Tamed by the Lycan Prince

40- ESTRADA

CHAPTER FIVE

-SEVERA-

I had driven to the Gravemaw Mansion. The journey was quiet, only accompanied by the faint hum of the car engine and Ariston's soft snoring in the backseat. The mansion loomed over us, its intricate Victorian architecture silhouetted against the sunset. Its stone walls, weather-beaten by time, seemed to groan under the weight of secrets they held within.

Ariston clung tighter to me, trembling slightly.

"Shh... It's okay, Ariston," I whispered to him as we approached the grand entrance, "Remember, we're here to help mommy and daddy."

He nodded against my neck, his grip on Mr. Huggles unwavering. We approached the main entrance, and walked in. Servants bustled around, going about their daily tasks. One of them caught my eye immediately, and I knew who she was.

"Estrada!" I called her. She startled and spun around, her eyes immediately lighting up in recognition.

"Oh, Severa! It's been too long." She hurried over, her gaze softening as she caught sight of Ariston. "And you brought your brother too." She cooed, leaning down to meet his eyes.

"There was no one home," I responded, carefully shifting Ariston in my arms. "Ariston, this is Estrada. Can you say hello?"

The little boy peeked out from behind his bear and waved a small hand at her. "H-Hello."

Estrada smiled warmly at him, "Hello, Ariston."

Estrada, like Bellatrix and Rae, was around 17 years old. She had been a servant at the Gravemaw Mansion for years. Her parents owed a significant debt to the pack and chose to flee rather than pay it off. Estrada was left behind at the age of 4. Rumor had it that they abandoned her to avoid being pursued and to work off what they owned. It seemed to work as nobody has seen or heard from them since.

Estrada straightened up, "What brings you here?"

"The Luna Mother called for me and my parents," I replied, looking her in the eyes. "But we feared she didn't have good intentions, so my parents said they would meet her alone."

The ambiance in the room seemed to drop several degrees at my words. Servants stopped their bustling, turning to stare at us with wide eyes. Everyone was well aware of Trisha's mean nature. She had a habit of mistreating everyone, particularly Estrada.

"Oh," Estrada murmured, her face passing through a myriad of emotions. "Do you know why?" she asked.

"I have a theory," I replied. "But I'll share it with you later. In the meantime, would you mind keeping an eye on Ariston for me? I don't feel safe leaving him alone with me."

Estrada nodded, her pale fingers reaching out to take Ariston from my arms. He tightened his grip on Mr. Huggles but willingly transferred from me to her, a trustworthiness in her eyes that would calm even the wildest of children.

"Of course, Severa," she said with a soft smile. "I'll keep him safe." She turned her attention to Ariston, her smile never wavering. "And would you like that, little one? Would you like to spend some time with me?"

Ariston studied her for a moment before shyly nodding his head. He looked back at me, biting his lower lip in a way that he always did when he was unsure. I gave him a reassuring smile, tucking a stray curl behind his small ear. "You'll have fun, Ariston."

"Don't worry," she said, her black eyes sparkling with sincerity.

"Thank you, Estrada," I whispered, my hand lingering on Ariston's soft curls before withdrawing. "I owe you one."

I called Boris. My phone rang. Estrada disappeared down one of the mansion's many hallways. She whispered something to Ariston, and his eyes widened in wonder. The ringing clicked, and I heard Boris on the other line once again.

"I'm here." I said.

"Good," Boris replied, his voice deep and gravelly as ever. "Come upstairs to my office." Before I could say anything else, he disconnected the call.

I took a deep breath, glancing one last time at Ariston, who was now laughing at something Estrada had said. I turned and made my way through the mansion's tapestry-filled corridors. My heart began to pound in my chest. I couldn't shake the memory of what Wilhelmina had endured in Boris' office. Would he subject me to the same experience?

A soft sigh escaped my lips. Don't think like that, I thought. I arrived at Boris' office and paused to take a deep breath, hoping it would help calm my nerves. Then I knocked on the door. The door opened a moment later, and in the doorway loomed Boris.

Boris grinned down at me and leaned against the doorframe. "Severa," he greeted, his eyes glinting. His grin was wolfish, predatory, lending an ominous aura to the room beyond him. "It's about time you showed up."

"Where are my parents?" I asked hastily.

Boris chuckled, a deep throaty sound that echoed around the hall. "Straight to the point, I see." He stepped out of his office, closing the door behind him, then gesturing for me to follow him. We walked down the halls. There was a moment of silence before Boris spoke. "So where's Ariston?"

"I left him with our neighbor." I lied.

"Oh, that's probably for the best." Boris said.

What did he mean by that, I thought. My heart quickened with worry. The silence stretched again, thick and suffocating, as we meandered through the grand hall. I took in each heavy step Boris embodied, his presence an overbearing shadow that seemed to consume the air around us.