Chapter 3

Emerson POV

The mansion loomed before me like a silent judge.

It rose from the earth in dark stone and glass, sharp angles cutting into the night sky as if it had been carved to intimidate rather than welcome. Warm light glowed behind tall windows, but it didn’t soften the place—it only made the shadows deeper.

Alpha Ryder stepped inside without hesitation.

I followed more slowly, my feet dragging as though the marble beneath them had turned to ice. The doors closed behind us with a low, final sound, and my chest tightened.

Everywhere I looked, I felt eyes on me.

My skin prickled, dread crawling up my spine, my pulse hammering in my ears.

I swallowed hard.

Then I realized it wasn't eyes.

Statues lined the walls on both sides of the corridor, carved wolves frozen mid-snarl and mid-howl, their stone gazes sharp and merciless. They were massive, ancient, each one different, as if they had once been alive and captured in the moment of their rage.

My breath left me in a rush.

They’re judging us, my wolf whispered.

I froze.

It was the first time she had ever spoken to me.

Not instinct. Not emotion.

A voice.

“You—” I whispered under my breath, my hand tightening at my side.

I’ve always been here, she said quietly. You just never needed to hear me before.

Embarrassed by my fear and shaken by her presence I hurried after Ryder, matching his strides like a child desperate not to be left behind. When he stopped abruptly, I collided with his back, my smaller frame barely making an impact.

He glanced down at me once, unreadable.

“This is where you’ll be staying,” he said evenly. “Monaco will take you to your lodge. You’re free to move around the mansion except the annex.”

It wasn’t a suggestion.

My throat tightened.

“Why did you help me?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.

Ryder paused, just long enough for my heart to stutter. He glanced back at me, one brow lifting slightly.

“You’re not part of my pack,” he said. “A mind-link wouldn’t work.”

“I know you heard me,” I pressed, my voice quieter now. “You looked right at me.”

“I’m not interested in your questions,” he replied calmly, already turning away as a beta handed him several documents.

That calm unsettled me more than cruelty ever could have.

A woman stepped forward then she’s tall, sharp-eyed, dressed in formal black, authority stitched into every line of her posture.

“You’ll serve as Alpha Ryder’s omega,” she announced. “I’m Mia. Head maid.”

“Omega?” The word punched the air from my lungs.

“I still carry Alpha blood,” I said quietly. “Even if my pack discarded me.”

Mia’s gaze hardened, flicking briefly to my eyes before returning to my face.

“Here, worth is earned,” she said. “Serving within the pack house is the safest place for someone… unclaimed.”

Unclaimed.

My wolf stirred uneasily.

Anger, humiliation, and helplessness warred inside me but I forced a polite smile. Survival came before pride. Father had taught me that much.

He would hate this, I thought suddenly, the ache sharp and unexpected.

Hate that I stood here alone. Hate that I hadn’t been able to protect myself or my place.

You survived, my wolf said gently. That matters more.

Monaco led me away moments later, his presence quieter, steadier.

“New Orleans is different,” he said, resting a hand briefly on my shoulder. “You’ll have a chance here if you’re careful.”

My chamber was larger than anything I had ever known. Soft golden light spilled across polished wood floors. The bed looked untouched, almost sacred, as if no one had ever truly rested there.

Yet the silence pressed down on me until my chest ached.

I crossed the room slowly, touching the edge of the bed, the window frame, the heavy curtains. Everything was beautiful.

None of it felt like home.

We left him behind, my wolf murmured.

I swallowed hard.

“I didn’t have a choice,” I whispered. “He would’ve wanted me to live.”

The words sounded hollow even to me.

He would’ve wanted you safe.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my hands trembling.

I won’t be a pawn, I vowed silently.

Not again.

Later that night, hunger and restlessness drove me from the room. I moved quietly through unfamiliar halls, memorizing turns, listening to the echo of my own footsteps.

“Who do we have here?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Monaco stood behind me, clearly amused. “You’re not very sneaky.”

“I was just… looking around,” I lied.

He tossed a wrapped burger at me, while he devoured the one in his hand. I stare down at the burger before biting into it.

He studied me for a moment, then sighed. “I’m heading next door. Come if you want.”

I hesitated.

Danger, my wolf warned. Monaco insisted, since I’m awake it won’t hurt a spine.

But curiosity and something heavier pulled me forward.

Music pulsed through the neighboring estate. Laughter spilled into the night, bodies moving under soft lights. It was alive in a way the mansion wasn’t.

And then I saw him.

Ryder stood near the pool, commanding attention without effort. Women hovered close, drawn to him like gravity. One leaned in too far, her hand brushing his arm.

My chest tightened.

I looked away.

Too late.

“What are you doing here?”

His voice cut through the noise, low and unmistakable.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I said softly, taking responsibility for my actions.

His gaze flicked past me, then back. “Go back.”

“I won’t,” I said, surprising even myself.

He stepped closer, towering, his presence pressing in around me.

“You forget your position.”

“No,” I whispered. “I’m learning it.”

Something unreadable crossed his eyes: interest, irritation, calculation.

Then he leaned down, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

“Careful, cat-eye. Power isn’t given, it's taken.”

My heart thundered as he straightened and walked away, the crowd closing around him once more.

I stood there, frozen, my wolf restless beneath my skin.

I didn’t know what Alpha Ryder wanted from me.

But I knew one thing,

This pack would either break me… or forge me into something dangerous.

“Lock Chapter 3. Let’s move to Chapter 4 with jealousy and danger escalation.”