2

Ivy’s POV

“Who gave you permission to touch what isn’t yours?”

The voice behind me was deep. Calm.

But the power in it slammed into the room like thunder.

My entire body froze.

The pressure of an Alpha aura rolled over the crowd, suffocating and absolute. It pressed down on my shoulders, forcing my head even lower toward the floor. Every instinct screamed at me not to move.

For a moment, the entire gala went silent. Then something unexpected happened.

Instead of punishment, a pair of gentle hands wrapped around my arm.

“Up you go, darling,” a soft voice murmured beside me. “You’re safe.”

Safe? The word sounded foreign.

Slowly, cautiously, I allowed myself to be pulled to my feet. When I turned, I nearly forgot how to breathe.

The woman standing beside me was breathtaking.

Her golden-blonde hair fell over her shoulders like liquid sunlight, and her icy blue eyes held a quiet warmth that made my chest ache. She looked elegant, powerful… but kind.

Something about her presence made the trembling in my body ease slightly.

On my other side stood the man who had spoken.

He was tall- taller than Maven by several inches- with broad shoulders and the kind of quiet authority that made the entire room bowed to him without question. Streaks of gray threaded through his brown hair, but there was nothing weak about him.

He looked like the kind of Alpha who could command armies.

And win.

“Alpha Richard,” Maven said stiffly, forcing a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “This is a matter concerning a servant of my household.”

So that was who he was.

Alpha Richard.

I had even heard that name whispered among servants. One of the most powerful Alphas in the region.

“And I’m certain the girl has already apologized,” Alpha Richard replied calmly.

His gaze shifted to the Alpha whose mate’s dress had been soaked in champagne.

“So the matter is resolved, yes?” The Alpha straightened instantly.

“O-Of course, Alpha Richard,” he said quickly, nodding.

The change in his attitude was immediate. Maven’s jaw tightened.

“You understand how these things work,” Maven insisted. “A servant must be punished so she understands her place.”

His eyes flicked to me, full of warning. Fear crawled down my spine.

But Alpha Richard only studied me for a long moment. His expression darkened.

“Punished?” he repeated thoughtfully. His voice carried across the room.

“Look at her.” All eyes turned to me.

My clothes were dusty. My arms ached. My legs trembled from exhaustion.

I suddenly became painfully aware of how pathetic I must look.

“She’s barely standing,” Alpha Richard continued. “You’ve worked her to the bone.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

“Or,” he added quietly, “is your intention to work her to death?” The room shifted uncomfortably.

Even wolves who despised omegas didn’t like being accused of cruelty in public. Maven’s eyes darkened.

Then his gaze flicked past us. Something changed in his expression.

Curious, I turned slightly-

And my breath caught. Three men stood behind Alpha Richard.

No. Not men.

Alphas.

Even without trying, their presence dominated the room. They looked… unreal.

Two of them had dark black hair, sharp eyes, and dangerously similar features. The third had deep brown hair and a calmer expression, but the power rolling off him was just as overwhelming.

They were younger than Alpha Richard.

Much younger. And terrifyingly strong. None of them looked at me. But somehow, I could feel it.

They were standing there because of me.

My knees nearly buckled.

“Of course not,” Maven said tightly, dragging my attention back to him. “That would make me a monster, wouldn’t it?”

Alpha Richard smiled mildly.

“Excellent. Then we have no problem.”

He turned as if the matter was already finished.

“We’ll be leaving.”

Then he glanced at the woman beside me.

“Tatiana?”

So her name was Tatiana.

She gave a soft nod and gently tightened her grip on my hand.

And then she began leading me away.

“Wait.” Maven’s voice cut sharply through the room.

“You’re taking the servant girl too?”

Alpha Richard didn’t even slow.

“Yes.” His tone was casual.

“No issue, I assume?” My heart began to pound.

Maven’s gaze locked onto mine.

“Ivy,” he said slowly. The warning in his voice made my stomach twist.

“Come here.” If I left with these people…

There would be consequences. Terrible ones. I knew Maven.

I knew what he was capable of.

Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.

My fingers slipped from Tatiana’s grasp as I stepped forward and bowed my head. Maven’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.

“Good girl.”

But before I could move another step-

Tatiana caught my hand again. Firmly.

“She’s coming with us.” I looked up at her in shock.

Her eyes met mine. There was something there.

Something steady. Something protective.

And somehow… I stopped resisting.

“I said come here!” Maven exploded.

His Alpha aura burst outward violently as he lunged forward.

His eyes flashed red. Gasps erupted across the room.

But he never reached us.

A blur of movement-  A loud slam.

One of the three Alphas had him pinned against the wall.

Hard.

