Chapter 24
The sound of pans and pots around me took me back to all those years ago when I had been pregnant with Jessy, but something was different this time.
There were no whispers. I wasn’t being called a slut or a whore and I was more comfortable currently standing over the pot of soup than I had been in that kitchen.
I didn’t miss my old pack, not in the least. I wasn’t in the most ideal of places and my situation could get better than it was in this moment but for me it felt good enough. I was satisfied here, this was never a word I used when it came to my previous pack.
I was never truly satisfied.
“I think you’ve been stirring that soup for too long Freya.” Christie teased beside and I spun on my heel to address, backing up in shock at how close she was to me.
“Why are you so close to me?” I asked and the other girl only gave me a lopsided smile before moving to the sink to begin clearing the dishes.
“I was trying to look over your shoulder. It wasn’t really hard since you’re so short.” Christie teased and I clicked my tongue.
“You’re lucky we’re in the kitchen and I can’t throw stuff at you. Where is Jessy?” I asked and just then my daughter came strutting into the kitchen with a bar of chocolate in her hands.
My eyes widened when I saw it. Where the hell had she gotten that from? Christie answered my question before I could vocalize it.
“She had followed me to go and serve Master and his Beta some drinks and she and the Beta had begun some sort of weird conversation about butterflies and rainbows. Master dismissed me anyway, said he would send her down. She probably got that from there.” Christie explained.
I remained silent for a minute trying to process what I had just been told. Jessy was very friendly, that much I had known from an even earlier stage and it wasn’t hard for her to charm people.
I had been very surprised when earlier in the morning the Alpha had requested that she joined him for breakfast.
I had been trying to keep a close eye on her but through their meal I only saw the Alpha speak to her once and then the rest of the meal had been shared in silence.
It was weird the feeling that crept up my spine while I watched them eat. It was like watching a father and his daughter.
I knew that Jessy would never have the opportunity to eat with her real father so maybe my mind had chosen to compensate this fact with the image of the Alpha and her. It had been nice while it lasted.
And that brought me to the question that had been on my mind since I had begun working here.
Where was the Alpha’s mate?
The Alpha was a man that I couldn’t exactly discern. He was mostly quiet in nature and very closed off. The only emotions I had ever been able to pick from his eyes had been anger.
Save for that, his orbs were usually blank and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t ever tell what he was thinking or feeling.
Was there something responsible for that or was that the way that he had always been?
“Christie. Do you know anything about the Alpha’s mate?” I asked in a hushed tone.
Although we were alone in the kitchen I couldn’t be too sure of the ears that were pricked around the home. We were all werewolves after all and even as omegas we still possessed a good sense of hearing.
Christie frowned at my question and paused in her scrubbing to face me.
“What’s the problem? Is there a reason you’re asking?” She replied in an equally hushed tone.
“Not exactly, I’m just curious. I haven’t ever heard about her or seen anything that points to the fact that he might actually have a mate.”
Christie moved closer to me at this point and she leaned in towards me, in a manner that two women gossiping would actually do.
I wasn’t a fan of gossips. Matter of fact, I did my best to avoid it at all cost but I was curious about this topic, very curious and if this was what it was going to take then I was willing to lean in like a gossip.
“I heard that he once had a mate, but she died of mysterious causes. Of course, I can’t really be sure if that is the truth but it’s the only rumor that mills around when it comes to the topic and it’s not hard to believe. The Alpha is so stoic up and unfriendly, also very ruthless and maybe all of it could stem from the loss of his mate. I’m just saying.” Christie said shrugging her shoulders.
She returned to washing the dishes while I pondered on what I had just been told.
“Did you ever meet any evidence that she might have existed, during your time working here?” I asked again and Christie shook her head in the negative.
“Never, although I hear that after it happened Master tried to wipe out every proof that she ever existed. I’m not sure about any of it. The only maid that has been here the longest to be able to actually verify if this is actually true has refused to say a wor-”
Christie was still in the middle of her sentence but a loud voice had cut her off, making her as well as myself jump in our spot.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop spreading shit that isn’t true?! This is all you do, stand here and gossip. Spread untrue stuff with all the new maids. You’re supposed to be working Christie, but that’s not what you’re interested in doing. As a matter of fact you have no more time to actually work because you spend all your time, chatting and spreading rumors!”
Zoe was stood at the entrance of the kitchen and I could see the smoke fumes that came of her as a result of her anger.
Her screaming voice had attracted other maids to the kitchen and I could only hope that the Alpha couldn’t hear the ruckus and tried to investigate the cause of it.
Jessy had run towards me at the sudden loud voice and my she was currently hugging my legs in fear. I ran my fingers through her hair to comfort her but Zoe wasn’t done and another round of ranting was still going on.
“I’ve told you before that it’s all been a rumor. The Alpha has had no mate before. None of his mates ever died, but you still insist on spreading otherwise. You tell this same story to every new maid. What the hell is your problem?”
I could see Christie shrink beside me with her head bowed and felt bad for asking her the question in the first place, but something about Zoe was off.
She was pissed no doubt, but it was more than that. I could understand why she might be angry with Christie for talking about a rumor that she had repeatedly debunked according to her but the way she was acting was strange.
She looked too angry for the situation at hand. Christie wasn’t hurting anyone by saying the Alpha’s mate was dead. It was one of those informations that whether or not they were true, it didn’t entirely make any difference, especially to the maids.
But Zoe was so mad one would think that the rumor had been about her personally.
“I know I’m not the new maid been fed rumors so that leaves only one other maid here.” Emilia said and when I looked in her direction, she had her hands on her waist and the look in her eyes spelt judgment.
It infuriated me that Emilia always wanted to try and press my buttons by throwing mean comments at me every single chance she got, but I usually did my best to ignore her.
She began making her way towards me and when she was only a couple inches away she began speaking again.
“You’re barely fit to work here and you keep ruining it with even more stupid stuff. If you haven’t noticed, everyone around here are fresh maidens that are worthy. Not sluts with children.” She spat in my direction.
It happened before I could control it. Her words had stung so deep that they had forced my wolf to the top and before I could help it, I was swinging my hands out in her direction and striking her across the face.
The sound of my palms connecting with her cheeks caused a few gasp to ring through the kitchen and it was only then that I was reminded about the fact that most of the maids were now in the kitchen courtesy the ruckus that Zoe had begun.
“How dare you?” Emilia raged and she had just begun to move from her spot to attack me when a throat clearing had sounded by the door frame.
All the maids whipped their heads in its direction and when my eyes connected with the Alpha’s, I felt all the fight leave my body.
His eyes left mine and I could see them search the room, as though he were looking for something. He found it in the next second.
Zoe.
Even from my spot at the end of the room I could see the anger and disappointment in his gaze as he looked at her and I watched as Zoe bowed her head in shame.
She was the head maid, none of this should have been happening in her presence, but she had been the one to start it.
“Zoe, Emilia and Freya. Straight to the punishment room. I should meet all three of you on your knees.”
The Alpha instructed turning around to exit the room.
My heart dropped to my stomach.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Not again.