Chapter 5: The House of Wolves
1300 Words
Brittany's POV
I stared at David Blackwell's face, and my mind went blank.
He wasn't old. He wasn't seventy or sixty or even fifty. He was young. Maybe in his early thirties. His face was sharp and handsome, with a strong jaw and dark eyes that seemed to see right through me. His black hair was perfectly styled, and his suit looked like it cost more than a car.
But it was his eyes that made my breath catch. I had seen those eyes before. At the masked ball. Six months ago.
"You," I whispered.
David smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile. It was the smile of a man who always got what he wanted. "Yes. Me."
"You were at the ball. You were the man I danced with."
"I was."
My head was spinning. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me think you were old and sick?"
"Because I wanted to see if you would sign the contract anyway," David said calmly. "And you did."
I felt anger rising in my chest. "You lied to me."
"No," David said. "I let others lie for me. There's a difference."
Before I could respond, the car pulled through a massive iron gate. I looked out the window and felt my jaw drop.
The Blackwell Manor was not a house. It was a fortress. The building was enormous, made of dark stone with tall windows and towers that reached into the sky. It looked like a castle from a movie. The driveway was lined with perfectly trimmed hedges and fountains. Everything screamed wealth and power.
The car stopped in front of the main entrance. One of the men in black suits opened my door.
"Welcome home, Mrs. Blackwell," David said.
Mrs. Blackwell. The name felt strange and heavy on my shoulders.
I stepped out of the car and looked up at the mansion. It was beautiful, but it felt cold. Like a prison made of marble and gold.
The front doors opened, and a woman in a maid's uniform stepped out. She was in her forties, with kind eyes and a warm smile.
"Welcome, Miss Brittany," she said. "My name is Elena. I'll be taking care of you during your stay."
"Thank you," I said quietly.
David walked past me without a word and disappeared into the house. Elena gestured for me to follow her.
"Mr. Blackwell is very busy with work," Elena said as we walked through the entrance hall. "He asked me to show you to your room and make sure you have everything you need."
The inside of the mansion was even more overwhelming than the outside. The floors were white marble. The walls were covered in expensive paintings. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, sparkling like stars. Everything was perfect. Everything was cold.
Elena led me up a grand staircase and down a long hallway. She stopped in front of a door and pushed it open.
"This is your room," she said.
I stepped inside and felt my breath catch. The room was huge. There was a king-sized bed with silk sheets, a sitting area with a fireplace, and a balcony that overlooked the gardens. Everything was decorated in soft whites and golds.
"If you need anything, just press this button," Elena said, pointing to a panel on the wall. "I'll come right away."
"Thank you," I said.
Elena smiled at me, but there was something in her eyes. Something that looked like pity.
"Get some rest, Miss Brittany," she said. "You've had a long day."
She left, closing the door softly behind her.
I stood in the middle of the room, feeling small and lost. This was my life now. A beautiful cage.
I walked over to the bed and sat down. My hand went to my stomach, where my baby was growing. I hadn't told David about the pregnancy. I didn't know how. I didn't even know if I should.
I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring my room. There was a closet filled with designer clothes in my size. A bathroom with a bathtub big enough to swim in. A desk with fresh flowers. Everything I could ever want, except freedom.
When the sun started to set, I decided to leave my room. Elena had said David was busy, but I wanted to see more of the house. I needed to understand where I was and what kind of life I had signed up for.
I walked down the hallway, my footsteps echoing on the marble floor. The mansion was eerily quiet. There were no voices. No laughter. Just silence.
I turned a corner and nearly ran into someone.
It was a man. Tall, with the same dark hair as David, but his face was different. Softer. His eyes were a lighter brown, and they looked at me with an expression that made my skin crawl.
"Well, well," he said, his voice smooth and oily. "You must be the new bride."
I took a step back. "I'm Brittany."
"I know who you are," he said, stepping closer. His eyes moved slowly down my body and back up to my face. "I'm Thomas. David's older brother."
He smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. It was the smile of a wolf looking at a lamb.
"You're even more beautiful in person," Thomas said. "David always did have good taste in property."
Property. The word made my stomach turn.
"Excuse me," I said, trying to move past him.
Thomas reached out and grabbed my wrist. His grip was tight. "Where are you going? I just wanted to welcome you to the family."
"Let go of me," I said, my voice shaking.
He stared at me for a long moment, then slowly released my wrist. "Of course. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
But the look in his eyes said otherwise.
I turned and hurried back to my room, my heart pounding. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath.
A few minutes later, there was a soft knock. I opened the door to find Elena standing there with a tray of food.
"I thought you might be hungry," she said.
"Thank you," I said, taking the tray.
Elena hesitated, then leaned in close. "Miss Brittany," she whispered. "Stay in your room at night. And always lock the door."
My blood ran cold. "Why?"
But Elena just gave me a sad look and walked away.
I set the tray down on the desk and walked over to the door. I turned the lock and heard it click into place. The sound should have made me feel safe, but it didn't.
Hours passed. I tried to eat, but I had no appetite. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. I kept thinking about Thomas's eyes. About Elena's warning.
And then, just after midnight, I heard it.
The sound of the door handle turning.
I sat up in bed, my heart racing. I stared at the door, watching as the handle moved down. Someone was trying to get in.
The lock held. The door didn't open.
But then I heard footsteps. Slow. Steady. Walking away.
I realized with horror that I had been so distracted earlier that I had forgotten to lock the door after Elena left.
I jumped out of bed and ran to the door. I grabbed the handle and turned the lock.
But just as I did, the door pushed open.
I stumbled back as a figure stepped into my room. It was a man. He was holding a glass of wine in one hand. The light from the hallway cast his face into shadow, but I could see his smile.
It was Thomas. And the look in his eyes was pure malice.
- Writer
