Chapter 7

_Anya’s POV_

The moment I stepped inside the mansion, I felt smaller than I ever had before.

The entrance hall was enormous. The floor beneath my feet was polished stone so smooth that it caught the light from the high chandeliers above and threw it back in pale gold. The ceiling was so high that I had to tilt my head to see it properly. Long dark curtains hung beside tall windows and portraits of stern-looking men and women covered the walls. They all looked powerful and important.

Everything around me felt rich and heavy. It did not look anything like the Beta house where I had grown up. That house had been large too but it had never felt like this. This place felt like power had been built into every wall and every stone.

I pulled Alpha Jacob’s coat tighter around myself.

He noticed.

“You are cold?” he asked.

“A little,” I admitted.

His eyes lingered on my face for a second. “That will not be a problem for long.”

I did not ask what he meant. He began to walk again and I followed because I had no choice.

As we moved deeper into the mansion, I looked around carefully. My heart was still racing but curiosity pushed through some of the fear. Wide hallways stretched in several directions. There were more staircases than I could count. Servants moved quietly through the corridors with lowered eyes. Some glanced at me quickly before looking away.

I could feel their curiosity. I could also feel their surprise. Of course they were surprised. Their Alpha had returned with a strange girl in torn clothes and had introduced her as his mate.

Alpha Jacob must have sensed my unease because he spoke without looking at me. “Do not worry about them. They know better than to disrespect you.”

That did not comfort me much.

He gestured toward a wide archway on the left. “That is the main kitchen. There are smaller kitchens on the upper floors but most meals are prepared there.”

I turned my head and saw a large bright room beyond the archway. Several women were working quickly inside. The smell of bread and meat drifted into the hall and my stomach twisted painfully at the scent. I had been starved for days. My body remembered that too well.

Alpha Jacob’s gaze flicked toward me. “You will be fed properly here.”

I lowered my eyes. I did not know why that simple sentence made my chest feel tight.

We kept walking. As we passed another corridor, he said, “The omegas and lower-ranking servants live on the lower floors. The upper floors are for higher-ranked wolves, guests and members of the main family.”

That made sense. It was the same in many packs, though Fireblood seemed far stricter about order and rank than Silvercrest. Even the way the servants moved told me that.

Maya stirred inside me. This place feels too controlled.

Yes, I thought. Everything here feels watched.

We reached the grand staircase in the center of the mansion. It curved upward in a wide sweep, with dark railings and silver details worked into the metal. I stopped for a moment just to stare at it. It looked like something from a story. It was too grand and perfect to be real.

Alpha Jacob noticed my pause. “You have never seen a staircase before?” he asked and there was the smallest trace of amusement in his voice.

Heat rose to my face. “Not like this.”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then his expression changed just slightly. “Well, you will see many things here that you have never seen before.”

I could not tell if that was a promise or a warning.

We climbed the stairs together. My legs were still weak and by the time we reached the upper floor, I was already tired. Alpha Jacob slowed his pace without saying anything. I noticed that too.

The upper hallway was long and lined with closed doors, tall lamps and rich carpets that softened our footsteps. Then another hallway came after that....and then another. Each one looked almost the same as the last. It was beautiful...but also confusing.

I frowned and looked around, trying to keep track of where we were going, but after only a few turns I had already lost all sense of direction.

Alpha Jacob glanced at me. “What is it?”

“This house is too big,” I said quietly. “It would be easy to get lost here.”

His mouth curved faintly. “That is true.”

He kept walking. “You will learn it in time.”

I was not so sure.

At last, after what felt like far too many turns, we reached the end of a long hallway. There were only two doors there. They were facing each other across a small stretch of carpet.

Alpha Jacob stopped and pointed to the last door on the right. “This is my room."

I immediately became tense again. Then he turned slightly and pointed to the door beside it.

“You will stay here for now.”

I blinked and looked at him.

He must have understood the question in my face because he continued in the same calm tone. “I know that you are not comfortable living with me directly. I will give you some time to adjust to the pack first. The room next to mine is yours for the time being.”

