Chapter 4- Ari

I follow Zane into the massively large mansion. I continue to follow Zane through hallways and staircases. As we walk through the strange mansion, it’s genuinely odd. Some stairways lead to nowhere, doors that open to nothing, bizarre paintings, and stained glass windows all over the place even where there doesn't need to be one. Shadows move along the walls like swirls, almost giving the illusion of wallpaper. Unease creeps over me as we pass men in long black robes with hoods. I can’t see their faces, and somehow I don’t think they are alive. 

It’s like I ended up in some twisted version of the underworld, except there are no souls that I can see. The whole place gives me the creeps. I can’t believe I have to live in this weird-ass place. How the hell am I ever to navigate this insane place? Seriously, who has doors that open to nothing and stairways that lead nowhere? What’s with all the random stained glass windows? Some of them don’t even see the light of day. This place seems almost alive.

Why did the warlock that I got stuck with have to be into dark shit? Why couldn’t I have been stuck with the warlock that takes care of nature or something that doesn't involve death and shadows? I hate this place already, and I haven’t even spent the night here. Please don’t let my room be creepy. I can’t sleep if I know there are fucking shadows lurking and possible spirits roaming around. We pass another black hooded figure, and I try not to stare. Somehow, I know to avoid its touch. 

“Careful around reapers. They are souls sentenced to serve the coven by Death. Never interact with them and never touch them. Let them be.” Zane warns as I swallow hard. Great, so not only do I have to live in the creepiest mansion to ever exist in an alternate realm, but now I have to worry about these reaper things. For fucks sake, I better not be in some damn death trap. I move closer to Zane. 

“Zane, what is with this mansion, and why is it so big?” I inquire, trying to gain some understanding of the new home I find myself in. 

“Once you are my familiar, you will have to call me Master while we are around others. The mansion is currently 500,000 square feet with three libraries, a seance room, an altar room, three kitchens, 160 rooms, most of which have their own bathrooms with modern plumbing, there are two dining halls, a ballroom, an apartment for the coven leaders to live in, and a small indoor training area. You will stay in my bed chambers. I have one of the larger bed chambers. Not all the members live in the mansion. There are few villages and a few towns on the outskirts of the mansion. The forests surrounding the manor are dangerous. Never go in there without me.” 

“How the hell am I supposed to find my way around? It’s like a maze.” I state with unease.

I belong with my pack, not living with some warlock doing dangerous shit. I’m also curious what sharing a bed chamber means. I thought I’d at least have my own room. Does Zane expect me to sleep in bed with him? If so, does that mean I have sexual obligations? No one ever said anything about him having access to my body. I didn’t agree to that, but would it be that bad? 

Not for nothing, but Zane is sexy as hell. He’s mysterious and definitely dangerous. I can sense he’s powerful. Zane’s aura is more potent than an alpha’s aura. He demands respect and loyalty. He’s not a man to mess with. His job is to collect the souls of the dead and deliver them to Death. Yeah, he’s not an enemy I want to have. In a way, I’m intimidated by him, and he doesn’t even own my soul yet. Combined with his handsome good looks and fit body, I bet he knows exactly what to do with a woman. 

Unfortunately, I’m still a virgin. Sage insisted we save ourselves for our mates. She was a Beta. It looked better if she was a virgin, especially since the alpha chose her. Liam would want his mate to be a virgin. Alphas get off on claiming their mates. I followed Sage with her purity stint for the most part. I kissed guys and fooled around a little, but I could never give up my v-card. I didn’t want to disappoint Sage. I always knew I’d never get a high-ranking mate, so it didn’t matter to me. I just did it because Sage did. I’m not getting a mate now, so what’s the point in staying a virgin? 

“You’ll learn your way eventually. You’ll need me to guide you for a while. The house is designed to confuse any spirits that try to enter our realm. If they do, the reapers will find them. You will learn as we go.” Zane reassures me as we open a black door that leads to a lounge-like room. It’s gothic style: dark gray walls, black Victorian furniture with dark red pillows. There’s a large fireplace with a very intricate mantle. It’s carved in unique swirls. Two people are in the room already. 

The man who looks very similar to Zane sits on the couch with his arm around a beautiful woman. She has fiery red hair, amber eyes, and fair skin. She’s thin and on the taller side. Her heart-shaped face adds to her beauty. She wears a black corset dress that goes to her knees. The man is dressed similar to Zane and has a long black trench coat. 

“I see you found your wolf, brother.” The man states, nodding towards me. 

“Yes, Fate was on my side,” Zane turns to me. “Ari, this is my brother, Cade Shadows, and his familiar, Blair Simons. Blair is a phoenix shifter. I’m going to let you talk with her so she can help you understand your role better.” 

On the black coffee table, I notice a spread of food. There are grapes, nuts, cold-cut meats, sliced apples, raisins, and cheese. There are also two glasses, but they are empty. Zane and Cade leave the room, and I’m alone with Bliar. 

