AMORA'S POV;
The darkness outside my window stretched endlessly, the moon hanging low in the sky like a distant guardian. For the first time in what felt like forever, I had slept peacefully. I blinked into the dim light of the room, feeling groggy but oddly content. My mind scrambled to piece together the events of the day—fragments of memories swirling together, still half-formed in my head. Then it hit me. I hadn't fallen asleep in this room.
The wolf.
I shot upright in the bed, my heart racing as the realization settled in. The last thing I remembered was being outside, in the garden, with a massive silver wolf at my side. How did I get back here? A wave of confusion rushed over me, followed quickly by embarrassment. Amora, you must be losing your mind, I thought to myself. You slept beside a wolf.
What if it had attacked me in my sleep? The notion should have terrified me, but strangely, it didn't. Instead, I found myself more perplexed than afraid. "Amora, Amora," I muttered under my breath, chastising myself. "You really are a fool, aren't you?"
The room was quiet, the only sound coming from my own rapid heartbeat. I glanced around, trying to make sense of it all. The bed beneath me was soft, far softer than the cold earth of the garden where I had drifted off. How could I not remember waking up, let alone how I had ended up here? A deep sense of unease crept over me, tugging at the edges of my thoughts. Was it him? I wondered, my mind jumping to the one person who seemed to hold answers to everything in this strange new world. Could it have been him who brought me here?
I shook my head, dismissing the thought almost as quickly as it had come. Zale? Worry himself about carrying me inside? It didn't seem like him at all. He was cold, aloof, and distant. He had saved me once, yes, but carrying me from the garden just so I wouldn't sleep outside like some fool? That felt like too much to hope for. And yet, a small, irritating voice inside me whispered that it was him. A part of me wanted it to be him. Why? I had no idea. Maybe because I wanted to believe that there was more to him than the stoic, stone-faced alpha I had come to know. Maybe I wanted to believe there was something else—something softer—hidden beneath that cold exterior.
But no, that didn't matter. What mattered was that somehow, I had a new pet—a massive, silver wolf who seemed to have taken an interest in me. The thought made me smile despite myself. I wonder if he'll come see me again...
My idle musings were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "Yeah, come in," I called out, my voice hoarse from sleep. The door creaked open, and a maid stepped inside, bowing her head respectfully as she approached. That bow again—another reminder that I didn't belong in this place. It still felt odd, people treating me with such reverence, as if I were someone important. I had to assume it was out of fear of Zale. No one here seemed willing to cross him, and I couldn't blame them. But to bow to me? It made me feel...unsettled, as if I were playing a role I didn't understand.
"Miss," the maid began, her voice soft and careful, "the Alpha has requested your presence for dinner."
My stomach tightened at the mention of Zale. So, he was expecting me. "Erm... tell him I'll be down soon," I replied, trying to sound casual even though my nerves were starting to fray. The maid bowed again—that bow—and left without another word.
I stared after her for a moment, my mind still whirling. Zale wanted to have dinner with me? The idea shouldn't have made my palms sweat, but it did. It felt like walking into the lion's den, or in this case, the wolf's den. Still, I had no choice. I couldn't exactly refuse an invitation from the Alpha, especially when I was living under his roof. With a resigned sigh, I dragged myself out of bed, determined not to smell like I'd rolled in dirt.
I made my way to the bathroom, grateful for the hot shower that helped wash away some of my lingering anxiety. As the water poured over me, I tried to collect my thoughts, bracing myself for whatever awaited me downstairs. My mind kept drifting back to the wolf. To the way he had looked at me with those piercing eyes, not with the wild hunger of a predator but with something else entirely. A connection I didn't understand. And more importantly, how had I felt safe? I should have been terrified, but instead, I had fallen asleep beside him like it was the most natural thing in the world. What did that say about me?
I shook off the thoughts as best as I could, hurriedly drying off and throwing on a simple dress. I had heard enough murmurs around the house to know that Zale wasn't a fan of laziness, and I didn't want to keep him waiting. As I descended the stairs, the sense of unease grew heavier with each step. The guards didn't stop me this time, nor did they follow me, which only added to my suspicion that something was different tonight.
When I entered the dining room, my expectations shattered in an instant.
It wasn't just Zale sitting at the long table. My eyes were immediately drawn to two unfamiliar figures seated beside him, both of them staring at me with expressions that mirrored my own confusion. Who were they? Why were they here? I hadn't been prepared for this—whatever this was. I had expected an awkward dinner with Zale, the man who saved me yet somehow made me feel like I was walking on a tightrope every time I was near him. But now... now there were strangers involved.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure as my heart thudded in my chest. Who were these people, and why did they look at me like I was some sort of anomaly?