Kamrynn’s POV
The doctor finishes her final check-up and gives me a nod of approval. “You’re free to go,” she says, and relief washes over me. I never thought I’d be so glad to leave a hospital.
Elara is waiting just outside the room, tapping her foot impatiently. She swiftly handles the paperwork and gets me discharged without a hitch. She leads me outside, where a sleek, dark vehicle awaits. We set off toward the Blue Bell palace, and with every passing minute, I feel a mix of anticipation and nerves knotting my stomach. I’d been given a second chance, but the uncertainty of my future here still looms like a dark cloud.
The moment we arrive at the palace, I am struck speechless. The sight that greets me is beyond anything I could have imagined. The palace looms grand and majestic, its elegant spires reaching toward the sky as if trying to touch the heavens. Elaborate carvings adorn the stone walls, and gold trim glistens in the sunlight. Everything about it-the scale, the design, the richness of the decorations-feels like a dream. As we walk through the grand archways into the entrance hall, I find myself staring at the intricate frescoes painted across the ceilings, the marble floors that stretch on like rivers of white stone, and the lush tapestries draped on the walls.
“It’s… beautiful,” I breathe, my voice barely above a whisper.
Elara glances at me with a faint smirk. “Quite a bit different from what you’re used to, I imagine.”
I nod, almost unconsciously, too mesmerized to say anything more. The Blue Bell Pack is nothing like the Obsidian Pack I once belonged to. It’s like comparing a metropolis to a quaint little village. Back in the Obsidian Pack, the Pack house was a massive structure where everyone lived together, from the Alpha down to the lowest-ranked members. Calvin-ugh, just thinking his name sends a shiver down my spine-lived among the rest of us in the enormous multi-story building. Rooms were assigned by rank, and though it fostered a sense of unity and togetherness, it came with countless downsides.
Privacy was a rare luxury. You couldn’t walk down a hallway without bumping into someone, and the constant noise was a nightmare for an introvert like me. I often found myself retreating to the woods for solitude, though I’d be lying if I said that was the only reason I spent time outside. My stupid infatuation with Calvin had drawn me out there, too, though I hated admitting it to myself. He’d seemed so different back then, before everything went to hell. I shake my head. Those memories belong to a different life, a life I’ve left behind.
Now I’m here in the Blue Bell Pack and things are different-everything feels more spread out, more individual. Each Pack member has their own home, their own space. Businesses line the streets of the territory, and the palace, reserved for the Alpha and Luna, stands as a symbol of grandeur and authority. There’s a sense of freedom here, of openness, that I’d never felt in the confines of the Obsidian Pack. It’s like the city breathes with life, but in a way that allows you to keep your own breath.
I follow Elara as she leads me through the hallways, and we eventually come to a stop in front of a kind-looking older woman with a gentle smile and soft lines around her eyes. “Kamrynn, this is Tiona,” Elara says. “She’s the head maid and in charge of all palace duties.”
Tiona steps forward, extending her hand to me warmly. “Welcome, dear. You’ve come to the right place,” she says with a nod. “We’ll get you settled in no time. Come, I’ll show you around.”
“Thank you,” I say, taking her hand gratefully.
We start down another corridor, and Tiona keeps up a steady conversation, explaining the layout of the palace and the general duties I’ll be expected to perform. Her voice is warm, like a favorite grandmother’s, and it helps to settle my nerves as we walk. “We’ll make sure you know exactly where everything is,” she says kindly. “But don’t worry, it won’t all fall on your shoulders at once.”
As we continue the tour, I catch glimpses of the palace’s many wonders-the library with its walls of leather-bound books, the gardens with their perfectly sculpted hedges, and the grand dining hall that looks like it could host a hundred people. It’s all so different from what I’m used to-so different from the Obsidian Pack. Here, it’s as though everything is touched by a certain elegance, whereas the Pack house I once knew was all about practicality and communal life.
Just as we’re about to turn a corner, I hear raised voices echoing through the corridor. Tiona hesitates, glancing nervously in the direction of the commotion. We step closer, and that’s when I see them.