Chapter 1: The Alpha returns

  Serena’s POV 

  

  

  

   It was early morning, but the Moonclaw mansion was already wide awake. The maids had been cleaning and running around since before sunrise. Every glass surface had been wiped, every tile polished until it shone. My mother, Hema, moved like a storm through the kitchen and halls, barking orders, straightening uniforms, fixing hair.

  

  

   “The Alpha is returning today,” she kept saying. “And no one embarrasses this house.”

  

  

   I stayed quiet and did as I was told. I’d grown up in this house. My mother had worked here for more than twenty years, and now I did too—just another human in a werewolf world.

  

  

   But this day felt different.

  

  

   Alpha Kael—son of the former Alpha, rightful heir to the Moonclaw Pack—was finally coming home. Raised in the north for his safety after a rogue attack, he’d lived far from here, trained by warriors, educated by elders, and kept hidden from those who wanted him dead. Now, fully grown, powerful, and officially crowned Alpha, he was coming back to take his place.

  

  

   We were told to line up at the front of the estate.

  

   Not just the maids—but everyone. Pack guards, kitchen staff, council elders, the estate doctor, warriors from the training grounds, even the Beta, Rowan. It was rare for them all to stand together like this, waiting for one man.

  

  

   That’s how much power he had.

  

  

   I stood beside my mother, hands behind my back, head bowed slightly like we were taught. My heart beat fast and steady, but not from nerves.

  

  

   Curiosity.

  

  

   I wanted to see what kind of man could make a whole house breathe quietly.

  

  

   Then the black SUV pulled through the high-tech gates and stopped at the front steps. Two more SUVs followed behind it. Dark windows. Quiet engines. No music. No noise. Just presence.

  

  

   The door opened slowly.

  

  

   And he stepped out.

  

  

   Alpha Kael.

  

  

   He was tall—easily over six feet—with wide shoulders that filled out a black tailored suit. He wore no tie, only a crisp shirt with the top button undone, revealing the top of his chest and a bit of a dark tattoo that snaked up his neck. His skin was smooth and golden-brown like sun-warmed honey, sharp cheekbones casting shadows under his cold, unreadable silver eyes.

  

  

   His jaw was strong, his lips set in a line that neither frowned nor smiled.

  

   And gods… his eyes. Those silver eyes scanned us like he already knew our names, our secrets, our weaknesses. He had the kind of face that made you stop breathing.

  

  

   He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to.

  

  

   His wolf aura poured out like a silent storm—cold, dominant, unshakable. I felt it hit my skin like a wave of ice and heat all at once. Every werewolf in the yard instinctively lowered their heads. Even the Beta, who never bowed, gave a nod of submission.

  

  

   He looked around slowly.

  

  

   And then… for a second… he looked at me.

  

  

   Just a second. Maybe less. But I felt it.

  

  

   Those silver eyes met mine, and everything else blurred. The wind stopped. My lungs paused. The world hushed.

  

  

   I didn’t look away—not immediately.

  

  

   He did.

  

  

   Just as fast as he looked, he turned his head and moved toward the mansion, a guard falling into step beside him, another opening the grand doors.

  

  

   No words. No introductions.

  

  

   Just presence.

  

  

   When he disappeared inside, I finally let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

  

  

   “Serena,” my mother whispered sharply beside me, “keep your eyes down. You don’t look an Alpha in the eye unless you’re invited to.”

  

  

   But it was too late. I had.

  

  

   And worse… he had looked back.

  

  

   We made our way back inside and it was time for the feast

  

  