His elbow pressed against Maven’s throat. The room froze.

“Now why,” the Alpha said lazily, “would you try to attack my father?”

His voice was smooth. Deadly.

“I could ruin that pretty face of yours in seconds.”

Maven snarled, his claws extending as he tried to slash at him.

The Alpha caught his arm easily. Then pressed harder against his throat.

“I’ll kill you,” he said quietly, “if you move again.”

The threat hung heavy in the air. Maven went still.

Tatiana gently tugged me toward the door.

“Come along, Ivy.” My legs moved automatically.

Behind me, Maven’s voice exploded like a gunshot.

“IVY!”

I flinched.

“You will regret this!” he roared. The sound rattled through my bones.

“I will find you!” His voice turned vicious.

“And when I do, I’ll make sure there is nowhere in this world you can hide!”

Fear settled cold in my stomach.

Just before we stepped outside, I glanced back.

The three Alphas stood around Maven like silent predators.

Completely unfazed by his rage.

Then the doors closed behind us.

…………….

I barely remembered getting into the car.

Tatiana kept telling me I was safe.

Safe.

The word still didn’t make sense.

But the gentle hum of the engine… the warmth of the seat… the exhaustion crushing my body-

Everything blurred.

And before I could even wonder where they were taking me…

I fell asleep.

***************

When I woke up, I panicked.

This wasn’t the Grey mansion. The bed beneath me was enormous.

Soft. Cleaner than anything I’d ever slept on.

The room itself was bigger than the entire servant quarters. Where am I?

The door opened. Alpha Richard and Tatiana stepped inside.

“You’re awake,” Tatiana said gently.

Fear shot through me.

I scrambled backward across the bed, clutching the sheets like they could protect me.

“Why am I here?” I asked quickly. Then a worse realization hit me.

“My job- I need to go back.” If I didn’t return…I’d lose everything.

Alpha Richard raised a hand.

“You will never have to go back to the Grey mansion.” His voice was firm.

“You won’t need to work again.” I stared at him.

“What?”

Tatiana moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed.

“My name is Tatiana Darkwood,” she said softly.

She gestured toward him.

“And this is my husband, Richard Darkwood.” My mind went blank.

Darkwood.

Even servants knew that name. One of the most powerful families in the region.

Tatiana smiled gently.

“We would like to give you a home.” 

I blinked. “I’m sorry… what?”

She held out her hand. Alpha Richard placed a document into it.

Tatiana passed it to me.

“We would like to adopt you,” she said.

My fingers trembled as I stared at the paper. Adopt.

Adopt me?

“As our daughter,” she added softly. “If you would accept us.”

My brain struggled to process the words.

“You’re joking… right?” They looked genuinely confused.

“I’m an omega,” I whispered. My voice cracked.

“I’ll ruin your family name.”

Tatiana shook her head immediately. “We don’t care about that.”

Her voice was certain. “We know what you are, Ivy.”

She smiled warmly.

“But that doesn’t define who you are.” My chest tightened.

“We want you to be a Darkwood.” Images flashed through my mind.

Maven’s eyes roaming over my body. His hands grabbing me.

His threats. If I went back…

I might not survive next time.

Slowly, I looked back at them. Really looked.

They weren’t mocking me. They were serious.

Hope stirred somewhere deep inside my chest. Carefully…

I nodded. Tatiana’s face lit up.

“That’s a yes?” I nodded again.

Before I could react, she pulled me into a hug.

A real hug. No one had hugged me in years.

“Come,” she said excitedly. “Let me introduce you to the rest of the family.”

She took my hand and pulled me from the bed.

Alpha Richard chuckled softly and followed us out.

The mansion was huge. Everything gleamed with wealth.

My mind automatically calculated how long it would take to clean floors like these.

Probably hours. Maybe days.

Eventually they would make me work here too. 

Adoption or not.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed when we stopped in front of a large study. Tatiana opened the door.

“Boys.”

Inside, three men sat around the room.

My breath caught. It was them. The three Alphas from the gala.

Two looked up. The third continued reading his book.

I immediately lowered my head. A survival habit.

“How can we help you, dearest stepmother?” one of them asked lazily. Tatiana smiled brightly.

“I want you to meet someone.” My stomach twisted.

“Lucian. Rowan. Kael.”

She gently squeezed my hand.

“This is Ivy.”  I braced myself.

“Your new step-sister.”

For a moment- No one spoke. Then slowly…

Three powerful Alpha scents flooded the room.

And for the first time since arriving  All three brothers turned their eyes on me.

Like predators discovering something fascinating. Something dangerous. Something… that belonged to them.

And suddenly- 

I wasn’t sure I had escaped the wolves at all.