The heavy oak door closed with a resounding thud behind Mr. Cummings and Lila. The silence that fell in the hall was thick, suffocating. Ariana stood rooted to the spot, Darius's cold words echoing in her mind. "I'll give her a room in this house but. Not a place in my life."
Tara stepped forward gently. "Luna Ariana? If you'll follow me, I'll take you to your chambers."
Ariana could only nod, her throat tight. She didn't look back at Darius or Vincent, who were now speaking in low, rumbling tones near the front of the hall. She followed Tara up a grand staircase, the stone cold beneath her thin shoes.
"Is... is this a very large house with lots of people?" Ariana asked, just to break the crushing silence.
Tara offered a small, sad smile. "yes, it's very large, it has Many rooms and Many... people."
They walked down a long corridor lined with dark portraits. At the very end, Tara stopped in front of a door. It wasn't the grand master suite Ariana might have imagined for a newlywed Luna. It was... just a room.
"This will be yours," Tara said softly. "Anything you need, just call for me. There is a bell pull by the bed."
Ariana stepped inside. It was comfortable, clean, but impersonal. A bed, a wardrobe, a small desk. No sign that anyone expected her to share it. No sign that she was anything more than a temporary guest, or worse, a prisoner.
"Thank you, Tara," Ariana said, her voice barely a whisper.
Tara lingered for a moment. "The gardens can be lovely in the morning," she offered. "And the library... has many old books, just incase you might want to look around ." It sounded like advice. Like suggesting places to hide.
"Okay," Ariana said, managing a small, weak smile.
Tara nodded, her eyes full of a sympathy Ariana hadn't seen from anyone in a long time. Then, she quietly closed the door, leaving Ariana alone in the silence of her assigned cage.
The days that followed blurred into a quiet, isolated routine. Ariana did as Tara suggested. She spent hours in the sprawling, overgrown garden, finding a strange comfort among the neglected roses and climbing vines. She lost herself in the vast library, the scent of aged paper a soothing balm. She ate her meals mostly in silence, sometimes alone, sometimes at a long table with faces she didn't know – pack members who either ignored her completely or gave her wary, suspicious looks. She saw Darius rarely, usually at dinner. He sat at the head of the table, a silent, imposing figure, rarely speaking, never looking at her.
One afternoon, sitting in the library, a tall figure appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a lazy, confident air.
"Well, well, well" a voice drawled, light but with an edge of amusement. "Look what the cat dragged in. Still hiding in here, Luna?"
Ariana looked up, startled. It was a blond man with a cocky smirk and sharp grey eyes. She vaguely remembered seeing him near Darius.
"I'm not hiding, stop saying that," Ariana said quietly, closing the book she was reading.
"Aren't you?" He pushed off the doorframe, walking towards her table with a slow, deliberate stride. "Most people brought into the Alpha's Den tend to make themselves seen. Make themselves known. Unless they're... not planning on staying long?"
He wasn't just teasing; he was probing. Testing. "I was told I could use the library," Ariana replied, keeping her voice steady.
"Oh, you can use anything you like," he said, leaning in, his grey eyes sparkling with mischief. "For now, anyway. What fascinating topic occupies the Luna's mind today? Herbal remedies? Proper wolf etiquette? Or perhaps," he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "how to tame a beast?"
Ariana felt a blush creep up her neck. "It's just... history," she mumbled. "Old histories."
He chuckled, a low, pleasant sound that contradicted the sharpness in his eyes. "History, huh? Think you can learn about us from books?" He paused, his gaze lingering. "I'm Lucien, by the way. Lucien Wolfe. Alpha Darius's humble second also known as his Beta."
"I'm Ariana," she said, though he clearly already knew.
"Ariana," he repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. "Tell me, Ariana. Do you believe everything you read?"
"Not always," she said, meeting his gaze.
"Good," he grinned. "Then perhaps you won't believe everything you hear about us, either. Or about... him." He gestured vaguely towards the parts of the manor Darius inhabited. "Or about you." He tilted his head. "You're not quite what I expected. More... mouse than moon."
Before Ariana could respond, another voice cut in, sharp and cold.
"Lucien. Can you Stop bothering her."
Amara stood in the doorway, fiery red hair framing a face set in a permanent scowl whenever she looked at Ariana. Her wolfish amber eyes narrowed.
Lucien straightened up, his casual demeanor shifting slightly. "Just making conversation, Amara. Getting to know our new Luna."
"She's not our Luna," Amara spat, stepping into the room. She ignored Lucien and directed her glare at Ariana. "She's not supposed to be here. she... won't be here for a long time because she is a substitute."
Amara walked closer, her voice dropping but laced with poison. "You look tired, Luna. Is the grand life too much for you? Or is it the wolf's cage? Must be hard, knowing you don't belong. Knowing you were just... given away just like that by your own family."
Ariana felt her cheeks burn, but she refused to look away. "I am here anywhere, so how I came here doesn't matter anymore," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
"For now," Amara sneered. "Enjoy the library while you can. It's probably the only place in this house you won't feel completely useless."
Lucien sighed softly. "Amara, ease up what the heck is wrong with you."
"Stay out of it, Lucien," Amara snapped, then turned her cutting gaze back to Ariana. "Some of us actually work here. We train. We protect. But you What do you do? Look pale and read books? huh , so Pathetic."
Ariana took a deep breath. "I didn't ask to be here, so why the hate?."
"And we didn't ask for you," Amara retorted instantly. "But you are here. And you're in the way." She threw one last contemptuous look at Ariana before turning sharply and leaving the library.
Lucien watched Amara go, a complicated expression on his face. He then looked back at Ariana, his smirk gone. "She can be... direct," he said dryly.
"She hates me, and she doesn't hide it, I guess she is the powerful omega right?" Ariana stated simply.
"yes she is , well She... has her reasons," Lucien said vaguely. He paused, then his smirk returned, though it seemed less genuine this time. "Don't mind Amara. She just doesn't like change. Or outsiders. Or anyone she thinks is getting too close to what she wants." He didn't elaborate on what Amara wanted, but the implication hung heavy in the air