“Please sit down and help yourself to something to eat,” She rises from her spot and walks over to a cabinet that she opens. “Pick your poison.” She says, moving out of the way to reveal different bottles of hard liquor. 

“Damn, that bad, is it? Vodka.” I replied. 

“It’s not necessarily bad, but it depends on you.” She counters as she grabs the bottle of vodka. She comes back over and fills our glasses. She then sits down. “What exactly did Master Zane tell you?” She inquiries. 

“That I give him my soul, and he gets access to my wolf abilities,” I reply, popping a grape in my mouth. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and by my estimates of when I left, it was dinner time. 

“You’ll give him more than your soul,” Blair warns. 

“Let me guess. I’ll give my body and heart too,” I say with a half roll of my eyes. 

“Exactly. You can’t deny the pull you feel towards Zane. He’s going to want to own every part of you. Your soul, your heart, your body, your pleasure, your pain, and your loyalty.” Her words send a shiver down my spine. 

“Let me guess he won’t return the feelings.” I deflect, not wanting to admit the pull I feel towards Zane. 

Blair giggles. “It’s not that tragic. He feels the pull to you as well. He will care about you and protect you fiercely. He will love you in return, but he will be bad at showing it. Think of him as your mate. Fate put you two together. You were always going to be his.” 

“You make it sound like we're going to have kids.” I half roll my eyes. 

Blair seems nice, but she also might be brainwashed. The overwhelming sense of loyalty to her master and the fact that she seems unphased by this weird-ass place also unsettles me. Am I going to be like her? Will I  just give in? What am I signing up for? Also, am I to believe Zane and I are fated? That sounds like a load of crap you try to sell someone, so they join your cult. I guess covens are sort of like cults. Oh great, that’s exactly what I need. 

“You might. It’s up to you two. Cade and I haven’t decided yet. There’s one thing you should know about the Shadow brother. They are sons of the Lord who leads the coven. Cade and Zane will be leading it one day. They are extremely respected and feared, especially Zane.” 

I nod my head. Well, this just keeps getting better and better. Great, so not only is Zane a warlock who practices dark magic, but he’s going to end up leading this weird place. I’m so stuck here forever. I’m a lycan, yeah, that still feels weird to say, yet it also feels right. I like to run free, and I don’t see how that’s an option when the forest is dangerous and this place is a maze. Sure there is training, but is that all I get?

I spend the next few hours talking with Blair. She’s been with Cade for four years now. She told me she was more willing than I was and accepted that she was Cade’s. I asked her about what it’s like while they are hunting spirits, and Blair made it sound fun. I’m skeptical because I can tell she is trying to sell me on being a familiar. Trying to convince me Zane and I are mates. Telling me, I won't’ be able to resist him. I know Blair was supposed to make me feel better, but honestly, she’s not helping. 

Blair’s experience is different from mine. She wanted to be Cades. She wanted out of the secret life she was forced to have as one of the handful of Phoenix shifters left. Phoenixes are considered ancient shifters and are thought to be extinct. Clearly, that’s not true, as Blair is right in front of me, and I’m one myself. Lycans are also considered ancient shifters. It makes me question some things that I was taught in the pack. Fantastic, now I’m questioning my upbringing and pack. I haven't been here for twenty-four hours. I already hate this place. 

I eat and drink the food that Blair had laid out. Overall, Blair seems nice. She wants to help me adjust to my life here. At least I might have a friend here. I don’t count Zane as my friend. I can’t believe I have to call him Master, although there is a part of me that is turned on by it. Zane is the alpha here. He’s going to own my soul, and according to Blair, he will own my everything. I can't even begin to process that. 

After some time with Blair, I’m alerted to the arrival of Zane and Cade. I follow them through more twisted stairways and even more winding halls. I swear I will lose my mind trying to find my way around this fresh hell of a maze. I thought I could rely on my wolf senses to help guide me, but nope. The dark magic and creepy shadows make it impossible to tell which way is which. This place is literally my worst nightmare, and I didn’t even know this was my worst nightmare. Yet here it is. My new reality is a new layer of hell that I didn’t know existed. Hell, for all I know, I am in a layer of hell. Is hell even the correct term to use? This place is more like the afterlife. Not sure that makes it better. 

Blair ushers me into a small changing room. She offers me a folded black cotton robe. “Here, put this on. You’ll need to take it off when it comes time to transform.” 

“Wait, I have to transform?” Blair nods her head. “It’s not a full moon.” I remind her.

“No, but they have ways of mimicking one to get you to transform. One perk to being Zane’s familiar is that you will be able to transform at will.” Blair says with a wink as she leaves the room. 

Not sure transforming at will is worth being enslaved to someone. This is not how I saw my day going, and it’s definitely not how I saw my life going. Fate fucked me over, I think to myself as I strip out my jeans and a plain t-shirt. Lastly, I take off my bra and panties. I lost my shoes when I was being dragged to a jail cell for a crime I had nothing to do with, yet I’m being punished. Resentment against my pack rises within me. Why did they have to be such judgemental pricks?