   ~~~

  

  

   The Moonclaw mansion had never looked so alive.

  

  

   Golden light spilled from the chandeliers above, painting the long dining hall in warmth that felt fake against the cold tension in the air. The best silverware gleamed from every table. The Beta himself had ordered rare wine from the coast. Three different kinds of meat were served—roasted boar, venison, and spiced lamb—each laid out in fine dishes across the central table where the pack’s high-ranking members sat.

  

  

   And at the head of it all, Alpha Kael.

  

  

   He hadn’t said much since his arrival. Barely a word, not even to the Elders who tried to make polite conversation as they found their seats. He gave only nods, a sharp flick of his eyes, and the occasional quiet command to a guard. He didn’t have to speak loudly. When he said something, people listened.

  

  

   The moment he walked into the room, it was like the energy changed. Conversations lowered. Laughter died. Even the musicians in the corner softened their notes.

  

  

   He sat tall, back straight, one hand resting lightly around a glass of deep red wine. His suit jacket was gone now, leaving him in a dark shirt that clung to the muscle beneath it. His silver eyes roamed the room like a silent threat—one no one dared challenge.

  

  

   And I…

  

  

   I tried not to look.

  

  

   I really did.

  

  

   But every time I passed by his table, balancing a tray of drinks or refilling plates, my eyes flicked up before I could stop them. And every time, my heart raced with fear that he might catch me.

  

  

   He didn’t speak to me. Of course not. I was just a maid—nothing special. Just another face among the staff who wore the same plain black dress, hair pulled back, apron tied tightly. But still, I couldn’t stop glancing his way. Something about him felt like gravity.

  

  

   “Serena,” my mother hissed in my ear as she passed, carrying a platter of bread rolls, “keep your eyes down. You’re not a guest here.”

  

  

   “I know,” I whispered, lowering my gaze.

  

  

   But I still felt him.

  

  

   The Elders sat closest to Kael, trying to impress him with stories and flattery. Elder Alric—the most powerful among them—boomed with laughter at his own joke. His daughter, Mirah, sat at his side, back straight, dress glittering gold. She was stunning. Full-blooded werewolf. Born into wealth, trained for power. The room already treated her like the Luna, even though nothing had been officially announced.

  

  

   Mirah’s eyes drifted to Kael often. She laughed softly, touched his arm once when he spoke, though he didn’t touch her back. I watched the way she leaned toward him, her smile sharp and confident.

  

  

   She looked like she belonged beside him.

  

  

   And I… looked like a ghost in the walls.

  

  

   I carried a tray of crystal glasses, my fingers trembling slightly under the weight. One wrong move and it could all come crashing down. I bit my lip, forcing myself to focus on the table. One guest at a time. Set the glass. Smile politely. Move on.

  

  

   But when I reached the Alpha’s table again, I made the mistake of glancing.

  

  

   Just once.

  

  

   His eyes were already on me.

  

  

   Still. Quiet. Like frost.

  

  

   I froze in place for a heartbeat. The tray in my hands felt suddenly heavier. My breath caught. And for a second… I forgot where I was. Forgot who I was.

  

  

   Then it happened.

  

  

   One of the glasses slipped.

  

  

   It tilted just a little too far, caught on the edge of the tray—and fell.

  

  

   It hit the floor with a sharp, ringing shatter.

  

  

   The room went silent.

  

  

   My face flushed hot with shame. I dropped to my knees immediately, gathering the glass with shaky hands, careful not to cut myself. Wine stained the white tile like blood. I felt dozens of eyes on me, but none of them burned like his.

  

  

   Kael hadn’t said a word. He still sat there, unmoving.

  

  

   Just watching me.

  

  

   I didn’t dare look up again. I kept my head down as I picked up every last shard, heart pounding in my ears.

  

  

   “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, though I knew no one would answer.

  

  

   When it was done, I stood slowly, clutching the broken pieces in one hand and the now-empty tray in the other. I turned and hurried through the servant’s hallway, disappearing into the kitchen as fast as I could without running.

  

  

   Inside, I let out a breath that had been stuck in my chest for what felt like hours.

  

  

   My mother stormed in right behind me.

  

  

   “Do you want to be thrown out?” she hissed, slamming the door behind her. “Eyes down, Serena. I’ve told you this since you were a child. You are not like them. You do not have their protection. If you shame this house—”

  

  

   “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  

  

   “You’re lucky he didn’t say anything. Some Alphas would have punished you right there.”

  

  

   I nodded, even though her words barely landed. I wasn’t thinking about the broken glass or the angry stares.

  

  

   All I could see in my head was him.

  

  

   The way he looked at me.

  

  

   It wasn’t kindness. It wasn’t hatred. It was… interest. Cautious, cold interest, like I was something he hadn’t expected to find in his perfect house. Like I was out of place—but not invisible.

  

  

   I didn’t understand it.

  

  

   I didn’t want to understand it.

  

  

   I just couldn’t shake the feeling of his eyes on me.

  

  

   I dropped the glass into the waste bin, washed my hands at the basin, and tried to steady my breathing.

  

  

   Back in the dining hall, music had started again. The feast continued as if nothing had happened.

  

  

   But I knew the Alpha had seen me.

  

  

   And somehow… that changed everything.