2 Tempting Offer

After a quick shower to wash off the fatigue of the day, I peek into Tanya’s room. She’s already tucked into bed, reading a book with complete focus.

My little sister… she’s honestly amazing for her age. No wild teenage rebellion, no drama. She’s doing great in school and even works a little on the side, tutoring younger students or helping those who are falling behind. Sometimes I forget how young she really is—she’s so responsible, so dependable.

I walk over to her, give her a tight hug, and whisper a soft goodnight. Her warmth comforts me more than I expect.

Then I retreat to my own room, ready to collapse into sleep. I’ve earned it tonight.

Nestled comfortably in bed, I slowly drift toward the embrace of Morpheus, lulled by the howling wind outside my window. My body sinks into the mattress, and my thoughts dissolve one by one...

Until the shrill ring of my phone shatters the silence.

Muttering a colorful string of curses under my breath, I blindly grope for the device on my nightstand. The screen flashes with an unfamiliar number. Who the hell needs me at ten o’clock at night?

“Good evening, is this Alina Olegovna Velichko?” comes a pleasant female voice.

“Yes,” I reply flatly, already annoyed.

“I’m terribly sorry to bother you so late. My name is Lakisha, I’m the staff manager for Alpha Wayland’s household. We’re urgently in need of a housemaid, and one of our employees—Maksim—highly recommended you.”

Well, that was fast.

“If possible, would you be able to come by at eight tomorrow morning to discuss the details in person?”

Oh, for the love of—!

"Yes, of course," I answered, closing my eyes in defeat.

"Perfect. I’ll send you the address now. See you tomorrow," the woman said before ending the call.

I just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

So much for getting some sleep tonight.

A message pinged on my phone, and I reluctantly opened it. After copying the address into my GPS, I realized the place was basically on the edge of the world. Great. That meant waking up at the crack of dawn. If not earlier.

Groaning in despair, I flopped back onto the pillow and finally drifted off.

But it felt like only a moment had passed before the phone rang again.

Barely managing to pry my eyes open, I realized—it was the alarm. Time to get up.

I lay there another minute, tossing and turning in protest, cursing the universe, then finally dragged myself out of bed.

It was still pitch dark outside. Through the old, drafty window frames, I could already feel the bite of the morning frost. I just hoped our ancient Opel would start today and not betray me. At least there was no snow—small blessings.

I got myself ready quickly. Threw on a warm tracksuit, touched up my lashes just a bit, and tied my grown-out hair into a high ponytail. Even though I’m saving money wherever I can, I still allow myself the luxury of keratin treatments now and then. Thanks to that, I no longer had a frizzy mess of red antennae on my head, but smooth, silky hair that now fell well past my shoulder blades.

I peeked into my little sister’s room. She was still asleep, peaceful and warm in her bed. A small smile tugged at my lips, laced with a hint of envy.

And with that, I headed out toward my new destination.

The drive took about forty minutes, and I made a quick stop at a gas station to grab a strong coffee—no way I was risking dozing off behind the wheel and ending up in a ditch.

By the time the sky had lightened enough to see clearly, I was pulling up to the elite residential area. It was surrounded by tall fences, surveillance cameras, and guarded checkpoints. Apparently, they'd been notified in advance—I was waved through with a brief explanation of where to go.

Another ten minutes of driving, and I was completely awestruck. My mouth hung open as I took in the perfectly manicured streets, the picture-perfect houses, and the overall fairytale vibe of the place.

When I finally pulled up to the right address, I turned off the engine and just stared.

This wasn’t a house… it was a damn palace.

I stepped out of the car and let out a low whistle. The mansion stood three stories tall, surrounded by a towering fence that stretched as far as the eye could see in either direction. I had a feeling the property even included part of the forest and maybe a river, though I couldn’t tell for sure—there was no end in sight.

Approaching the guards stationed at the estate gate, I introduced myself and explained the purpose of my visit. They let me through without issue. I left my car outside—it was too beat-up to be parked in a place like this without ruining the pristine aesthetic.

As the tall wrought-iron gates—adorned with the carved head of a wolf—swung open, I stepped inside and nearly lost my breath at the sight of the grounds. It was like something out of a dream.

Despite the biting December frost and the grip of winter, everything was immaculate. Not a single stray leaf marred the spotless paths. In the middle of the courtyard stood a beautiful fountain surrounded by perfectly kept flowerbeds and a few elegant benches.

A wide staircase with five stone steps led up to the main entrance. Standing at the top was a stunning woman with light blonde hair cut into a chic bob. She looked about my age, maybe a little older—but the difference was clear. She had style. Clad in a warm, gray pantsuit, a tailored coat, and fashionable leather ankle boots with a modest heel, she radiated quiet authority. Her expression was cool and composed, her makeup flawless—subtle, but professional.

Still, despite her polished look, I could tell without a doubt—she was human. I’d learned to recognize werewolves long ago, and she wasn’t one of them.

"Hello, I’m Lakisha," she said, surprisingly warmly, offering her hand for a shake.

"Hi, I’m Alina," I replied, accepting her hand with a slight smile.

"Nice to meet you. Let’s drop the formalities and use first names. Come inside—we’ll go over everything there."