His Possession

10: Tour

"I've never understood why anybody makes a big deal about mansions. It's just a house with more rooms. You still have to face yourself."
~Dov Davidoff

***
I let out a sigh as I lay on Nova's bed, staring up at the ceiling. The phone call with Brett didn't bring any surprising revelations. He expressed his relief that I was safe and urged me to stay that way. Meanwhile, Nova sat beside me, making exaggerated lovey-dovey faces, which only added to my frustration.

"This is like the hundredth time you've sighed," Nova pointed out, her concern evident.

"I can't help it. I feel trapped in a stranger's house, and everything I thought I knew has turned out to be a lie. I just need some space and time to process everything, but I can't. And on top of that, I can't stop thinking about Blake. Why did all this have to happen to me?" I vented, feeling the weight of my frustration.

I had promised myself that I wouldn't let everything overwhelm me and that I would try to ignore it, but it proved to be too much. I realised that I wasn't as strong as I thought I was.

"I understand that you're going through a tough time right now, but I have faith in you. I may not have experienced something like this before, but I'll be there for you whenever you need help. I just want you to know that your dad didn't do this to hurt you, he did this to protect you, and no I'm not taking his side I just don't want you to misjudge him. I really hope you can forgive me for not telling you that I'm a... werewolf. I really wanted to tell you but it was for your protection and an order from your dad," Nova reassured me, her words genuine.

Her sincerity and support comforted me, knowing that I had someone like her by my side, someone I could lean on.

"Thank you, bestie," I said, embracing her in a hug. "And I forgive you. It wasn't your fault; you were following my dad's orders. You would have told me otherwise."

She wiped away her tears, trying to regain composure. "This is getting too sappy," she said, attempting to lighten the mood. "Let's go. I'll give you a tour of this territory."

"Wait!" I interrupted, halting her from dragging me along. "You knew who Blake was, didn't you?" The memory of her reaction when my dad introduced Blake at the ball resurfaced in my mind.

Nova looked guilty, her gaze averted. "When you told me about him, I didn't know it was Alpha Blake or that he was a werewolf at all. I only found out it was him when I saw him on the stage," she admitted.

"Why do you call him Alpha?" I inquired, curious about the term she used.

"Well, he's the leader of this pack, so it's a sign of respect. I can't really go around calling him by his name, unless..." Nova trailed off, making a throat-slitting gesture.

"But you called him by his name at the ball," I pointed out, remembering her casual use of his name.

"That was because you didn't know about the whole werewolf thing... and yeah," she replied awkwardly, offering a laugh to diffuse the tension.

"Alright, do you even know where everything is?" I asked, changing the subject to alleviate the awkwardness.

"I know where some things are. I took a quick tour last night, and maybe we can make a friend who can help us navigate so we don't get lost," Nova responded with an excited smile.

She tugged at my arm, leading me down the stairs and into the open area. "The pack is probably training now, so we won't bump into a lot of people," she assured me.

"Where's our first stop?" I asked, feeling a growing sense of anticipation.

"To the game room!" Nova exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious. She pulled me along, and soon we stood before a large red door with a silver doorknob. With a swift motion, Nova opened the door and stepped inside, with me following suit.