Alison’s POV
A soft tickle grazed my cheek, stirring me awake. My eyes fluttered open to see Xander’s face close to mine, his familiar smile warming me instantly.
“We’re here,” he murmured, his voice a gentle rumble. I blinked, still dazed from sleep, as he nodded toward the window. “Look outside, Ally.”
I turned my head, my mouth dropping open at the sight beyond the glass. We were parked before an enormous castle, but this wasn’t anything like the dark, stoned fortress Kendrick called home. This castle was modern, gleaming with elegance and style, a masterpiece of towering spires, vast gardens, and pristine walls that caught the morning light like something from a dream. The air seemed lighter, free from the tension that always lingered around Silver Moon.
“Wow,” I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away. “It’s… beautiful.”
Xander’s hand gently touched my chin, bringing my gaze back to him. “Do you like it?”
All I could do was nod, a genuine smile stretching across my face.
“Good,” he said, his eyes softening. “Because it’s home now. Your home, Alison.”
His words made my heart flip, disbelief mingling with a flicker of hope. Home. The thought was foreign but thrilling, a warm place waiting for me. He helped me out of the car, his hand wrapped firmly around mine as he guided me toward the grand doors. I was stepping into a new world, one I didn’t fully understand but wanted desperately to belong to.
The interior was even more magnificent. Everywhere I looked, there was something new to marvel at.. soaring ceilings, gleaming floors, walls decorated with paintings that seemed centuries old, yet somehow timeless. Xander’s touch lingered on my arm as he led me through the castle, pausing in each room to give me time to take it all in. His face lit up as he showed me everything from the ornate dining hall to the library filled with more books than I’d seen in a lifetime, to his Study office. His pride in his home was unmistakable, and as he shared it with me, I felt that maybe I was out of place, I had so much to adjust to.
We finally stopped before a door at the end of a long, marble-floored hallway. Xander opened it with a small smile, gesturing for me to step inside.
“This is your room.”
I crossed the threshold, feeling my breath catch. The room was massive, elegantly decorated with plush rugs and silk curtains that billowed slightly in the breeze from the open windows. A massive bed, draped in fine linens, dominated the room. To the side was a cozy sitting area with a grand fireplace, and across from that, a closet with its doors slightly open, revealing rows of clothes I could never have imagined myself owning.
“Xander, I… I don’t know what to say,” I stammered, completely overwhelmed.
He gave me a warm, reassuring smile. “You don’t have to say anything. Just make yourself at home. Everything you need is here. Take your time to settle in, if you need more do not hesitate to let me know”
With a final squeeze of my hand and a soft kiss on my forehead, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him. I stood there in silence, turning slowly to take it all in. It was too much to process. Just hours ago, I’d been shackled in a cold and shabby slaves quarter, hidden away by Kendrick as though I were some dirty secret. And now… I had this. I could hardly believe it.
I walked to the closet, my fingers brushing over the beautiful dresses and outfits hanging there, clothes that I knew were meant for me. Clothes that felt like they belonged to another life, another person.. someone free and cherished. I turned away, feeling almost dizzy, and decided a bath might calm me down. I found the bathroom, a luxurious expanse of marble and soft lighting, and let the hot water soothe me as I sank into the tub, washing away the grime and fear from Silver Moon.
As I lay in bed afterward, the soft sheets wrapped around me, I felt a flicker of contentment, of peace. Maybe, just maybe, I could start over here.
But that hope was short-lived. My door flew open with a loud bang, jolting me upright. A tall woman in her early fifties stormed in, her face set in a stern, disapproving scowl. Behind her was a younger woman, elegant and poised, her gaze cold and assessing as it landed on me.
I scrambled out of bed, pulling the robe tighter around me as I moved to greet them. “Hello,” I began, my voice uncertain.
The older woman sized me up with a gaze that made me feel like an insect under a magnifying glass. Her mouth curled in disdain. “So, you’re the little stray Pup my son brought back,” she sneered, her voice sharp as a dagger. “The shameless slave.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. I wanted to argue, to defend myself, but I couldn’t find the words.
The woman stepped closer, her presence filling the room. “Now listen up, You don’t belong here,” she continued, her voice dropping to a low, venomous tone. “I don’t know what Xander sees in you, but let me make one thing clear: you will never be the Luna of Night Fang not under my watch.”
Her words hit me like a slap, and I struggled to keep my composure, refusing to show her the fear bubbling up inside me. But she wasn’t finished.
“This,” she said, gesturing to the young woman at her side, “is Caitlyn. The woman who will be Xander’s Luna. They are meant to be together, and I won’t let some nobody like you ruin that.”
The younger woman, Caitlyn, gave me a tight, condescending smile. Her eyes held a mix of pity and disdain, as though she were regarding a child who had foolishly overstepped her place. I forced myself to meet her gaze, though I could feel my heart pounding.
Xander’s mother took one last sweeping look at me, her face etched with disgust. “You’re nothing here,” she said, her voice dripping with finality. “Nothing more than a plaything my son dragged in from the gutters. And I will not allow you to tarnish our family’s legacy.”
With that, she turned and stormed out, Caitlyn following close behind, her cool, haughty gaze lingering on me for a moment before she left. The door slammed shut, leaving the room echoing with the venom of her words.
I sank back onto the bed, my whole body trembling. I had just come here, just started to feel safe, and now… this. The future I’d dared to imagine was crumbling before my eyes, replaced by the bitter reality that I was nothing but an outsider here. Xander’s mother had made her intentions clear without mincing words, I wasn’t welcome. And no matter what Xander had assured me, I could already feel the weight of her rejection pressing down on me.
I pressed a hand to my chest, fighting back the tears threatening to spill over. Running was all I’d known, all I’d been wanting to do right from my days in Silver Moon . Maybe running was my only option. I couldn’t go through the same pain I’d endured in Silver Moon, not here, not again.
Just as I started to consider my escape, the door creaked open. I whipped around, half-expecting Xander’s mother to have returned with more cruel words. But it was Xander. He stepped in, his eyes full of concern as he looked at me.
“Ally?” he said softly, crossing the room to sit beside me. “Are you okay?”
I forced a shaky smile, shrugging as I tried to hide my fear. “Your mother… she doesn’t seem to want me here, Xander,” I whispered. “She doesn’t think I belong.”
His expression darkened, and he took my hands in his, gently pressing a soft kiss on my knuckles, his touch warm and steady. “I don’t care what my mother thinks,” he said firmly, his eyes blazing with determination. “You’re with me, Ally. I brought you here because you deserve to be safe and free. You’re not going anywhere neither am I.”
But even as he held me close, I couldn’t shake the unease that had taken root inside me. His mother’s words echoed in my mind, a chilling reminder of the power she wielded. I knew one thing for certain, this was far from over. This was only the beginning.
And deep down, I feared that no matter what Xander said, I’d never truly belong here.