Chapter 5

-ALIYAH-

I could feel my heart racing every time I caught a glimpse of Brayden in the mansion. The thought of being with him was exciting, but I knew the risks that came with going against pack traditions. He knew he might be mated to his kind, but he chose me—a human girl. I was grateful for that, even though our relationship was a secret for now. Regardless, he promised to turn me in when he became alpha.

I was lost in thoughts as I walked through the gardens when I noticed Brenda seated on a bench with a book in her hands. Feeling my self consciousness heightened, I tried to change my direction. It wasn’t that I restrained being instructed, but I really find her intimidating and snobbish. I didn’t want to judge a book by its cover, but that was really how I felt toward her. She was Brayden’s total opposite.

“Aaliyah!”

Shit.

My shoulders stiffened as Brenda called me. So there’s no avoiding her now. If I wanted to maintain any impression of politeness, I had no choice but to acknowledge her. Taking a deep breath, I cautiously turned towards Brenda and walked over to where she was sitting. As I approached, she looked up, and I was surprised, seeing her smiling. 

 "Aaliyah," she said, closing her book and  tapping the empty space next to her. “Have a seat.”

She tapped the space next to her, saying, "Have a seat."

I paused for a while, unsure whether I should agree with her request. But I swallowed my doubt and settled into the seat she offered, not knowing what to expect. "D-you you need something to eat, Beta Brenda? I'll prepare something for you," I offered, wanting to make her feel welcome. 

Brenda shook her head, still smiling, and replied, "No need, Aaliyah. I just wanted some company. Plus, it's your down time. You deserve a break too." 

I felt as though weight was lifted off my shoulders at her words. Brenda had always been silent and aloof, and her presence alone was usually enough to make me feel on edge. But her genuine smile and kind words put me at ease. It was refreshing to see a different side of Brenda, and I was grateful for the chance to connect with her. 

As we sat in comfortable silence, my gaze fell to the book resting in her lap. "What are you reading about?" I asked, curious to learn more about her interests.

Brenda held it up for me to see; it was an old book with a leather cover and gold-embossed lettering. "It's a book on werewolf history," she said with a glint in her eye. "I find it fascinating."

My eyes widened. "Really? I never would've guessed."

Brenda's smile widened, and I could notice she shared some of the same features as her brother—blue eyes as deep as the ocean. Though her hair was darker. "Yeah, I know I seem like I'm not interested in much, but I have my passions, like working in Dad's pharmaceutical company. And this—history books about lycans." She pointed at something from the book, getting my attention with the colorful images in it. 

"Who was that?" I asked, pointing to a picture of a fierce-looking Lycan warrior in the book.

"He was the Great Alpha King Hermes Everhart, the first werewolf that came to North America and gathered the first legendary packs."

"Wow..." I couldn't help but be amazed by the information. The man in the photo really looked strong, with well-defined features. His piercing eyes seemed to hold a sense of wisdom and power, making it easy to understand why he was considered a legendary figure among them. "It was nice to learn that great werewolf personalities are recorded."

"But of course, we are civilized as well," she said, laughing without showing any sign of offense at my innocent remark.

Our conversation went well. But it wasn't until the subject of finding a mate came up. I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, especially when I thought of Brayden when he finally found his mate. He said he would mate with me after his inauguration as pack alpha. But what if his fated mate was out there somewhere? Is he going to break up with me? Or, based on their tradition, reject me?

As we stood up to leave, Brenda turned to me with a serious expression. "Aliyah, I know we haven't really gotten along those past few days, but I want you to know that I'm glad you're here. You've brought something new and refreshing to this pack house, and I think we all needed that."

I felt a lump form in my throat at her words, touched by her unexpected kindness. "Thank you, Beta Brenda. I appreciate your words. It means a lot to me to hear that I've made a positive impact on the pack house," I managed to say softly.

"If you encounter problems, don't hesitate to look for me, alright?" Brenda winked before turning away, her book tucked under her arm.

My heart-to-heart conversation with Brenda had genuinely lifted my spirits. I was more inspired to continue working hard and making a difference in the packhouse. Now, I was convinced that Grandma Estelle and I were on the right path.

That night, the smile was still plastered on my face as I set up for dinner in the kitchen. I was preparing a delicious meal of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, savoring the feeling of contentment that Brenda's words had brought me. The aroma filled the air, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in the house. I just didn't add any garlic because I had read that werewolves have a strong aversion to it. As I set the table, the plate on my hands almost slipped as someone barged in.

"Aliyah!"

"B-Brayden?"  I frowned. His face was flushed, and he seemed out of breath. "What's the matter?"

"You need to come with me right now!" 

I quickly set down the plate and asked, "What happened?" 

"I have no time to explain. But you have to see it!" 

I was about to ask him for more information when he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the entrance of the packhouse. 

The next thing I knew, we were entering the training hall. Why was Brayden bringing me here anyway? My confusion only grew as I saw a group of pack members gather. Brayden, on the other hand, sat calmly in the front row. He smiled warmly at me and gestured to a chair in front of him. 

Seriously, what is going on? 

It didn't look like a training session at all, as everyone's eyes focused on me.

“Aliyah has something we’d like to see."

I turned to the man who had spoken, trying to hide my growing unease. I recognized him as Marcus, the guy who first approached me when Brayden introduced me to his friends. 

"What do you mean?" I asked, fisting my hands that had begun to sweat.

"Aliyah, we've heard about your unique abilities. We want to witness them for ourselves."

"U-unique abilities?" I looked at Brayden, hoping to find answers to my growing confusion. He avoided my gaze, his expression unreadable. The silence between us was deafening, increasing my fear. 

"Brayden, please!" I pleaded. I needed him to explain what they meant by his friend. Why the heck was I in front of them anyway, as though I were a circus performer?

