Jade’s pov:
The servants looked at us with something akin to puzzlement, as mom and I walked behind the man who had brought us here. The driver followed us with our luggages trailing behind him. We might not be real guests, but they were treating us rather well.
The man, who was just as impossible to read as the building was austere, turned out to be the gamma, for he had been greeted with great respect a couple of times already Gamma Spencer, they called him.
He led us to what appeared to be the dining room, where the one I recognized as the beta was sitting at a big table, a laptop in front of him.
It was eerily silent, and one could almost hear a needle drop.
He focused his gaze on us after a beat, his expression still that of a bored man who couldn’t care less about us. I couldn’t help but find him a tad bit haughty, and I hated overly confident people with a passion that had for only equal my hatred for liars.
“Beta Marc,” the gamma let out in greetings, “As per his highness’ orders, I brought Luna Jade here.”
“And who’s that woman next to her?” He asked, his fingers tapping in what appeared to be puzzlement, but could very well be annoyance, on the wooden table.
“Her mother,” he declared at once.
The man seemed to repress a scoff, and I bristled at once.
Mom spoke up before I did though, “Surely you didn’t think we’d let our Luna venture alone in unfamiliar, and possibly dangerous territory.”
She had made sure to use my title of Luna, instead of calling me her daughter, which would have made me seem like a laughably sheltered baby.
“Are you saying you don’t trust us?” The beta raised an eyebrow in a challenging and somewhat incredulous manner.
“No offense, but I am an elite warrior. I trust no one.”
My mother’s tone of voice was saccarine, but one could detect the animosity behind her words. She hadn’t liked the welcome he gave us, and wasn’t scared to give him a piece of her mind. And that had to come as a surprise to the beta.
“None taken,” he said after a moment, nodding in what appeared to be understanding.
Silence stretched between us for a moment, and I admired the dining room’s luxurious furniture for a brief moment, before saying, “Are you going to offer us a seat?”
He flashed me a yellow predatory smile before saying, “I will do something even better. I will have someone lead you to your rooms. After the journey you’ve had, I believe you need rest. The Alpha King is tied down with some business anyway…”
“Much obliged,” I nodded at him, while making sure my tone was imbued with the deference he was due.
Soon, a female servant greeted us in a soft tone of voice, from where she came to a halt behind us, “Good evening my ladies. Please allow me to lead you to your rooms.”
“Sure,” I nodded at her, a smile stretching my lips.
Reflexively, I put a hand on my belly, as I felt unease creep up on me.
Out of the corner of my right eye, I soon saw someone standing by the wall, almost as if trying to merge with the shadows there. I had not sensed the little girl, and she didn’t feel like a werewolf.
Upon meeting my gaze, she let out a whimper, and I could only wonder if there was anything scary about my face at the moment.
“Are you okay?” I asked in a soft tone of voice, not wanting to startle the child.
She let out a little bit of shriek, before scurrying away, as quickly as her little limbs would allow her.
A giggle escaped me at the sight, even though I was worried I might have frightened her.
“Don’t let Anna’s behavior get to you, Luna Jade,” the servant told me at once, even as she kept looking forward, leading us down a narrow corridor. “She’s the witch’s daughter, and she’s always been a peculiar child.”
“I see,” I nodded in understanding.
Stopping near the first door to her right after a beautiful blue vase, the servant said, motioning with her hand, “This will be your room here, Luna Jade. We’ve arranged for your companion to have the room next to yours. I hope they will be satisfactory.”
The woman sure knew how to speak respectfully, but it sounded fake to my ears. I wasn’t sure whether I only thought so because I was exhausted after the tiresome journey, or if my instincts were on point. But I would naturally keep my guard up around these people I didn’t know.
Then, I realized how they saw me too. To them, I was but a stranger invading their terrirtory, and they didn’t know how to deal with me either.
I opened the door to my room, and I would have to admit that it was spotless.
“Lovely. Thank you,” I commented as I entered it.
I opened the window at once though, not liking the lavender scent that had been sprayed around, which was a bit too much for my pregnant senses.
“My name is Gertrude, but everyone calls me Trudy,” she went on, “and I will do my best to make your stay enjoyable.”
“Thank you, Trudy,” I nodded at her, a sweet smile stretching my lips.
“Let me just check the other room with…”
“That’s my mom,” I told her a bit absent-mindedly as I opened my suitcase, ready to empty it and put the clothes away in the closet.
“Oh, I see,” her smile broadened for some reason. “I will be right back. You needn’t worry yourself with your luggage. I will take care of it for you.”
I blinked twice, almost as if I had a hard time comprehending her words, before telling her, “It’s okay. I can handle it.”
“Are you sure?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Positive,” I nodded at her without delay.
My phone soon went off. I had texted Alex to tell him we had arrived earlier, even though I knew he must be in touch with Trevor, and this was when he was calling me.
I first Inhaled deeply to resist the magnetic pull of his deep voice, which I loved in more ways than one, and then took the call.