Anger

Chapter Ten

Faelen’s POV

The morning light shone through the high windows of the estate dining hall and reflecting over the grand table that I was setting up that morning.

My hands trembled slightly as I placed the fine glasses and plates on the massive table, arranging everything with care. The head maid had been clear with her orders… Everything had to be perfect.

Alpha Hunter was not a man who tolerated mistakes, apparently, and with a guest joining him for breakfast that morning, the pressure felt even more suffocating.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I moved around the table, my thoughts racing. The memory of my last encounter with him haunted me.

The way his eyes had dug into me, the sharpness of his voice as he ordered me to clean the toilets. It wasn’t just fear that made my stomach twist, it was something else too. 

Something I couldn’t quite understand but that made me feel off-balance every time I was close to him. The head maid’s voice cut through my thoughts as she addressed the three of us who had been chosen for this morning’s task. 

“Remember, the Alpha has a guest today. Everything must be perfect. You two,” she nodded toward the other girls, “help with the kitchen preparations. Faelen, you finish setting the table.”

I nodded silently, swallowing hard as I continued with my task. The other two girls, Anna and Lauren, quickly disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me alone in the vast dining hall. 

My hands moved automatically, folding napkins and placing them beside each plate, but my mind was somewhere else.

What if I mess up again? What if he sends me away, or worse, what if he punishes me again, and in front of his guest?

My fingers fumbled with a fork, nearly dropping it onto the floor, but I caught it just in time, my breath jumping into my throat. I couldn’t afford any mistakes today.

The door to the dining hall creaked open, and I stiffened, not daring to look up. Footsteps echoed on the tiled floor. I knew it was him even before I forced myself to look up.

Alpha Hunter entered the room, his presence filling the place with an overwhelming sense of power. He was dressed in a crisp black shirt, his movements smooth and in control as he made his way toward the table.

And behind him, a woman, who I guessed was the guest followed, her eyes scanning the room with curiosity.

I quickly shifted my gaze, focusing on the last napkin I was folding. My heart pounded in my chest, and I prayed that Hunter wouldn’t notice me, that he would simply sit down and eat without a glance towards me.

But as fate would have it, my prayers went unanswered. “Faelen.” He called out. 

His voice was low and commanding, cutting through the silence like a knife. I froze, the napkin slipping from my fingers as I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his.

He was watching me with that same intense gaze, the one that always made me feel like he could see straight through me.

“Yes, Alpha?” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible.

The lady stood beside him, her eyes shifting between us with a slight hint of amusement. She was dressed in one of his shirts, her hair tousled from what I could only assume had been a long night between them.

The sight of her standing so close to him, looking so comfortable in his presence, sent a sharp pain through my chest.

“Are you finished?” Hunter’s voice was calm, but there was a tone to it that made me feel like I was standing on a landmine.

“Yes, Alpha,” I replied, my voice trembling slightly. I quickly bent down to retrieve the fallen napkin, my fingers brushing against the cold floor.

I could feel his eyes on me the entire time, and it took every bit of my composure not to flinch under his gaze.

“Good,” he said, his tone dismissive. “You can go.”

I stood up, clutching the napkin tightly in my hands as I backed away from the table. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I could barely hear anything else.

I kept my head down as I walked past him, avoiding his gaze, but just as I reached the door, I heard the lady’s voice.

“She’s cute,” she said, her tone light and teasing.

Hunter didn’t respond, at least not that I could hear, but I didn’t wait to find out. I hurried out of the dining hall, my cheeks burning with embarrassment and fear.

My mind was spinning, and I couldn’t make sense of the emotions churning inside me. As I reached the corridor, I stopped to catch my breath, leaning against the stone wall.

My hands were shaking, and I could still feel Hunter’s eyes on me, that intense gaze that seemed to linger even after I was out of his sight.

What was happening to me? And why did I feel this way every time I was near him? I didn’t have the answers, but one thing was clear, I needed to stay as far away from Alpha Hunter as possible.

Because whatever this strange pull was, it was only going to lead to trouble. I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I walked towards the kitchen.

Soon, I was carrying more plates back to the dining hall. The head maid had sent me to bring more food for the Alpha and his guest. My hands felt shaky around the edges of the ceramic as I walked.

I had hoped that I wouldn’t have to see him again so soon, but fate seemed determined to test me this morning. As I pushed open the door, my heart leapt.

Hunter’s eyes were on me the moment I stepped inside, and I could see his expression go dark immediately. The air seemed to feel unbreakable, and I had to force myself to keep moving, to place the plates on the table with as much care as possible. 

But just as I reached the table, Hunter’s hand slammed down onto the hard wood with a force that made me jump. The sound echoed in the large room, and the plates in my hands clattered against each other.

My entire body froze in fear.

His eyes were burning with anger. “Did you not understand when I told you to get out?” he snarled, his voice sounding like a whip. “I don’t want to see you around here. You disgust me.” He said, his face twisted with irritation. 

His words felt like a stab, each one sinking deep into my heart. I could feel my throat tighten, but I fought to keep my composure. “I’m… I’m sorry, Alpha,” I stammered, my voice trembling. “I… I didn’t mean to…”

“Shut up!” he barked, cutting me off.

I flinched, feeling the warmth of tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I wanted to disappear, to vanish from his sight and never have to face him again.

But instead, I stood there, helpless, as his anger hovered over me. For a moment, it looked like he was going to tell me to leave again, but then he paused, his expression shifting.

A cruel smirk the appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes shone with a cold, hard glare. 

“You know what, on second thought,” he said slowly, “go clean the toilets again. Maybe you haven’t had enough of filth yet, and next time you’ll learn your lesson to obey.”

His words hit me like a punch to the abdomen, knocking the breath out of me. My hands shook as I carefully placed the plates down on the table, my vision blurring with tears.

I didn’t dare look at him, didn’t dare show him how much his words hurt me. “Yes, Alpha,” I whispered painfully. 

Without another word, I turned and hurried out of the room, my heart pounding in my chest. The moment the door closed behind me, I let out a shaky breath, my hands trembling so badly I had to press them to my sides.

The humiliation, the fear, it all weighed down on me like a weight I couldn’t carry. Why did he hate me so much? What had I done to deserve this?

But I couldn’t afford to dwell on those questions. Not now. Not when I had to go back to the same humiliating task he’d set me to before.

I swallowed hard, pushing down the anger and shame within me. I couldn’t let it break me, or stop me from achieving my mission, not now. 

As I made my way to the cleaning supplies of the estate, I tried to focus on the task I had been cruelly given, to push all thoughts of Hunter and his cruel words out of my mind.

But it wasn’t easy. The pain remained, a constant ache that I couldn’t shake. Even as I picked up a mop and bucket, his words echoed in my head, over and over again.

“You disgust me.”

I blinked back the tears that wanted to fall and forced myself to move forward. This was just another challenge I had to face, another hurdle in my mission.

I couldn’t let Hunter break me, no matter how much he seemed to enjoy tormenting me. I would survive this. I had to. Even if it meant swallowing my pride and scrubbing floors until my hands bled.

Because, in the end, I was here for a reason, and I couldn’t let anyone, not even the terrible Alpha Hunter, stand in the way of that.