Regretful lies

Zara's POV

"Can I take her too?"

The words hung in the air.

My heart stopped, and my breath caught in my throat. Did he just... did the Alpha just ask to take me?

I stared at him, my eyes wide with shock. His silver eyes met mine, and I gulped down nothing.

Marcus Drake's laugh broke the silence. It was loud and forced, like he was trying to cover up his own surprise.

"Take her?" He laughed again, shaking his head. "Alpha Kael, surely you're joking. That one? She's nothing but a menace."

My stomach twisted. I kept my eyes down, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"Her father was a traitor," Marcus continued, his voice turning cold. "Her father, Garrett Ashford, conspired with rogues to kill our Alpha King. He was plotting against the pack, meeting with enemies in the night. We had no choice but to execute him."

Lies. It was all lies.

My chest burned with the need to scream, to tell them the truth. My father was innocent. He'd been sick, bedridden for weeks. He couldn't have met with anyone, let alone rogues. But I bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood.

Speaking up would only make things worse.

"She's inherited her father's bad blood," Marcus went on. "Rebellious. Disobedient. Honestly, Alpha, you'd be wasting your time with her."

I forced myself to breathe slowly, to keep my face blank. My nails dug into my palms.

The Alpha said nothing. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't dare look up.

"I appreciate your... interest," Marcus said carefully. "But perhaps one of the other servants would be more suitable? Someone more...refined...less filthy?"

Seraphina leaned forward, her voice sweet. "I'm sure we can find someone much better for you, Alpha Kael.

"Perhaps," the Alpha said calmly.

The rest of the dinner passed in a blur. I stood against the wall, my mind spinning. Why had the Alpha asked for me? What did he want? And why did my wolf react so strongly to him?

When the meal finally ended, I followed the other servants back to the kitchen. My legs felt weak, my head fuzzy.

"Did you see the way the Alpha looked at her?" one of the maids whispered.

"Shh! Don't talk about it," another hissed back.

I ignored them, focusing on putting away the dishes. My hands shook as I worked. All I wanted was to go back to my tiny room and hide.

The kitchen door swung open, and a guard stepped in. His eyes scanned the room before landing on me.

"You. Zara."

My heart sank.

"The Young Mistress wants to see you. Now."

The other maids went quiet. Some of them looked at me with pity. Others just looked relieved it wasn't them being called.

I wiped my hands on my dress and followed the guard out. Each step toward Seraphina's room felt heavier than the last. My stomach twisted with fear.

What did she want? Was she angry about what happened at dinner? Of course she was angry. I braced myself for the punishment I was about to get.

The guard stopped outside her door and knocked once before opening it.

"Go in," he said, his voice flat.

I stepped inside, and the door closed behind me with a soft click.

Seraphina sat in a large armchair near the window, her legs crossed elegantly. A dangerous smile playing at the corner of her lips.

I dropped to my knees immediately, my head bowed.

"Young Mistress, please," I said quickly, my voice shaking. "What happened at dinner was a mistake. I didn't mean to ruin anything. I swear, I didn't try to—"

"Be quiet."

I shut my mouth, my heart pounding.

Seraphina stood up slowly and walked toward me. I could hear the click of her heels against the floor.

She stopped in front of me. Then stared down at me for a long moment, saying nothing. She looked at the filthy dress I wore and made a disgusted sound.

"Even in this smelly dress," she said slowly, "I still don't understand what the Alpha saw in you."

I kept my head down, not daring to speak.

"Oh well," she continued, her voice light and mocking. "Maybe he just wanted a new servant. There's no way he would be interested in a disgusting wrench like you."

Her words stung, but I'd heard worse from her before.

"And how dare you," she hissed, her voice turning sharp. "How dare you try to seduce and flirt with the Alpha? You disgusting slave."

"I didn't—"

Her foot connected with my stomach before I could finish. Pain exploded through me, knocking the air from my lungs. I bent over, clutching my belly, gasping for breath.

"Well," she said, her voice cold. "You won't have that chance anymore."

I looked up at her with tears in my eyes. "What... what do you mean?"

She smiled. It was a cruel smile, one that made my blood run cold.

"Guards!" she called out.

The door opened, and two large guards stepped inside.

"Take her away," Seraphina said casually, like she was asking them to take out the trash.

Panic shot through me. "Wait, where—"

I tried to stand, tried to run, but my body was too slow. One of the guards grabbed my arm, his grip was so tight.

"No, please!" I struggled against them, my feet sliding on the floor. "Young Mistress, please!"

Seraphina just watched, her arms crossed, that same cruel smile on her face.

The second guard moved behind me. I saw something in his hand, something heavy.

"Wait—"

Pain exploded in the back of my head. White light flashed across my vision, and then everything went black.

When I woke up, everything was dark.

My head throbbed with pain. I tried to touch it, but my arms were pressed tight against my sides. I couldn't move them.

Where was I?

I blinked, trying to see, but there was nothing. Just darkness. Thick, heavy darkness that surrounded me.

"Help!" I screamed, my voice echoing in the tiny space. "Someone help me!"

But no one came.

The air was thick and stale. Sweat dripped down my face, mixing with the tears I couldn't stop.

I pressed my hands against the walls again, pushing with all my strength. Nothing. They were solid, unwavering.

"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking.

But the darkness just pressed in closer.

I didn't know where I was. I didn't know how long I'd been here.

Then suddenly I placed my hand on my chest gasping for air, I was suffocating.

“Please.. somebody…