Brayden remained silent, his eyes darting around the room as if he hadn't heard me. 

I stood up and stepped toward him even though my legs began to shake. I had no choice but to confront him directly, anyway. "Brayden, this is not fair. I deserve to know the truth. What did they mean? And why did you bring me here?" 

"We want you to remove your clothes."

The walls seemed to close in on me as I struggled to comprehend the words that had just come out of Brayden's mouth. How could he have brought me to this place, only to subject me to such humiliation? Was he even serious? My mind raced with questions, desperately searching for answers. Why would Brayden make such a bold request?

 “Why… why do you want this?” I almost begged.

"We want you to shift into a wolf so that we can check out your fur color," he informed, shrugging nonchalantly. "This isn't about forming any kind of link between us, not genuinely anyway. I'm simply curious, that's all."

“But, I… I thought we were… You know I'm not a...” I couldn't even form a sentence about how shattered my soul was.

It was then a woman in a push up bra and leggings stood and walked to him. She was the one who shooted me unpleasant stares when I stepped in this training hall for the first time. Now she was glaring at me exactly the same way. “Tell her, Brayden. Come on, enlighten the poor girl.”

“Tell me what?” I demanded, immediately wiping the bead of tears that rolled down my face. My hands were itching to throw my chair at his mocking face.

“Alright,” Brayden snorted, shaking his head as he turned to me. “We just got a betting game. My task was to flirt with an omega. Sorry, but you were the subject that entered my mind. So no offense.”

My blood froze as I heard his response. A betting game? I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The tears that had momentarily stopped began to flow freely again. That moment, as I watched Brayden laugh with his friends, my sweet memories with him turned bitter. It was like I was staring at a stranger, someone I didn't recognize anymore. How could he have played with my feelings like this? Was this even real? Were those passionate gazes and sweet words just part of some cruel game? It felt like a punch to the gut, realizing that our entire relationship may have been built on a bet. How could I have been so blind to his true intentions? How could someone I trusted and loved participate in such a hurtful game? 

 “Strip anyway, slave!” one tall and tattooed guy shouted. “If you can't shift into a wolf, at least you can dance to keep us entertained.”

The sound of snickering and derogatory comments filled the room and made me small as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to shield myself from their brutal words.

"Strip! Strip! Strip!"

"Come on, babe. There must be a decadent body under those maid's clothes."

"Oh, don't be rude, you jerks. We need to be sure if it's her first time. She looks like a virgin."

That's it. 

I couldn't take it anymore. The humiliation became too much for me to bear. I needed to be respected and valued for who I truly was.

"Do you really think you know who I am? I'm not what you assume me to be!” I spat, glaring at their stunned faces. Well, I needed to be respected and valued for who truly was. “Yes, I'm a maid, but being a maid doesn't define me or make me any less worthy. One day soon, I'll be curing the diseases of my people, or maybe one of you will end up in my emergency room seeking help. So if you value your lives, treat me with respect!"

 The room fell silent and everyone's eyes locked on me. They stared at me as though they had witnessed a baby talking for the first time. Then, without warning, Brayden waved in the air and broke the atmosphere with a frantic chuckle. "Well said! Now, get out of here. We're done toying with you."

Why Brayden? My mind screamed. I thought he loved me. I was stupid! I should have known that this was all but a big game, and I was the one who had lost! I should have listened to Grandma Estelle when she warned me about getting involved with someone like Brayden. Now, I was standing in front of him, shattered to the bones.

Avoiding eye contact with anyone else, I sprinted away, eager to leave behind any evidence of my foolishness in that training hall.

As I ran, tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. The pain in my chest was overwhelming, but I refused to let it consume me. I needed to find some comfort and heal from this heartbreak. 

There was only one person I wanted to run to. So, without wasting any more time, I ran towards our room on the ground floor of the mansion. I just hope things work differently than what happened today.

But upon reaching the doorstep of our room, I noticed that the door was slightly ajar. 

"G-grandma?" I pushed the door open slowly. "Are you—oh, my God!"

She was on all fours, and gray furs began to cover her body. Her face changed into a wolf's with the same pale gray eyes. I blinked so hard, my sight almost turned red as I watched her, hoping that I was in a long nightmare. But everything was real as the coldness of the floor crept up my body when I slumped in front of her.

"W-why? Why didn't you tell me about this? So it means—"

"Run!"

I gasped as a desperate voice penetrated my head. Although I couldn't explain how paranoid I was, I could tell that it was Grandma's voice screaming in my head.

But how did she...

"You have to get away before they find you!"

"F-find me?" I frowned as my knees got weaker by the minute. "W-who is after me?"

"I have no time to explain, my child. But the savage was the one who wanted you dead, like your father!"

"We're... we're not related?"

"I'm not your real grandmother, but I have loved and treated you as my own!"

My chest tightened as I stared at her helplessly. She continued her transformation until finally with one last howl of pain, the change was complete. Grandma Estelle stood before me; an old gray wolf. She was totally different but still, I wanted to run toward her and embraced her so hard. My Grandmother Estelle—she was the only one I got. I didn’t know what to do if I lost her too!

"They are coming for you!"

My first instinct was to call out for help or run away screaming. However, as soon as our gazes met, Grandma Estelle gave me a pleading look that kept me rooted to the spot instead. She opened her mouth and howled long and vociferously, which sounded like agony emanating from deep within her soul. The sound made my stomach lurch, and then, without any further warnings, she begged me, "Aliyah, you must go now!" She tried explaining what had happened, but only words got stuck in her throat while she begged for forgiveness.

The next second, something sharp pierced Grandma Estelle's back like lightning. Suddenly, everything became still. Blood oozed slowly out of her wolf body and smeared on