Chapter 4: Slave

I trip over a stretched-out leg and fall to my knees. Bundles of freshly folded clothes spill all over the floor in the hallway.

“Oops,” Bella says with a fake smile. “I didn’t see you there.”

Giggles come from behind me. I tilt my head slightly to see the pack members snicker at me before sauntering away.

It has been this way ever since that day. I am now reduced to a mere slave of Azure. Day in and day out, I wake up at the crack of dawn to cook, clean and work until long after everyone has gone to bed.

“Come one, Bella. Let’s get ready for our engagement ceremony,” Aden says, placing a hand on Bella’s butt and sliding a hand under her skirt. She giggles, he laughs and starts kissing her.

“Get a room you two,” I mutter under my breath as I start retrieving the clothes.

Someone kicks the clothes out of my hands and growls,” What did you say?” It is one of Bella’s newly appointed minions, a bleached blonde with a nose ring and pink leotards.

“Nothing.” I grit my teeth. Fighting back is no use, it would only earn me another slap across the face. I’ve been getting a lot of slaps and a few punches over the past few days.

“Good, know your place, slave.” The minion pats me on the head before running up after Bella and Aden who have disappeared down the hallway.

I quickly finish with the laundry. And when no one is looking, I sneak into mom’s room.

“Liliana,” she calls my name and I run towards her. She envelopes me with a hug and finally, the floodgate to my tears open.

“Shhh, child.” Gently, mom strokes my auburn hair. “Everything will be alright.”

“How can it be alright? I can’t even find the CCTV footage of that night when the rogue assaulted me. It’s gone! Someone took it, now there’s no way to prove my innocence.”

Mom brushes away a lock of hair that fell out of my ponytail. “Why don’t you take up my offer to stay with grandpa for a while?”

I shake my head. “No. What would happen to you if I go? I have to stay, mom.” If I leave, the pack members might take their anger out on mom. I have already done enough damage, I cannot hurt mom any more than I already did.

I give her a smile even though I feel like dying inside. “I’m staying, mom. Whether you like it or not.”

Mom sighs in defeat. She knows how stubborn I can be. “Then at least I can make you look more presentable. ”

She goes over to her wardrobe and takes out a long white dress made of silk and chiffon. The dress is beautiful, ethereal even.

“I was saving this for your mate ceremony but no matter, you can wear this today.”

I open my mouth to protest. I do not want to go to Aden and Bella’s engagement ceremony. I do not want to join in celebrating the union of the two people who have hurt me the most.

But mom will not take no for an answer. She places the dress in my hands and says,” And whether you like it or not, young lady, you are coming to the ceremony with me.”

*****

I look at the beautiful young woman with soft, wavy auburn hair in the mirror and she looks back at me. Her long eyelashes flutter and her lips, now painted in a soft rosy sheen, parts.

“Is that me?” I ask, pointing at my reflection in the mirror. My reflection points back at me and Cathy howls in delight.

Mom places both hands on my now bare shoulders. She smiles and nods proudly. “Yes, Liliana. That is you and you are magnificent.”

The drive is a long one and by the time we reach the ceremony, the sun has started to set.

“Liliana!” Aden exclaims when he sees me. He is the first to break away from his kiss with Bella. His eyes rake me from head to toe. I used to love having Aden looking at me appreciatively, but right this moment, I hate it.

Bella notices Aden is looking at me and she gives him a jab in the elbow.

“Ow! What was that for?” Aden whines and Bella quickly pulls him in again, kissing him hard on the lips.

Mom takes me by my elbow and leads me to meet the other guests. And as we walk, I hear whispers from the guests.

“Isn’t she Alpha Antonio’s daughter?”

“He disowned her for sleeping with a rogue. She’s been demoted to a slave in her pack now.”

“Pack slave? She’s too beautifully dressed up to be one, no?”

“Who knows? Maybe Alpha Antonio wants to present her as a gift to someone else..you know, to please them.”

Their hushed mockeries suffocate me, I excuse myself and manage to find a secluded little balcony at the end of the hallway. No one is here. Good, I prefer it this way.

The gentle evening breeze blows at me and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to keep warm. It is getting quite chilly tonight.

“You look amazing.”

I glance over my shoulder to see Aden standing behind me. Images of him making out with Bella flash across my mind, and my stomach wrenches. I try to head back towards the hallway but Aden blocks the doorway of the balcony.

“Where are you going?” he asks leeringly. And before I can shove him aside, he lunges forward and grabs my wrists.

“Hey!” I shout in surprise and try to pull away only to have him twist my arms behind my back.

“Let go, Aden!”

“Not until I have some fun with you.” He tries to kiss me but I spit in his face.

“Bitch!” Aden slaps me. I can taste a tinge of copper in my mouth. He lets go of me and I quickly cradle my cheek. It will heal soon enough but right now, it hurts like crazy.

