9

POV Fedora

A long, tired groan left my chest. I just stuffed my face with all this delicious food. Can I not just sit here and rest my heavy body for a little while?

Ella shook her head fast, grabbing both of my hands. She gave a firm tug, pulling me completely out of the wooden chair. We really do not have any extra time to waste, Luna! She dragged me toward the door with surprising strength. You absolutely cannot keep the Alpha waiting for you.

She led me straight down a narrow hallway and pushed open a brand new door. I stepped inside and froze right on the spot.

The space was completely filled with colorful wigs, racks of beautiful clothes, rows of expensive perfumes, and shiny containers of lip gloss.

A giant, golden mirror stood right in the dead center of the room, with a soft, comfortable chair sitting directly in front of it.

My eyes went wide as I looked around at the wealth. This crazy palace never fails to surprise me. I turned my head to look at the young maid.

Wait, Ella, what exactly does this room not have? I would honestly not be surprised if there is a swimming pool hidden right behind that wall. Why is every single thing in the world inside this room?

Ella stopped short, looking at me with a very confused face. You are acting so strange, Luna. She adjusted a bottle of hair oil on the table. Every single thing in this room is just a basic need for a girl.

A hot wave of shame rushed up my neck. My cheeks turned a little pink. I sat down quickly in the chair before the mirror and clamped my mouth shut. I did not want to say another word so I would not embarrass myself again.

I understood the cold truth. To these wealthy people, I was just a poor, ignorant girl from a tiny village.

The room stayed quiet for a few minutes while Ella started brushing through my long, messy hair. The soft pulling felt nice, but the silence made my mind race. I decided to break the quietness.

Who exactly is Lucy? I watched Ella's reflection in the shiny glass.

Ella stopped brushing for a split second. Oh, Lucy. Literally everyone in this territory knows who Lucy is. She started parting my hair with a small comb. But why exactly are you asking me about her?

I let out a tiny, annoyed huff. She came up to me with a whole group of mean girls a few minutes ago. She made some really nasty threats. She told me to stay far away from her man and a bunch of other crazy stuff. I honestly do not get why she is so wild.

Ella did not look surprised at all. A small, knowing sigh left her lips. Oh, yeah. That is just typical Lucy for you. She and the Alpha were totally supposed to get married a very long time ago. But Alpha Michael completely rejected her. She has been incredibly bitter and angry ever since that day.

Ella leaned down closer to my ear, her face turning dead serious. But you really need to make sure you never cross her path, Luna. She is the most powerful female warrior in our entire pack. She is completely ruthless, and she can actually end someone's life just to get her way.

A heavy lump formed in my throat. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, watching her apply a light powder to half of my face. Oh. I see. I swallowed hard, trying to hide my fear. I will just make sure to completely avoid her then.

No, she is not actually that much of a real threat to you. Ella suddenly shrugged, grabbing a small tube of lip gloss.

I froze flat in the chair. My eyebrows pulled together. Why in the world would you say that?

Ella looked around the room nervously, lowering her voice to a tiny whisper. Something truly terrible happened here years ago. Something so serious that it caused the tragic death of many innocent people. And the real killer is still walking around completely free today, hiding behind a very cute face.

My heart did a scary flip. Tell me what happened.

I absolutely cannot tell you any more than that right now. Ella shook her head fast, looking terrified. She packed up her makeup tools quickly. Just be extremely careful around here. Do not make too many friends. And make sure you are very careful around the Alpha, too. That is all I can safely say to you for now.

I took a deep, shaky breath, letting the cool air fill my lungs.

Ella took a step back and clapped her hands together with a proud smile. All done! Stand up, Luna. Your makeup looks completely excellent.

I pushed myself up from the chair and looked closely into the large mirror. I gasped softly. I looked so different from my usual self. I was not used to wearing fancy makeup at all. Deep down, I always preferred my natural, clean face. But I could not deny that she made me look beautiful.

Ella walked over to a large closet and pulled out a clean, stunning dress. She handed it to me along with a pair of perfect matching shoes. Everything fit my body perfectly, hugging my curves in all the right places.

A loud, heavy knock rattled the wooden door.

The Alpha awaits you, Luna. A guard's deep voice boomed from the hallway.

I took one last look at myself, smoothed down the skirt of my dress, and followed the big guard outside.

As soon as we walked through the castle doors, I stopped in awe. A massive line of shiny black cars was already waiting in the driveway. Dozens of strong guards surrounded the vehicles, all wearing dark black suits and serious faces.

Alpha Michael stood right beside the open door of the giant SUV parked in the very middle. As I walked closer, he held the door open wider. His handsome face looked completely dark, like he was carrying a massive amount of hidden anger.

I quickly climbed inside the dark vehicle, sliding onto the leather seat. He climbed in right behind me from the opposite door, shutting out the bright sunlight.

The heavy car started moving slowly down the road. The silence inside was completely suffocating. Suddenly, Michael turned his upper body toward me. His dark eyes locked onto mine with an intense heat.

This meeting we are going to is not the regular kind of pack meeting you know about. His deep voice rumbled dangerously in the quiet car. When we finally step foot in there, first of all, you must pretend to be...