I stared at him. That was not what I had expected.

“But,” he added and his eyes held mine now, “after our marriage, you will stay with me.”

My stomach tightened again.

Marriage.

Every time he said things like that, it felt as if I was hearing about someone else’s life and not mine.

I said nothing.

Alpha Jacob opened the door and stepped aside for me to enter.

The moment I walked inside, I forgot how to breathe for a second.

The room was larger than the entire sleeping area I had been using in my former house. A huge bed stood against the far wall. It was covered in dark red and cream blankets so soft that they looked unreal. There was a fireplace with carved stone around it, a thick carpet under my feet and tall windows covered with elegant curtains. A cushioned chair sat near one corner beside a small table with books stacked neatly on it. There was even a dressing table with a mirror framed in silver and beyond another door, I could glimpse what looked like a private bathing room.

I turned slowly, taking it all in. I had never seen such a room in my life. Not even Talia had a room like this.

My throat tightened strangely. I did not belong in a place like this. I felt like a dirty thing someone had dropped by mistake into a room meant for someone better.

The Alpha was watching me carefully. “You do not like it?” he asked.

I looked at him quickly. “No. I mean… I do. It is just…”

“Too much?” he finished.

I gave a small nod.

For the first time since we had entered the mansion, he gave me a smile that looked almost real. “You will get used to it.”

I doubted that.

A knock came at the open door. I turned and saw the dark-haired man who had sat in the front of the car when we arrived. He stepped inside with a straight posture and sharp eyes. He looked younger than Alpha Jacob, but there was still something powerful in him.

Alpha Jacob spoke first. “Anya, this is Dominic. He is my Beta.”

Dominic bowed his head slightly toward me. “Luna.”

I startled at once. “I am not…”

The Alpha cut in smoothly. “She will be.”

Dominic’s face did not change. “Understood, Alpha.”

That small exchange made me feel even more awkward.

Alpha Jacob turned to Dominic. “Make sure all the servants understand that Anya is to be taken care of properly. I want no mistakes.”

Dominic nodded. “Of course.”

“And her lunch will be served in her room,” Alpha Jacob continued. “I have a meeting and will be busy for several hours.”

Dominic bowed his head again. “It will be done.”

I felt a small rush of relief at that. I was not ready to sit in some great dining room surrounded by strangers staring at me. Eating in private sounded far better.

The Alpha glanced at me. “That is fine with you?”

“Yes,” I said quickly. “I… I would rather stay here.”

He studied me for a moment, then nodded as if he had expected that answer.

“To be honest,” I added quietly, “I do not know how the others would treat me when you are not there.”

His eyes sharpened slightly. “No one will mistreat you here.”

That sounded firm enough to make Dominic go even straighter beside the door.

Alpha Jacob continued, “If you need anything, tell the maids. I will be back by evening. I have an important meeting to attend.”

I nodded.

My mind was still trying to take in too many things at once. The room. The mansion. His strange kindness. His certainty that I belonged here. None of it felt real.

Then, before I understood what he intended, the Alpha stepped closer.

I froze.

He bent his head and pressed a light kiss to my cheek. The touch was brief and soft. It was completely unexpected. But it made heat rush through me so fast that I almost stepped back in shock.

When he pulled away, I could feel my face burning. He looked almost pleased by my reaction.

“Rest,” he said quietly.

Then he turned and walked out with Dominic. The door closed behind them. For several seconds I did not move.

Maya’s voice rose inside me at once. I do not like him.

My fingers lifted to my cheek where he had kissed me. “I do not know what to think of him.”

You are blushing.

“I am not.”

You are.

I was.

That only made me more upset.

I dropped my hand and moved farther into the room, trying to distract myself. I took off the heavy coat and set it across the chair. Then I sat carefully on the edge of the bed.

The mattress sank softly beneath me. Even that felt strange. Everything in the room was too soft....too clean....too warm.

I had spent the last few days in darkness, hunger, pain and fear. Now I was in a room fit for a princess. The change was too sudden. My mind could not keep up with it.