He roughly grabs my chin. “Don’t act all high and mighty with me, bitch. Consider yourself lucky that I still pay any attention to you.” His hand trails down to my neck and he whispers,” And if you please me, I might even take you as my mistress, it’s much better than being a slave.”

He sickens me.

“How dare you!” I hiss even as he corners me into the wall. Strong as I may be, I am not his match. “I’ll scream,” I threaten even as fear engulfs me.

“No one will believe you,” Aden says in a voice that drips with perverted lust. His hand crawls down to my bosom and I am just about to raise my knee to hit him where it will hurt the most when suddenly, Ava, the pale freckled faced girl runs up and shouts Aden’s name.

“My Lord, my apologies for interrupting but Your father, Alpha Henry is looking for you…The…the Alpha King of the North has arrived.”

Aden frowns and quickly straightens his jacket before running a hand over his head to smooth his brown hair. He waves Ava off and she gives me a nervous look before disappearing back into the hallway.

And with his back now towards me, he says,” Slaves like you don’t stand a chance. If it weren’t for me, you’d never even get a chance to get a glimpse of the Alpha King. Consider yourself lucky.”

I sink against the balcony ledge when he finally walks away and chokes back a sob. I hate him, I truly hate Aden with all my heart. To think I used to envision a life with this jerk!

I wish I had never come. I didn’t want to see the Alpha King anyway, I just want to go back to the pack house and stay away from everyone.

‘Liliana?’ Mom calls out to me through our mind link and I quickly create a mental block so she cannot feel the anguish that ravages my heart.

‘Grandpa is calling for you. Come.’

I look out to the darkening horizon and wish to just disappear. But I cannot.

‘Coming, mom.’

*****

I reach the banqueting hall where the space is wide and the ceiling is high. And all around me, heavenly music of harps and cellos fills the room

Straight ahead, up on the throne, I see grandpa. He is laughing jovially as he talks to someone who towers over him. But from where I stand, I cannot see who it is that is making grandpa so happy.

And the plethora of people around grandad is not helping with the view either. I can see Aden trying to get the mysterious guest’s attention by forcing himself into the conversation. But he is ignored.

Mom sees me from a distance and calls out to me, motioning for me to come forward. And I do.

Both grandpa and the mysterious guest turn to look at me.

The guest catches my eye. Silver eyes of a midnight storm meet my emerald ones and my whole body freezes.

Aden tries once again to gain the guest’s attention but his eyes remain on me and mine on him. There is no question of my looking away. It is not an option.

An almost full moon shines through the window behind the throne and it casts an ethereal glow on the guest’s stormy silver hair, the same hair as the man I had woken up next to.

‘Mate,’ Cathy calls out.

Every nerve in my body screams for me to run towards him. Every fibre in my being calls out for my mate. I need him, I want him. His scent permeates me and fills my every pore, tempting me and calling for me to come to him.

But my feet stay rooted to the ground.

I frown and bite my bottom lip. Why does he smell different?

‘Who cares? Maybe he put on perfume,’ Cathy growls, ready to pounce on our mate. ‘The mate bond can’t be wrong. Don’t be shy, we’ve slept with him.’

Goddess, if this man really is the man I slept with then I am as good as dead.

“Liliana, bow down to Alpha King of the great Ancient Springs pack,” grandpa commands from the side of the throne.

But I cannot move. Both fear and wonder have paralyzed me.

“Liliana!” grandpa calls again, his voice becoming stern. “Where are your manners?”

Grandpa’s voice breaks me out of my paralysis. “Y-yes, grandfather,” I answer and clumsily, I step forward to curtsy. Only, I trip and fall on my knees, right in front of the Alpha King himself.

I am so dead.

“Need a hand?” A palm, big and strong, stretches out towards me and I gulp. It is Alpha King, my abandoned mate. I am struck by how sensual his fingers are. I take his hand and gasp when a surge of raw, untamed power surges through me.

He chuckles, his voice deep and rich as cream and effortlessly, he pulls me up and close. So close that my hands touch his massive chest.

He whispers to me, “Kaden Frost.”

That is his name, my heart begins to pound like crazy. This man here is my mate!

Kaden cocks his head and smirks. “That eager to dance with me, are you?” He releases me a moment after I stand upright. “Unfortunately, now is not the time.”

Everyone laughs at his teasing and from the corner of my eyes, I see Bella snicker.

Kaden walks past me as if I never existed and my heart plummets.

“Serves her right,” someone whispers in the crowd. “First, she betrays her fiancé with a rogue and now she’s trying to flirt with the Alpha King. How shameful!”

Cathy howls for our mate but I can only stand there in confusion.

Does he not recognize me? Or does he choose not to acknowledge me?

Right. This is the Alpha King we’re talking about. The greatest of us all. And I'm just a slave with a tarnished reputation who abandoned him in his sleep. Perhaps he's never faced such an insult in his entire life. Maybe I should just be grateful that he hasn’t tried to kill me. Yet.