“Uh, just Shade,” I said softly. “No last name.”
She made a note, writing in my name and pack beneath Sunny’s.
“Each of you will be assigned a room for the duration of your stay. Niral will show you to your accommodations once you’re inside,” she said in a bored tone. “There’ll be a group tour of the pack lands in an hour. Guests are encouraged to dress accordingly as you’ll be expected to shift for the outing.”
She said goodbye and hurried off to the next car.
“I can’t believe this,” Sunny snapped. “Get my bags. You can come back for the rest later. I need to speak to whoever’s in charge immediately before this turns into a complete disaster.”
I nodded, my stomach doing a somersault as I turned to open the trunk.Does this mean I’m a candidate in the choosing? Please, Goddess. Let this be a mistake.
The Scent Question
SHADE
Try as Sunny might, she was unable to convince the stern housekeeper that a mistake had been made. I stood quietly to the side as they argued, admiring the pack house and cataloging every possible exit just in case.
Natural light poured in from the numerous floor-to-ceiling windows. The decor was minimal, but tastefully done. The walls were a crisp white, the occasional painting gracing their baresurfaces. The floor was a rich, dark hardwood. A large staircase rose up to the second floor, a lush red carpet flowing down its steps.
We were handed off to a maid who led us up the stairs. She showed Sunny to her suite first, and I set her bags just inside the doorway. My sister rushed in, her lip curling at her small room before she slammed the door shut.
The maid snorted, shaking her head as she started down the hallway. I followed, worrying that Sunny may not have made the best first impression as the young she-wolf opened the next door and ushered me inside.
I froze as I stepped into the room.
Everything was pristine and white. An enormous canopy bed sat to my right. Two open doors rested on either side, one leading to a luxurious en suite bathroom and the other a large walk-in closet.
To my left was a brick fireplace framed by a pair of built-in bookshelves. Each held several books, their spines the only pops of color in the room. Two plush chairs sat in front of the fireplace, and a large vanity framed by enormous bay windows was placed on the adjoining wall.
“There must be some mistake,” I remarked. “I’m Miss Mallory’s servant.
Shouldn’t I be in something a little less…opulent?”
“There’s no mistake, miss,” the maid assured. “Alpha Caelan assigned each of the rooms personally.”
“But I’m an omega. I wasn’t even supposed to be part of the choosing ritual.”
The maid frowned and leaned in, taking a big sniff of my arm.
I stiffened. It was rare that anyone willingly came so close to me, especially not in a friendly manner. I didn’t know how to interpret her sudden proximity, and my body braced for an attack.
“You don’t smell like an omega,” she said with a shrug. I stared at her in confusion.What does she mean? If I don’t scent as an omega, then what do I smell like?
“Anyway, omega or whatever you are,” the maid continued. “This is the room the alpha assigned you. Now if you want, I could tell him it’s unsuitable—”
“No!” I said quickly, not wanting to offend. “It’s fine. The alpha is very gracious.”
“You’ll want to change,” she said, nudging me farther into the room. “If the alpha attends the tour, you’ll want to make sure you catch his eye.”
She winked as she shut the door. I sighed.As if someone like me could ever catch his eye.
But she was right about one thing. I needed to change if I didn’t want to offend with my appearance, so I rushed back down to the car for my bag.
A she-wolf with bright honey-colored eyes and long, curly black hair watched me with amused interest as I came back up the stairs.
“So…you here for the choosing ritual?” she asked as I passed.
“Yes,” I replied, knowing it’d be rude to ignore a higher-rankingwolf.
