23

My heart instantly stopped, dropping straight into my stomach as complete, freezing terror rushed through my veins. The broom handle slipped slightly in my sweaty palm. So he was inside this room all this time while I was sweeping around like an idiot? I had genuinely assumed the giant chamber was completely empty when I walked in, but I guess this room was simply way too massive, with dark, shadowy corners that could easily hide a giant.

"I asked you a clear question," his deep voice echoed out again, even heavier and colder than before.

The sound came directly from the tall, high-backed leather armchair situated in the dim corner near the balcony, a short distance away from where I stood. "Where is the second person? The head servant gave explicit instructions that there were supposed to be two of you cleaning this chamber today."

I forced my hands to keep moving, dragging the broom bristles across the clean rug so he wouldn't see my shoulders shaking. "She is sick," I replied, keeping my eyes glued to the wooden floorboards. "She isn't in any condition to work today, so I am covering for her and doing the job alone."

A low, creaking sound echoed through the silent room as he slowly rotated his leather chair around to face me directly.

There he sat—Alpha Lucien in the flesh. He was completely shirtless, his broad, heavy shoulders and sculpted chest covered in intricate, dark tattoos that seemed to writhe across his skin in the dim light. A thin trail of grey smoke drifted lazily from the lit cigarette resting between his fingers.

His sharp eyes locked onto me, his jaw clenching with pure coldness. "Slaves do not get sick," he growled out, his voice dropping into a harsh, unyielding tone that vibrated off the high stone walls. "She does not have the luxury of a choice in this fortress. She has to show up for her assigned duties whether she is dying or not, because I simply do not care."

A surge of hot, uncontrollable anger flared up in my chest. I stopped sweeping, raising my head to look him straight in the eyes.

"She is a human being!" I snapped back, my chest heaving as my fingers tightened around the wooden handle. "People get sick! Just because she was dragged here as a slave doesn't mean her body stops functioning like a normal person's. Real people get sick, whether you care about it or not!"

Alpha Lucien didn't even flinch. He simply took a slow, deep drag from his cigarette, blowing a cloud of thick, white smoke into the space between us.

"There is no dirt on that floor," he murmured slowly, his deep voice carrying a terrifyingly calm edge as his gaze drifted down to my broom. "You are sweeping absolute nothingness."

I swallowed my anger, placing the broom against the stone wall near the fireplace. I turned on my heel and began walking straight toward the double oak doors, desperate to put as much distance between myself and this monster as humanly possible. I just wanted to get out of his sight.

"I did not give you permission to leave," his voice cut through the air like a heavy iron chain, freezing my boots in place. "I only stated that the floor is not dirty."

I let out a slow, controlled breath through my nose, forcing myself to turn back around. I walked over to the wooden side table, picking up a damp wiping rag to begin cleaning the spotless mahogany surfaces.

Alpha Lucien watched me with dark, unreadable eyes. Then, with an unbelievably arrogant flick of his wrist, he casually dropped his burning cigarette straight onto the clean velvet rug beneath his feet.

"Don't clean the tables," he commanded, a dark, wicked smirk curling the edge of his lips. "Keep sweeping."

I didn't say a single word. I kept my jaw clamped shut, walking over to where the smoldering ash lay on the carpet, and began sweeping the mess into the dustpan. This guy is completely out of his mind, I thought bitterly, my blood boiling beneath my skin. He has an absolute garbage personality. I guess even complete idiots can become Alphas.

Alpha Lucien reached into his pocket, pulled out another fresh cigarette, and lit it with a small metal lighter. He took one long puff, immediately plucked it from his lips, and tossed the fresh, lit cigarette right back onto the carpet beside his boots.

I sucked in a sharp breath, grinding my back teeth together until my jaw throbbed. I walked right back over to his feet, bending down to sweep the burning ember off the floor for the second time.

Alpha Lucien leaned back against the dark leather of his chair, resting his chin on his knuckles as he stared down at me like an insect.

"Vincenzo," he growled out softly, his voice dripping with icy authority. "Tell your partner that the only acceptable time for her to miss her assigned duty is when she is dead in the ground. If she ever fails to show up for her shift again, I will personally guarantee that she misses every shift for the rest of eternity."

The moment the wrong name left his mouth, something inside me snapped.

"It's Jade," I corrected firmly, my voice cutting cleanly through the thick silence of the room.

In less than a fraction of a second, Alpha Lucien moved with terrifying, superhuman speed. A blur of dark motion crossed the floorboards, and before I could even blink, he was standing directly in front of me. His massive, towering frame blocked out the light, his dark shadow engulfing me completely as his cold breath fanned across my forehead.

"What did you just say to me?" he whispered, his dark eyes narrowing into dangerous, lethal slits.

I didn't shrink back. I didn't drop my gaze, nor did I take a step away from his intimidating presence. I lifted my chin, tilting my head all the way up to lock my eyes onto his with absolute, fierce hatred.

"My name is not Vincenzo," I said, my voice ringing out clear, sharp, and fearless. "It's Jade.”