Welcome to Hell

“I have a bone to pick with you, Susan!”

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” Susan drawled, patting her bratty younger sister on the head.  Susan bit back her laughter when Sunny aggressively slapped her hand away. 

“Why did you stick me with training this-this-this cripple!” Sunny spat, causing Susan to gasp.

“Sunny!  You should be ashamed of yourself!  Don’t speak about Amari like that!”

“Why?  I’m only saying what everyone is thinking!  She can’t keep up, and she’s making my already difficult job harder for me!”

“Keep your voice down!” Susan warned.

“Why?  I don’t care if she can hear me.  I’ll tell her to her face!”

Amari rolled her eyes and continued to clean the window as she listened to Sunny bash her from the other room. Amari knew she was not as fast at her tasks as the other wolves, but in her opinion, she was doing well despite her injuries.

Two maids who bullied Amari, along with Sunny, decided it would be funny to kick over the mop bucket filled with dirty water. Amari held back a growl as the dirty water spilled on the spotless floors, which took her over an hour to mop.

“Do you see what I’m talking about?!” Sunny shrieked once they left the bedroom.  “She’s a klutz, and now we’re even further behind schedule!  Why did Alpha Zane accept her into our pack in the first place?  Never mind, don’t answer that.  That was a rhetorical question.  She’s weak and an embarrassment.  I hope Alpha Zane didn’t have to pay anything for her, and if he did, I hope he kept the receipt.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sunny.  Our pack does not participate in trafficking,” Susan chastised.

“Whatever.  Clean this shit up,” Sunny barked at Amari before she stormed off. 

Susan let out a heavy sigh.  “I’m sorry about her.  Despite her name, Sunny is more like a dark, thunderous cloud.  She reminds me of our father.”

“You don’t have to apologize for her actions.  She reminds me of my sister.  I’m used to it,” Amari replied with a fake smile. 

“I’m sorry to hear that, but Sunny will come around eventually.”

Amari would not hold her breath.  It would be a miracle for Sunny to act like a decent being towards her.

Today marked Amari’s third week with the Black Crescent Pack, and she could not help but compare herself to Cinderella.  She was relentlessly bullied by the other maids and pack members.  They despised her because she was an outsider, and no matter how kind she tried to be, her kindness was met with hostility.  Amari woke up an hour before the other maids to get started on her tasks and made sure she was the last one to call it quits in the evening.  She figured if she put in the extra effort that they would get off her back, but that backfired.  Amari was then labeled a kiss ass.  A week ago, she was cornered by Sunny and her henchmen while they shoved her around in the laundry room until she fell to the ground.  Amari cried out in pain once they started stomping on her.  A pack warrior rushed into the laundry room and found the girls above Amari.  He simply rolled his eyes and told them to “carry on” before returning to his post. 

The only wolves that had Amari’s back were Susan and the pack doctor, but Amari knew she could not hide behind their protection forever.  Amari rarely saw Alpha Steele, but when she did manage to run into him in the hallway, he would nod his head at her in acknowledgement and continue with his day. 

She was in the process of mopping the hallway again when she felt a presence.  She looked up to find Alpha Steele staring at her.

“Good morning, Alpha Steele,” Amari greeted cautiously.

“Good morning, Amari.”

She averted her eyes and focused on the floor.

“When you’re done, I need you to come to my office.”

“For what?” she asked out of curiosity.

“Are you questioning me?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I apologize.  I’ll be there shortly,” she whispered.  Amari kept her head bowed until Alpha Steele’s presence disappeared.  She let out a loud sigh of relief and continued her chores. 

Twenty minutes later, Amari finished mopping the hallway and proceeded to Alpha Steele’s office. She knocked three times and was given permission to enter.

“Take a seat,” he demanded.  She immediately sat and smoothed out the skirt of her maid’s uniform.  Zane stared at Amari for several moments.  For the past three weeks, all he’s heard were complaints from the pack members about Amari being an outsider and their desire to expel her from their lands.  Most of the complaints were juvenile, but the others were more serious in nature.  The more serious complaints accused Amari of being a spy for her former pack. 

Zane took the complaint seriously.  Why had Alpha Winters given up his only living daughter so easily?  Was Amari a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and would Zane’s pack be vulnerable to an attack?  Was Amari pulling the wool over his eyes with her submissive behavior?  Was Zane a failure as a leader?  No.  Zane told himself.  There was no way Amari was that good of an actor, he thought to himself.

“Are you a spy?” he asked suddenly.

“A spy?  Me?” Amari asked, pointing to herself.

“Yes, you.  You’re the only one here.”

“I’m sorry, but your question was unexpected.  No, I’m not a spy.  Do I look like a spy?”

“The best spies are the ones no one ever suspects.  You give off cute and cuddly, but perhaps you’re the opposite.”

Amari’s cheeks flushed.  Did Alpha Steele really call her cute?

“I called you to my office for a few things.  Susan reports you’re a hard worker and you complete your tasks well despite your disability.  She suggests I pay you.  I will consider providing you a monthly stipend, but that all depends on how well you handle yourself in the next couple of weeks.  My brother, Darren Steele, and his whatever you want to call them, followers, if you will, will be staying with us over the next couple of weeks.  I must warn you.  He does not treat the help well.  If I’m being honest, he’s downright hateful to anyone he feels his beneath him.  A word to the wise, avoid him at all costs.  If you find yourself in a situation where you feel you need to defend yourself, then it is what it is.  Do you have any questions?”

“No, Alpha Steele.”

“Good.  They will be arriving this evening.  Off you go.”

Amari bowed her head before exiting the office. It was not until lunch that she was informed that she would be Darren Steele's personal maid. Her stomach churned with uneasiness as the other maids snickered at her extreme misfortune. 

“Welcome to Hell,” Sunny taunted.