CHAPTER FOUR

ELARA’S POV:

I woke up to sunlight coming through the window. My room looked totally different from the cottage I shared with Aunt Caroline. The ceiling was high and had strange designs, and long and heavy curtains at windows. The sheets i was lying on were the smoothest I’d ever touched.

I wondered if I was dreaming again.

A soft clatter shocked me. A young maid, stood by the window, holding a folded towel. When our eyes met, she smiled quickly.

"You're awake!" she said, hurrying over. "Alpha said to bring you food once you wake,"

"Alpha?" My voice came out weak and surprised. "You mean… Aiden?"

Her eyes widened and she nodded quickly. "Yes, Alpha Aiden." You should rest, Miss. You were terribly hurt when they found you."

Found me. The words rang in my mind.

Before I could ask anything else, she placed a tray on the table beside me. The aroma of warm bread and spices filled the air, blending with the gentle scent of lavender. I hadn't realized I was so hungry until that moment.

I tore a little piece of bread and chewed gently, trying to remember what had happened. The forest. The child. The rogue. Aiden's face before everything turned dark.

Outside the door, voices arose and dropped.

"She's human," a maid whispered.

"I've heard she's a witch," another said.

"No," one of the maids exclaimed, her voice harsher. " Maybe she is the alpha's  mate."

The first maid gave a quiet gasp, and the hallway fell silent again.

I looked down at my food, suddenly losing my appetite. I did not blame them for gossiping. I was equally confused as they were. Why did he bring me here? Why did I feel so different?

AIDEN’S POV:

"Do you realize what you've done?" Marcus asked, leaning against the doorframe to my study. His tone showed both annoyance and surprise.

I didn't look up. I stared at a map spread across my desk.

"I brought home someone who needed help," I replied.

Marcus crossed his arms. " "She's human," Marcus insisted. "You bring a strange girl into the Keep, and everyone begins to ask questions. You cannot just…"

"I can," I interrupted, his voice calm but forceful. "A rogue attacked her. "I was not going to leave her there."  

“The group is already talking. They believe she is cursed or, worse, that she is your mate.” Marcus carried on.

My jaw stiffened. "Let them think whatever they want."

Marcus sighed and ran a hand over his hair. "You cannot ignore this. The last time someone outside the pack violated our borders, it resulted in blood."

I eventually looked up, his dark gaze steady. "This is different."

"Different how?"

"I don't know yet," I said quietly. "But once I found her, I couldn't just leave. There is something about her... "Something strange and familiar."

Marcus stared at me for a long time before shaking his head. "You're walking on dangerous ground, brother."

Aiden twisted his lips into a small smirk. "When have I ever stayed on safe ground?"

ELARA’S POV:

Later that afternoon, I tried to stand. My legs were still shaky, but I made it to the window. I saw green hills past the big iron gates, and people moving quietly across the grounds, their eyes shining in the dim light.

A knock came on the door. The same maid and two more entered, carrying clean sheets and a pale blue dress.

"Alpha said you should have something comfortable to wear," she said shyly.

I paused. "You don't have to do all this for me."

"It's alright, miss," she said, smiling kindly. "You're safe here."

She held out the dress, and I stared at it in shock. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It was made of a silky material that sparkled in the light, looking like a dress for a princess in stories I read as a child.

"It's beautiful," I said quietly.

The maid smiled slightly. "This is one of Lady Eveline's old clothes. "The Alpha kept them for guests."

I hesitated to take it. The dress felt soft and cool. It smelled like pretty flowers.

They helped me change out of the torn and, dirty clothes I had worn in the forest. The dress slipped over my skin with ease, as if it was made for me. The youngest maid gently brushed my hair and tied it into a loose braid.

When she finished, she smiled and said, “There! You look lovely.”

I looked in the mirror. The girl looking back had smooth, shiny hair and pink cheeks. Her skin was clean and bright, and her lips were soft. She looked calm and pretty. For a moment, I didn't think it was me. But then I realized, it was.