THE ALPHA’S DENIAL

SERAPHINA'S POV

I blinked once at the first cock crow. At the second, the servants would be up and about their duties, but it wasn't the cock that woke me up. It was the silent careful movements going on in my room.

I tried to move but every part of my body ached. That was when I remembered what happened the night before. Alpha Caelum had been in my room.

My eyes flew open, and there he was, fully dressed. He was putting on his last piece of jewelry when I finally found my voice.

“You're leaving already?” I whispered. He turned, and his gaze wasn't kind. The person he looked at me softly the night before was gone, replaced by the cold and commanding alpha I had always known and stayed away from.

I swallowed hard. Maybe I'm mistaken…

“Are you leaving?” I asked again, clearer this time.

He slipped on his shoes and walked towards me, then past me.

He squatted and whispered into my ears. “This never happened, do you understand me?”

I blinked. “Wha… what never happened?” I asked, my heart running fast, no, he wasn't about to do what I was thinking.

“Whatever happened last night? Didn't happen, you hear me? Breathe a word of this to one more soul and I'll have you skinned alive I assure you.”

Tears ran down my eyes. “But…but…”

“No buts,” he said coldly. “I have given you my word and that is final.”

I watched helplessly as he walked out the door, leaving it opened. I wanted to say but I love you. I wanted to confess to him how much I had fallen for him since five years ago, the day he spoke to me when I was just sixteen. But he left, he didn't give me that chance.

After last night, I thought something existed between us. I thought what I received from him was genuine and real, but none of it was. I had been deceiving myself thinking he loved me.

I stood up on shaky legs and headed to the door, closed it softly and slid down to the floor, letting the tears, the pain, the betrayal all out with my back still against the door.

I didn't know how long I had been crying, but by the time I raised my head up, the day was already bright. And the blood from last night stared back at me from my bed, as if it was mocking me for ever daring to hope.

I quickly stood up and changed my sheets. When I passed the small mirror that hung on my wall, the reflection of me that stared back was a total mess. Her hair was sticking out stubbornly, her eyes, dark from all the crying and she was still naked.

I took one long final look at my body. The one Caelum had kissed so lovingly, the one he adored every inch of. A flash back of his lips on mine while he played with my clits snuck in, bitter and painful.

I walked into the bathroom and shut the door, scrubbing every inch of him off my skin till I bled and burst into tears once again. My skin was red, but I didn't care, I just wished he would acknowledge that what we shared was real.

The first time the Alpha of Ironblood pack noticed me, I was sixteen, and he was only the alpha heir then. I was cleaning the kitchen tiles when I slipped on the wet kitchen tiles and broke the display shelf that was right next to me.

He walked by, drawn to the noise maybe, and saw the mess. I bowed my head slightly, shivering in fear, waiting for my punishment but he didn't punish me, his voice was quiet when he spoke. “Clean that mess quickly before anyone important sees it and punish you.”

He didn't ask for my name, even now, he never did, but ever since that night, I had held on to those few words he said to me. I took them as care and I built this version of him in my head that justified his every action even though they were cruel, evil and selfish.

But this morning, that beam fell from my eyes and I could see him clearly. I could see him for who he really is.

Someone knocked on my door, distracting me from my pains, thankfully I was already dressed.

“Your duty is to serve the alpha throughout today,” the maid said. “His food is already ready, the head of duties said you shouldn't keep your alpha waiting.”

I nodded once. “I'll be right there.”

I watched her as she left and wondered why Faye would be so cruel that I had to serve him even after everything he had done to me.

When I walked into his lavish dinning with his meal, I froze. There was a woman next to him. She was beautiful, dressed in expensive clothings. I didn't even need to be told to know that she was royalty.

No wonder he didn't want anyone to know. He didn't want people to know that he had a royal fiance and he slept with the servant girl in her dirty tiny quarters.

“Are… are you okay?” The lady beside him asked.

Alpha Caelum squeezed her hands. “Don't pay any attention to her, she'll be fine. Come here,” he mumbled and she threw her body at him, kissing him affectionately while I stood there and watched. Helpless.

I doubled my steps and dropped the food on the table, wanting to be anywhere but here. I turned back to leave but his voice stopped me.

“Make that two servings, I'm having breakfast with my wonderful guest.”

“Your woman, you mean.” She giggled and he smiled.

“Yes, my woman. Now run along.” He said, dismissing me with the flick of his fingers.

I did as he asked. I never told anyone about what happened that night, and I brought back the second serving.

I thought about the discussion that led to that night of forbidden passion—his family—and suddenly wished I had a family, or even knew who my mother was. But I had no idea.

I returned to the servant quarters and a lot of gossip was going on.

“The alpha has finally chosen his fiance.” Mara giggled excitedly.

“Yes, they are having dinner together as we speak. The rumors say that he would announce it at the blood moon ceremony,” Naomi chipped in, clearly in high spirits.

My breath caught. The blood moon ceremony was in two months' time and every servant was expected to be in attendance. I gritted my teeth, thinking of a good excuse to come up with just so I could avoid attending the event.

“I'm very excited for the blood moon ceremony, most wolves find their mates then.” Sera squealed.

I rolled my eyes, she was right, I might find my mate at the blood moon ceremony. But it didn't matter anymore. The one I gave my heart to even before he knew my name tore my heart open and squeezed it to pieces.

So while others were excited about the blood moon ceremony, I was doing everything I could to avoid attending the ceremony because I never wanted to go through what I went through today.

What I didn't know was that Alpha Caelum had plans, and I would never be able to escape those plans, no matter how much I tried.