The second we pulled up to the packhouse, I had my eyes on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She thought she was hiding it well\u2013keeping her expression neutral, her shoulders squared, her hands in her lap like she wasn\u2019t gripping the seatbelt with white\u2013knuckled force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I saw everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The way her breath hitched the second the towering gothic fortress of the packhouse came into view. The way her blue eyes flicked up, taking in the sprawling stone walls, the sharp archways, and the iron\u2013gated balconies that loomed overhead like something straight out of an old\u2013school horror\u00a0<\/p>\n
novel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yeah. She liked it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even if she didn\u2019t want to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew she had already seen the packhouse as part of the pack, but for some reason, I had never seen her visit despite being Lila\u2019s best friend. Not to mention, she was zooted with Adrenaline this morning and nighttime, so I doubt she had a chance to actually appreciate the history of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
packhouse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is home now, Princess,\u201d Rory murmured, leaning against the car as she hesitated before\u00a0<\/p>\n
stepping out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She repeated the word softly, testing it on her tongue like it didn\u2019t quite fit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t convinced yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
< Marked Territory\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She would be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stretched my arms above my head, smirking. \u201cGo ahead. Admit it,\u201d I teased. \u201cYou\u2019re impressed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She turned and levelled me with a glare. Still, her eyes betrayed her, flicking back toward the massive double doors of the entrance\u2013dark mahogany carved with intricate pack sigils, flanked by stone\u2013carved wolves standing watchful on either side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like a villain\u2019s lair,\u201d she muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rory snorted. \u201cAnd what does that make you, then?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She huffed, brushing past us with a flick of her silver hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fuck. She was fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I followed behind, hands in my pockets, grinning like the devil as we stepped inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The packhouse was exactly what it looked like from the outside\u2013massive, powerful, and built to intimidate. Vaulted ceilings stretched high above us, polished marble floors gleamed under the soft glow of the massive crystal chandelier, and thick iron\u2013wrought banisters twisted up the spiralling staircase leading to the private Alpha quarters. Sunlight streamed in from the floor\u2013to\u2013ceiling windows, casting long, golden shadows across the aged oak furniture, the ancient tapestries, and the massive stone fireplace that flickered with a low, crackling fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a fortress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rhea lingered, taking it all in, her lips parted just slightly\u2013the smallest tell that she was impressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she caught me watching her, and just like that her face shut down, her lips pressing into a\u00a0<\/p>\n
tight, stubborn line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, let\u2019s get this over with,\u201d she muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I chuckled, bumping her shoulder as I passed. \u201cWelcome home, snowflake.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not verbally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I saw the way her shoulders stiffened at my words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She felt it, even if she wanted to deny it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rory\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew what was coming when we walked through the double doors into our private wing. She wasn\u2019t going to let this room situation go. And sure enough-\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
< Marked Territory\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I have a room near Lila?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, the shift.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon\u2019s jaw ticked. Seth\u2019s smirk faded. Callum\u2019s expression darkened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sighed. Here we go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Callum said, flat and final.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She crossed her arms, glaring. \u201cWhy not?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re ours,\u201d Jaxon said, stepping into her space, his voice low, heavy, absolute. \u201cYou belong here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In our quarters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her jaw clenched. \u201cI\u2019d feel more comfortable near her. I don\u2019t know anyone here, and it\u2019s not like you\u2019ll always be around-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon\u2019s laugh cut her off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dark. Amused. Not the good kind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think we\u2019d leave you alone, sunshine?\u201d His smirk was wicked, his voice laced with something dangerous. \u201cThat\u2019s cute.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She scowled, but I caught it\u2013her fingers twitched and her breath was slightly unsteady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was nervous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re staying here,\u201d Callum said firmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was going to argue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw it coming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And, because I was feeling generous, I stepped in before she pushed too far.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about this?\u201d I said, flashing my most charming smile. \u201cLila and Theo can move into the room next to yours until you\u2019ve settled in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She perked up instantly, shoulders relaxing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lila, of course, would jump at the idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo? Not so much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my princess thought she had won something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hadn\u2019t. Not really.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marked Territory\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth tilted his head, watching her like he was considering something devious. \u201cOn one condition.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She groaned. \u201cWhat now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stop calling us \u2018Alpha,\u2018 even if it annoys us,\u201d Callum said, smooth as sin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her lips parted slightly, brows drawing together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh, she knew what he meant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard him,\u201d Jaxon murmured, stepping closer, crowding her. \u201cCall us by our names.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She fought it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Resisted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But in the end, she gave in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n
Shadows Of Passing Time \u2013 Carter Hughes 112 The second we pulled up to the packhouse, I had my eyes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-melting-the-ice-princess-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29753\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}