Luna Aria's Awakening

Chapter 7

_Aria's POV_

I stood frozen at the entrance of the mansion. The enormous wooden doors were open and warm golden light spilled across the stone steps beneath my feet. For several seconds, I simply stared.

Nothing about this place made sense. Who built a mansion in the middle of the forest? More importantly, who lived in one?

I slowly turned toward Rowan. "You actually live here?"

He glanced at the building behind him before looking back at me. "I keep getting asked that."

"Because it doesn't make sense."

A grin appeared on his face. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't."

"That's unfortunate."

I narrowed my eyes. He seemed far too amused by everything. Meanwhile, I was standing in front of what looked like a noble estate hidden in the wilderness.

The situation felt ridiculous.

Rowan stepped inside and gestured for me to follow. "Come on."

I hesitated. Every instinct told me to be careful. I barely knew this man. Yes, he had saved my life. He had protected me from the rogues. But that didn't automatically mean I could trust him.

Rowan seemed to notice my hesitation. His expression softened slightly. "I know you're nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"You are."

"I'm being cautious."

"That's just a prettier word for nervous."

I frowned. He laughed quietly.

"I promise I'm not planning to murder you."

"That isn't reassuring."

"It wasn't supposed to be."

I groaned. The man was impossible. Eventually, I stepped inside. The moment I crossed the doorway, my jaw nearly dropped.

The entrance hall was larger than the entire lower floor of my parents' house. Marble floors stretched beneath my feet. A magnificent staircase curved toward the upper floors. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Paintings decorated the walls. Everything looked elegant and expensive.

I turned slowly, trying to take it all in. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. Rowan folded his arms.

"You're staring again."

"I am not."

"You absolutely are."

I ignored him. The mansion felt more like something from a dream than reality. My room back at the pack house had barely been large enough for a bed and a small wardrobe. This entrance hall alone was probably bigger than five of my bedrooms combined.

Footsteps echoed nearby. I immediately tensed. Several people appeared from a hallway. There were men and women. They were all dressed normally. They stopped when they noticed me.

A few of them looked surprised. Others looked curious. One older woman blinked. Then her gaze shifted toward Rowan.

"Who's this?"

Rowan answered casually.

"Her name is Aria."

That was all. He did not give any introduction but just my name. The woman looked at me kindly.

"Welcome."

I blinked.

"Thank you."

The simple kindness caught me off guard. Nobody here looked disgusted by me. Nobody looked disappointed. The realization felt strange.

The older woman smiled warmly. "You must be exhausted."

"A little."

"That's understandable."

She glanced toward Rowan. "Did you save another one?"

Rowan sighed dramatically. "Why does everyone keep saying it like that?"

The woman laughed. Because it wasn't the first time. My eyes widened slightly. How many people had he rescued?

The woman eventually excused herself and continued down the hallway. The others followed. I watched them leave. Then I looked at Rowan.

"Who are they?"

"People."

I stared. He stared back.

"That's your answer?"

"It seemed accurate."

I rubbed my forehead. "I mean who are they?"

"Some work here." His expression became thoughtful. "Some live here."

I frowned. "They just live here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Rowan leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "Think of them as pack members."

I blinked. "Pack members?"

He nodded. "Most of them had nowhere else to go. Some were abandoned by their packs. Some were rogues. Some simply needed a place to start over."

I stared at him for a moment. "So this is a pack?"

"Not officially."

That answer somehow made things even more confusing. "What does that mean?"

A faint amusement appeared in his eyes. "It means we don't follow the same rules as most packs. We don't have pack meetings every week. We don't spend our days worrying about rankings and titles."

"Then what are you?"

Rowan was silent for a second before answering. "A group of people looking after each other."

I looked down the hallway where the others had disappeared. "And you're their leader?"

"Something like that."

"Something like that?"

A low chuckle escaped him. "I suppose Alpha would be the closest title."

My eyes widened slightly. "You're an Alpha?"

"I prefer Rowan."

"That wasn't the question."

His smile grew. "Then yes. To them, I'm their Alpha."

I studied him carefully. Somehow the title fit. There was always something commanding about him. People listened when he spoke. They respected him. It was obvious now that I thought about it.

"And they all live here?"

"Most of them."

"In this mansion?"

"It's a large house."

I glanced around the enormous hallway. That was definitely true. "So they work for you and stay here?"

Rowan nodded. "They help maintain the estate, train, hunt, patrol the forest and handle various jobs."

"And in return?"

"They have a home."

