Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I decided to be as honest as I could.

“My family has been going through some hard times lately, and we could really use the extra money. I noticed the salary you are offering…”

I had the chance to tutor a child, and it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It’s a job I can do after my own school hours, so I won’t fall behind in my studies.

“Are you free this afternoon?” I asked. “I will text you.”

“Here’s an address where you can meet me. You should also meet with Master Matthew before you make any decisions,” he suggested.

I smiled. This was better than nothing.

“I would like that,” I replied.

It didn’t take long for Adam to…

to send me the address through a text message after we hung up. It was late morning, and they wanted me to meet him in a couple of hours. This gave me enough time to get dressed and call for an Uber. I decided to…

I dressed in comfortable clothes that allowed me to move easily. After taking a shower, I made a small bite to eat. I made sure to leave some extra food for my mother in case she felt like eating today. Then, I continued with my day.

I called for an Uber. It didn’t take long for the car to arrive. I got into the backseat and soon I was on my way to the Silver Crescent pack.

The Silver Crescent pack was the largest pack in the world.

The place was filled with modern luxuries. Most of the pack members were swimming in money and made sure everyone around them knew it.

People from other packs were allowed to visit as long as they had the right permissions.

Gammas were stationed at the borders, checking visitors before letting them in. Everyone in the pack, including the children, had an ID. The Uber driver and I made sure to have our IDs ready before we reached the border.

This pack belonged to Gavin.

Landry’s pack was close to mine, but I had never actually been inside it before.

For a moment, I thought the driver had stopped at the wrong house. He parked right in front of a beautiful, large home that caught my eye.

The villa stood impressively, resembling a luxurious hotel resort. It featured a stunning marble water fountain statue right out front.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” I asked the driver, still gazing at the grand, rustic building.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

I thanked him and got out of the car. As I walked toward the large set of stairs leading to the front doors, the doorway opened. A tall man with greying hair and pale skin stepped out.

Blue eyes stood in front of me. He had a kind smile and bowed as I walked closer.

“Good afternoon; you must be Judy Montague,” he said in a deep voice. I instantly recognized him.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, smiling at him.

“I am Adam Conners. You can call me Adam. I am the butler at the estate, and I’ve been chosen to be the caretaker for…”

“Master Matthew is here when his father isn’t home,” someone said.

“What about his mother?” I asked, curious.

“It’s a complicated story,” Adam replied. “She isn’t in the picture, though. Master Matthew is out back right now.”

I was practicing my archery when I learned that someone else was also here for the tutoring job. My stomach dropped. This meant I had to compete for the position.

Chapter 0009

I followed him outside and walked across the green grass field.

In the distance, I noticed the archery setup. A young woman, who looked a bit older than me, was trying to teach a boy how to shoot. However, he seemed to be giving her a hard time, yelling and acting up. I could see her getting more and more nervous as he raised his voice at her.

When we arrived, she was already in tears.

“I can’t do this,” she cried, stepping back from the boy. “I’m sorry.”

Without saying anything more, she turned and ran away. All that was left was the sound of her sobs.

Adam sighed deeply as he watched her leave. It felt like he aged a few years in that moment. Matthew, on the other hand, didn’t seem affected at all. His thick eyebrows were furrowed as he struggled to hit his target with the arrows. I could see he was focused, trying his best to improve his aim.

He was feeling frustrated. He grunted and groaned as he pulled back the bowstring and released the arrow. But instead of hitting the target, the arrow landed just a few feet in front of him, sticking out of the ground.

“Can I see?” I asked.

He turned to look at me with a frown, glancing over his shoulder. With his eyes, he measured me from my feet to my head. I had never felt so judged by a seven-year-old in my life.

But he stayed calm, wearing a gentle smile. Eventually, he gave in and handed me the bow and arrow.

With hardly any effort, I pulled back the string and let the arrow fly through the air toward the target. It soared gracefully, aiming straight for its mark.

The arrow hit the bullseye with a loud thud.

Matthew gasped in surprise.

“Whoa…” he said, his eyes wide.

I smirked as I took another arrow from the quiver. I quickly nocked it and shot again, hitting the target perfectly in the same spot.

Matthew stared up at Adam, his mouth almost touching the ground in disbelief.

“What is her name?” he asked, filled with awe.

Adam looked down at him, sharing in the moment of surprise.