The Estate

Aria's pov

​"You’re limping."

​"I’m fine," I lied.

​I didn't look up from the silk sheets of the bed I’d been confined to for the last forty-eight hours. 

The voice belonged to Noah, cold, smooth, and as inevitable as the tide. I could feel him standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of the guest suite, the morning sun casting his shadow long across the marble floor.

​I didn’t agree to go with him.

​That was the lie I told myself every time I closed my eyes and saw the ash of my home. It was the lie I whispered when his hand closed around my wrist, gentle yet firm, a grip that made it clear resistance was a fairy tale I could no longer afford to believe in.

​"Omegas don't heal as fast as Alphas, Aria. Don't let your pride make the injury worse." 

He finally moved, his expensive shoes silent on the rug.

​He sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and the scent of rain and cedar filled my lungs again, making my wolf stir with a traitorous sense of safety.

​"I wouldn't have to worry about healing if your brother hadn't chased me through the woods yesterday," I snapped, finally meeting his gaze.

​Noah’s eyes darkened.

 "Cassian has no patience. He wanted to see how far you could run before you collapsed. I told him you were exhausted, but he... lacks restraint."

​My mind flashed back to the arrival at the Vaelor Estate. I expected a dungeon. Instead, I was met with a palace of glass and stone, hidden deep within the Blackthorne mountains. I was bathed, fed, and dressed in clothes that cost more than my entire village's yearly harvest.

​But the luxury was a lie. The silk felt like spiderwebs on my skin.

​"Why am I here, Noah? Truly?" I asked, my voice cracking.

 "You said that I'm the future of your legacy, what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

​Noah reached out. For a second, I thought he would touch my face, but his hand stopped just short.

 "The Ancient Law, little wolf. The mark on your chest is there for a reason. If we didn't take you, another pack would have. And they probably wouldn't have given you a room with a view."

​He stood up, his face returning to that mask of granite.

 "The Council is coming in three days to verify the mark. Until then, you will stay within the estate walls. If you try to climb the fence again, I won't be the one who finds you next time. Cassian is already losing his mind with the wait."

​"Is that a threat?"

​Noah paused at the door, looking back over his shoulder. A ghost of a possessive smile touched his lips.

 "No. It’s a warning. I want to keep you whole, Aria. My brother... he doesn't mind a few broken pieces."

​The door clicked shut, the heavy electronic lock engaging with a sound that echoed in my chest.

​I pulled back the collar of my silk nightgown, staring at the golden crescent. It was glowing brighter today. It was as if the estate, or the twins, was feeding it.

​I looked out at the vast, mountain-guarded territory of the Blackthorne Pack with the realization that I might never see the world outside these gates again.

My gaze moved to the door, staring at it for a long count of ten, the silence of the room ringing in my ears.

​I closed my eyes, and for a second, I was back in the mud of two nights ago.

​I remembered the sensation of being carried into this house. I had been half-conscious, my mind a blur of grief and exhaustion. I remembered a pair of hands, rougher than Noah’s, stripping the ash-stained tunic from my body while I was too weak to fight. 

I remembered a low, dark chuckle near my ear and the smell of spice and smoke.

​"Don't worry, little wolf," a voice had whispered as I drifted off. 

“I'll make you look like a queen before I tear you apart."

​I forced myself out of the bed, my left ankle throbbing with a dull, hot pain. The limp was a reminder of yesterday's "game." 

I had made it to the edge of the woods, the scent of pine and freedom so close I could taste it. Then, a blur of motion knocked me flat. 

​"Run again," he had dared me, his eyes glowing amber. "I love a good chase."

​I limped over to the vanity, a massive piece of carved oak with a silver-framed mirror. I looked like a stranger. 

The girl in the mirror wore a nightgown of silk that clung to every curve. Her skin was clean, her hair brushed until it shone. But her eyes... her eyes looked like they still belonged to the girl in the ash.

​Suddenly, a soft click echoed through the room. It didn't come from the door.

​It came from the wall behind.

​My heart skipped a beat. I pressed my hand against the wood, searching till I found a small panel revealing not a way out, but a small, recessed shelf. 

On it sat a single item: a black leather collar with a silver tag.

​I picked it up, my fingers trembling. I turned the tag over and felt the air leave my lungs.

​Property of Vaelor.

​"Do you like it?"

​I spun around so fast I nearly fell. Cassian was standing on the balcony, leaning casually against the glass door I thought I had locked. He looked devastating in a dark sweater, his sleeves pushed up to reveal forearms covered in faint scars.

​"You're not supposed to be in here," I whispered, clutching the collar in my hand like a weapon. "Noah said…"

​"Noah says a lot of things," Cassian interrupted, stepping into the room. The temperature seemed to rise ten degrees just by him being there.

 "He wants to dress you up for the Council. He wants to play the perfect Alpha."

​He walked toward me, his movements slow and mesmerizing. I backed up until I hit the vanity, trapped between the mirror and the monster.

​"But me?" Cassian leaned down, his face inches from mine, his eyes dropping to the collar in my hand. He reached out, his fingers grazing my neck exactly where the leather would sit. 

​He leaned in, his lips ghosting over mine for a second. 

​"Sleep well, little prize," he whispered. "The real games start tomorrow."

​Before I could find my voice, he stepped back and vanished onto the balcony, leaving me alone in the silk and the silence.

​I was the only player who didn't know the rules of the game.