Chapter 2

I made my way through the mansion and to the elevator on the far side of the oversized building. No one seemed to notice me, or they just did not care, as they were all busy with their own tasks.

Adal was at last turning eighteen tomorrow, which meant he would at long last be receiving his blessing the next day as well.

Elizabeth and a few other wolves had already received their blessings before their eighteenth birthdays, but it was more often than not that a wolf received their blessings on their eighteenth birthday.

My birthday was also fast approaching. In three days, I would also be turning eighteen and receive my own blessing. At first, I used to hope that once I became a wolf, I would be accepted in the end within the pack, but at this point in my life, I wanted to use my blessing to ultimately leave this hellhole.

“Can I help you?” I was questioned when I arrived at the elevator by the young man assigned to guard it.

The man seemed a bit older than me. He had shaggy brown hair that fell to his shoulders.

“The Alpha told me to take the young master’s clean clothes to his room,” I explained to the man.

He nodded and opened the elevator for me, understandably not one to question the orders of the Alpha.

“Do you know how to get back downstairs?” he inquired.

“I can take the stairs,” I responded. “No need to make your job harder,” I commented.

“Very well,” he smiled gently at me.

I was a bit shocked to have someone smile at me, but I then recognized the young man. He was the newest addition to the pack. He had been thrown out of his own pack by his new Alpha and made into an outcast until the Hallow Wood Pack decided to take him in.

The only difference between us was the fact that he had already received his blessing before joining the pack. That meant that he had to go through his own trials to be broken, ones that are more difficult to survive than a life of servitude. Once the door of the elevator closed, I was lifted to the third floor of the mansion.

The first floor was lively and colorful in comparison to the dark and silent third floor. I grabbed the basket and made my way down to the single black door at the end of the hall that stretched out in front of the elevator.

“This should be it,” I said as I put the basket down and knocked on the door. “Laundry!” I announced.

I waited for over a minute before sighing in relief. “He must not be here right now,” I said as I opened the door.

I peered inside the dimly lit room but perceived no sign of life. I nodded to myself before grabbing the basket of clothes and making my way into the bedroom. I peered around the room and found the closet. I headed over to it and opened the closet door all the way.

“A walk-in closet?” I observed as I entered.

Part of the reason why Marian and I were surprised that Killian told me to take the laundry to Adal’s room was because I was not just dropping off the laundry; that was part of this task. I was also in charge of putting all the laundry away and returning the empty basket to the assigned bathroom.

“Well, at least it is as peaceful in here as it is out by the clothing line…” I whispered to myself as I started to put the clothing on hangers. I paused for a moment to admire the clothing.

“I wonder what it is like to wear designer clothing…” I thought aloud as I touched the fabric of the shirt I had hung up.

“Do you like designer clothing?”

I jumped out of my skin as I turned around to face the open closet door. I felt my panic rise as I noticed Adal leaning against the door frame. His already intimidating frame was made more so by the fact that he was shirtless, and his muscular torso was on full display.

I swiftly turned away from him. “I apologize, young master. I knocked on the door and checked for you before entering your space, but I did not see you,” I said with haste. “Forgive my rude intrusion into your space,” I asked for forgiveness.

Adal chuckled lightly. “Always so proper,” he commented. “Little Villi…” Adal spoke my name sweetly. “…the outcast with better manners than those actually born into the pack.”

“I just… know my place, young master,” I said as I kept my head low and returned to putting away his clothing.

“You would be surprised to learn that there are plenty of wolves in this pack who do not know their place,” Adal said.

I heard him moving about in the closet but did not look at him. I did not respond to his comments and tried my hardest to focus on putting his laundry away so I could leave his room.

“Huh?”

I froze as one of his muscular tan arms reached out from behind me. I watched as it pulled a black button-up shirt off its hanger before receding back behind me. I did not let out a sigh of relief once it was gone, however, because Adal was still a bit too close for comfort as he put his shirt on behind me.

“You know, it is considered disrespectful not to answer my question, Miss Proper,” Adal commented.

“Forgive me… I did not register that you had asked me a question because I was so startled by your presence,” I told him as I finished hanging up the last of his laundry.

I went to grab the basket to turn and leave but was stopped by Adal’s large hands grabbing me by the waist and turning me around to face him. His face was only a foot away from mine, making it difficult to keep myself from accidentally making eye contact with him.

“Then…” Adal started to speak. “…I apologize for scaring you, little Villi.” His voice was playful and serious at the same time. “So, now, will you answer my question?” he posed.

“What was your question?” I requested quietly.

Adal’s presence was intimidating, and the space around us was filled with tension. I did not know what this tension was but worried that if I said the wrong thing to him in this instance, I would not have to worry about trying to escape this pack. As much as I wanted to escape, I also wanted to live. I was not about to make a mistake now that would end my life before I was able to enjoy my freedom.

“I asked if you liked designer clothing?” Adal repeated.

I could not help but look at him in confusion. “Why does it matter what clothing I prefer?” I inquired, gesturing to the raggedy hand-me-downs I was currently wearing.

Adal gazed at me and smirked. “Because I need to know what clothing to fill my future Luna’s walk-in closet with.”