Six

ROSE

My head was spinning so hard, but the guard’s words slipped into my mind like a blanket. The priest was here, so I would be free. I know he would inform them that I didn’t do something wrong. I know he wouldn’t tell a lie. Yes, this time, I would be fine.

"Do you need some special invitation to get up from there?" Blade snapped.

I looked up lightly as I tried to stand, but the rope held me bound. Blake swore as someone in the background informed him that I was still tied to the chair. The next thing I knew was that there were ropes sliding off my body.

Then, I was hoisted up harshly. "Please, easy," I managed.

"Shut up!" Blade snapped at me.

I shook lightly, my left foot taking a step back. He didn’t have that and pulled me harshly forward. How my limbs were moving despite the severe pain that I had gone through stunned me breathlessly. I didn’t understand anything.

"I can’t believe that the twins want her out of the torture room. If I were them, I would torture her till she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own two feet. I can’t stand this sort of thing at all. This witch killed our Alpha, and now we have to take her into the packhouse like she was a queen or something," someone mumbled behind me.

I heaved as I took a step back. "Please... I didn’t do anything. Don’t..."

"Ugh! Can’t you understand it once? Be quiet, and just come with me as quietly as a dove," Blaze snapped.

Just like that, I was pulled through the pathway towards the packhouse. I had come here with Alpha Kael, unsure of what my future held, but in my senses still. And now, I was back in the same uncertainty; only a tiny ray of hope made me believe that I would be allowed to live in peace.

Blade finally pulled me in, and the lights shone even brighter than the dark lights outside. I saw the long-haired male and the brown-haired one in different get-up. The dark-haired one was wearing a long black pant, and the other one was on shorts and a t-shirt. Still, my heart quickened as I stayed close to them, and I knew it was simply because they were my mates. 

"There she is," the dark-haired one said.

I gulped as I looked at him, my expression slightly clearer as I got a bit of strength in my limb. Maybe it was the Alpha blood in me that made it easier for me to stand so firm. Either way, I was grateful.

He moved forward, his hands on his thigh. "Do you have anything to say?"

I swallowed. "I..." My voice came out weaker than I imagined. Blaze tightened his hold on me with apparent irritation. I looked at him, pleading with my eyes for him to release me, but he didn’t even look at me once. 

My eyes moved over to the dark-haired man, whose hair almost covered all of his face. "What I want to say is... Well, I’m really innocent, and I’m grateful to the goddess that you have seen that to. You believed in me and stopped my punishment. I couldn’t be more grateful to you for this kind gesture that you have bestowed on me."

Suddenly, he covered his hands with his mouth as he laughed softly. I looked behind him and noticed that his brother didn’t find it funny but was glaring at him. 

"Did I say something wrong?"

His laugher flew off the ceiling, and he pushed his hair back, causing his green eyes to hit my brown ones like it was a snake’s. "Everything about you is wrong, Rose. You had the guts to say I should believe in you? So laughable!"

I shook my head from side to side as I pleaded with him, using my eyes to believe my words. 

"You need not flatter yourself so much. I called you here because I have realized that the punishment I gave you earlier would make it difficult for the both of us to handle for obvious reasons. So, I’m going to make you the pack maid, and you must not argue with me on that."

"I did nothing," I pleaded.

His palm struck me by the right cheek, causing my knees to buckle underneath me. Blade didn’t let me drop, but pulled me back.

I gasped in pain as I watched the dark-haired boy being shoved to the side by his brother. It seemed like this was all a dream that I might never wake up from.

"How could you hit our mate? What is wrong with you?"

"Enough, Oak! You should understand that what I’m doing is right. I’m giving justice for our father, understand?"

Oak, who I realized was the brown-haired one, looked around before he pulled the dark-haired one by the collar, slamming him against the wall twice. "You’re not doing justice at all, Raven. Where have you kept your humanity? This is not the way to go about things, and we have to find out where that person is."

"Which person are you looking for?" Raven cried as he shoved his brother away from him.

I gasped in horror as he moved towards me at such a fast pace. "She is the one we need. I don’t believe that she didn’t have a hand in her father’s death, so I would have to make sure that she pays for all her crimes. It doesn’t matter how I do it, but she is going to suffer immensely for it!" He swore as he pointed his finger at me.

Tears slid down my cheeks, and I tried not to break even more. The shock of that awful machine was gone, leaving a bad taste of pain in my soul.

Oak looked at me in pity from where he stood. "You always forget that Rose is our..."

"Not another word more, Oak! Goddess! I’m so tired of making you understand that I don’t give a fuck about this thing. You want her, then go ahead and have her. I don’t care!" He screamed. 

The silence was palpable, and I couldn’t even bring myself to look into his face and bent my head down instead. 

"Take her away from my sight and put her in the maid’s quarters. I think it would be nice for us all if she is tortured using such means. Move!" He snapped impatiently.

The guards wasted no time pulling me out of the living room to the lone hall that had a low light. I could barely understand a thing as we dived into a corner, where I saw tens of maids staring at me in some weird outfit. 

A door finally opened, and I was thrust in it without a fuss. I crashed down on the floor as I placed my hands over my lips to stop the tears. No one cared about me here. I was completely alone. I had fallen so hard on my face. From a princess, I became a maid. My father must be turning his grave as he watched me suffer this way.

What do I do?

How do I handle this strange twist?

"Here," someone snapped.

I barely turned as a material slapped against my face. My fingers brushed it as I pulled it to the ground. 

"That is the uniform you would use as a maid. You better get up and start the work because no one has the time for your pity party," the guard snapped as he banged the door.

He was right. My mates didn’t even care for me. I was entirely and completely alone. With that, I slammed my head against the tiles as I sobbed the rest of my eyes out.