Jayden

I had seen mansions before—on magazines, on screens, from a safe distance behind velvet ropes—but nothing could’ve prepared me for this.

The car slowed, tires crunching over a sleek stone drive lined with glowing lights embedded in the pavement. Palm trees flanked the road like sentries—too symmetrical, too perfect. Ahead, the estate rose like a vision out of someone else’s dream.

Silverspire.

It wasn't just a house. It was a statement.

A sprawling fortress of glass, steel, and obsidian. All sharp angles and elegant menace. At first glance, it looked like a modern resort carved straight out of a sci-fi film. But the longer I stared, the more it watched back.

Perched on a vast cliffside plateau, Silverspire rose like a god’s sanctuary above Nocturne City’s flickering skyline. Towering steel-and-glass spires pierced the heavens, their silhouette sharp and elegant like gothic fangs. The dark-stone façade absorbed the sunlight, while blackened glass gleamed with a quiet menace, reflecting both sky and forest like a living thing.

The car passed a small roundabout and I caught sight of something just beyond the trees—a helipad tucked into the woods, hidden in plain sight. Clean lines, floodlights, and a glowing sigil burned into its center. I shivered. Not from fear. From knowing I wasn’t in the human world anymore.

Guards patrolled the grounds. Some walking. Some standing motionless like gargoyles. All of them radiated that same energy—lethal, quiet, and completely unbothered by my existence.

Until they weren’t.

Zane drove into the garage. Not a garage, really. A damn showroom. Twelve high-end cars behind enchanted glass, each one shimmering faintly with warding sigils. Black Mercedes, of course. But also vintage beauties and something that looked like it could outrun time itself.

I swallowed.

“Come out,” Zane said as stepped out of the car. I noticed Lucien also packing.

I followed him, my heartbeat loud in my ears.

Ahead, a midnight-black infinity pool stretched along the cliff’s edge, its silver-trimmed waters glowing like captured starlight. Beyond it, a fire-lit courtyard flickered softly, with obsidian benches circling a ritual pit. The kind of place where deals were sealed in blood and vows under moonlight weren’t just metaphors.

Past that, a glimpse of the private combat arena—lit but quiet. Shadow-obstacles flickered like ghosts, waiting to be summoned.

The whole place felt like it was holding its breath. Waiting to decide what I was.

We reached the front doors and they opened before Zane even touched them—smooth, seamless, as if the house itself recognized him.

I hesitated. Just for a second. Then crossed the threshold.

Instant warmth. Not from the temperature—though the air was perfect, somehow—but from the space itself. Everything smelled faintly of cedarwood, silver smoke, and something colder, darker… like winter locked in stone.

The foyer was massive. Floor-to-ceiling glass curved like a dome overhead, letting moonlight pour in and dance across polished obsidian floors. The lighting was soft, recessed, strategically placed to highlight textures: black marble, brushed steel, dark velvet, and slivers of enchanted crystal embedded in the walls like veins of starlight.

I stepped further in, barely hearing my own footsteps.

To the left, an open-plan lounge sprawled like it belonged in some billionaire’s fever dream. Low modular couches in grayscale tones surrounded a suspended fireplace, where silver-blue flames flickered silently. One wall was nothing but digital panels—security feeds, weather forecasts, global news on mute. The other was pure glass, revealing the infinity pool outside, still glowing under the sun.

To the right—an ultra-modern kitchen, gleaming and untouched. I wasn’t sure anyone had ever cooked in it. It looked like a set. A beautiful, intimidating set with knives too sharp and wine glasses too expensive.

Then came the hallway. Long, sleek, glowing faintly with magic embedded in its seams. At the end of it, I saw doors. Closed ones. Tall ones. And for a split second, I wondered which one led to Zane’s room. Which one might become mine.

And standing in formation along the walls?

Guards.

Inside the house.

They were everywhere. Posted at key entrances. Flanking stairwells. Quiet. Alert. Some looked human. Some definitely didn’t. One had crimson eyes and didn’t cast a reflection. Another had smoke curling from his fingers like he’d just stepped out of hell. All of them wore that same uniform—black with silver runes stitched subtly into the seams.

They didn’t speak. Didn’t move. But every single one of them knew I was there. I could feel their attention on me like static.

Zane didn’t acknowledge them. He moved like this was normal. Like having an army stationed inside your home was just standard billionaire behavior.

My throat tightened.

I didn’t belong here. Every cell in my body knew it. But the strangest thing?

The house didn’t push me out.

And despite the luxury—the wealth, the magic—there was something else humming beneath the surface.

Power. Real, primal, untouchable.

“If you gawk any longer, your eyes will pop out,” Zane said with a smirk.

“Where am I? What is this place?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Didn't catch that,” Zane replied, his tone dry.

“This is the home of the Alpha of Silverspire Pack,” Lucien answered from behind me. “The house belongs to him. The rest of the pack only comes during the red moon ceremony, but Alpha Zane instructed them to stay clear unless it’s that night.”

“Alpha? Silverspire Pack? You weren’t joking back in the club?” I stammered.

Lucien chuckled. “No. To formally introduce myself, I’m Lucien Vale, second in command of the Silverspire Pack. You can call me Beta Lucien.”

I shook my head in disbelief. Werewolves, packs, alphas, betas—they only existed in books. This couldn’t be real. Or could it?

“I don’t believe you. Prove it,” I said, crossing my arms.

Zane sighed, clearly tired, before turning to a guard by the stairs. “Shift,” he commanded.

I froze, eyes wide. I’d asked for proof, but nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened next. The guard, standing still one moment, was suddenly replaced by a massive brown wolf, towering in front of me. How was this possible?

“Are you satisfied now?” Zane asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I nearly collapsed, but Lucien steadied me with a hand. “Whoa, whoa, where did your legs go?”

“Shift back,” Zane ordered.

The wolf’s form melted back into a man, his clothes somehow intact. Shouldn’t they have been torn?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Zane said, his voice calm. “Unlike the books and movies, we don’t shift physically between both forms. It’s magic. We don’t feel pain during the transformation like humans might assume.”

Then, before I could respond, Zane transformed again, his form shifting into a massive, deep black wolf—almost twice the size of the brown one. I stumbled backward, instinctively running behind Lucien.

Lucien chuckled and gave me a gentle push. “That’s your man. No need to be scared.”

Zane shifted back to human, smirking. “It’ll be fun having you around. Luke, tell the cook to prepare something for him. Jayden, follow me. Let’s get you settled in.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Lucien answered before heading off.

“What about the rooms downstairs?” I asked, still trying to process everything.

“For the guards,” Zane replied, climbing the stairs.

I swallowed hard, following him up. There were only three rooms up here—one directly in front of us, and two on either side.

“This is mine,” he pointed to the room ahead. “Lucien’s is there,” he pointed to the room on the left. “This will be yours,” he said, gesturing to the room on the right. “I’ll be in my room, sleeping. Don’t disturb me until 6 p.m. You’re free to move around the grounds but don’t leave the premises. Got it?”

I nodded mutely, watching him disappear into his room.

I entered my own room, closing the door behind me. The weight of everything still felt too surreal to grasp. I had a place to stay.