This is bullshit! How come these wild animals are leading an even better life than me?
The omegas slipped out first, their skirts swishing softly as they began gathering the bags stacked in the trunks. Athena lingered a moment, her palms clammy with sweat, before stepping down onto the stone drive.
The air here smelled different… cleaner, sharper, laced with pine and something else she couldn't name.
She lifted her gaze to the sprawling mansion. For all its pale stone walls and gleaming windows, it felt cold, foreign… almost like it was watching her.
In the corner of her eye she noticed something. Down the road, more sleek black cars hadn't arrived yet. The rumble of their engines was absent, the path unnervingly quiet.
Her brows furrowed. Didn't Kraven reach yet?
"Why… are you already missing him?"
Athena's breath hitched, her heart lurching. She spun, and collided with a wall of warmth. Xavier stood directly in front of her, his gaze fixed with unreadable eyes, sharp as a blade. How come she hadn't even heard him approach?
Her lips parted. "What are you talking about? I didn't say anything."
Xavier's jaw clenched, irritation flickering over his features. His eyes pinned her with something mixed with annoyance, suspicion… something darker.
"You don't need to," he muttered, voice low, almost dangerous. Then, louder, his tone cut through the air like a command. "Unpack everything. Ready the Luna's chamber."
The omegas jumped to obey, scattering like petals caught in a storm.
Before Athena could gather herself, Xavier's hand closed firmly around hers. The heat of his skin seared her wrist as he pulled her toward the estate.
"Come," he said. His grip was unyielding. "You will see your place inside."
Athena stumbled to match his long strides, her pulse racing with a thousand questions she didn't dare ask.
How did he know what I was thinking?
___________________
The heavy oak doors opened with a thud that echoed through the cavernous entryway. Athena's breath caught as she was pulled inside.
"This is my personal estate," Xavier said, his tone clipped like a prince. "Few are allowed here."
Athena's eyes swept the mansion, heart hammering with anxiety. This place is too big. I'll get lost in minutes.
"You won't get lost. Someone will always be near you." Xavier's voice came low, almost amused.
She stopped in her tracks, staring at him. "How do you…"
His eyes slid to hers, "You're easy to read."
Athena swallowed hard, feeling uneasy. She swore she hadn't said it out loud.
The grand hall stretched high above her, a vaulted ceiling etched with intricate carvings of wolves and constellations. Chandeliers of black iron hung low, their crystal droplets catching the sunlight spilling through the tall windows.
Xavier released her hand only when they reached the center. "This is the heart of the estate," he said, his voice clipped, efficient. "Every guest, every warrior, every wolf who enters… stands here first. The walls record history. Over generations after generations."
Athena followed his gaze.
The stone panels along the hall weren't plain but carved with sprawling murals. Battles, crowns, wolves with bodies like heavy built humans. One panel caught her eye… two brothers locked in combat, fangs bared, claws raised.
Her lips parted. "That's…"
"Us," Xavier said sharply, eyes narrowing. "Kraven and I. The law is simple… whoever secures their mate first becomes the Alpha of the empire. Until then, we fight for dominance, whether with fists or politics."
Athena's stomach twisted. So it was true. She was the prize in their war. "But I don't understand, if you're capable of running your kingdom then why do you need to have a mate to prove your worth?"
He looked at her and she swore… there was a faint smile on his face. "Because a King is incomplete without his Queen. Both are needed to run this empire."
He turned away, his coat brushing against her arm, and walked toward a long corridor. She had no choice but to follow.
They passed through tall archways, into a sprawling library that smelled faintly of parchment and pine resin. Towering shelves stretched higher than she could reach, filled with thick leather bound tomes. A fire smoldered quietly in the hearth.
"Knowledge," Xavier said simply, though his tone softened just enough for her to notice. "This library holds records of our kind. Bloodlines. Treaties. Wars. A Luna who is wise earns more respect than one who is merely… beautiful." His eyes lingered on her, sharp and unsettling.
Athena swallowed, unsure how to respond. Is he asking me to be wise or beautiful?
They moved on.
Another door opened into a wide balcony that overlooked the back of the estate. Her breath caught seeing the sight before her.
She whispered to herself, almost too faint to hear, "I don't belong here."
From where he stood, hands clasped behind his back, Xavier replied simply, "Belonging isn't granted… it's earned."
Below stretched a vast training ground, warriors in black drilling in perfect synchronization. Their movements were brutal, efficient… Every strike is like a promise of blood.
"Strength," Xavier said, his voice colder now. "This is what holds a kingdom. Every wolf you see here would give his life for my command."
Athena's fingers tightened on the railing, her chest aching. And if he commanded them to kill me? They could tear me apart in seconds.
"They could but they won't. Not unless I command it." He whispered in her ear. Athena's pulse throbbed in not just fear but also because of him standing so close to her.
Finally, Xavier led her up a winding staircase, stopping before a set of carved double doors. He pushed them open, revealing a chamber bathed in muted light.
