“Out of the vehicle. Now.”
I reach for the door handle, keeping my expression neutral. The driver looks uncomfortable, but he doesn’t say anything. Why would he? I’m nobody to him.
I step out onto the pavement, my legs steady. The younger guard is already pulling my suitcase from the trunk.
“Hey, careful with that!”
He drops it on the ground with more force than necessary. Something insidecrunches.
“Oops,” he says, not sounding sorry at all.
The scarred guard circles me slowly, like I’m a threat he’s assessing. “You don’t look like pack. You don’t smell like pack, either.”
I don’t respond. There’s no point explaining myself to someone who has already decided I don’t belong.
He stops in front of me, close enough that I have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “Funny thing…I’ve been working security here for eight years. Never seen you before in my life.”
I hold his gaze, silent.
“And the Alpha’s stepdaughter would have a car service. Transportation arranged. Wouldn’t show up in some random taxi like someone who doesn’t belong here.”
The driver clears his throat. “Look, I just need to get paid…”
“Then get paid and leave,” the younger guard says dismissively.
I pull my wallet out of my purse and hand the driver three twenties, more than enough to cover the fare and tip. He takes the money and practically peels out, leaving me standing there with two guards who clearly think I’m lying.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” the scarred guard says. “We’re going to call up to the main house. And when they tell us they don’t know who you are, you’re going to pick up that suitcase and walk back the way you came. Understand?”
“Make the call.”
He pulls out a radio, never taking his eyes off me. “Main gate to house. We have a situation.”
Static crackles, then a voice responds. “Go ahead.”
“Got a girl here claiming to be the Alpha’s stepdaughter. Says her name is Violet.”
There’s a pause. A long one.
My heart pounds in my chest. What if they don’t remember me? What if my mother tells them to turn me away?
“Describe her,” the voice says finally.
The guard looks me over with barely concealed disdain. “Five-five, maybe five-six. Brown hair. Hazel eyes. Looks human. Weak.”
Another pause.
“Send her through,” the voice says, but there’s surprise in his tone. “I’ll send someone down to escort her.”
The guard’s expression sours, but he lowers the radio. “Looks like you’re telling the truth.”
“Shocking,” I say flatly.
“You’ll still need to wait here until your escort arrives. Can’t have just anyone wandering the grounds.”
I don’t bother responding. I simply stand there while the two guards watch me like I might attack at any second. The younger one keeps glancing at my suitcase, probably hoping I’ll ask him to carry it so he can refuse.
Five minutes pass. Finally, I see someone approaching from the main house, a man in his fifties, dressed in the crisp uniform of the household staff. A butler, maybe. His expression is carefully neutral as he reaches the gate.
