It was a dismissal of the formal gathering, and the omegas and pack members began to disperse immediately, moving back toward their duties.
But Sera lingered, and Mara lingered, and Agnes waited at the base of the steps like she was expecting something.
"Sera will show you to your room," Agnes said, her gaze shifting between Lilith and the brothers. "Everything has been prepared for you. If you require anything, you need only ask."
The brothers still didn’t speak. It was their silence, Lilith realized, that communicated more than any words could have. Their silence and the way they watched her, the way they let Agnes direct her movements without objection, the way they made it clear through sheer presence that whatever arrangements had been made, they were acceptable.
Sera practically bounded forward once the formal moment had passed. "Come on," she said, her enthusiasm infectious. "I can’t wait to show you your room. It’s on the second floor, in the east wing, much nicer than the guest quarters from before. They’ve got the best view of the gardens, and the morning light is beautiful, and..." She paused, seeming to realize she was talking too fast, too much. "Sorry. I’m just really happy you’re here."
"I’m glad to see you too," Lilith said, and found that she meant it completely.
She followed Sera up the stone steps and through the massive wooden doors, acutely aware of the brothers following behind her, their presence like gravity itself had shifted to orbit around her. Mara had also fallen into step behind them, and Lilith realized that the warriors would be part of her life here too...watching, protecting, ensuring the estate’s security.
The interior of the estate was exactly as she remembered it, soaring ceilings, polished dark wood, tapestries hanging along the walls depicting scenes from Blackwood history. Sera led her through the main corridor, past the dining hall where she’d first eaten with the brothers, past the library where she’d found a book on wolf-witch alliances, her heart racing with memory.
They climbed the grand staircase, Sera chattering softly about the staff, about what had happened in the estate during Lilith’s absence, about how much everyone had been looking forward to her return since Agnes told them the Alphas would be bring her back with them. It was easy to let the younger woman’s enthusiasm wash over her, easy to let Sera’s warmth provide a buffer against everything else Lilith was feeling.
The east wing was quieter than the main corridors, the hallways narrower, more intimate. Sera stopped at a door painted deep green with brass fixtures, and pushed it open with obvious pride.
"Here it is," she said, stepping inside and spreading her arms. "Your room."
It was nothing like the guest quarters from her first stay.
The space was large, airy, filled with soft afternoon light filtering through tall windows that overlooked the gardens Sera had mentioned. The walls were papered in a gentle cream color, and there was a four-poster bed against one wall with fresh linens in pale blue. A writing desk sat near the window with a comfortable-looking chair. A wardrobe, a vanity, a small sitting area near the fireplace.
"The brothers are in the west wing," Sera said carefully, like she was testing the waters, seeing how much information Lilith wanted or needed. "That’s where their personal quarters are. Your room is more...independent. More privacy." She hesitated. "Agnes said you’d probably want that."
Lilith moved to the window, looking out at the gardens below. They were carefully landscaped, with winding paths and flowering bushes and stone benches positioned in peaceful-looking spots. It was beautiful and peaceful and completely foreign to anything in her life before.
"Thank you," she said to Sera. "For showing me. For being happy to see me."
"Of course I’m happy to see you," Sera said, her voice carrying genuine confusion, like there was no question about it. "You were nice to me when you first came here. You listened when I talked about things. You mattered while you were here." She paused. "You still matter."
The words, so simply stated, so completely sincere, undid something in Lilith that she’d been holding together with sheer force of will. She felt her eyes burn, felt tears threatening, and she turned away from the window to hide it.
"I’m going to let you rest," Sera said softly, moving toward the door. "You’ve had a long journey. If you need anything...anything at all, just ring the bell and someone will come. Agnes will probably check on you later this evening. And Mara will be around if you need anything related to the compound or the grounds." She paused in the doorway. "It’s really good to have you back, Lilith. I mean it."

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