Maria.
Light stabbed at my eyes, a groan slipped from my throat before I could stop it as I rolled onto my side, dragging a hand up to shield my face. It didn't help much. The rays were relentless, narrow blades of brightness slicing through a small window and landing squarely on my eyelids, as though they had tracked me down deliberately, as though the sun itself had decided I didn't deserve peace. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, jaw clenching, breath puffing out in irritation.
I forced myself upright.
And froze.
This wasn't my room.
The realization hit fast and cold. The bed beneath me was narrower, the mattress firmer. The walls felt closer, pressing in just enough to make the space feel controlled, intentional. The air carried a faint unfamiliar scent, clean, crisp, nothing personal in it. My eyes moved slowly, carefully, taking everything in. A single chair sat neatly against the wall. A blanket was folded with precise edges at the foot of the bed. The wardrobe stood plain and unadorned, pushed back like it knew exactly where it belonged.
Everything was… compact. Orderly. Too perfect.
Images flickered through my mind, disjointed at first, then sharper, faces, voices, strength, four presences that had filled the space around me before everything went dark. The pieces slid into place with quiet finality.
I was in the territory of the quadruplet Alphas.
My throat tightened, swallowing suddenly difficult.
Slowly, almost afraid of what I might find, I lowered my gaze to my arms. I half-expected bruises, angry and dark. Torn skin. Purple marks blooming beneath my flesh like accusations. I checked anyway, my wrist, my shoulder, my ribs, fingers pressing, searching, tracing but I found nothing but a smooth and unmarked skin.
A breath escaped me, shaky and disbelieving. My hand lingered over my skin.
"Guess you didn't abandon me," I murmured, the words barely sound.
Deep inside, my wolf shifted faintly, a drowsy presence stirring before settling, turning over but refusing to fully wake. No answers. Just a quiet hum.
I exhaled and leaned back against the bedframe, pressing my palms into the mattress to ground myself. I was alone. At least for now.
A sharp knock cut through the silence.
My spine went rigid.
"Rogue 456."
The voice was male. Calm. Controlled.
Was that the name assigned to me? There was no one else in the room, so I guess I am the one.
"Yes?" My reply came out faster than I intended.
"Beta Torin," he said through the door. "Moon Bridge Pack."
Moon Bridge.
"You're being summoned," Torin continued. "The Alphas wish to see you."
My stomach dropped.
"I'll… I'll be right there," I said, swallowing.
There was a pause, then the sound of footsteps retreating.
I jumped off the bed and rushed to the wardrobe, yanking it open. Dresses greeted me, simple, practical, nothing flashy. Definitely not mine.
"Personal maid," I muttered, grabbing one at random. "That's what this is now."
I pulled it on, smoothing the fabric down with shaky hands. No mirror. Probably for the best.
When I opened the door, Torin was waiting. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his expression neutral in that practiced Beta way. His eyes flicked over me once, quickly, before he turned and started walking.
I followed.
The halls were wide and quiet, every step echoing louder than it should. Wolves passed us, bowing slightly to Torin, then glancing at me with open curiosity.
"So that's her," one whispered.
I kept my eyes forward.
Torin didn't speak. I didn't ask questions. My heart beat so loudly I was sure he could hear it.
We stopped in front of a massive door.
"The Alphas are inside," he said. "Wait here."
Before I could respond, the door opened.
And everything shifted.
I stepped in and stopped.
There was a woman lounging on the Alpha's bed.
Beautiful. Effortlessly so. Long hair cascading over her shoulders, skin flawless, posture relaxed like she owned the place.
Like she did own the place.
She looked up slowly, eyes dragging over me from head to toe.
Her lips curled.
"So," she said. "You are the one my brothers brought back."
Brothers.
The word clicked into place like a lock snapping shut.
My chest tightened.
She rose from the bed, one hand lifting to cover her nose as she took a step closer.
"So dirty."
I clenched my fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms. The room felt smaller. Tighter.
"I…" My voice caught. I cleared my throat. "I was told to come here."
Her eyes gleamed.
"Of course you were."
She circled me slowly, heels clicking softly against the floor. Each step felt like a judgment being passed.
"You stand straighter than I expected," she said. "Rogues usually cower."
"I'm not…"
She stopped in front of me abruptly.
I stopped talking.
Her gaze sharpened, slicing into me with surgical precision.
"You will speak when I allow it."
The air thickened.
Anabel.
The name echoed in my mind without her saying it. Everyone knew her. The spoiled princess. The untouchable one.
No one messes with Anabel.
She turned away suddenly, pacing back toward the bed. "I don't understand my brothers sometimes," she muttered. "Always so… impulsive."
She spun back to face me. "Did they tell you what you are to them?"
"Not really," I said quietly. "i think their personal maid."
Her laugh was soft yet dangerous.
"Personal maid ," she repeated. "Is that what they called it?"
She leaned closer, her face inches from mine. I could smell her perfume—sweet, overwhelming.
"Listen carefully," she said. "You don't belong here. You breathe our air by permission alone."
I held her gaze. My legs trembled, but I didn't step back.
Something flickered in her eyes.
Interest.
Annoyance.
She straightened and folded her arms. "So strange," she said. "My brothers never let anyone get close. Not servants. Not she-wolves. Certainly not rogues."
The door behind me remained closed, no route for an escape.
Anabel's lips curved slowly, deliberately.
Anabel stood up and muttered, "I don't know why my brothers brought you in as their personal maid..." She took a step forward. "... But I know one thing, I will destroy you if you have anything up your sleeve, Rogue. "
"So weird my brothers never let anyone get too close to them not to talk of their belongings. " She added.
And just then the door swung open…