13

Jade’s POV

Alpha Nicolai swept his gaze across the four of us, taking a small breath as he straightened his spine.

"Now that that has been said and done," Nicolai murmured, his tone shifting into a lighter, more conversational beat, "let me take you all to the Alpha's personal bedchamber. To be completely honest with you girls, when Lucien first announced that he wanted the four of you to take turns cleaning his private room, the idea didn't sit right with me at all. Bringing your bitter enemies into your most private sanctuary is never a wise move."

He shook his head softly, a tiny, amused sigh escaping his lips as he gestured toward the ceiling. "But... you all know my brother by now. He is completely unhinged. According to his own twisted logic, having former pack princesses and noble daughters scrubbing his floors will bring him immense personal satisfaction. After all, every single one of you has spent your entire lives having servants clean up after you."

Before he could finish his thought, Rita cleared her throat softly, raising one pale hand into the air like a student in a classroom. "Um... actually," Rita interjected nervously, pushing her thick glasses up her nose, "I clean my own room by myself back home."

Nicolai paused, turning his head to look at her with a bemused expression before letting out a quiet chuckle. "That isn't the point, Rita. My brother's point—according to his own words—is that he will deeply enjoy watching the pure misery and pain written across your faces while you pull hard labor. Et cetera, et cetera... I honestly can't even remember the rest of his wild rant. Just keep in mind that whatever he has planned, it always revolves around inflicting pain."

Hearing his words, Abigail immediately took a quick step forward, closing the distance between them. She reached out and wrapped her hands tightly around Nicolai’s forearm, tilting her head back as a strange, unnaturally sweet smile spread across her glossy lips.

"Oh, don't worry about a thing, Alpha Nicolai," Abigail purred, her voice dripping with shameless flattery as her eyes fluttered up at him. "I can handle a little bit of pain... especially if it means I get the opportunity to be near a handsome man like you every single day."

Nicolai looked down at her hands resting on his arm, his eyes narrowing slightly in mild distaste. Without missing a beat, he gently but firmly reached down and unclasped her fingers from his sleeve, stepping a comfortable distance away from her.

"I wish that were the case for your sake, Abigail," Nicolai replied smoothly, his tone cool and completely detached from her flirtatious charms. "But I am afraid you will be spending far more time near my dangerous brother than near me. So, follow me."

He turned on his heel once more, leading us out of the kitchen hallway and up a grand, spiraling staircase made of dark, polished mahogany.

After a short walk through a quiet, carpeted hallway on the top floor, we finally arrived at the end of the corridor. The entrance to the Alpha's private quarters was utterly massive. Two enormous wooden doors—resembling grand castle gates—stood before us, guarded by two tall, fully armored warriors holding long steel pikes. Carved directly into the center of the heavy doors was a massive, terrifying lion’s head with its jaws wide open, serving as a bronze knocker.

The two guards bowed their heads respectfully as Nicolai approached, grasping the heavy brass handles and pulling the grand doors outward to reveal the sanctuary within.

We stepped across the threshold, and my jaw practically dropped to the floor.

The room was stunning, radiating pure wealth, power, and unbelievable luxury fit for a true Lycan King. The vast space was wrapped in a rich palette of deep midnight blue and brilliant white. Sunlight poured through massive floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlooked the jagged, snow-capped mountains in the distance.

To the right stood an enormous king-sized bed, framed by four thick posts of carved black oak and draped in sheer white silk curtains. The mattress was covered in plush, dark blue velvet blankets that looked impossibly soft, stacked high with white goose-feather pillows. Beside the bed sat a wide bedside table made of polished marble, holding a silver oil lamp and a crystal decanter.

Across the wide expanse of the room sat a massive stone fireplace, its hearth carved from white quartz, throwing off a gentle, comforting warmth. Long, thick midnight-blue rugs covered the dark hardwood floors, hushing our footsteps as we stepped further inside. Along the left wall stood a grand bookshelf filled with ancient leather-bound scrolls and thick volumes, alongside a massive wooden desk cluttered with maps, inkwells, and silver daggers. Beautiful glass chandeliers hung from the high vaulted ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow over every single corner of the vast room.

Rita stood frozen near the entrance, her eyes wide behind her thick frames as she stared up at the sheer height of the room. "Wow..." she whispered under her breath, completely lost in awe.

All four of us stood in a quiet line, our heads turning side to side as we took in the incredible luxury surrounding us.

I blinked, scanning the spotless marble tables and pristine mantelpiece. A quiet thought crossed my mind before I could stop myself, and I leaned closer to Nicolai, whispering softly, "Wow... not a single pack of cigarettes in sight?"

Nicolai snapped his head toward me, his dark eyebrows pulling together in confusion. "What did you say, Jade?"

I cleared my throat quickly, looking away as I adjusted the sleeves of my dress. "Oh! Nothing, nothing at all... I was just wondering out loud if a single person could really clean this entire room by themselves. It's... it's just so huge."

Nicolai let out a soft hum, looking around the pristine chamber. "Well, I don't really know, to be honest. But given how rarely my brother actually stays in one place, I don't think this room will get very dirty most of the time anyway."

While we were looking around, little Bakito took a small, hesitant step closer to Nicolai. Her small hands gripped the hem of her shirt tightly, her pale face flushed with deep anxiety as she looked up at him through wide, innocent eyes.

"Sir..." Bakito stammered softly, her voice trembling as she asked the heavy question lingering in her mind. "Earlier... you said something about the Alpha being allowed to use us however he likes... Does that mean... if I am in here cleaning his room, and he decides he wants to sleep with me... will he just force himself on me?"