extra clothes into the dresser.

"Well, there's Margaret – she's the head housekeeper. Been here for twenty years and knows everything about everyone. Then there's Cook – his real name is Henry, but everyone just calls him Cook. Makes the best apple pie you've ever tasted."

"What about the ones I should be careful around?"

Marcus glanced toward the door and lowered his voice. "Promise you won't repeat this?"

I nodded.

"The Beta, Ethan. He's... intense. And not in a good way. He has a thing for the female staff, if you know what I mean. And lately, he's been acting strange. Secretive."

A chill ran down my spine as I remembered the way Ethan had looked at me earlier. "Strange how?"

"Always whispering with the Luna. Always scheming about something. And he gets this look in his eyes sometimes, like he's planning something big."

"And the Luna?"

Marcus made a face. "Lily used to be tolerable. Not friendly, exactly, but not actively hostile either. But in the past few months, she's become..." He searched for the right word. "Vicious. Especially toward the younger female staff."

"Great," I muttered. "Anything else I should know?"

"Actually, yeah. Stay close to Mila whenever possible. She's the Alpha's sister, and she has a good heart. Plus, she has a son – little James. He's about five years old and absolutely adorable. Mila protects the people she cares about, and if she likes you, you'll be safe."

As if summoned by his words, there was a soft knock at my door.

"Come in," I called.

Mila peeked her head around the door, her dark hair falling in waves around her shoulders. "Hi, Isabella. I hope you're settling in okay. I brought someone who wanted to meet you."

A small boy with bright green eyes and messy dark hair peered out from behind her legs. This had to be James.

"Hello," he said shyly. "Are you the new friend Aunt Mila told me about?"

My heart melted instantly. "I hope so. What's your name?"

"James Alexander Blackwood," he said with the seriousness that only five-year-olds could manage. "I'm almost six."

"Wow, almost six! That's very grown up," I said, kneeling down to his level. "I'm Isabella."

"That's a pretty name," James said, his shyness evaporating. "Do you want to play with me? I have blocks in my room."

"James," Mila said gently, "Isabella just got here. She probably needs to rest."

"Actually," I said, smiling at the little boy, "I'd love to play blocks. If that's okay with your mom?"

Mila's face lit up. "Of course! James doesn't get to play with new people very often. Most of the staff here have known him since he was born."

For the next hour, I found myself on the floor of my small room, building elaborate block towers with James while Mila and Marcus chatted nearby. It felt almost normal, almost like I belonged somewhere.

"You're really good at this," James said as we constructed what he called a "super castle."

"Thank you. You're pretty good at it too."

"Isabella," Mila said suddenly, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but where did you come from? Your accent isn't from around here."

I hesitated. How much should I tell them? "I've moved around a lot. Most recently, I was staying in a small town about a day's ride from here."

"Do you have family?" Marcus asked.

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. "No. No family."

The sadness in my voice must have been obvious because Mila immediately changed the subject. "Well, you have us now. We take care of each other here."

I felt tears prick my eyes at her kindness. "Thank you. That means more than you know."

But even as I played with James and chatted with my new friends, my mind kept wandering back to Nathan. The way he'd looked at me in that brief moment when our eyes met. The way my heart had raced when he was near. I couldn't get him out of my head, no matter how hard I tried.

"Isabella?" James was tugging on my sleeve. "You look sad. Are you thinking about something bad?"

"Just tired," I lied. "It's been a long day."

Eventually, Marcus excused himself to finish his evening duties, and Mila took James upstairs for his bedtime routine. Alone in my room, I tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

I had no plans beyond doing my job and avoiding Nathan at all costs. But even as I told myself that, I knew it was going to be nearly impossible. The connection I felt to him was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. It was like a constant pull, a voice in my head telling me to seek him out.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. "Come in," I called, expecting to see Marcus or maybe Mila.

Instead, a middle-aged woman with graying hair and kind eyes entered. "Hello, dear. I'm Margaret, the head housekeeper. I wanted to welcome you properly and see how you're settling in."

"Oh! Marcus told me about you. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity."

Margaret's smile faltered slightly. "Well, to be honest, dear, it wasn't entirely my decision. The Beta specifically requested that you be hired. Said you came highly recommended."

That was strange. I'd never met Ethan before today. "Recommended by whom?"

"He didn't say. But Isabella, I want you to be very careful around Beta Ethan. He's... well, let's just say he has a reputation with the female staff."

"What kind of reputation?"

Margaret glanced around nervously before closing the door and lowering her voice. "The kind where young women end up quitting suddenly, or transferring to other packs, or sometimes just disappearing altogether."

My blood ran cold. "Disappearing?"

"Now, I'm not saying anything happened to them," Margaret said quickly. "But Beta Ethan has a way of making people's lives very difficult when they don't cooperate with his... advances."

"Has anyone reported this to the Alpha?"

Margaret's laugh was bitter. "Oh, honey. The Beta and the Alpha have been friends since childhood. And lately, with the Luna backing Ethan up on everything, Nathan doesn't question much of what goes on in the household."

"The Luna backs him up?"

"Those two are thick as thieves lately. Always whispering together, always scheming about something. It's not natural, if you ask me."

Before I could respond, we heard footsteps in the hallway outside. Margaret immediately busied herself straightening my already-neat dresser.

"Remember what I told you," she whispered. "Be careful."

The footsteps passed by without stopping, and Margaret relaxed slightly.