chapter 18

Mira's POV.

I should've stayed in bed, curled up in my blankets waiting for my promised meal after Father left. But my miserable fate and trouble always find me.

"I believe you all didn't turn deaf all of a sudden!" Navier growled low this time, shifting his hard unflinching gaze to me. "You all must be idle, seeing as you turned my pack into a commotion, instead of earning your keep!"

My soul almost jumped out of my body, on hearing his voice. My heart hammered against my ribs, I felt a cold sweat break out on my brow, my knees threatened to buckle beneath me, as Navier advanced towards us, each word laced with anger, and step oozing of authority. All I could think of was the pouch in Ellen's grip and Navier discovering its contents.

"Better start talking or I'll have you all planking on the field till the day is over!" Navier smirked, pointing to the window at the open field, pointing to each one of us. "Guess whose mouth and nostrils are going to be dripping like a broken faucet? And still be in the kitchen cooking dinner once their punishment is over?"

"What!"

"We're women, not warriors.... He can't do that, right? That's not fair."

A flash of distress crossed the maids' faces, as they murmured in agreement..

A familiar cold dread seized me. In the three days since my arrival, I'd learned the hard way that Navier's promises weren't empty threats.

"Fuck, not the field. I almost died there a few minutes ago! This is a disaster at its finest. I might as well beg Cole to give me the quickest death. A quick twist to the neck should do it, right? Better than staying around until my almost treason is revealed."

I thought to myself, glancing at Cole whose head had been bowed, since Navier interrupted us.

Although he was facing the ground, I could tell he was dying of embarrassment. He was a warrior, caught up in a fight with women.

Great, I was like the plague that infected and destroyed anyone who dared stand near them.

"The Alpha made it clear years ago, punishment is equal for all. No exceptions." Beta Ethan chuckled, earning him a disgusted look from Navier, he wasn't dissuaded and went on to explain. "So yes, you'd all be treated equally, irrespective of your genders, or roles assigned."

I raised my hands to sign, to gesture something, anything, since others were shit scared to. But I was shot down by his hard glare, and I recoiled back in shame, darting my eyes away from the smug look on Ellen's face.

"Alpha, as the leader of this establishment, may be allowed to speak sir?" Ellen bowed, looking so remorseful like she hadn't been smirking at me.

"Yes, go ahead," Navier ordered.

For a split second, Ellen didn't utter a word like we all expected, and anticipated. Instead, her face slowly morphed into one of anguish, and sadness tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Alpha, am I permitted to start from the beginning?" She sobbed, her voice barely audible to me. Seeing as Navier nodded for her to continue, they must be hearing her.

One of the disadvantages of having a stealer wolf. Our wolves' abilities and strengths are limited.

"Life has been made difficult for me, and my girls from the time, the Mute..." Ellen let out what seemed to be a mocking smirk, to me, and continued. "Mira got assigned to me. Sometimes it's a challenge to get out of bed to come to work knowing the horror that awaited me in the form of Mira. I'm the head cook, but I can't correct Mira or task her without her crying to the head omega, for maltreating her. But in truth, we have been trying hard for months to accommodate her, help her ...."

"For months? What the hell is she talking about? I have been here for three days! Oppressed? They are the devil incarnate sent to make my life hell."

My fingers curled into tight fists at my sides, my nails biting into my palms, focused on the pouch in Ellen's hand, not the torrent of lies she was spewing.

I glanced from the crying Ellen to the maids behind her, wiping their nostrils as if they had been expecting this scene and already rehearsed for the play. '''Cause what the fuck! "They're all drama queens."

Apart from slapping her today, which I admit is wrong and rash of me. I have never done anything wrong to her.

"Every one of my girls knows I'm a damned good boss, if I might say so myself. But no more will I stand for this. This oppression is too much." Ellen continued.

"Damn straight! Yeah." The girls mumbled.

