Chapter 3

3. Emma.

"Alright, young lady. This is as far as I go." The vehicle came to a stop before a large gate. A large, burly man in his late forties smoked at the wheel.

"Thank you, sir." I offered him some money but he refused.

"It's on the house."

"Oh Alexei no, I can't accept that—"

"We have known each other for a while now. This is the least I can do for you." He held a hand out and smiled at me.

"Thank you so much." I held my hands together, a show of gratitude.

Alexei winked at me and drove off with a cloud of tobacco smoke coming out of his driver's seat.

I sighed nervously and turned around, facing the large wrought iron gates. It was further down a path, lined with hedges on both sides. Three guards stared at me like hawks from a distance. I had felt their eyes on me the moment I touched down from the van.

I quickly brought out a mirror, checking my best dress—a well-fitted black dress with white helms and white cuffs at the end that stopped at my knee, which called for the occasion. I wanted to look smart in front of him, a good impression on the first day.

I glanced at the old watch on my wrist. Thirty minutes to noon, I was on time.

As I slowly made my way to the gate, a masked guard blocked the way.

"Stop there, your name and what is your purpose here lady!" he yelled the words a mile a minute.

" I—my name is Emma, I came here to see the Alpha."

All of a sudden, ten armed men came out of the hedges and glared menacingly at me. I felt like I was being interrogated.

"That's a lie. Turn around and leave, or you will be dealt with harshly. I won't repeat myself." He brought out a communication device and mumbled at it.

I quickly held out the paper with the seal and showed it to the guard. He snatched it from my hands and inspected it himself.

The guard quickly scanned my body with his eyes, which glowed bright green. A subtle reminder that he was a higher class of Lycan-kind. I clutched the side of my dress, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.

It was way different from the Alpha's own.

"Follow me," he barked at me. The guards suddenly cleared the way and I was allowed through.

The gates opened, revealing a sprawling white mansion on top of a small hill. Lush gardens spread around me, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Stay close behind me," the guard spoke gruffly as we stopped under the portico. It had some Olympian style influence with some Greco-Roman style pillars at the entrance.

A heavier guard appeared at the door in a black suit with a wolf emblem on it. A small scar ran across his cheek on the left side which increased his intimidating factor by a few hundred.

The guard I came with barely said a word. He just handed him the paper I had shown him, and Scarface (that was his name for now) received it and further scrutinised it with a magnifying glass that popped out of nowhere. I held my hands together as a sudden wave of nervousness washed over me.

He held on to the paper and glared daggers at me. "Follow me." His voice boomed. He suddenly turned away and I went after him. I gave a last look at the guard who brought me there.

He eyebrows were cocked as he rubbed his chin. It seemed like my coming here was something out of protocol for him.

I waited in a room with large portraits of previous leaders hanging on the walls. An old musket hung on the wall, beside a large mural that depicted the great war of clans that happened fifty years prior.

My interest was invested in it, because my knowledge on it was limited. A man, possibly an Alpha stood tall with a fierce expression on his face. Even his face bore some resemblance to actual wolves.

I hadn't seen any familiar faces among the guards, like Damien, who didn't like me much and his group. The one in the mansion was different, rougher and looked like killers—

The large red door interrupted my thoughts and Scarface emerged.

"The Lord of the land has summoned you." He held the door.

I got up and passed Scarface and he only narrowed his eyes at me. Maybe my throbbing heartbeat was too loud for his liking.

Scarface closed the door behind me and I looked around.

The sheer size of this room was enough to make me take a step back. It could have housed several market stalls and nobody would have had to get in their faces.

I heard footsteps behind me, and I realised there was a large staircase. The Alpha slowly descended, taking the red carpeted steps one at a time while studying me.

His large, broad shoulders, meshed into a black turtleneck sweater and black trousers, gave him the appearance of some sort of crime lord.

The question was almost loud. Was this the same person I met in the marketplace?

"Good afternoon my Lord." I bowed my head as low as my body could allow it.

I was met by silence and a pause in his cadence. The aura he let out was much different from what I remembered.

"Aren't you supposed to be on your knees when you greet me, woman?"

My knees buckled before I realised, and I was on the floor, bowing at him. My hands trembled in fear. I felt like I was his prey, and he could do anything he wished.

His voice, almost distorted, rough from harsh screams or a mixture of strange diets sounded almost normal, but it bore so much authority that my body was under immense pressure when he spoke.

His polished shoes stopped before my face and he looked down at me. " Raise your face woman, where did you get that seal from?" His voice carried an underlying threat, deep and menacing.

My palms felt damp with sweat. That was a first.

"You gave it to me, my—my lord." I hate it when I stutter. " Yesterday at the marketplace, you said I should come here for a job opening and I—"

He pulled my arm, raising me to my feet and I met his blazing fury. It was instantaneous, the electric-like energy coursed from the point of contact to our bodies, and he flinched.

Again?

"Who are you?" He questioned. His eyes were wide open as he wagged his wrists.

"I'm Emma, my Lord. I already told you—ah!"

Alpha Mason grabbed my arm and pulled me close. I shut my eyes to evade him, trembling like a leaf in a malicious maelstrom.

"What the hell do you take me for?!" The hairs on my skin were raised. "Where did you steal this?!" He grabbed my other arm and brought his face closer to mine

"OPEN YOUR EYES AND TELL ME THE TRUTH!"