They both continued walking silently for what seemed like forever, but before Thalia could decide to head back into the comfort of her new home and save herself from the almost scorching heat from the overhead sun, they reached the end of the forest—on the side opposite to hers. And she had to silently admit that despite Cornelius' appalling and undesirable character, at least his home was impressive. It was a three-storey, imposing edifice built entirely from well-polished midnight black stone. Looking at it, Thalia could tell it had been home to Alphas for many generations, each leaving their own mark—and so had Cornelius. The front compound was dominated by well-kept yellow lily gardens that bordered a stone path leading to a wide oak door. Casten made himself comfortable on one of the brown wooden chairs on the black marble lawn as Thalia knocked lightly on the door.
A maid in her late forties, dressed in a plain, long dark brown dress, opened the door. She never raised her head. Thalia stared at her with pity—working for Cornelius was no easy feat—but decided to focus on the reason she was here. The first floor was dominated by a vast sitting room, and one word came to mind: black. Everything was black—curtains, rugs, even the couches. Strange as it was, the effect was striking. Silver cutlery gleamed on the dining table, though no one looked like they were about to eat. Of the five people in the room, only one looked glad to see Thalia. The rest offered her either disdainful or blank stares. She muttered a dry good afternoon out of pure formality and, like earlier, made herself comfortable in a T-shaped settee opposite Cornelius. Only Elder Lucas responded with a thin smile. Thalia finally broke the tension by narrating her conversation with Kyle—carefully leaving out the part where Kyle said he knew the attack would happen. She didn't trust Cornelius not to immediately fixate on Kyle instead of the message. She tried her best to focus, ignoring the blonde girl on his lap and the Alpha's hand resting lazily on her thigh.
To her utter dismay, Cornelius continued playing with the blonde's braids like this was all a joke. Then he said, "I see no reason for alarm. An attack—if he's not bluffing—will be ideal to finally have some fun, right?" He looked to the brute of a man beside him, the one who looked like a dog even in human form, with long jaws and ears stuck onto a head far too small for his meaty frame. As expected, he nodded. Elder Lucas rose to his feet, his robes swaying, and declared,
"This is total insanity, Alpha. We cannot allow any attack. Even if we win, lives will be lost." The other elder also looked alarmed. Cornelius ignored them both and dismissed Thalia with,
"That's enough fun for your first day. You can go back to your home."
Anger rushed through her, and before she could stop herself, she stood, crossed the space between them, and said sharply,
"I don't know how you ever became Alpha. But given that we were that unfortunate, we have no choice. Maybe try doing something useful for once in your damned life instead of playing house with your… whatever she is." She pointed at the already frightened Bianca, she was sharply biting her lip to stop herself from shedding a single tear. Cornelius glared at her with barely restrained rage. Bianca shivered. She already knew what was coming—the moment they were alone, he'd take all his frustration out on her. But that was her hell, and she'd long accepted it. It was the only one where she stayed alive. So long as the Alpha still wanted her, she had protection. But protection in his hands was a double-edged sword.
"If you—" Cornelius started, voice thick with a growl, claws digging into Bianca's thigh so hard they'd surely bruise. Thalia didn't flinch. She stared him down. In that moment, she was grateful—so grateful—that he had rejected her. She could never tolerate someone like him.
"Save your dog tricks for someone intimidated, Cornelius," she said, and without waiting for a reply, turned on her heel and left.
Everyone else quickly dispersed—anywhere but near the Alpha. Everyone except Bianca, who remained on his lap, nearly bleeding. Thalia stepped out, rage still burning through her, and before she could turn to find Casten, he was already beside her. As if he already knew, he said, "He wouldn't listen."
Thalia nodded and asked, mostly to distract herself, "How did you know?"
Casten gave her a sad, dry smile. "Nothing ever goes well when it involves reasoning with our Alpha." Silently, he applauded Thalia's courage for confronting the Alpha.
"I second that," she replied. They disappeared into the woods, and she tried to let the wild scents of nature drown out her fury. But deep down, she knew—this was only the beginning.