Chapter 7 The Summoning Of Alpha

• Seraphina’s POV
• This magnificent mansion is isolated from the world, making me almost forget the passing of time.
• Damien gave me a luxurious life, but also the utmost loneliness.
• He would leave during the day to handle affairs of his vast empire.
• At night, he would return, his burning gaze scrutinizing me, then marking me as his own in the most primal way, over and over again.
• Apart from him, I couldn't see any living werewolves in this mansion.
• There were only a few elderly, taciturn human servants who treated me with respect but also deep fear, rarely speaking to me.
• I felt like a bird locked in a cage.
• Most of my time was spent in the library on the west side of the mansion.
• The collection of books there was greater than that of the entire Elder Council of the Sterling Pack combined. Every day, I would read books written in the ancient werewolf language.
• I learned about forgotten tribal history, detailed accounts of bloodline powers, lost witchcraft recipes, and ancient tribal laws.
• My photographic memory, which I had possessed since childhood, became my anchor at that moment.
• I began to understand that the restless power within me did not stem from my mother’s weakness when she gave birth to me, but from a far more ancient and potent bloodline, struggling to awaken after generations of dormancy.
• I also realized why the elders of the Sterling Pack would rather endure a declining werewolf as the future mate of the Alpha than allow me to slip from their grasp.
• They were not simply abiding by the marriage contract, they coveted the secrets hidden in my bloodline.
• This realization sent a chill coursing through my entire body.
• I walked to the massive fireplace in the library, the warmth of the flames failing to touch the cold dread creeping over me.
• From my personal belongings, I retrieved a ring woven from Moonlight Herb, long dried, a token given to me by Aiden when he first proposed five years ago.
• Back then, I had naively believed that this was the beginning of my happily ever after.
• Now… how foolish that all seemed.
• I watched as the ring crumbled into ashes in the fireplace, the last trace of Aiden’s essence dissipating into the air, as if it had never existed.
• By the Moon Goddess above, I, Sterling Wilder, from this day forth, have no ties to the Sterling Pack!
• As I completed this silent farewell ritual, a faint commotion stirred outside the library.
• A human servant entered, bowing respectfully.
• "Miss Sera, the messenger from the Sterling Pack is waiting at the boundary forest outside the manor, specifically asking to see you."
• Messenger?
• I furrowed my brows.
• Following the servant, I crossed the vast, manicured garden and arrived at the outermost boundary of the manor, where colossal stones marked the border.
• Outside the boundary stood a werewolf in a Sterling Pack silver-gray uniform, his posture arrogant and commanding.
• Seeing him, my heart sank slightly.
• It was Kyle.
• One of Aiden’s most trusted subordinates.
• In the past, within the tribe, he had been one of the few warriors who did not openly look down on me, occasionally nodding politely when our paths crossed.
• But now, the look in his eyes toward me was nothing but undisguised contempt.
• "Seraphina," he greeted coldly.
• "On the orders of our Alpha, Aiden Sterling, I have come to summon you."
• Summon?
• I looked at him coldly. "My engagement with Aiden is over. What does his command have to do with me?"
• Kyle seemed taken aback by my response. He hesitated for a moment, then chuckled condescendingly.
• "You’ve learned to talk back during the days you were missing," he said, his gaze sweeping me from head to toe in the non-Sterling Pack dress I wore, his disdain almost palpable.
• "Seraphina, do not forget your identity. Even without the engagement, you are still part of the Sterling Pack. How dare you defy the Alpha’s command? This is a serious offense!"
• He drew a parchment from his pocket and tossed it across the boundary, landing at my feet on the grass.
• "This is the Alpha’s official summons. In three days, all Pack members will attend a peace banquet, and the Alpha commands you to be present as his partner. This is for the honor of the Sterling Pack,it cannot be refused!"
• Pack’s honor?
• When Aiden abandoned me to die at the Moon Goddess Festival for a priestess, did he not even think about the Pack’s honor?
• I remained silent, my gaze fixed coldly on him, watching a ridiculous fool.
• Kyle shifted uneasily under my stare, taking a subconscious step back.
• I smiled slowly, advancing until only the symbolic stone wall separating our territories stood between us.
• "Go back and tell Aiden Sterling…" I began, my voice steady.
• He instinctively straightened his back, anticipating resistance.
• "...I have received his summons,"
• I paused, letting my words sink in. Then I continued.
• "Also tell him, I will attend the peace banquet."
• Now, he was completely bewildered.
• I looked at his stunned expression, a hint of pity flashing in my eyes.
• "But not because of his command."
• "Because… between him and me, there should be a resolution."
• Kyle froze, struck dumb by my words. He probably never imagined that a woman he considered lowly would dare speak such boldness.
• He opened his mouth as if to argue, but swallowed his words when he met my icy gaze.
• Turning on his heel, he fled into the forest, his arrogance replaced by shame and disbelief.
• Watching him disappear, I slowly turned back toward the manor.
• The confrontation had nearly drained all my strength, yet I knew I could not give up.
• Back in the library, I approached the huge French window, my reflection staring back at me from the polished glass.
• Outside lay Damien’s territory, vast, primal, brimming with unmatched power.
• And I stood at the very center of it.
• The gown Damien had prepared for me clung to my skin like liquid silk, cold, yet tangible.
• Everything here had been given to me by him: a powerful, mysterious, terrifyingly paranoid man.
• He had imprisoned me, possessed me, yet also granted me unprecedented protection and… opportunities to learn.
• My reflection no longer held the eyes of a woman who only knew how to beg for mercy; instead, they gleamed with a determination even I had not fully recognized.
• I closed my eyes, feeling the ancient bloodline slowly awakening within me.
• Aiden…
• Amber…
• Sterling Pack…
• Let this banquet be the beginning of your nightmare.