It came a complete shock when Kael casually informed me that Alexander had agreed to let me go out with the head of the housekeeper to the shopping mall.
For a few seconds, I honestly thought I had misheard him.
"Wait… what?" I asked, blinking at him as though the words might rearrange themselves into something more believable.
Kael only smiled, that knowing smile of his, the one that made it impossible to tell whether he was amused or just enjoying my confusion.
"You heard me," he said. "You're free to go out today. Just for a few hours."
Free.
The word echoed in my head like something sacred.
I hadn't realized how suffocating the walls of the mansion had become until that moment. Days blended into nights, nights into mornings, all of them spent pacing hallways that were far too quiet and rooms far too large for someone like me.
I've always hated being locked inside, since I wasn't allowed to go wherever I wanted to go as a kid. It seems my parents were stricter with me than they were with Jared and Kathy.
I was the only one who attended a human school and worked with humans. I was never really allowed to mingle with other werewolves like me.
The only werewolves I really mingled with as a kid was Lucian and his family and that was because their pack was the closest to ours.
I was happy when I started working and it was my only chance to leave our pack everyday but now Alexander has forbidden Kathy and I to leave the darkblood pack without his permission.
So the idea of stepping outside, even if it was only to a shopping mall, filled me with a thrill I hadn't felt in a long time.
I rushed upstairs, my heart light, my steps quick.
I had wanted Kathy to come with me. The thought of being out alone...well, not alone, but surrounded by people who weren't servants or Alexander felt overwhelming.
But when I told her, she shook her head apologetically.
"I really can't," she said, closing the textbook she'd been bent over. "School resumes soon, and it's the second semester. I need to take it seriously this time. Final exams aren't a joke."
I understood. I really did. Still, disappointment tugged at me, even as excitement bubbled beneath it.
After my bath, I dressed carefully, choosing a simple but comfortable outfit nothing flashy. When I finally looked at myself in the mirror, I almost smiled.
Almost.
Downstairs, the driveway was already busy.
Two cars were parked side by side. One of them, I recognized immediately...the sleek black Rolls Royce that belongs to Alexander.
It looked just as intimidating as its owner.
It seems he was leaving soon too.
The other car, a white BMW, stood a short distance away. Beside it was the housekeeper,the middle-aged man with a rigid posture and carefully neutral expression.
As I approached, he bowed his head deeply.
I returned the gesture with a polite nod and a slight bow of my own. He didn't lift his head to look at me, and once again, the familiar curiosity stirred within me.
Why was it that the servants never met my eyes?
They spoke only when spoken to, avoided lingering glances, and treated me with the same distant respect they reserved for Alexander. It made me uncomfortable like I was part of something I didn't fully understand.
The only exception had been Ezekiel.
The young servant boy had surprised me the first time he spoke to me...really spoke to me. At first, he'd avoided eye contact like the rest of them, but the next time I saw him, something had changed. He looked at me directly and spoke freely.
"When are we leaving?" I finally asked, the silence stretching too long for comfort.
The housekeeper answered immediately. "As soon as Alpha Alex comes down," he said quickly, his eyes fixed somewhere just past my shoulder.
Alpha Alex.
I clenched my jaw.
Why were we waiting for Alexander?
I had been so sure, so hopeful that this outing would be free of him. Just a small escape, a breath of fresh air. I didn't want to see his smug face for the rest of the day.
I was still angry...angry about my job, angry about how powerless he made me feel, angry about what had happened that day he had sent me registration letter without my permission.
But avoiding him was impossible.
I lived in his house.
The sharp sound of shoes clicking against the marble floor reached my ears before I saw him.
I turned instinctively.
Alexander emerged from the hallway, moving with effortless confidence, as though the mansion itself belonged to him in more ways than one. He was dressed casually, a crisp white shirt, black trousers but somehow he still managed to look intimidating.
His gaze found mine almost immediately.
And then came the smirk.
"You should smile sometimes," he said as he stopped in front of me.
I said nothing.
He lifted a hand, waving dismissively at the housekeeper, who bowed once more in response.
"I just tend to lose my smile whenever I see you," I shot back.
His smirk only widened.
He placed a hand over his chest and sighed dramatically. "Well, that hurts."
I rolled my eyes.
Before I could say anything else, a familiar voice broke through the tension.
"You look better than the last time I saw you."
I turned and found Ellen walking toward us, a warm smile on her face.
"Ellen?" I called, genuinely surprised.
She stopped in front of me, her eyes scanning me slowly, thoughtfully. "You look prettier than three days ago," she said. This time, her expression was unreadable.
I wasn't sure whether to take it as a compliment or an observation, but I nodded politely. "Thank you. You look good too."
And she really did.
She wore a short red dress that hugged her figure perfectly, paired with subtle makeup that enhanced her natural beauty. A hint of red lipstick colored her lips, and her hair framed her face effortlessly.
She looked like someone heading out on a date.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling. Her gaze flicked to Alexander, then back to me.
"Alexander said he was going to the shopping mall, so I decided to tag along. I hope it's not too much trouble?"
So he wasn't going on a date.
He was going to the mall.
Then realization hit me...
"Are you going to the same shopping mall as the housekeeper?" I asked Alexander immediately.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Where did you think I was going?"
My excitement drained instantly.
He took three slow steps toward me and stopped so close I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. Then he leaned down, his face near my ear.
"Did you really think I'd let you go all by yourself?" he whispered.
A shiver ran through me as his breath brushed against my skin. Goosebumps rose instantly, traitorous and unwelcome.
Even as my green eyes met his blue ones, I felt another gaze on me...sharp, assessing and piercing.