Seraphina's POV
The car door slammed behind me, and I jumped at the sound. My hands were shaking as I looked up at the massive stone walls of the Blackthorn estate. It looked like a castle from a scary fairy tale.
"Second thoughts?" Caelum asked softly from beside me.
I wanted to say yes. I wanted to run back to my little town and hide in my mom's kitchen forever. But Elira's threat kept playing in my head. I will make your life a living hell. And then I will kill you.
At least here, with Caelum, I had a chance.
"No," I lied, holding my small bag tighter. "I'm ready."
He studied my face for a moment, and I wondered if he could smell my fear. Probably. Alphas could smell everything.
"Come on," he said softly. "Let me show you where you'll be staying."
As we walked through the front gates, wolves started coming from everywhere. They lined the pathways, looking at me with curious eyes. Some looked friendly. Others looked hungry in a way that made my skin crawl.
"Ignore them," Caelum murmured, putting his hand on my lower back. "They're just curious about the new omega."
But I could hear their whispers following us.
"Is that her?"
"The moon-blessed one?"
"She's so small."
"I heard the Alpha's gone crazy over her."
My cheeks burned with shame. This was exactly what I'd been afraid of - being the center of attention, being talked about like I was some kind of prize.
Caelum led me through a side door into a quieter part of the building. The halls were long and dimly lit, with old paintings of serious-looking wolves on the walls.
"Here," he said, stopping at a wooden door. "This is your room."
He opened it, and I peeked inside. It wasn't huge, but it was bigger than my bedroom back home. There was a bed with soft-looking covers, a dresser, and a window that looked out over the mountains.
"It's nice," I said, meaning it.
"Good." He seemed relieved. "Dinner is at six. I'll come get you."
"Okay." I set my bag down on the bed. "Caelum?"
"Yeah?"
"When is Elira getting here?"
His face went hard. "Tomorrow. She's coming to finish the wedding plans."
My stomach twisted. Tomorrow felt way too soon.
"Will she... will she try to hurt me?"
Caelum stepped closer, and his smell wrapped around me like a warm blanket. "I won't let her touch you. I promise."
The way he said it made me believe him. For the first time since leaving home, I felt a little bit safe.
"Get some rest," he said. "I know this is overwhelming."
After he left, I sat on the bed and tried not to think about how stupid I was being. Coming here was possibly the worst decision I'd ever made. But what choice did I have? Stay home and wait for some other Alpha to take me? At least here, I had Caelum.
A soft knock on my door stopped my thoughts.
"Come in," I called.
A girl about my age poked her head in. She had short brown hair and kind eyes.
"Hi," she said shyly. "I'm Lily. I work in the kitchens. Alpha Caelum asked me to bring you some food."
She held up a tray with soup and bread that smelled amazing.
"Thank you," I said, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. "That's really sweet."
Lily came in and set the tray on the dresser. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Is it true? About you being moon-blessed?"
I sighed. "I guess so. I'm still not really sure what that means."
"It means you're special," she said with joy. "My grandma used to tell stories about moon-blessed omegas. They were like queens among our kind."
"Queens?" That didn't sound right. "But I'm just an omega."
"Not just any omega," Lily said seriously. "Moon-blessed omegas were said to have the power to choose their own fate. They didn't have to follow the same rules as everyone else."
Before I could ask what she meant, heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway outside.
"I should go," Lily said quickly. "Enjoy the food."
She rushed out, leaving me alone with way more questions than answers.
I ate the soup while watching the sun set through my window. When six o'clock came, Caelum knocked on my door right on time.
"Ready for dinner?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
The eating hall was huge and filled with wolves. Conversations stopped when we walked in, and I felt dozens of eyes following our every move. Caelum led me to a table at the front of the room, where several important-looking people were already sitting.
"Everyone," Caelum said in his Alpha voice, "this is Seraphina. She's under my care, and I expect her to be treated with respect."
A few people nodded, but I could see the questions in their eyes. What was I doing here? Why was their Alpha bringing home a strange omega right before his wedding?
Dinner was awkward, with people stealing looks at me when they thought I wasn't looking. I barely ate anything, too nervous to have much hunger.
"Would you like to get some air?" Caelum asked quietly when dessert was served.
"Yes, please."
He led me out onto a balcony that overlooked the mountains. The moon was full and bright, casting everything in silver light.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much." I took a deep breath of the cool night air. "Your pack seems... intense."
He laughed softly. "They'll get used to you. Change is hard for wolves."
We stood in easy silence for a moment, both looking up at the moon.
"Seraphina," Caelum said suddenly.
"Yeah?"
When I turned to look at him, his eyes were sparkling in the moonlight. He reached out and gently touched my face.
"I know this is complicated," he said quietly. "I know I'm asking too much of you. But I'm glad you're here."
My heart started beating faster. "Caelum..."
He leaned closer, and I could feel his breath on my lips. "Can I kiss you?"
I should have said no. He was getting married to someone else. This was wrong on so many levels.
But when I looked into his eyes, all I could think about was how right this felt.
"Yes," I whispered.
His lips touched mine softly at first, then deeper when I kissed him back. It was like rockets were going off in my chest. My wolf was nearly purring with happiness.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
"Seraphina," he said against my face.
"I know," I said. "I know this is crazy."
"I wish things were different."
"Me too."
We stood there hugging each other under the moonlight, and for a moment, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. This was my mate. This was how it was supposed to feel.
Then a voice like ice cut through the night air.
"How touching."
We sprang apart to see Elira standing in the doorway, her cold blue eyes sparkling with rage.
"I thought I told you to stay away from my fiancé, little omega."
My blood turned to ice. She wasn't meant to be here until tomorrow.
Caelum stepped protectively in front of me. "Elira. You're early."
"Obviously," she said with a cruel smile. "And it's a good thing I am. Imagine what the pack would think if they knew their Alpha was kissing his lover on the eve of his wedding."
"She's not my mistress," Caelum growled.
"No?" Elira's smile got bigger. "Then what exactly is she?"
The question hung in the air like a threat. I could see Caelum fighting for an answer that wouldn't make everything worse.
"I thought so," Elira said when he stayed silent. "Well, don't worry, darling. I have an answer to our little problem."
She clapped her hands twice, and six large soldiers stepped out of the shadows behind her. They surrounded us quickly, blocking any exit.
"What are you doing?" Caelum demanded.
"Protecting our future," Elira said quietly. "Boys, please take Miss Hale to the dungeons. It seems she needs some time alone to think about her choices."
"No!" Caelum stepped forward, but more fighters appeared, surrounding him too.
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Elira warned. "Unless you want the whole pack to know about your little midnight romance?"
The warriors grabbed my arms, and I looked frantically at Caelum.
"It's okay," he said, his eyes telling me he'd fix this. "This is just temporary."
But as they dragged me away, I heard Elira say to one of her men: "Make sure she doesn't live to see the wedding."