A four poster bed stood draped in silken sheets, the air perfumed faintly with lavender. The space was far grander than anything she'd ever lived in, but to her it felt stifling.
But Athena didn't step inside. Her feet rooted to the threshold as her eyes darted over the room… too perfect, too lavish, too suffocating.
Perfect cage for a possession.
Xavier's voice broke through her thoughts, low and unreadable. "This will be your chamber. No one enters here without your permission… not even me. You are safe within these walls."
Safe. The word struck her like a cruel joke.
She turned to face him, daring to meet his eyes. "Why are you showing me all this?"
His cold eyes met hers. "Because whether you accept it or not, Athena…" He stepped closer, his gaze heavy, burning with something that made her shiver. "…this is your world now. And I am your Alpha."
Her voice came out sharp. "No. I don't want to stay here."
Xavier turned, his brows narrowing. "What do you mean?"
"This… this is too much. I don't need…"
"You'll stay here," Xavier cut her off. "You're my Luna…"
"Don't call me that. This isn't my world." Her chest rose and fell as if she'd been holding it in since the car ride.
"I already have a life. A home. Friends. I don't belong here in your… empire, or whatever you call it."
She gestured around at the silks, the carved walls, the waiting chamber.
"You can't just put me in some fancy room and expect me to accept it. I can't kill my conscience and accept living with my captor."
For a moment, silence fell in. His gaze held hers, unreadable, and the air thickened with something heavy in her chest.
Then his jaw tightened. "Your world," he repeated slowly, like the words offended him. "Your so-called life. Tell me, Athena… was it so precious? Scraping by, running from things you don't understand? Always hunted, always alone?"
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She hated that he wasn't wrong. But how did he know that?
He stepped closer, his voice dropping, sharp and commanding. "This is your world now. You're mine. You don't get to run from it."
Her hands trembled at her sides. She wanted to scream at him, tell him he was wrong, tell him she could go back. But the intensity in his eyes pinned her in place, burning through every excuse she tried to muster.
And then, like a cruel whisper brushing her thoughts, his voice slipped into her head. "You're safer here, whether you like it or not."
Athena's breath hitched, eyes wide. "Stop…" she took a step back, her heart racing. "Stop doing that. Stop reading me."
Xavier tilted his head, his lips curving the faintest bit. "I don't have to read you, Athena. You're loud enough without speaking. Even when you think you're silent."
Her breath came shallow, her chest heaving from the clash of anger and fear. She wanted to scream at him, to demand to stop controlling her, stop acting as though her choices meant nothing. But before the words left her lips, Xavier closed the distance.
His hand rose… steady, deliberate and then cupped her face. With his thumb brushing her bottom lip.
Athena froze.
Her eyes widened, panic flaring through her body but she couldn't look away from the molten silver burning in his gaze.
"You keep saying this isn't your world," he murmured, his thumb brushing her cheekbone. "But your eyes… they betray you. They've already chosen me."
Her lips parted in protest, but no sound came out.
His mouth lowered, slow and devastating. A whisper of his lips brushed against her lower lip, sending shivers racing down her spine.
He lingered there, teasing, before ghosting a kiss at the corner of her mouth. Athena's breath hitched… her mind screamed to push him away, but her body betrayed her, drawn in his embrace, trembling in anticipation.
Just as his lips hovered, ready to claim hers…
A sharp knock broke the moment.
"Alpha," Lucien's voice rang from behind the door, calm but urgent. "The elders have called for a meeting with you and Alpha Kraven."
Xavier stilled, his forehead brushing hers. A low growl rumbled in his chest, vibrating against her skin. For one dangerous heartbeat, Athena thought he would ignore Lucien entirely.
Then, slowly, he drew back, his grip on her face lingering before it finally dropped away. His silver eyes bored into hers, a silent warning, a promise or maybe both.
Athena's heart thundered, her lips tingling from a kiss that never happened. She staggered back, searching for words, but before she could speak…
Xavier straightened, coldness sliding back into his expression, like armor snapping into place. "Stay here. Don't leave this chamber without my word."
And with that, he strode to the door, throwing it open to meet Lucien… leaving Athena reeling in the silence.
Lucien's voice came again, sharper this time. "Alpha… the elders have called for her too."
Her.
Athena froze. Her eyes darted to Xavier in shock, but his expression was unreadable now, cold and set in stone.
"She's not ready," he said flatly.
"The elders insist." Lucien's tone left no room for argument.
For the first time since she had stepped foot in this world, Athena felt the weight of invisible eyes pressing down on her… ancient, expectant, watching from afar.
Xavier's jaw clenched. Then he turned back to her, closing the distance in two strides. His hand caught hers, firm and unyielding.
"Stay close," he ordered, voice low, silver eyes glinting like steel. "Whatever happens in that room… you say nothing unless I tell you to."
And without giving her a chance to protest, he pulled her toward the door, toward the fate that awaited with the elders.