Chapter 3

Elara POV:

The carriage ride to Silas's estate was silent and tense. When the wooden wheels finally stopped, I stepped out into the freezing morning air.

Before my boots could even touch the front steps, a woman in a dark grey uniform blocked my path. She was Selene's personal maid, left behind to manage the household.

"The main doors are for the master and his true guests," the maid sneered, looking me up and down with deep disgust. "Omegas and strays use the servant's entrance in the back."

Silas stepped out of the carriage behind me. His face darkened like a gathering storm cloud.

"Step aside, Martha," Silas growled, and the sudden drop in temperature was so sharp it felt like a pane of ice had been slid between us. "Elara is the lady of this estate now. Treat her with respect, or pack your bags."

The maid paled and quickly bowed her head, stepping out of the way.

I walked through the heavy wooden doors, taking in my new home. For a high-ranking Pack Judge, the estate was surprisingly bare. The furniture was simple wood, and the walls lacked the expensive tapestries common in noble houses. It proved the rumors right; Silas was a clean judge who never took a single bribe.

As Silas gave me a tour, I noticed a beautiful, enclosed courtyard at the center of the property. It was filled with rare, blooming winter roses and expensive marble benches, clashing with the rest of the plain house.

I took a step toward the glass doors leading into the garden.

"You cannot go in there," the maid interrupted again, her voice tight with defiance.

I looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

"That is Lady Selene's territory," the maid said loudly, making sure Silas heard every word. "The Master swore on the Moon Goddess that no other woman would ever step foot in her sacred garden."

I looked at Silas. His jaw was clenched tight, and a look of deep conflict clouded his eyes. He was a man rigidly obsessed with his own vows, trapped between the ghost of his past and the reality standing in front of him.

"It's fine," I said smoothly, cutting the tension. "I prefer the quiet anyway. Put me in the west tower."

The west tower was known to be drafty, cold, and isolated from the main living areas. Silas looked at me with immense pity and a heavy dose of guilt.

Later that evening, he knocked on the door of the tower. He handed me a heavy ring of iron keys and a stack of leather-bound ledgers.

"You are the lady here," Silas said softly. "The household is yours to command."

Over the next few weeks, a strange routine settled between us. We spent hours in his study, sitting by the fireplace. We discussed Pack laws, the shifting borders, and the movements of the dangerous Rogues in the wild lands. I found that our minds worked in perfect harmony.

One afternoon, a fellow judge visited the estate and found us laughing over a cup of tea.

"Hiding a beauty in your study, Silas?" his friend joked.

Silas smiled, a genuine, warm expression I had rarely seen.

"This is Elara," Silas said proudly, not hesitating for a second. "She is my Mate."

A strange flutter moved in my chest, but I quickly pushed it down.

The peaceful illusion shattered the very next morning.

A royal messenger arrived, handing me a thick, gold-embossed envelope. It was an invitation from the Luna Queen for a royal garden tea party.

I knew exactly what it was. It was a trap. But ignoring a direct summons from the Luna Queen was an act of treason.

I dressed in my simplest gown and took the carriage to the royal gardens. The moment I stepped past the grand marble fountain, I saw her.

Selene was standing by the water, wearing a lavish silk dress, a wicked, triumphant smile playing on her lips.

"You poor, foolish thing," she purred. "Did you truly think you could hide from me forever?"

My blood ran cold. I had walked straight into the lion's den—and the lion was hungry.