4

Madeline’s POV

Once again, I was jolted awake by Martha’s shrill scream, followed immediately by a bucket of ice-cold water drenched over my face. The freezing shock stole the breath right out of my lungs.

"Get up, you little slut. The Head Housekeeper is waiting for you in the kitchen."

A low growl escaped my lips; the sun hadn’t even begun to rise. I scrambled to dress and rushed out of my room to meet Anmary, the Head Maid. She eyed me from head to toe with a gaze dripping with a hatred I couldn't comprehend.

"Listen to me, you piece of trash. You’re lucky the Alpha didn’t toss you into the dungeons, but now you have to serve him," Anmary barked with pure disdain.

She rattled off a list of instructions. My first task was to deliver a file to the Alpha along with his breakfast.

"Do not ask the Alpha anything. Do not look him in the eye. Do not enter his room at night, do not step foot in his office, and for the love of everything holy, do not try to seduce him. The last three idiots who thought their curves would save them are now fertilizer in the back garden. Understood?"

I swallowed hard, nodding mechanically as I pressed the silver breakfast tray and the black leather file against my chest.

Taking a deep breath, I followed Martha as she escorted me toward the Alpha’s wing.

"I give you two days before the Alpha decides your neck is the perfect toy for the Rogues, you little bitch," Martha added with a cruel smirk as we stopped before a towering ebony door.

I couldn't find the words to respond. She simply walked away, leaving me alone at the mouth of the wolf's den.

I took a breath, but as my hand reached for the knob, I froze. From behind the door came the unmistakable sound of bodies colliding and whispered phrases uttered with an animalistic urgency that made my skin crawl.

I stood there, paralyzed, heat flushing my cheeks. Should I go in? Anmary never warned me about this. Just as I thought about turning back, a booming, authoritative voice made my knees buckle.

"Stop eavesdropping like a rat and get the hell in here."

My heart skipped a beat. I pushed the door open, and the dim light of the room swallowed me whole.

The space was massive, suffocating with the scent of sex and power. The morning sun, barely peaking through the windows, cast long, jagged shadows. In the back, a door stood ajar, leading to the adjoining bedroom, the source of the noises that had frozen me in my tracks.

I set the tray on the main table, trying to remain silent, but a strange aroma assaulted my senses.

"What is your name?" A voice thundered in my head, making me snap my gaze toward him.

"I... I am Madeline... your new maid," I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper.

Heavy footsteps echoed. James emerged from the bedroom. He was shirtless, his pants hanging dangerously low on his hips with nothing underneath, revealing the raw tension of a body that seemed sculpted by the gods of war themselves. Every muscle in his abdomen moved with predatory precision.

He lunged toward me, and in complete silence, hooked a finger under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"Why don’t you have a wolf?" he demanded, his eyes searching my face as if he wanted to tear the truth out of me.

"I don’t know..." I half-lied, my skin searing under his touch. "They say I was born with one, but she vanished. I’m just a human now, my Alpha."

James said nothing. He took a single step closer, forcing my calves against the nightstand.

My eyes widened as he tilted his head, burying his nose in the crook of my neck. He inhaled deeply, and for a second, the amulet against my chest pulsed with such violence I feared it would shatter.

"You’re right. You’re just a useless human," he whispered against my skin, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine that I couldn't hide.

He pulled away abruptly, raking his dark hair back with a gesture of frustration.

For a second, I lost myself in his beauty. He was a dominant god, fierce, lethal, and devastatingly arousing. In that moment, I understood why women were willing to die for him.

"I don’t care that you’re wolfless," he stated with a warning tone. "I only expect you to follow my orders and never disobey. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Alpha," I said, swallowing hard.

"Get in there," he pointed toward the room he had just exited. "Get those women out of my sight and clean up the mess."

I nodded and walked into the adjoining room. However, as soon as I opened the door, the air turned rancid.

Silk and lace were strewn across the floor. On the massive bed, two redheaded women lay completely naked. My blood turned to ice when I recognized one of them: it was Emily, the warrior who had humiliated me at the washhouse.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Emily sneered, sitting up without a care for her nudity. Her body was covered in scratches and marks that screamed exactly what had happened hours prior. "The little thief is now the one scrubbing our sheets."

"Get out of here, bitch," the other redhead spat, throwing a pillow at me that I barely dodged. "The Alpha isn't finished with us yet."

"Alpha James wants you gone. Now!" I said, trying to keep my voice steady as rage began to bubble in my chest.

Both women exchanged looks before bursting into mocking laughter. I was about to force them out when Emily stood up, approaching me with a feline smirk.

"And who’s going to make us? You?" she challenged, leaning into my face with pure contempt.

I clenched my fists; I couldn't fail my very first order.

I marched toward the large window and threw it wide open, letting the frigid morning air hit their bare skin. The two redheads began to shriek and hurl insults at me.

Without hesitation, I stepped toward Emily, grabbed her by the arm, and began dragging her toward the door.

"Let go of me, you damn slut!" she roared, raising her hand to strike my face.

But before her hand could connect with my cheek, I caught her arm mid-air. The moment my fingers touched her skin, an electric vibration shot through my hand and sank into Emily’s flesh, making her recoil with a jolt.

"What the hell was that?" she screamed, her eyes wide with terror.

I didn't even have time to process it before three guards burst in and, without a word, seized them by the arms.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Emily screamed as she was dragged into the hallway.

"This isn't over, you piece of human trash!" the other redhead roared.

Once the room fell silent, I began to clean. The scent of fluids and sex turned my stomach, but it also provoked a pang of agony and a dark envy I hated feeling.

However, just as I was finishing changing the sheets, I felt that overwhelming presence again.

"I see it takes you a long time to clean a simple room," James’s husky voice startled me.

I spun around quickly, but my feet stumbled clumsily and I lurched forward. In a desperate attempt to catch myself, I reached out for the first thing I could find.

Time seemed to stand still. I fell to my knees, but my hand gripped something firm, thick, and burning hot.

A hiss of pain escaped my lips, but when I opened my eyes, I froze.

Right in front of my face, inches from my nose, was his manhood, imposing, virile, and far more than any woman could handle without trembling. The heat radiating from his skin hit me like a wave of fire.

Shit, shit. The air vanished from my lungs and my pulse began to race.

I looked up, terrified. James stood there, his muscular chest rising and falling slowly, droplets of water sliding down his perfect abs.

He didn't try to cover himself. He watched me with a mix of disdain and a dark curiosity that made me dig my nails into the carpet.