8

POV Fedora

My mouth stayed completely shut. I just stared at the empty doorway.

The young maid stepped right in front of me, blocking my view. She lowered her head fast. Do not worry, Alpha. I will make sure she looks absolutely perfect for you.

He gave one short nod and walked away, closing the heavy door behind him.

The room went totally quiet. The maid turned around to face me. She grabbed the sides of her clean white apron and pulled them wide. She dropped down very low into a formal bow, almost touching the clean floor.

I am completely at your service, Luna Fedora.

A loud scoff escaped my dry lips. I walked right past her and threw my tired body onto the huge, soft mattress.

Please stop doing that unnecessary bowing right now. I let out a heavy sigh, resting my cheek on the pink pillows. Just call me Fedora. No fancy titles.

She jumped back up fast. She reached deep into her apron pocket and pulled out a tiny little notebook and a black pen. She clicked the pen loudly.

Okay, rule number one. She muttered quietly to herself, her pen moving fast across the small paper.

Stop bowing.

I lifted my head off the pillow, completely confused. What in the world are you doing?

A wide, bright smile took over her face. Oh, I always write every single rule down! She tapped the plastic pen against her chin. My brain is not very good at remembering important things.

I dropped my head back down. Okay, rule number two. Stop writing every single thing down.

She gasped softly, flipping to a brand new page. She scribbled even faster this time. Rule number two... stop writing everything down.

I stared at her in pure disbelief. I stayed quiet for a very long minute, just waiting for her to realize what she just did.

She finally looked up, blinking her big, innocent eyes at me. What is wrong?

A small, real smile touched my lips. You are totally crazy. I really like you already.

A loud, happy laugh burst out of her mouth. The bright sound was so sweet and contagious. A little giggle escaped my own throat, and soon, we were both laughing loudly together.

The warm noise completely filled the big pink room, chasing away my dark fears for just a minute.

Her cheeks turned a deep, shy red. Thank you. She looked down at her shoes. Nobody has ever liked my crazy side before. Most people just think I am very weird.

I sat up on the bed, crossing my legs. Hmm. To me, you actually seem very smart. You look like you should be wearing cute reading glasses.

Her smile grew even bigger.

Anyway, is there any real food hidden around here? I rubbed my flat stomach. I am completely starving.

She put her hands on her hips, looking very proud. Well, I thought you would never ask! Please follow me to the dining table, Luna.

I ignored the title this time. I stood up quickly and followed her out. My stomach made loud, angry growling noises the whole way down the hall.

We walked into a small, private dining room. A long table sat in the middle, completely covered in silver plates. Steam rose from hot bowls of meat, fresh bread, and sweet fruits

. I had never even seen most of these beautiful foods before in my entire life. My mouth watered instantly.

I grabbed a fork and started eating fast. I tasted sweet chicken, soft potatoes, and warm bread. I ate and ate until my tight stomach felt completely full and heavy.

Back at Damon's house, I never, ever ate like a queen. I ate plain, boring meals just like the lowest guards. I spent most of my days trapped in the hot kitchen cooking all his meals, even though he had plenty of expensive palace chefs.

He always demanded that I cook his food. He claimed my cooking tasted much better. I always tried my absolute best to serve him perfectly. I wanted to make him happy.

But he just chewed his food and walked away. He never once gave me a simple thank you. Not even one time. I stupidly lied to myself back then. I just told my foolish heart that he loved the food but did not know how to express his feelings.

Only Damon got the special treatment. Only Damon ate like pure royalty. But I never cared about eating good food back then. I loved him blindly.

Seeing him enjoy his meal was enough for me. I would happily scrape the burnt leftovers from the bottom of the cooking pot just to see him smile.

Looking back now, the red flags were always right there. For years, he showed me exactly who he was. He showed me clear signs of his cold heart. And tonight, he finally showed me his true, evil colors by choosing another woman over my life.

I pushed my empty plate away. I leaned back into the comfortable chair, rubbing my full belly. I closed my eyes to relax and let the warm food digest.

Suddenly, Ella walked back into the dining room. She carried soft hair brushes and a beautiful, shiny dress in her arms.

Luna Fedora. She giggled softly, shaking the pretty dress. It is time to get you cleaned up and dressed.