Something softened inside my chest. Not many Alphas would take in rogues and outcasts. "So you just let anyone stay here?"

His expression became more serious. "No. But I help people who need it."

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then I quietly asked, "People like me?"

His dark eyes met mine. "Yes, Aria."

The way he said it made something warm settle in my chest. "People like you."

The deeper I stepped into the mansion, the stranger everything felt. Nothing matched the image I had created in my mind. I had expected danger. But, instead, the atmosphere felt... normal and comfortable.

People talked and laughed. A fire burned inside one of the sitting rooms. The smell of food drifted from somewhere nearby. It felt more like a home than a fortress.

"You're doing it again."

I looked at Rowan. "What?"

"Thinking."

"Everyone thinks."

"Not with that expression."

I frowned. "What expression?"

"The one that says you're trying very hard to decide whether I'm secretly evil."

My face immediately heated. "I wasn't thinking that."

"You were absolutely thinking that."

I looked away. Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong.

Rowan chuckled. "I appreciate the honesty."

"I didn't say anything."

"Your face did."

I groaned. The man seemed determined to embarrass me. Eventually, Rowan led me toward the staircase.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Your room."

I stopped. "My room?"

"Well, technically a guest room."

I followed him upstairs. The second floor was just as impressive as the first. Long hallways stretched in multiple directions. Large windows overlooked the forest. Soft carpets covered the floor. Everything looked elegant. We eventually stopped outside a wooden door. Rowan pushed it open.

I froze.

The room was beautiful. A large bed stood against one wall. A fireplace occupied another. Bookshelves lined the far side of the room. Moonlight streamed through enormous windows.

For several seconds, I simply stared. "This is..."

Rowan leaned against the doorway. "Too much?"

I slowly walked inside. The mattress alone looked softer than any bed I had ever slept on. The room was larger than Selene's bedroom....much larger.

I couldn't understand why he would give something like this to a stranger. "You're sure this is for me?"

Rowan looked confused. "Do you see anyone else standing in it?"

I laughed softly. The sound surprised me. It had been a long time since laughing felt natural.

I still could not believe that a complete stranger was offering me kindness.

"You can stay as long as you need," Rowan said quietly.

I looked up. "What?"

His voice remained calm. "Until you figure things out."

I stared at him. "Why?"

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

Rowan seemed surprised. "Why what?"

"Why help me?"

For a moment, silence filled the room. Then he shrugged. "Someone helped me once."

The answer felt incomplete....like there was more to the story. But I didn't push. After everything he had already done, I didn't feel entitled to his secrets. Just like he wasn't entitled to mine.

"Thank you," I said softly.

Something flickered in his eyes. Then he smiled. "You're welcome."

He moved toward the door. "If you need anything, someone is always downstairs."

I nodded. Rowan paused. Then he pointed toward me. "And try not to run into any more rogues."

I stared. "I'll do my best."

"Good."

A grin appeared on his face. "I hate paperwork."

"What paperwork?"

"The paperwork involved in explaining why I had to rescue you twice in one week."

Despite myself, I laughed. This time, the sound came easier. Rowan seemed satisfied. A moment later, he disappeared into the hallway.

The door clicked shut behind him. Silence settled over the room. For several minutes, I simply stood there.

Slowly, I sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress sank beneath my weight. It was unbelievably soft. My gaze drifted toward the window. Outside, the forest stretched endlessly beneath the moonlight.

Somewhere beyond those trees was the pack I had left behind. My parents were probably looking for me by now....or maybe they weren't. Honestly, I wasn't sure. The thought hurt less than it should have. Perhaps because I was too exhausted to care.

I changed into clean clothes and placed my bag beside the bed. For the first time since leaving home, I allowed myself to relax.

The mansion still felt strange. Yet despite all of that, I couldn't deny one simple fact. Tonight, I wasn't alone in the forest. I wasn't being treated like a burden. I had a roof over my head and a safe place to sleep.

I lay down beneath the blankets and stared at the ceiling. My body felt exhausted. But my mind refused to rest.

Who exactly was Rowan?

Why did he live in a mansion hidden in the woods?

Why had he helped me?

And why did I feel like he was hiding far more than he was telling me?

The questions continued circling inside my head. Eventually, my eyes drifted toward the moonlit window. A deep sense of uncertainty settled inside me. I had escaped the life I hated. But I had stepped into something completely unknown.

As sleep slowly pulled me under, one final thought echoed through my mind.

I had found shelter for the night.

That was the most important thing for now.