Chapter 14

We were in unusually high spirits as we bustled about the kitchen, preparing an elaborate feast. The atmosphere was lighter than usual, almost as if the air itself carried the scent of freedom we had been longing for. Even Lily, usually the most energetic of us, seemed more vibrant, moving her hips in time to a tune only she could hear as she stirred a massive pot of stew.

"Why are we rolling our eyes now?" she teased, catching my expression. "We should be dancing." She twirled dramatically, the wooden spoon in her hand splashing a bit of broth onto the floor.

I laughed, shaking my head as I sliced through the pile of onions in front of me. "I know, I'm just... impatient, I guess."

Anna gave me a light smack on the shoulder with her dishcloth. "Be grateful, young lady. None of that attitude in my kitchen."

I grinned at her, warmth spreading in my chest. Anna was the glue that held us together, a mother figure who made us feel safe in a world where safety was a luxury. I hadn't felt this sense of belonging in so long, not even with my old group before... Armani. My chest tightened at the thought. Armani would have loved Anna and Lily.

Anna must have noticed something in my expression because she paused. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

I smiled faintly, blinking back the sting of tears. "Just missing someone. She would've loved you both."

Lily turned away from her pot, her eyes soft and understanding. "Wherever she is, I'm sure she's happy you've found us. You deserve this," she said with a small, reassuring smile.

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah, maybe."

The moment was broken by Sophie, who stormed into the kitchen with a tray balanced precariously on one hand, a sour expression etched on her face.

"What the hell is this feast for anyway?" she grumbled, dumping the tray onto the counter with a loud clang.

"There's a celebration," Anna replied, her voice laced with mystery. "But they won't say what it's for. Only the Alpha and Beta seem to know the details."

I frowned, my curiosity piqued. "So everyone else is just celebrating without knowing why?"

Sophie smirked, grabbing a glass of water. "And they say humans are dumb."

"Imagine that," I muttered, shaking my head.

Before I could say more, a deep, commanding voice cut through the lively chatter. "You," one of the Alpha's men said as he stepped into the kitchen, pointing directly at me.

The room fell silent, the weight of his presence stifling the warmth we had built.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously, standing straighter under his piercing gaze.

"You're the King's personal slave, aren't you?"

I bristled inwardly at the demeaning term but managed a nod.

"Come." He thrust a hanger holding the Alpha's tailored suit and coat at me. "Take this upstairs, but first, deliver these to his office." He handed me a thick stack of files, the weight of them almost tipping me over.

Without another word, he turned and left.

Anna, Lily, and Sophie exchanged worried looks as I followed him out, my arms straining under the weight of the files. Lily's face said it all: Stay out of trouble.

\---

The files were heavier than they looked, and I shifted them awkwardly in my arms as I climbed the stairs. Reaching the office door, I paused to balance the files and knock. As I adjusted my grip, I froze, catching snippets of a conversation from inside.

"It's time," an unfamiliar voice said. "They are ready. They will resurrect when the full moon ascends tonight..."

My breath hitched. 'Resurrect?'

Before I could process the words, the door swung open, revealing a tall man with piercing ice-blue eyes and silver-gray hair. He stared at me, his gaze sharp and calculating, as though he were peeling away every layer of my being.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice cold and precise.

"I... I came to deliver these," I stammered, forcing my eyes away from his and into the room behind him.

My heart sank. Two ornately carved coffins lay at the center of the office. They looked ancient, their lids etched with strange symbols that seemed to pulse faintly in the dim light.

"Let her go," Elijah's voice called from within the room.

The man snatched the files and suit from my hands, slamming the door in my face before I could react.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door, my mind racing. Coffins? In the Alpha's office? And what had that man said about resurrection?

I shook my head and hurried back downstairs. "I must be imagining things."

\---

The night dragged on, filled with endless trays of champagne and tired smiles from humans too drained to share in the celebration. The hall was alive with laughter, music, and the tinkling of glasses, but the Alpha and Beta were conspicuously absent.

Unable to shake the unease from earlier, I found myself climbing the stairs again, the excuse of delivering refreshments ready on my tongue. The house was bustling, but no one paid attention to a lowly servant. Most ignored me; a few glared but kept walking.

Reaching the office, I slowed my pace. The music and voices from below masked my movements as I approached the door. My heart raced, a mixture of fear and reckless curiosity driving me forward.

I crouched low, peering through the keyhole.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

A young woman sat on the edge of the desk, her snowy white-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. She was beautiful, otherworldly, but her mouth was smeared with blood. She smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she licked her lips.

The Alpha stood beside her, his wrist bleeding as she drank from it.

A man stepped into view, dusting off the suit I had delivered earlier. His dark hair gleamed in the dim light as he admired his reflection in a nearby mirror.

"This generation is... intriguing," he said, his voice smooth and amused. "Your efforts were not in vain, brother."

The Alpha wiped his wrist, his expression cold. "It wasn't difficult. We are the hunters now."

The woman on the desk clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, I just can't wait to see the world again! So much must have changed!" She twirled in her bloodstained dress, the fabric old and worn, as though it belonged to a bygone era.

My breath caught as realization dawned. 'Resurrection.' They weren't alive-at least, not in the way I understood life.

The Alpha's head snapped toward the door, and in a blur, he was there, his face inches from mine. Ghosts or worse ? I must have been going crazy,

Before I could react, my heart dropped. The tray fell on the floor as my body gave out, darkness closed in, and I collapsed into his arms.