3. Meeting the alpha

Jenny’s POV

Immediately we entered the gates, I felt it.

It could have gone unnoticed if I wasn’t so sensitive to people’s feelings. Perks of being a healer.

I felt people’s energy sometimes and while I hated it most times, it helped me on some occasions.

Around the town, conversations seemed to quiet down as people turned to stare at us.

There were no malicious looks but they were obviously intrigued about our appearance for some reason. Henry, they knew of course so it was me that was the odd one to them.

I sat straighter on the horse. Painfully aware of every eyes on me.

“Why is everyone looking at me?” I asked Henry in a low tone, like I didn’t want anyone else to hear me.

Henry gave me a small smile of encouragement,

“Just ignore them and they’ll mind their business”

“That’s not really the answer to my question, you know.”

“Yes it’s not” he sighed “ I should assume it’s because you’re after all the Alpha’s chosen and naturally, it’s expected for the people to be curious or don’t you think?”

Just as I wanted to ask him how they knew who I was and not just a visitor, I caught a woman whispering something to another as they passed and the other woman’s eyes widened.

I didn’t hear them but I sort of already knew what was being discussed.

I was here as a bride to the Alpha. Why an Alpha as big as alpha Maurice would pick me as his Luna seemed beyond me.

But here I was after all. In his kingdom. Going to him. Going to meet my husband to be.

I wondered if I would like him but I was highly doubtful.

My fingers tightened around the reins on the horse and Henry noticed.

“Don’t let them get into your head. Take it as a welcoming gesture if anything”

“Too late for that don’t you think?” I asked and he sighed as we continued toward a massive building at the center of the pack.

The Alpha’s house. Obviously.

I just stared at it. It was a huge house. No,scratch that, it was a fortress, not a house.

Three stories of high dark stone, huge windows, tall pillars, and a set of wide steps leading to an enormous wooden door.

My stomach twisted with anxiety now that I was closer to meeting the Alpha.

“This is where he lives?”

“Yes, This is the black hollow Palace, the home of the Alpha and your new home also “

“Wonderful.” I said in a sarcastic tone, eyes not leaving the house.

Lila, my stepmother’s house back home was nothing to write home about so this was a massive change but instead of happiness, I felt dread.

Henry dismounted from his horse, adjusted his coat and then stretched out a hand to me

“Come.”

I gave him my hand and got down slowly from the horse. Only when my feet touched the ground did I realize that my legs hurt like crazy from the journey. It was a really long journey.

I followed Henry and climbed the stairs beside him. The staircase was a wide one and it was a journey on its own to the entrance.

Before we got to the large door, it opened before us and a woman stood in front of us.

She was older and looked ‘for lack of better words’, Firm and wicked. She had her grey hair pinned in an updo so tight, I was wondering how she was breathing comfortably.

She looked me over from head to toe. Slow and deliberate, studying every inch of me and after she was satisfied with staring, she turned to Henry, her lips set in a thin line,

“This is all of her?” She sounded unimpressed and my eyebrow rose at the blatant disrespect

“I’m standing right here as you obviously can see”

The woman looked at me again.

“Clearly you are girl but your two feet can barely hold you down.”

Henry sighed. “Elsa…” He said but the woman ignored him and faced all her attention to me

“You’re smaller than I expected. Don’t you eat?”

I folded her arms.

“You’re rude”

“Oh child, that is rubbish. You need to eat and that’s final”

Henry coughed uncomfortably but the woman just continued to stare at me and I stared back, unfazed.

Then, surprisingly, the corner of her mouth lifted.

“Good.”

I blinked.

“What?”

“You have a mouth and that’s good because you’re going to need it and some food also”

The woman then turned without another word and walked away.

I looked at Henry.

“Who was that?”

“Ms Elsa. She runs the Alpha’s household.”

“Does everyone here behave like that?”

“She’s a nice woman. She just likes to show that she’s the boss sometimes”

“But she isn’t though. The boss is the Alpha right?”

“Depends on the area you’re talking about” Henry shrugged and I frowned at that. I couldn’t handle another Lila at the palace too.

“Come along, we have an Alpha to meet” he said and led the way, walking down large corridors.

The house was warm.

Too warm.

There were fireplaces burning along the walls and thick rugs beneath my feet.

Servants moved quietly through the halls.

Everything was orderly and it was almost unnerving for me.

I looked down at my feet and suddenly became aware of how dirty my boots were and I stopped immediately in my tracks.

“I can’t go further” I announced and Henry turned.

“What?”

I looked at the floor.

“My boots are dirty”

“Oh” he looked down at them “it doesn’t matter besides one of the servants will clean up immediately after you”

I shook my head.

“No I don’t want that”

Henry studied me and suddenly seemed to understand what was happening

“You don’t have to apologize for taking up space here, you know. This is your new home and you’re not a makeshift servant here.”

Something about the way he said it made my throat tighten and I looked away.

Nobody had ever said that to me before.

Henry seemed to realize he’d struck something inside me because his voice softened even further

“Come on.” He said and only waited until I was beside him before continuing the walk.

We got to a huge door, that was somehow bigger than the one at the entrance and Henry gave two swift raps on it before opening it up. That was a code knock, I picked up immediately.

We continued down the hallway of the magnificent room and then I saw him.

I had never seen him before but I just knew it was him.

Alpha Maurice.

He stood at the end of the corridor, speaking to two men.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed entirely in black.

His dark hair was slightly disheveled, as if he’d been running his hands through it. His face was hidden but I could still make out his sharp jawline.

One of the men beside him whispered something to him and he turned his head to both of us and for some reason my heartbeat increased.

He wasn’t smiling but he wasn’t angry either. He was simply looking at me.

Henry stepped forward.

“Alpha Maurice”

Maurice’s eyes remained on me as he answered his beta

“Henry”

“She’s here” Henry announced and Maurice nodded,

“I can see” he said “Leave us at once”

Henry hesitated.

“Alpha..”

“I said leave.”

The men beside him immediately moved away.

Henry looked at me and I gave him a small shake of my head, begging him not to leave me alone with the Alpha. How was I going to face him alone? What was I to say to him?

“Please don’t leave me alone” I begged Henry with my eyes but he could only give me a look of defeat as he bowed to the Alpha and then turned to leave.

Alpha Maurice waited until everyone was gone and the door was shut behind them and all the while, his eyes were still glued to my face.

I suddenly felt like a prey being watched by its predator.

Maurice walked toward me.

Slowly and with every step, I felt like bolting for the doors but my feet were glued to the floor.

When he stopped in front of me, he was close enough that I had to tilt my head slightly to meet his eyes. I stopped breathing.

Neither of us spoke, we just stared at each other. I saw the exact moment he spotted the bruise on my cheek and the split on my lip. His eyes darkened immediately.

“Who did that?” He asked and I froze.