Chapter 1

Nina's POV

At dawn, I went straight to Carol, the head housekeeper, with my contract and the termination fee.

Carol counted the cash in the box.

"One hundred thousand dollars. Not a penny short."

She didn't take it. Instead, she frowned at me.

"Nina, have you lost your mind? Did Alpha Blake hurt you? Did he do something to you? Why else would you want to break your contract?"

I pushed the box closer to her.

"Please. I just need you to help me get it approved."

Carol shook her head.

"Your contract was signed directly with Alpha Blake's mother. It requires Lady Nyvas's signature."

"Lady Nyvas is in Hawaii. She won't be back until Thursday."

Today was Sunday.

That meant I had to wait four more days.

In four days, I could finally leave for Minneapolis and open my own restaurant.

"Should I let Alpha Blake know first? You are his personal maid, after all," Carol asked.

"Please don't tell him."

Before I could say anything else, another maid called from the hallway.

"Nina! Why are you still standing there?"

"Alpha Blake has guests in the study! He wants a pot of black tea, and he's already asked for it twice!"

She was practically stomping her feet.

I simply nodded.

"I'm on it."

I prepared the tea and carried it into the study.

Alpha Blake was seated with several Alphas and Betas from neighboring packs.

Elena sat right beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.

I always used loose-leaf black tea instead of cheap tea bags. The water had to be hot enough, and I never rushed the brewing process.

Good tea took patience.

The moment I stepped inside, Jason sneered.

"Blake, is your maid crippled or something? What the hell took her so long?"

Laughter rippled through the room.

I remembered how Jason had mocked me in exactly the same way four years ago.

Back then, annoyed by how long I took to serve tea, he'd kicked over my tray. Scalding water had splashed across the back of my hand.

Blake had rushed over and gently blown on my burned skin.

Then he'd swept Jason's cup off the table.

"If you can't wait, don't drink it."

That night, Blake had come to my room with a tube of ointment.

"Alphas can be arrogant bastards. I'm sorry."

He'd sat beside me and carefully rubbed the salve into my burned hand.

His fingers lingered against my skin. Then his gaze slowly dropped to my lips.

"Nina."

He rarely said my name like that.

I murmured softly.

In the next second, he leaned down and kissed me.

His lips barely brushed mine at first, tentative, as if he were afraid I'd pull away.

I froze, forgetting how to breathe.

It was my first kiss.

And Blake was the one who took it.

He pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against mine.

"Can I?"

I looked into his eyes, unable to find my voice. All I could manage was a tiny nod.

Then his lips met mine again, and I finally closed my eyes.

He stayed in my room that night.

Moonlight fell across the edge of my bed. Outside, the rosemary on my balcony swayed in the night breeze.

After that night, I remained his personal maid, but we were no longer just an Alpha and his servant.

Yet this time, Blake didn't say a word in my defense.

I looked up at him.

He barely glanced at me before turning to Jason.

"She's always been this clumsy."

Elena stood and took the tray from my hands.

"Let me pour the tea for everyone."

Her movements were quick and graceful. She handled the teapot as if she'd done it a thousand times.

Blake took a sip.

"See? That's how you do it."

He set down his cup and gave me a cold look.

"Five years, Nina. And you're still this slow."

One of the other Alphas laughed.

"Then why do you even keep her around?"

Elena pressed her lips together, hiding a teasing smile.

"Nina isn't just any maid. Blake couldn't bear to let her go."

"Don't start," Blake said dismissively.

The other Alpha gave me a slow once-over and smirked.

"Oh...I see."

Their snickers followed me as I lowered my head and turned to leave.

Elena reached out and caught my arm.

"Nina, don't take it personally. Maybe you should spend some time learning from Carol."

I turned toward her.

The teacup in her hand suddenly slipped.

Scalding tea splashed across her skin.

Elena shrieked. The porcelain cup hit the hardwood floor and shattered.

I froze, staring down at the broken pieces scattered across the floor.

Jason crossed his arms and sneered.

"Blake, your maid really is useless."

Elena bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes.

"Don't blame Nina. It was my fault. She didn't do it on purpose."

The more she defended me, the more I looked like the ungrateful one.

Blake's eyes locked on mine.

His expression was ice-cold.

"Nina. Apologize to Elena."