Chapter 83
Lisa’s POV_
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I must have dozed off because the next thing I heard was a soft knock on the door. My eyes opened slowly. They were still heavy from the crying. The sun was higher now and was pouring golden light through the window and warming the room. I sat up and wiped the dried tears from my cheeks.
“Lisa?” Katherine’s gentle voice came through the door.
I cleared my throat. “Yes?”
“Breakfast is ready. Come eat with me?”
I hesitated. My body still ached from yesterday….from everything. But I forced myself to stand. I couldn’t hide in this room forever.
I opened the door, and Katherine stood there. She was holding two cups of something warm.
“Tea,” she said with a soft smile. “Chamomile. I figured you might need something to settle
your nerves.”
I took it from her with a grateful nod. “Thank you.”
She looked me over carefully. “Are you alright? Do you need anything else?”
“No. I think I’m okay,” I said, though my voice was a bit hoarse.
“Lisa,” she said, her tone gentle but firm. “If you need anything, even if it’s just someone to sit with you while you cry, please don’t hesitate. This house is yours too, okay?”
I nodded slowly. Something about her presence made the tightness in my chest ease a little.
She reached out and gave my arm a light squeeze. “Come on. Let me show you the dining
room.”
We walked down the hallway together. The sound of our footsteps was soft against the polished stone floors. Paintings of wolves lined the walls. Some were mid–shift. Others were howling beneath full moons. There was something mysterious and powerful about the artwork. Almost like the eyes in the paintings followed you.
“Your house is beautiful,” I said softly.
“Thank you,” Katherine replied. “My mother had an eye for things. She always said a house should tell a story.”
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“It does. It feels… like there’s history here.”
She nodded, smiling. “There is. Generations of alphas, warriors, and seers. My great–grandmother was a prophetess. At least, that’s what the legends say.”
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We turned a corner and stepped into the main dining room. It was large, yet still warm and inviting. A long rectangular table stretched across the room with high–backed wooden chairs lining each side.
At the head of the table sat a man. He looked to be in his forties, with thick brown hair that curled slightly at the ends and piercing green eyes that immediately locked onto mine. He was wearing a dark green long–sleeved shirt, buttoned neatly, and there was something incredibly controlled about his posture.
His face was unreadable. He didn’t smile.
But something about him felt familiar.
Where have I seen him before?
I stared at him, trying to place it. But my mind was blank. I didn’t even know his name yet, but something deep inside me stirred. It was like my soul recognized something my mind didn’t.
Finally, his lips lifted into a small and cold smile.
“Welcome to the Shadowrune Pack, Lisa,” he said in a voice which was smooth but void of
warmth.
Katherine stepped forward with a smile. “Lisa, this is my father. Alpha Fenric.”
I quickly bowed my head as a sign of respect. “Thank you for your help and hospitality, Alpha. I’m very grateful that you’re allowing me to stay at your pack.”
He nodded once. “There is no need to thank me. Alexandra is a dear friend to my daughter. If you mean something to Alexandra, then you have a place here.”
His words were formal. Almost rehearsed. But they gave no hint of hostility.
Still, I couldn’t shake the unease curling in my stomach.
Sierra stirred. Something about him isn’t right.
I know. He makes me nervous. Like he’s watching us too closely.
His eyes were still on me. He did not blink at all.
Katherine took my arm gently and led me to the chair beside her father. She sat to his left,
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and I sat on his right.
“Please, suit yourself,” she said while gesturing to the spread of food.
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There was everything–scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fluffy pancakes, fresh fruit, toast, croissants, cheese, and even small pastries. Everything looked delicious but my appetite was
gone.
What struck me as odd was that there were no other pack members in the room.
Where was everyone else?
I reached for a croissant to be polite. My hands felt cold despite the warmth of the tea I had sipped earlier.
Alpha Fenric was still staring. He was silent like a statue.
Katherine broke the silence.
“Father, we need to find another room for Lisa. She can’t stay in the guest room forever. She needs a space of her own.”
Alpha Fenric glanced at her and said simply, “We can make the guest room hers. There are enough rooms for other guests.”
Katherine nodded. “Okay, that works.”
She turned to me. Her expression softened. “You’re not eating much. Is the food not to your liking?”
I blinked and quickly took a large bite of the croissant. “No, it’s really good. I just… I’m not very hungry.”
The lie tasted bitter. The truth was I felt like I was being watched by a predator.
Sierra was pacing in my head. He’s not normal. Something’s hidden beneath that calm. We need to stay alert.
I took another bite and forced a smile.
Katherine clearly sensed the tension. She leaned in a little closer, her tone casual.
“So, tell me about yourself. What do you like doing? Hobbies, guilty pleasures, anything.”
I blinked at the sudden shift. But I was grateful.
“Um… I used to draw. Mostly sketches. Wolves, trees, faces. But I haven’t drawn in a long
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time.”
“Why not?”
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I shrugged. “I guess life got in the way. I wasn’t really allowed to waste time on things like that.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Waste time? Drawing is amazing. If I had any talent, I would sketch the entire forest outside my window.”
I chuckled softly. “You could still try.”
“Oh no. The last time I tried to draw a wolf, it looked like a potato with legs.”
I laughed a little louder, and even I was surprised by the sound.
Katherine beamed. “See? That’s better. You look prettier when you’re not frowning.”
“You’re really trying hard to cheer me up,” I said, grateful.
“Of course I am. It’s either that or let you be emotionally tortured by my silent and creepy
father.”
Alpha Fenric glanced at her but said nothing.
I stifled a giggle.
“I like tea,” I added. “That probably sounds boring, but I love trying different flavors.”
“That’s not boring at all. We have a whole collection upstairs. Jasmine, rose, mint, some weird mushroom blend that tastes like dirt but apparently helps with focus.”
“Sounds… earthy,” I said with a grin.
She grinned back. “You’ll fit in here. Weird tea preferences and all.”
I looked down at my plate again. The food still looked good, but my stomach was still tight. I took a bite of fruit and tried not to glance at Alpha Fenric, but I could feel his eyes.
He hadn’t touched his food.
He hadn’t said a word since welcoming me.
“Do you ever eat with other pack members?” I asked cautiously.
Katherine tilted her head. “Usually, yes. But Father likes a quiet breakfast. He prefers small company.”
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Or just control over the people at his table, I thought. But I kept that to myself.
Sierra was still uneasy. I don’t like this. We should keep our distance from him.
I agree. But we have nowhere else to go.
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Katherine nudged my hand. “Hey. If you ever feel like drawing again, we have a whole art room upstairs; paints, pencils, canvases, everything. My mom loved art too. You might like it.”
“Really? That sounds wonderful.”
“Good. Then it’s a date. Later today, I’m dragging you up there. No arguments.”
I smiled again. “Thank you, Katherine.”
She waved a hand. “Hey, I’m just trying to make up for the fact that my dad’s a terrifying vampire disguised as a werewolf.”
Alpha Fenric gave her a warning look. But there was a small twitch at the corner of his
mouth. Almost a smirk.
The mood lightened a bit. But my gut feeling didn’t go away.
There was something wrong here.
And deep down, I knew that this was only the beginning.
Chapter 84
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Chapter 84
