Gina woke up the next morning to the sound of animalistic growls and the crackling of chains. She quickly stood up, realizing that someone was trying to unlock the door. The door swung open, revealing a maid carrying a tray. "Good morning, I brought you breakfast," the maid said with a smile, placing the tray on the table. Gina eagerly approached the tray, starving and willing to eat anything, even if it might be poisoned. But when she looked at the food, she was disgusted. "What's this?" Gina asked in disgust.
"This is your food, Miss. It was prepared richly. Don't you like it?" the maid asked, confused.
"Ewww! Is this what you call food?" Gina muttered, sniffing it. The maid grew suspicious. "Are you a werewolf?" she asked.
"I don't know what that means, but please take your food away and bring me something else," Gina said, sitting on her bed. However, the maid walked towards her, staring directly into her eyes. She reached for Gina's neck and sniffed her body, causing Gina to recoil in shock.
"You're not a werewolf. You have a human scent. How did you get in here?" the maid asked, alarmed.
"Well, your Alpha brought me here. I didn't just walk into this disgusting place and get myself locked up," Gina answered with a shrug. The maid furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Why would the Alpha lock you in here? This dungeon is meant for werewolves," the maid said.
"What are werewolves?" Gina asked, curious. The maid sat beside her.
"Werewolves are demi-humans who possess superhuman abilities through their lycanthropy. Their powers are enhanced during a full moon," the maid explained, but Gina still looked blank.
"I still don't understand what that means," Gina admitted sincerely.
"You'll learn soon enough. This is Atlanta, far away from Earth. You'll need to adapt and avoid suspicion from anyone, or else you might end up as dinner for them. In Atlanta, humans are considered weak and vulnerable, even a low-ranked Omega wolf could kill them," the maid said, causing Gina to flinch in fear. "Anyway, I'm not here to frighten you. Eat your food now; you'll be serving the Alpha soon," the maid said, standing up and leaving Gina's cell.
As soon as the maid left, Gina reluctantly looked at the unappetizing food. She was extremely hungry and wasn't sure if she could survive another minute without eating. After much contemplation, she picked up the spoon and started eating.
Just as she began eating, her door opened again, and a group of maids entered her cell, standing in front of her. With her mouth full of food, Gina asked, "How can I help you?"
"It's almost time to serve his lordship. Please come with us now," one of the maids replied. Gina was confused. "Serve his lordship? How am I supposed to do that?"
"The punishment for keeping the Alpha waiting is death. Come with us now to avoid any penalty," the maid explained further.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming already," Gina said, abandoning her food and following them immediately. They led her to a beautifully furnished room with an ancient hot tub in the middle, adorned with roses on the water's surface. Some maids gathered around the hot tub while others poured red roses and strange powders into it.
"His lordship ordered us to get you washed up for tonight's meeting," one of the maids said, approaching Gina with a tray containing two white towels. Gina stood in astonishment, feeling like she was in a dream. Just a few days ago, she was on Earth, and now she found herself on a strange planet, supposedly miles away.
"Help her undress," the maid instructed her colleagues. Two maids approached Gina, attempting to remove her clothes, but she retreated in fear. "What are you trying to do?" Gina asked, stepping backward.
"We're here to help you get washed up. Annette, Yuen, take off her clothes right now," one of the elder maids ordered, while two young maids forcefully undressed Gina, leaving her completely naked. In a panic, Gina grabbed one of the silk curtains hanging on the walls and wrapped it around her body.
"All of you, get out! I can bathe myself. I'm not a child!" Gina yelled angrily, holding the curtain tightly against her chest.
"Don't make things difficult for yourself. We were ordered by his lordship to clean you up," the maid said, but Gina attempted to run out of the room. However, a magical barrier appeared at the exit door, reminding her that these maids were not human but werewolves in human form, possessing magical powers and strength. It was foolish of her to struggle against them.
After some consideration, Gina decided to comply with their orders since there was no point in resisting. She removed the silk curtain from her body and obediently stepped into the hot tub, resting in the warm water while the maids bathed her cautiously. It wasn't as bad as she had anticipated; the process was actually quite relaxing, and she wished it would never end. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth and the fragrance of the soapy water.
After a few minutes, Gina heard a voice that jolted her out of her thoughts. "We're done. Please step out," one of the maids said, holding towels in her hands. Gina stepped out of the hot tub, and the maid wrapped one towel around her chest and the other around her wet hair. They led her to a dressing table with a large mirror in front of it and made her sit on a wooden chair while they applied makeup to her face. Soon, they finished beautifying her.
Gina stared at her transformed self in the mirror. She looked like a completely different person. The maid styled her long hair into a pretty bun and helped her change into a partially covering red silky dress. Gina wondered what she was exactly supposed to do in the master's room with all the dress and makeup. The maids hadn't provided any explanation; they only focused on getting her dressed up.
"What am I supposed to do in his lordship's chamber?" Gina asked the maids who were busy decorating her hair with golden hairpins.
"Serve him," one of the maids replied perfunctorily.
"And how am I supposed to do that? Am I cleaning up his room or accompanying him to a party?" Gina asked, ignorant of the situation.
"You'll find out when you get there," the maid answered, while Gina scuffed silently. All the maids remained quiet and reserved, responding to her questions as if they were restricted from speaking too much.
Finally, they finished dressing her up, applying a pleasant fragrance to her body, and led her to the master's chamber. "This is his lordship's chamber. You may go in," one of the maids said, and they all turned around and left.
