14

Serafina's POV

I turned the corner and found Madam Rachel waiting for me.

She didn’t speak, didn’t ask questions, didn’t even look at me for longer than a second before turning on her heel and starting down the hall.

I followed in silence, my pulse still thrumming from my encounter with Daxton and Eli.

The journey back to my room was painfully long, hallway after hallway, staircase after staircase.

My feet ached with each step, my body screaming from exhaustion.

My throat burned with thirst, my stomach churned in hunger, and yet, Madam Rachel moved with the same rigid posture, her steps as sharp and strong as ever.

Even at her age, she showed no signs of fatigue.

I released a slow breath, coming to yet another miserable realization: I wasn’t built for this world. If I had a wolf, climbing staircases for ten minutes straight wouldn’t feel like I was dragging chains behind me.

Daxton’s words clawed at my mind.

"Get a wolf first before you think about flipping a table."

My hands curled into fists. He had insulted me, just like the rest of them.

Treated me like a weakling.

And the worst part?

He was right.

I hated that more than anything.

By the time we reached my room, my breath was shallow.

Madam Rachel unlocked the door and stepped aside.

I hesitated.

She gestured lightly. "After you."

My brows knitted together.

After me?

I wasn’t used to that.

People always walked ahead of me, pushing me aside, making me wait, making me last.

But her expression didn’t shift.

I wasn’t sure if this was some kind of subtle test, but I wasn’t about to stand outside my own bedroom all night. I stepped forward and entered.

The moment I crossed the threshold, I noticed movement inside the room.

Four female servants were inside, adjusting things, straightening pillows, folding and unfolding sheets as if the slightest wrinkle would offend someone.

But as soon as they heard our footsteps, they froze and turned toward the door, bowing.

To me.

For a second, I didn’t move.

They weren’t bowing to Madam Rachel. They were bowing to me.

It felt strange, and I wasn’t sure what to think about it.

A sharp clap snapped me from my thoughts. Madam Rachel had brought her hands together, drawing the servants’ full attention.

"You don’t have all day," she said. "Undress the Alpha’s wife and take her for a bath."

Alpha’s wife. Not Luna.

I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or not.

I didn’t care about titles, but it was strange.

They could have simply called me Luna like they would with any Alpha’s bride.

But I wasn’t any Alpha’s bride, was I? I was Daxton’s. And I was cursed.

Shaking the thought away, I obeyed Madam Rachel without a word, sitting in front of the vanity mirror as the maids removed my cloud veil, jewellery, and makeup.

The heavy fabric slipped from my shoulders, and I exhaled deeply, trying to push away the weight of the night.

But it clung to me, poisoning my thoughts and making me remember everything I wanted to forget.

Daxton forced me to become his bride.

Daxton stood up for me.

And Daxton was insulting me.

I hated how much space he occupied in my mind.

Two maids guided me toward the bathroom. Steam curled through the air, thick with the scent of vanilla and lavender.

Madam Rachel’s voice cut through the haze. "Use the lavender oil," she instructed. "In case the Alpha King changes his mind and decides to visit tonight."

My blood ran cold.

Daxton? Coming here?

After everything?

I clenched my jaw.

No.

He had insulted me.

Humiliated me.

Let others disrespect me. I had no business with him, and he had no business coming to my room.

And hadn’t he already told me that bedding me wasn’t in his plans? So why would he,

I quickly caught myself.

It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t come. He shouldn’t.

Before I realized it, I had already been stripped of my gown and submerged in the warm bath as the maids scrubbed my skin.

Their hands were firm and methodical, but at least not as harsh as before.

I felt the warm water soothe my aching feet, but the tension in my muscles didn’t ease, though.

I barely noticed when the servants finished. I barely noticed when they dressed me in a thin nightgown.

It was only when they draped a robe over my shoulders that I finally exhaled, some tension leaving me.

I stepped out of the bathroom just in time to see Madam Rachel close the door behind someone.

She turned to me, expression unreadable. "The Alpha will not be visiting you tonight."

A rush of relief filled my chest, and I masked it well.

Madam Rachel wasted no time leading me to a small dining area near my bed. The moment I sat, my eyes landed on the food before me.

It was... appetizing.

Freshly cooked meat, seasoned vegetables, rich golden bread. The aroma curled into my senses, making my stomach twist painfully.

As if to mock me further, my stomach growled. Loudly. I clenched my fingers.

One of the servants quietly poured wine into my goblet.

I ignored the warmth in my cheeks. I was not going to be embarrassed over needing food. I had barely eaten all day. And it was thoughtful of them to do this for me.

Just as I was about to reach for my drink, a thought hit me.

Mira.

I looked up at Madam Rachel. "Where is Mira?"

Her expression remained neutral. "She will be with you once she has learned our pack’s rules."

I frowned. "What?"

Madam Rachel clasped her hands behind her back. "The rules in Central Ironveil are different from Northern Ironveil." Her tone was calm, but there was a subtle edge to it. A subtle insult.

I understood immediately. She didn’t trust or acknowledge the training from Northern Ironveil. She thought her pack was superior.

And after everything I had seen so far, she wasn’t wrong.

But still. Mira was the only familiar face in this place, the only person who had ever truly cared for me. And now she was being trained before she could even be allowed near me?

Madam Rachel must have noticed my displeasure because her face hardened. She turned to the maidservants and asked them to leave. Immediately, they walked out and shut the door.

Madam Rachel lifted her chin slightly. "You made a mistake today."

I blinked. "What?"

"At the wedding," she said, her voice levelled but firm. "You embarrassed our Alpha King in front of the entire werewolf hierarchy."

I was shocked.

"The servants saw it. And as a result, they don’t respect you."

I could guess that already, but the way she said it made something cold settle in my stomach.

"The lowest-ranking wolves," she continued, "are still wolves. And despite our discipline, their loyalty can be easily bought."

A strange chill crept down my spine. I narrowed my eyes, trying to read between her words.

She wasn’t just talking about servants.

She was talking about enemies. Spies. People who wanted me gone.

She let the silence stretch before giving me one final warning.

"If you want to keep your life for a long time," she said, "I suggest you respect Alpha King Daxton. And be loyal to him."

Be loyal to Daxton?

’How impossible!’ I wanted to snap back but held my tongue in the end.

"Because he is the only one who can protect you," Madam Rachel’s gaze darkened as she finished.

And with that, she turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

I sat there, unmoving. For the first time since arriving at Central Ironveil, I understood something clearly.

I wasn’t just an outcast here.

I was a target.