"That still doesn't explain the uncouth behavior I just saw you all display here. Or why one of my men is here meddling in women's affairs." He tossed a look at Cole before turning to Ethan, who had a smile fixed on his face, looking amused by the whole scene. "Guard Cole, I presume you're also involved in this as well?"

"Yes.... A...Alpha. Not at all Alpha, but in a... way." He stammered, his cheeks burning red like a tomato.

"Now you all have captured my interest." Beta Ethan whistled, chuckling loudly.

"Ethan!!!!" Navier warned, but Beta Ethan chuckled louder ignoring him.

"What? This is far more entertaining than the movies I picked out for tonight. Man... you all don't mind me, please go on." Beta Ethan mused, leaning against the doorway.

After sending a glare his way Navier turned back to us. "Ellen?"

"I was about to do that, Alpha." She bowed.

"Then get to it. I don't have all day." He snapped

A pause, and Ellen resumed spewing out more lies. "So, today Mira stormed in here with guard Cole, her boyfriend. Acting all crazy and demanding for this punch to be given to her." She said sweetly, holding up my pouch. "As her boss, I merely asked her what was in it for confirmation, and safety purposes. To ensure they weren't claiming what wasn't theirs, and the contents weren't harmful, when she slapped me, Alpha." She wiped the tear that leaked outta her eyes with her apron. "Calling me names I dare not repeat in your presence, Alpha. That bitch, hit me for caring for the good of the pack."

"Is that true?" Navier growled to no one in particular. His face held no expression, and his hand and voice sounded standoffish, making a chill run down my spine.

"You liar..." I signed, pointing angrily to Ellen, before turning desperately to make hand gestures to Navier. "Please believe me...Cole is not my lover or boyfriend. The only reason he's here is to reclaim my pouch."

The terror of the poison being discovered had faded, replaced by a more crippling fear. The pouch was nothing if they didn't know what was in it.

But what mattered most was the burning, desperate need for him to hear me out. I'd hate for this to cause a setback in our newfound relationship.

"Silence! Stop talking." Navier sneered, not sparing me a glance. "One more word, or gesture from you, and you'll regret it. Cole, what do you have to say?"

Cole frowned. "That's not true Alpha. Mira, not my lover or friends. And she only slapped Ellen because she was being cruel and deserved it."

"She's been acting out, sir," Aria, one of the maids chimed in, interrupting him. "She might be in heat, or maybe just frustrated, because she didn't get her way."

Slut. She didn't have to utter it, but it lingered in their tone. I bit my lip hard trying not to cry in humiliation, as I always have.

"Alpha, can you see how quick he is to defend her? Clearly, they're acquaintance having meaningless fuck, knowing that their mate could be out there! This world is turning into something else." Ellen cried out.

"We're not lovers!" Cole snapped, again at her.

This was the end. I could feel it deep in my bones, my life is flashing right in front of my eyes.

Lost in the spiral of my thoughts, I felt a sudden warmth on my hand as Cole's fingers gently intertwined with mine. He must have sensed my distress, and unconsciously, I let him hold on, finding a surprising moment of comfort in his touch.

"Look, they're even holding hands." Ellen gasped dramatically, covering her mouth in false shock, calling everyone's attention to our hands. "And they say they are not lovers? Not lovers, my foot."

A heavy silence fell like thunder tight before lightning, and the air shifted. As Navier's cold eyes dropped to where Cole's fingers wrapped around mine, before settling on me. His once cold eyes are now filled with jealousy and rage. His increasing aura made it difficult to see anything else, aside from him.

'Fuck!'

My breath caught. My body moved before I could think, I yanked my hand away from Cole like I'd been burned. As a savage growl erupted from Navier.

Before we all had a grasp of the situation. Navier had Cole pinned to the wall, his hand on Cole's neck, squeezing the life out of him. Beta Ethan prying Navier's hand off Cole.

"Stop.... Navier, you'll kill the poor guy. Calm down." That was all I heard in the background, as a hard hand gripped my hand, dragging me through the doors.