Gina knocked on the door and patiently waited for a response. After a short while, she heard his calm voice inviting her in. As she stepped into the room, she saw him sitting on the couch with a chessboard in front of him.
"Greetings, your lordship. You sent for me," Gina greeted with a bow.
"I was bored, so I sent for you," he replied, moving a chess piece across the board. "Would you like to play chess with me?" Gina asked timidly, keeping her head bowed to avoid staring directly at his face.
"Take off your clothes and get on the bed," he ordered sternly.
A scream tore from Ralph's throat as Gina toppled over the edge. But before gravity claimed her, a strong grip clamped onto her wrist. Boris, eyes wide with shock, had lunged forward, snatching her back from the abyss. He dragged her back onto the rooftop, her heart hammering against her ribs; she couldn’t believe she just saw her life flash before her eyes in a second. Gina sat sprawled on the concrete, gasping for breath, the world tilting around her.Ralph’s face held a mixture of shock and relief as he stared at her for a while. Silence stretched for a lifetime, finally broken by Boris's gravelly voice. "Where's the staff?" he rasped, eyes narrowed at Gina. His grip on her wrist had loosened, but the question held her pinned where she sat. Gina, still panting for breath, looked up at him with a shaky smile. "I think I dropped it," she admitted, embarrassment creeping up her face.Before Boris could respond, a gruff voice cut through the stillness. Ralph, pushing past Boris with a
“He’s gone to get the staff from Boris; after this, he’ll leave for good,” Ivy announced, making Gina’s heart drop.“Where is he now? I need to find him,” Gina said as she got up immediately.“I’m not trying to stop you, but you can’t just go out there without a plan. It’s dangerous out there,” Ivy warned. Gina walked towards her and held her hands in hers.“Ivy, please tell me where he is. That is all I ask. I promise that I won’t try to stop him from leaving; I just want to have a last talk with him,” Gina pleaded, which was only a lie. There was no way she would let Ralph sacrifice himself just for her to live. Even though she didn’t have a plan yet, she was sure she would come up with an idea, whether smart or a dumb one. She was more focused on the end result, which was stopping him from leaving. She held Ivy’s hands, silently hoping that would be enough to convince her.“I don’t know, Gina. Ralph would be really mad at me if you get hurt,” Ivy said, trying to pull her hands out
“i’ll follow the rules. I will have to look for a way to get rid of you and take zayn with me,” Ralph said as he stared at her, as though waiting for her reaction.Gina stared at him for a while, her expression almost comical. Shock and disappointment were etched on her face as she did. “Uhmm… I see,” Gina finally let out, her shock still evident. Ralph stared on silently, his eyes pinned on her face. And then slowly, a small smile appeared on his lips.“I was only messing with you, silly. Don’t tell me you fell for that?” Ralph asked with a smile as he playfully pinched the tip of her nose.The playful pinch to her nose sent a spark of laughter dancing in Gina's eyes, dispelling the shock that had momentarily settled there. Relief flooded her in a warm wave, replacing the tensed look on her face.“Don’t ever make such a joke with me again; that wasn’t funny,” Gina said with a smile, playfully hitting his chest."Don’t tell me you actually believed that I’ll choose anything over you?"
As Gina paced around the room, her mind filled with worry and panic, Ralph, seated in a corner of the room, watched Gina pace with an understanding but pensive gaze. He could sense her worry and panic; the staff wasn’t some random object that someone like Boris could have in his possession. An object like that could destroy the entire world in a second with just a little effort."It's okay, I'll get the staff back, I promise," Ralph said, reaching out to gently hold her in place, his eyes reflecting a sincerity that only seemed to agitate Gina further."You say it's okay? Do you realize what's at stake here? That staff is not just some random object, Ralph! How could you even think of trading something that holds the safety of the entire world just to save one person!? Was it even worth it?" Gina said, almost yelling.Ralph held her gaze for a while, as though at a loss for words, but he answered, “You are not just ‘one person,’ Gina. You and Zayn are my only priorities. I’m going to
Back on the beach, Ralph's worry deepened as the minutes stretched into an eternity. After about 15 minutes of waiting without any trace of her, he decided to go to the female’s restroom in search of her even though he knew it wasn’t right. Upon entering the restroom, it was eerily quiet, the only sound was the distant crash of waves against the shore. Panic clutched at his chest as he scanned the vacant room, finding only her abandoned phone on the floor, its screen shattered. His heart pounded as he picked it up, a premonition of impending trouble settling over him. Confusion and fear intertwined as he stared at the broken screen, contemplating his next move. Before he could gather his thoughts, a new message flashed across the damaged display. Unknown Number: you really thought you could protect her, didn’t you? A chill ran down his spine as he read the text, trembling hands gripping her damaged phone tightly, anger welling up within him. Frustration boiled over, and he couldn't c
A surprised smile touched Gina's lips. It wasn't the question she had expected. She glanced at Ralph, a mix of shock and amusement as she stared. “So, where are we going” gina asked with a smile Ralph smiled, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "you once mentioned that you wanted to go to a beach” Gina's eyes sparkled with surprise and delight. "A beach? That would be amazing." She said with a blush as she bites her lips in attempt to contain her smile. But he walked up to her, took her hands and pulled her into a warm embrace. “i want us to make the best of the little time we have together” he said stroking her hair gently while gina nodded with a tight smile even though he clearly couldn’t see her nod as her head was resting against his chest. The Next Day the sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a warm glow on the sandy shores of the beach. The rhythmic sounds of waves crashing against the shore created a soothing melody as Gina and Ralph strolled hand in hand along the water