Five

CHAPTER FIVE

CALISTA’S POV

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual, even though I had barely slept through the night.

Ever since I had arrived at the Alpha’s residence, my sleep had become restless because everything around me felt unfamiliar, and every time I closed my eyes, I remembered Axton’s words reminding me that I was only here because Eira was missing.

I was his Luna, but only until Eira returned.

That was the truth I had to live with.

I slowly got out of bed and walked toward the window, pulling the curtains aside as I looked outside, where the morning was unusually quiet, with the sky covered by thick grey clouds that made the entire pack house look darker than usual.

I stayed there for a moment before deciding that I needed something to eat.

I had barely eaten anything the previous night, and my stomach was already beginning to hurt from hunger, so I changed into a simple dress and left my room, intending to make my way to the kitchen.

I had only taken a few steps down the hallway when something caught my attention.

There was a door on the other side of the hallway that I had never noticed properly before.

It was slightly different from the other doors, and unlike the rooms I had already seen, nobody seemed to be going in or out of it.

I slowed down as I approached.

The hallway was quiet, and for some reason, the door looked even darker because of the gloomy light coming through the windows.

I stood in front of it for a few seconds, wondering what was inside.

Perhaps it was another guest room.

Maybe it was a storage room.

I did not know.

I looked around the hallway, but there was nobody nearby.

My curiosity got the better of me.

I reached for the handle and slowly pushed the door open.

The moment I stepped inside, my eyes widened.

The room was beautiful.

It was much larger than I had expected, and everything inside looked expensive, delicate, and carefully arranged.

There were beautiful dresses hanging neatly inside a large wardrobe, along with shoes that looked as though they had barely been worn.

A large dressing table stood near the window, and several pieces of jewelry were arranged on top of it.

Necklaces, bracelet, rings, earrings 

There were so many of them that I could not stop myself from walking closer.

I had never seen so many beautiful things in one place before.

I slowly reached toward a necklace lying on the table and picked it up carefully, afraid that I might damage it.

The necklace was simple but beautiful, with a small stone hanging from the center that reflected the little light entering through the window.

I held it between my fingers and admired it for a moment.

“It is beautiful,” I whispered.

I placed it back exactly where I had found it before my eyes moved to another piece.

There was a silver bracelet beside it, decorated with tiny stones that looked like they had been placed there one by one.

I picked it up too.

I turned it around in my hand, admiring how carefully it had been made.

For a moment, I forgot where I was.

I forgot about Eira? I forgot about the ceremony.

I forgot about Axton’s cold expression and the way everyone looked at me as if I had stolen something that belonged to someone else.

I was simply admiring beautiful things.

I walked farther into the room and noticed several framed pictures placed on a shelf.

I did not touch them.

I only looked at them from where I stood, wondering who the room belonged to.

Everything about it felt personal, but I still did not understand why.

There was a beautiful perfume bottle on another table, and I picked it up carefully, smelling it before smiling slightly.

The scent was soft and sweet.

I placed it back where it belonged, I  had no intention of taking anything.

I was not even thinking about taking anything, I was simply curious.

I had never been surrounded by things like this before, and for a few minutes, I allowed myself to admire them without thinking about how strange my life had become.

Then I heard a knock.

I froze.

Before I could say anything, the door opened.

I turned around.

Axton stood in the doorway.

His expression changed the moment his eyes landed on me.

The warmth I had felt inside the room disappeared immediately.

His face became cold.

His eyes narrowed.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “How  dared you to enter this room?”

His voice was low, but the authority in it made my heart jump.

I stared at him in confusion. “I didn’t know—”

“You didn’t know?” He took a step toward me.

I immediately put the jewelry I was holding back on the table.

“I didn’t know this was someone’s room,” I explained quickly. “I was going to the kitchen, and I saw the door. I only came inside because I was curious.”

“You were curious?” His voice became colder.

I nodded. “I didn’t mean to do anything wrong.”

He continued walking toward me.

I instinctively stepped backward. “Axton, please.”

He stopped in front of me.

His height made me feel even smaller as he looked down at me with a hard expression. “This is Eira’s room.”

My eyes widened. “Eira?”

“Yes.” I looked around the room again, suddenly seeing everything differently.

The clothes, the  jewelry, the  perfume, the  pictures.

All of it belonged to Eira.

“I didn’t know,” I whispered.

“I don’t care whether you knew.” His voice was firm. “You do not enter this room.”

“I am sorry,” I said quickly. “I really didn’t know.”

He stared at me for several seconds.

Then his hand suddenly caught my arm.

I gasped. “Axton—”

He pulled me closer.

His grip was hard enough to make me wince. “You were told your place in this house.”

“I wasn’t trying to take anything.”

“I did not ask what you were trying to do.” His voice was authoritative, leaving no room for argument. “You entered a room that does not belong to you.”

“I said I didn’t know.”

“And now you know.”

He shook me once, his eyes fixed on mine. “Never do this again.”

My breath caught. “Please, let me go.”

He did not release me immediately. “This is Eira’s room,” he said, each word slow and firm. “You don’t touch her things. You don’t wear her things. You don’t move her things, and you don’t enter this room without my permission.”

“I wasn’t taking anything.”

“I don’t care.” His grip tightened for a moment. “You have no right to enter here.”

I stared at him, shocked by the anger in his voice.

 “I only touched them because I was admiring them.”

“Then admire things that belong to you.”

I swallowed hard.  “There are no things here that belong to me.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

His expression changed slightly.

I could not tell whether he was surprised or simply annoyed.

I looked away.

“I didn’t know this was Eira’s room,” I repeated, my voice quieter now. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have entered.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Axton finally released my arm.

I immediately stepped away from him, rubbing the place where his fingers had been.

He looked at me.

His expression was still cold.

“Make sure it never happens again.”

I looked at him, anger slowly replacing the fear that had filled me moments earlier.

“I understand.”

“Good.”

He turned toward the door.

I watched him for a few seconds before my anger finally overcame my fear.

“You could have just told me.”

He stopped.

His hand remained on the door handle.

I continued before I could lose my courage.

“You didn’t have to shake me.”

Axton slowly turned his head.

His eyes met mine.

The room suddenly felt quiet again.

“I gave you a warning.”

“No,” I replied, my voice trembling slightly but still firm. “You scared me.”

His jaw tightened.

I did not know whether he expected me to apologize or lower my head.

I did neither.

“I didn’t know this was Eira’s room,” I said again. “I didn’t steal anything. I didn’t damage anything. I didn’t even move anything from where I found it.”

He stared at me.

“You should have asked before entering.”

“I know that now.”

“Then remember it.”

“I will.”

He held my gaze for another moment before opening the door.

“Leave.”

The command was simple, cold, final 

I looked at him one last time before walking past him.

As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I felt the anger rushing through me.

I walked away without looking back, I had apologized, I had explained. I had told him the truth.

Still, he had treated me like a thief who had deliberately broken into Eira’s room.

I clenched my hands as I continued walking toward the kitchen.

I understood that the room belonged to Eira.

I understood that Axton loved her enough to protect everything she had left behind.

But I had not known.

That was what made me angry.

He could have simply told me to leave.

He did not have to make me feel like I had committed some terrible crime.

I reached the end of the hallway and stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.

Behind me, the door to Eira’s room remained closed.

And inside that room, Axton stood alone, staring at the jewelry Calista had touched.

He looked at the necklace she had held.

Then he looked toward the door through which she had disappeared.

For the first time, a small doubt crossed his mind.

Perhaps she really had not known.

But he pushed the thought away almost immediately.

He had already decided what he believed about her.

And he was not ready to change his mind.

Not yet.