Chapter 6

HANNAH POV

The gates closed behind the limousine with a deep, echoing sound. I pressed my hands against my thighs, my fingers trembling as the car rolled deeper into the palace grounds. The building loomed ahead of us, massive and unforgiving, its stone walls glowing faintly under the moonlight. Towers stretched into the sky like silent watchers, their windows lit with a warm glow that did nothing to calm my nerves.

I felt like I’ve entered into prison, with no hopes of leaving. The alphas words still ranged in my head like a bell. “YOU BELONG TO US.” I wasn’t a property that they could just decide they own, but I knew I couldn’t do anything about it.

No one spoke as the car came to a stop. The door opened and cold night air rushed in, carrying a strange scent that made my chest tighten. Something wild. Something ancient. I was overthinking everything but I just couldn’t stop myself from thinking. I wished this was all a dream, and I’ll just wake up in the familiar comfort of my room.

I hesitated before stepping out. The ground beneath my feet felt too solid, too real, for this to be a dream. Men dressed in black stood in neat lines on both sides of the path leading to the palace entrance. Every single one of them bowed their heads the moment the three men stepped out behind me.

I walked forward slowly, my legs weak, my mind racing. I could feel their presence behind me, watching me like predators analyzing their prey.

The palace doors stood open. I hesitated before stepping inside.

Once I step inside, I won’t be able to leave. Is this the life I want to live ? Do I want to be a prisoner for this alphas? A lot of questions were going through my mind, and my hesitation didn’t go unseen by the alphas.

“Hannah are you going to waste our time by standing here?” One of the alphas spoke while coming to my side.

“ We don’t bite Hannah.” Another said and smirked at me like he was mocking me.

I shot him a death glance, but it didn’t even move him. I shaked my head and stepped inside, the alphas and his workers followed.

The doors shut behind me with a heavy thud that echoed through the vast hall making me flinch.

I gasped as I looked round. The interior decoration of the palace was so beautiful, with a massive space. Marble floors polished so clean I could see my own reflection. Tall pillars lined the walls, carved with symbols I didn’t recognize. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glowing softly, their light reflecting off gold and stone. Paintings hanged on the wall, making the palace look more ancient.

I stopped walking without realizing it. I felt exposed, and out of place. Like I had entered into a whole new world that was never meant for someone like me.

“You will not wander alone here.” The voice came from behind me. I turned quickly, my heart racing.

The alpha who had spoken the most during the ride stepped forward, his expression calm, unreadable. He didn’t need to raise his voice. His presence alone demanded attention.

“People will see you,” he continued. “And they will talk.”

“Like they already do,” I muttered before I could stop myself.

He shot me a look I couldn’t place. Surprise maybe. Or interest.

“They will fear you,” he corrected. “And that matters.”

I frowned. “Fear me?” The second alpha let out a quiet laugh. “You have no idea what surviving the ritual means to our kind.”

I looked between them. “Then explain it to me.”

They exchanged a look again, that silent conversation that made my skin itch.

“In time,” the third alpha said. “For now, you need rest.”

“I don’t feel tired,” I replied, even though my body ached and my head felt heavy.

“That’s because adrenaline is still keeping you upright,” the first alpha said. “When it fades, you will feel everything.”

I hated how sure he sounded. And I knew he wasn’t wrong.

A woman appeared from one of the corridors, the same one who had led me earlier. Her eyes lingered on me longer this time, sharp and curious.

“She will be taken to the east wing,” she said.

I stiffened. “Taken?”

“You’ll be given a room,” the second alpha said smoothly. “No one will touch you. Not unless we allow it.”

That sentence alone made my stomach twist.

The woman gestured for me to follow her. I hesitated, glancing back at the three men.

“What about my wish?” I asked quietly. “When do I get it?” The alpha in the middle eyes lingered on me for a long time, like he was checking me out and also studying me.

“When you prove you understand what it cost,” he said.

Before I could ask what that meant, the woman turned and began walking. I had no choice but to follow.

The corridor seemed endless. Every few steps, I felt eyes on me. Servants bowed as we passed. Others stared openly, curiosity and something darker flashing in their expressions.

Whispers followed me. I tried listening to what they were saying, but I couldn’t hear a lot due to their low tone.

I managed to hear bits of what they were saying. Human, Chosen, Alive. My chest tightened. The alphas didn’t lie.

The room I was led into was large, elegant, and far too luxurious for someone who had walked here ready to die.

The whole room was like the size of my whole house. A massive bed sat in the center, draped in dark fabrics. Tall windows overlooked the forest, the same forest I had almost died in.

The woman turned to face me. “The alphas said you shouldn’t leave your room no matter what. If you need assistance or help with anything, you can ring the bell and I’ll be on my way, your highness.” She said timidly, while slightly bowing at me and pointing to a bell close to my bed.

“Oh no you can call me Hannah. Your highness is too formal for me.” I told her and she looked at me with a shocked expression. She nodded, bowed her head again and left.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my strength finally giving out. My hands shook as I pressed them together, trying to ground myself. I thought of my mother, I thought of how she was coping. I hoped Valerie was checking in on her like she promised.

I had walked into this place thinking surviving the ritual was the hardest part, but the stares I received from the servants, and the words of the alphas, I knew surviving in the palace was the hardest part.