Rejected by My Alpha Mate

Chapter 4: Enemy Territory

The cottage was exactly what she'd expected.

Small. Cold. A single room with a broken window and a mattress that smelled like mildew. Pack housing for unwanted guests — which, in Ironcrest, meant her.

"It's small," Lumi announced, peering into every corner like a tiny inspector.

"It has walls and a roof." Sera set down their bags. "That's more than we had last winter."

Lumi considered this. "Okay."

*Four years old and already adaptable*, Sera thought. *More adaptable than I ever was.*

She was checking the window latch when the knock came. Three sharp raps. Polite but firm.

"Coming." She opened the door.

Beta Cassia stood on the threshold, her smile bright enough to blind.

"Sera." The name rolled off her tongue like honey. "I heard you'd returned. Welcome home."

The word *home* dripped with venom.

Sera didn't move. Didn't invite her in.

"Can I help you?"

"I just wanted to check on you." Cassia pushed past her, her gaze sweeping the room with barely concealed contempt. "See if you needed anything. The quarters are... modest. But I suppose you're used to modest living now."

"I'm used to a lot of things."

"Yes, I'm sure." Cassia turned, her eyes landing on Lumi. Something flickered there — interest. Calculation. "And who is this lovely creature?"

Lumi looked up from her inspection of the fireplace. "I'm Lumi."

"Lumi." Cassia knelt down, her smile widening. "What a beautiful name. And those eyes — they're so unusual. Golden. I haven't seen eyes that color since..."

She trailed off. Let the silence hang.

*She knows*, Sera thought. *She knows exactly what those eyes mean.*

"Since what?" Lumi asked. Unafraid. Curious.

"Since... nothing." Cassia stood. "Just a story my grandmother used to tell. About a bloodline that died out generations ago." She turned to Sera. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"I'm sure it is."

They stared at each other. Cassia's smile never faltered. Sera's expression never changed.

"Well." Cassia smoothed her skirt. "I'll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'm Beta here. Dax's right hand. I handle all the... domestic matters."

*I bet you do*, Sera thought.

"Thank you for checking in." Sera opened the door wider. "But we should rest. It's been a long journey."

"Of course." Cassia swept past her. Paused at the threshold. "Oh, and Sera? A word of advice. This pack has changed a lot in five years. The people who were kind to you before..." She shrugged. "They don't have the same influence anymore. It might be wise to be... careful. About who you trust."

She left.

Sera closed the door behind her.

"She smells mean," Lumi announced.

Sera almost laughed. "Yeah. She does."

"She doesn't like us."

"No. She doesn't."

Lumi thought about this. "Can I not like her too?"

Sera crouched down, adjusting her daughter's collar. "You can feel however you want, baby. But we have to be smart about it. This place is dangerous. There are people here who want to hurt us. And we can't let them know that we know."

Lumi nodded slowly. "Like the lady with the mean eyes?"

"Exactly like her."

"Okay." Lumi went back to exploring the cottage, her small footsteps echoing in the silence.

Sera stood by the window, watching Cassia disappear toward the main hall.

*She knows what Royal Blood looks like*, she thought. *Which means someone in this pack knows exactly what Lumi is.*

*Someone has been waiting.*

The sun was setting over Ironcrest territory. Shadows stretched across the cottage yard.

And somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled.