It did not take long for Emelia to plate the dinner and then head back to her room.
There was a certain pain and tension in her body that made her realize she needed to prepare before she had a certain accident.
Once inside her room, Emelia decided to take a quick bath as well. The pressure of water on her head and body helped her relax, and Emelia almost forgot where she was.
Unfortunately, she could not stay in the shower the whole time and had to come out. Her alarm did well in reminding her of that, and Emelia quickly got out of the shower and changed her clothes.
She made her way toward the dining room, and her senses immediately noticed the alpha pheromones in the air.
The pressure was intense, and Emelia did not feel fully immune to it. So, she decided to take the pills for now and then took a deep breath.
As soon as she stepped inside the kitchen, everything went still. Three sharp pairs of eyes looked at her.
They looked curious, agitated, and hungry. Their gazes made Emelia almost look away until she remembered that you were not supposed to look away when facing wild animals.
Her strong gaze looked back at the alphas, and she could feel something shifting in the air.
And then, Liam spoke up with a hint of guilt in his voice.
"I can smell blood in the air. Did I hurt you when I attacked you? I apologize. I lost my mind at that time. I assure you that this won't happen again."
That seemed like an almost empty promise, but the one making it to Emelia looked sincere.
Liam's cheeks had almost flushed when he spoke about Emelia getting hurt, and she felt the need to clarify the situation quickly.
"Don't worry. You did not hurt me. It's just… my body's natural function. Please do not feel bothered by it."
Emelia assured Liam, but his face went even redder.
And despite how embarrassed he looked, the alpha did not look away from her. His intense eyes made Emelia uncomfortable, so she turned to look away at someone else.
That someone turned out to be the only person whom she had not seen before.
Eric Smith noticed her gaze as well, and he gave Emelia a nod before he stood up and extended his hand toward her.
It felt old-fashioned, but maybe due to his upbringing and flashy fashion sense, Eric did not look as awkward doing this as most people did.
Emelia extended her hand toward him and allowed her hand to rest in Eric's own.
"I am Emelia Heinsberg, the new warden of this place. I will be looking after this place. So if you have any request, please make sure to tell me."
Emelia told the others, and she subtly tried to tug her hand back from Eric's grip. But not only did the alpha tighten his grip, he also pressed his lips against the back of her hand.
His intense eyes made his intentions clear—he wanted Emelia in the same way an alpha wanted an omega.
But Emelia felt the need to clarify the situation as quickly as possible.
"A pleasure to meet you. As a beta, there might be times when I won't be able to meet your needs. Please let me know at that time. I will try my best to adjust to your needs."
Emelia spoke confidently, but she did not feel the same.
However, if she had learned one thing from dealing with other alphas and omegas, it was to never let them know that you were afraid or feeling dominated. They would take advantage of that situation.
Liam was the first one to speak up, but his tone sounded almost mocking.
"A beta? You? Are you trying to insult us? Don't you know what your presence feels like to us?"
Liam asked in a straightforward voice. His eyes made Emelia feel like she was missing something… or rather, she was ignoring something.
Once again, she felt the need to clarify her situation.
"I was raised my whole life to be the heir to the Heinsberg family. It won't be wrong to say that I was raised as an alpha my whole life. Maybe that is what you are feeling right now."
Emelia had often been told that she felt like an alpha.
Despite her being a beta, her aunt and teachers had made sure she was well-versed in her mannerisms and would not be looked down upon when she dealt with hard-headed people.
'Ah, well, I was prepared to face hard-headed corporate alphas, not the people in this mansion. But well, what can you do about the hand you are dealt?'
Emelia looked at Liam, but he still seemed to be frowning.
"This was not what I wanted to say. And you don't feel like an alpha. In fact, you…"
"It has been a long day for Miss Emelia. Perhaps we should allow her to rest. We should all head back to our rooms as well. It has been a long day."
Sehyun was quick to speak up, and his voice was also louder than Liam's. As a result, whatever Liam was about to say got muffled.
It was clear to Emelia that whatever Liam wanted to tell her was important, but Sehyun did not seem to think the same.
"I agree. It has been a long day, and I also think we should return to our rooms for the night. Miss Heinsberg, I am sure you already heard from Sehyun, but it would be for the best if you don't leave your room under any circumstances. Also, do not open it, even if we call you."
Eric agreed with Sehyun, and he seemed unbothered by what was going on around him.
Emelia took the hint from it and decided that if two out of three people were not bothered, then she had no reason to be bothered either.
Dinner was a solemn affair. There was not much to discuss, nor did Emelia feel comfortable saying much. She just ate her dinner and quickly left the room.
______
Somehow, the chaos did not erupt as long as Emelia was in the room. But the second she was gone, the cursing started.
"What the fuck? Is the Heinsberg making fun of us? If they were going to send someone, why send someone like her? Do they think they can control us if they send an omega?"
Liam complained as he rubbed his head.
He sounded frustrated, but it was not all out of anger. There was frustration and even desire mixed in.
Being in the same room as Emelia had caused his urges to rise. Her scent felt muted, and yet so sweet.
"I understand what you mean. Miss Emelia does smell rather sweet, right? Unfortunately, the family made the correct decision. Miss Emelia is a beta on record."
Sehyun confirmed what Emelia had said before, and Liam felt his temper rise.
He immediately stood up to grab Sehyun's collar and pull him closer.
"Do not joke around with me. Do you think I cannot smell what an omega smells like? Especially someone like her? I've never felt hunger like this before. I felt like I was going mad with want. And you want to tell me that I felt that for a beta?"
Liam sounded like he was losing his mind. His fangs were already out and about, ready to bite.
"Keep your instincts inside. I like our new warden. She seems much more fun than that witch we had before. I want to keep this one for longer."
Eric said in a calm voice.
"Tsk. You're just saying this because the last warden was mated and none of us felt any desire for her. But this one is special, right? She even gets to you. Don't deny it. I can feel it."
Liam spoke back, his voice certain.
He got no response, but he did not need to. The slightly tightening grip around the knife told everything he needed to know.
"Well, if you're both going to fight, make sure you kill each other. That way, I'll have way less competition for Miss Emelia's hand."
Sehyun's smile was beautiful but disturbing at the same time.
"You're a twisted bastard. I almost pity Miss Emelia, who is the object of your obsession. Then again, I don't think I'm any better."
Liam spoke before he stood up and left the kitchen.
He had every intention to return to his room. But for some reason, his feet refused to take him back to his room.
And before he knew it, he stood in front of the warden's room, his hand about to knock at the door…
…or rather, about to push it open and force his way inside that room without prior notice.