Whose chamber was this?

Amelia’s POV 

I stared back defiantly at him, if he thought he was going to bully me into silence then he must be raving mad. He glared at me but I maintained my staring match till he got tired and looked away.All of a sudden he grabbed my wrist in a firm grip and started dragging me toward the elevator. We got inside and he punched the button for the last floor. At the landing, he dragged me out forcefully as we walked past the long empty hallway, and we stopped by a raven colored door coated in gold and decorated with pearls. He twisted the handle and pushed the door open and tried to shove me inside like a piece of rag. I pulled my wrist out of his grip and stepped inside the chamber. 

The chamber was a serene oasis, bathed in the soft golden light of the sun that poured in through the draperies. The scent of fresh flowers wafted from the vase on the dresser. A chandelier sparkled above casting a colorful pattern of colors across the walls. The king-sized bed with a tufted headboard by the side of the window was draped in flowery yellow silk sheets with plovers of pillows. The chamber was designed in luxury and grandeur.

I turned back to Hades, who stood at the door, glaring and hissing like the angry sea of Poseidon.

“This is your chamber, Amelia Jones. Bear it in mind that you have no business entering my chamber unless I request your presence. One more thing, on no account will you issue out orders without informing me. Make sure to stay put in your chamber, and don’t go snooping around. ”  With that he turned and left, closing the door behind him. A few minutes later, there was a gentle knock on the door. I opened it to see the omega girl from earlier struggling under the weight of my bags.   

“Thank you so much for bringing them up, I sincerely appreciate it,” I said softly, helping her roll in one of the bags inside the chamber. 

“What’s the name please?” I asked 

For a moment she stared at me in utter confusion before she slid her eyes back to the floor. “My name is Gwen.” She murmured in a low tone. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Gwen,” I said, extending my hand for a handshake but she gaped at me and shook her head. “We omegas are allowed to have body contact with the nobles. Please, Luna, it's an offence, and any omega that defaults on this new order will be locked in the dungeon and whipped severely.” She said with a shaky voice.

“And who made such a barbaric rule?” 

“Uhm.. It’s  Alpha Hades,” she whispered 

“Please excuse me, Luna, I have to go now.” She mumbled and rushed out of the chamber before I could have another conversation.

I closed the door and tried to make myself busy by putting my things away and arranging the room to my preference. After I was done arranging, I opened the door and poked my head out of the hallway, and stared at the golden door with the emblem of a wolf on the right side facing my chamber. I knew that Hades' chamber was in the other wing of the castle because he made mention of it when he was warning me about not coming to his chamber uninvited. 

Then whose chamber was that?  My curiosity got the best of me as I crept gently on the fur rug as though I was being stealthy and gripped the handle. To my surprise, the door turned easily and swung open. At first, I saw nothing but total darkness. The draperies were closed, covering the large room in gloom but as my eyes adjusted, I saw that the king-sized bed was empty and unmade. The silk sheets were rumpled and the black blanket was heaped on the floor. 

Then I perceived it, the scent of amber with undertones of something else, something that was sweet and masculine at the same time, something that smelled familiar but I couldn't put a name to it. Something strangely enticing. 

Whose chamber was this? 

The scent was so captivating that it almost drew me in. I felt this overpowering urge to go to the unmade bed and bury my nose in those satin sheets. I took a step forward and that was when I saw a small framed picture on the dresser table. I picked up the picture and I realized that it was the former Alpha’s chamber. 

Why would Hades put me close to his father’s room? Was he trying to piss the man off or was he being plainly disrespectful? 

I gently dropped the picture, stepped out of the chamber, and closed the door behind me. I didn’t want to go back to my chamber and stared at the ceiling so I decided to explore the castle without giving a care about Hades' order to stay put. Even though following instructions had never been my thing. 

I walked down the hallway and tried a few doors as I moved towards the stairs, and found unoccupied guest chambers, the furniture was covered with white lacy sheets to prevent dust. I shut the door quietly and moved to the railing, peeking over the stairs, everywhere seemed quiet below, so I made my way down the stairs. I wandered around, learning the layout of the house, I found the kitchen which was bustling with activity in preparation for the evening meal. Although I was curious, I didn’t enter. There were several young omegas in the dining room setting up the tables. They glanced at me curiously but that did not stop their task of greeting me.

I turned down another wing and found a modern conference room, with leather chairs pushed up against an oak rectangular table. Its windows were open and behind it was a beautiful courtyard. I went over to admire the view and the garden inside the castle was more captivating than the ones in front of the castle.The roses were a mixture of red and white and were tangled around the trellis, the purple lavender were swaying gently in the breeze, and the colorful pansies and petunias bloomed in the sunlight. 

There was something alluring and natural about the garden, a wildness and impulsiveness that appealed to me. I was about to turn away from the window when a movement caught my eye. At first, I thought it was a mirage but then the shadow moved again, stepping out from under the laburnum tree. A tall thin figure moved slowly down the garden walkway. His shoulders were saggy and his hands trembled as he reached out to stroke a half-opened bud on one of the white roses. His clothes hung loosely from his body and I wondered if he was a prisoner until he turned and stared straight in my direction. 

“It can’t be him,” I muttered to myself

I couldn't believe that the haggard withered man staring in my direction was once the great Alpha Hunter of the Dark Wood Pack. I remember him being extremely handsome and enticing. I remember how I admired and loved him even though I knew he was beyond my reach. 

Memories of my eighteenth birthday when Dad had invited him to our pack for the Moonlight festival came flooding back, I remember how I was smitten by his beauty, carriage, and his soft-spoken words of wisdom but unfortunately for me he already had his arm around his Luna so I had no other option than to admire him from afar. It was hard to believe that the same man was standing out in the garden now. I watched as he pulled his hand away from the flower as though it were painful to be suspended in the air. At last, he turned away from the window and started moving down the walkway, away from the castle, and moved into the woods.

I felt a deep compassion for him as my hand moved to my chest and I felt an unfamiliar ache in my heart. Also, I had this strange urge to go and offer him some sort of comfort. Not like I had an idea how to comfort a grieving Alpha but something within me wanted to be close to him. 

Long after Alpha Hunter had gone, I still stood there, lost in my thoughts and staring out into the garden.

“You sure, don't know how to obey simple instructions?” The sound of Hades's annoying voice pulled me out of my reverie as I turned to stare at him. “This is your first day in the pack and you’re already snooping around. It doesn't speak well of you Amelia Jones.” He glared at me before adjusting his Alpha emblem as if he was indirectly reminding me of his rank. 

“Oh! I actually came to tell you that dinner is ready and we need to put in an appearance because I would be introducing you to some of the pack members.” He said, and smirked wickedly. 

I took a deep breath and answered, “Yes of course,”  Deep down within me, I hoped that he would join us for dinner. I was looking forward to seeing Alpha Hunter.