Chapter 5.

~Lael~

My eyes fluttered open, and I yawned as I stretched my body. Sitting upright, I expected to see Jared in the room, but the sheet beside me wasn't ruffled, showing that he hadn't slept on the bed with me. I felt quite relieved and got down from the bed, ready to take my bath, when a knock on the door stopped me.

"Luna, are you awake?" It sounded like a young lady's voice.

'Luna!' I still didn't feel comfortable hearing that word. Nevertheless, I told her I was awake, and three ladies walked in with supplements, rose petals in a bowl, and other essentials.

"We are here to prepare you for your bath," one of the ladies said. From how they were dressed, I could tell they were maids.

My eyes narrowed as I repeated their words. "Bathe?"

"Yes," they said in unison. This felt so weird. I wanted to tell them to leave—I had always prepared my own bath when I was in my former pack, and hearing this made it feel so foreign. Before I could utter any words, they entered the bathroom. After a while, they announced that everything was ready for my bath. Walking inside, I was amazed by what they had done. One of them moved forward and removed the robe I wore, then assisted me in getting into the bathtub. My body wasn't comfortable with it, but I feared that if I refused them, Jared would punish them.

Once I was done bathing, they dressed me in a beautiful gown embroidered with intricate details. They styled my hair and did my makeup, and just like last time, I looked different. "Is anything happening today?" I asked when I could no longer hold back my curiosity.

"Yes, after every mating ceremony, the Luna addresses the females and children in the pack. Since you are new, the Alpha would assign someone to take you on a tour so you could become familiar with things here," she explained, and I nodded.

My heart was thudding loudly. I wondered what they thought of me. The maids spoke little, but they didn't look hostile either. Maybe they didn't want to face the wrath of their Alpha. I felt pity for them, wondering how they were able to cope in his presence. He must be so intimidating and ruthless to them—very cruel.

The door opened, revealing Jared. The maids scurried off, leaving us alone. His eyes raked over me from head to toe, and a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Cat got your tongue?" I taunted while he scoffed. "Well, if I must admit, you look different," his voice was hoarse, and I frowned.

Just different? I stared at myself in the mirror. Yes, I looked different, but good too.

"Don't be sour, little lamb. It's good to look a little different. I'm not against it," he added, and I snarled at him.

"Don't you have Alpha duties to do? Or do you leave everything to those who work under you? I wouldn't be surprised if you did—you're such a bully." I rolled my eyes.

Jared approached me. "Here I am thinking you would be done with calling me names," he tsked.

"That would never happen," I snorted.

"And I came here to help you, my Luna. I don't think you know how to address your people, do you?" He tilted his head slightly. I pushed him away. "I thought you said I wasn't going to involve myself in your pack's business. After all, I'm just your mate bound by a life debt," I reminded him, and he pursed his lips.

"I didn't say that, little lamb. I only talked about marking you, and being marked comes with duties, my love. For example, you could start with trying to satisfy my urges," he whispered, licking his lips. My eyes were glued to them. "Be careful what you say, Jared."

~~~

"You don't have to follow me like a lapdog, Jared. You could just assign a guard for me," I grumbled when I could no longer take it. Apparently, instead of the Alpha telling me what I ought to do, he took it upon himself to follow me up and down, making it impossible for me to breathe properly. I couldn't withstand how much he affected me, even with the tiniest things like walking.

"I would do that, little lamb, but first I have to make sure you understand your role here. I don't trust you enough to lead my people—you could act like a tyrant," he said, and I gritted my teeth, hurt by his choice of words.

"Then let me go. Free my brother and me. Reject me and free me from the mate bond," I retorted. Jared stopped in his tracks and looked at me. His glare was as dark as coal as he stared at me as if he wanted to snap my neck.

"Talk about setting you free again, and I'll let you watch as I kill your brother. Don't tempt me, little lamb. I've kept my cool, but that doesn't mean I won't lash out when I should," he said through gritted teeth. I could feel my bones trembling, my hands fidgeting as I stared down, afraid to look into his eyes any longer. The monster from before was back, reminding me of how cruel he could be.

"Do you understand?" he gritted his teeth, and I nodded.

"Yes, I do!" I stuttered.

"Great. Now, my Luna, let's go meet my people." His cold tone had disappeared, and now he sounded jovial. I couldn't shake the fear in my body as I followed after him. The thought of him killing my brother kept echoing in my head, and I couldn't maintain my composure, worried that I might anger him.

"Smile, little lamb. You wouldn't want my people to think that I'm not treating you right." I forced a smile, and he nodded in approval.

"Perfect!"