CHAPTER 39: WELCOME TO UNDERCITY

I was afraid.

But I didn’t have a choice, did I?

Either Raye was dressing me like a doll because I was about to be butchered, or she really meant what she said about a party.

A party where I’d meet my so-called savior, the one who had dragged me from the river and kept me alive.

One way or another, I’d get answers.

"Can we shift?" I asked Leika. I imagined bolting, racing down whatever corridors waited beyond this room, slipping away before anyone could stop me.

If something felt wrong, I would flee on four legs, not two.

"I think we can, but..." Leika’s words trailed off.

"But?" I pressed.

She didn’t finish, but I knew what she meant. I could feel it too.

Beyond these walls lay wolves, many of them. Their scents bled faintly even through the heavy doors.

Even if I could shift, escape wasn’t guaranteed. Not with numbers against me.

Still, the thought of having the option grounded me.

At least we can try,

I told myself.

"Let’s go," Raye urged, pulling at my hand before I could dwell too long on escape.

She had changed too, somewhere between fussing over me and calling for servants.

She was a figure clad in a black gown, the skirt feathered halfway down like raven’s wings. The dress contrasted sharply against her pale face, making her wide eyes look darker, older.

She looked almost... otherworldly.

I followed her.

The door creaked open, and a breath of cooler air drifted in.

My pulse quickened as I stepped across the threshold, my gown swishing softly against the floor.

We entered a hallway.

At first glance, it was gloomy. Shadows clung to the high corners, and the air carried a damp chill.

But then my eyes adjusted, and the details took hold.

Lamps lined the walls, not ordinary torches but glass globes filled with flickering lights. They weren’t candles or flames, not exactly. They glowed like stars caught in glass, casting pale, silvery beams across the stone.

The ceiling was arched, low in some places, and the uneven walls glistened faintly as though dusted with crushed jewels.

I brushed my fingers along the surface as we walked.

The rock was cool and rough, but embedded within it were veins of shimmering minerals—gems or crystals, I couldn’t tell—that winked when the light hit.

It was beautiful. Too beautiful.

"Looks like we’re in a castle," I whispered to Leika, not daring to let the words slip aloud.

"Yes, a castle of great stones. Makes me think it’s not bad to live in."

It wasn’t like any manor I had ever seen. The walls weren’t plastered or painted, the ceilings weren’t gilded.

And yet it felt grander, older than any castle.

I thought we were heading outside.

Instead, the path curved inward. And then a staircase heading upward.

The gown tugged heavy at my ankles as we walked, Raye skipping ahead with more energy than the place deserved. Her feathers swayed with each step, black brushing black.

My heart raced faster.

And then the hallway opened.

The air shifted as we entered a massive hall.

The sound struck me first.

Low voices, laughter, the scrape of boots against stone floors.

A big party. My chest tightened.

So many people.

My gaze darted over the expanse. The hall stretched wide, pillars carved from stone rising to hold a vaulted ceiling dripping with more of those star-like lamps.

Shadows danced across the space, flickering against murals carved directly into the walls. Wolves. Battles. Moons. I only caught glimpses as I tried to take it all in.

But what held me wasn’t the stone.

It was the people.

Their scents slammed into me in waves.

My nose filled with musk and dominance, the smell of food and wines, the faint sweetness of perfumes trying and failing to soften raw power. Male, female, young, old, every kind of wolf shifter I’d ever known was probably here, and many I had not.

Their eyes glinted faintly in the lamplight, some bright with amusement, others sharp with curiosity. Laughter drifted through the air, edged with low growls that reminded me none of it was harmless.

Some were dressed in finery, silks and jewels draped as though this were a noble court.

Others wore plain armor, dark leather, or nothing more than loose tunics, their claws tapping against goblets as though the shape of their hands no longer mattered. A few lingered half-shifted, fur bristling across shoulders, ears twitching atop heads, sharp teeth flashing mid-conversation.

It was chaos. Elegant, brutal chaos.

There were so many. Too many. More than I could count at a glance...

Fear sank its claws deep into my heart, twisting until I could barely breathe. I hadn’t been surrounded by so many wolves in a party since... since before my father’s execution. Since before every tragedy that happened to me. Back then, I had been part of them. One of them.

I took a step back without meaning to.

Raye noticed instantly. She turned, her small face softening in a smile that tried too hard to be reassuring.

"Don’t worry," she chirped, as if that could dissolve the panic coiling in me. "No one will bite you."

I was almost relieved if she didn’t add, "Of course, if you behave."

That made me grit my teeth.

"Where’s your master?"

I wanted to meet him as soon as possible so I could analyze the situation better. So I could make an escape plan.

My gaze darted over the crowd again. The scents swirled in the air. The panic in my chest was making me dizzy.

"There’s no running here," Leika whispered in my head. "Even if you shifted, we wouldn’t make it five steps."

My throat worked, dry. "Then what do we do?"

"Calm yourself so you can think straight. We wait. We observe and play it by ear."

I swallowed hard, nodding faintly though my body trembled.

And then Raye spoke, her voice clear enough to carry over the hum of conversation.

"Welcome to Undercity, Vivien."

My heart dropped.