4. Alastair

Alastair

After a long six hour drive, my driver stopped the car outside the glided gate of Callisto Palace. Shortly, the gate was opened by the garrison. As soon as the car entered the palace, the domestic servants ran forward to open the doors of the car. My mother indeed trained them well.

Exhaling sharply, I snapped my head to the woman beside me.

Chelsea. Her name was Chelsea Cadeel, an omega—the weakest in packs. And my... mate, yeah with that scent of that bastard all over her body.

My throat closed as I studied her sleeping form. She fell asleep after crying in buckets for hours. Below those dark furrowed brows, her eyes seemed painfully puffy. Her little nose, and cheeks were still red.

I raised my hand and was about to wake her up but my movement froze as I realized most of her tears were caused by me, for that bastard.

Clenching my hands into tight fists, I emerged from the car. Glancing over to my servants, I nodded at them to approach. "Take her inside the palace."

Heeding my order, a manservant and two maids stepped forward and reached for her inside the car. As the manservant grabbed Chelsea's hand, I cleared my throat. "Females only." Even though his touch wouldn't be romantic enough to make her stink and my nasal area sick, I won't be ricking any possibilities. Moreover, what I claimed would never reach another man's touch. She was mine, she had agreed.

Whilst the females continued to go about their duties silently, the manservant stepped back. Puzzled and horrified, he immediately lowered his head. "My apologies, Your Highness, I should have known that she is important." Of course, he wouldn't know.

Disregarding his apology, I looked past the man's shoulder and noted that the maids were still struggling to wake Chelsea up.

"Important or not.. this woman in particular belongs to your Alpha." I paused as I poked my hands through the pockets. He gasped. My action startled him, probably thinking I had a gun inside. I would like to scare him more but I don't because there are already a lot on my plate. So, instead I say, "You should be careful next time." Then I trudged toward the palace.

Once I was about ten steps away, I heard a maid whine. "What a scary pig!"

"I know, right?" agreed the other.

"Jeez, Peter! Call more maids here. She is kinda heavy... ugh." came a wince from exertion in the effort to lift Chelsea out of her seat.

I smirked before entering the Palace and stomped faster to reach my room which was on the second floor. On the way, through the windows, I watched two more maids approach the car and assist Chelsea into the palace.

Inside my room, I went busy with my laptop. Twenty minutes passed by. And, they weren't here yet. Annoyance pooled into my system. I pulled myself up from the couch and walked to the guest room, assuming they took her there.

Well, I was proven right once I reached the door. No one noticed me as they were busy explaining shits to the man inside. He wore a crisp white shirt with beige khakis. His blonde hair confirmed who he was. No one other than Kai Miller, the doctor of the Callisto family.

"He brought her here?" He almost freaked out, his eyes ping-ponging between the maids and Chelsea who was on the bed, in her beauty sleep. "Her..." He paused and shook his head. "I mean a woman? He brought a woman inside the palace?"

His expression was too obvious. He was shocked, not confused.

"Yes, Doctor Kai. Alpha brought her here and told us to bring her inside the palace." a maid responded. "We are aware that it's forbidden. But his Highness ordered us to do so." She clarified. 

Yeah.. right, outsiders were strictly forbidden inside the palace walls. Here, most of the women were brought to be kept inside the slave quarters.

Kai's dark brown brows lifted. "What's her name? Who's she?"

That's what he does. Meddling in the businesses he had nothing to do with. But for God's sake, this idiot needed to be reminded that he was not here to solve his own puzzles. Chelsea wasn't awake yet, that should be the real problem for him.

"We don't have any idea. But I think she is important."

Yeah. Whatever.

Leaning against the door frame, I tilted my head to the maid. "And why is she here?"

The maids shuddered at my sudden voice and immediately, veered their gazes to the door where I stood. I bet I looked annoyed and that alone was enough to scare the hell out of the maids. Yeah except for Kai. He looked at me and made a face like he knew I was putting an act. But no. I truly was enraged from the tumultuous occurrence of the previous night and it would be catastrophic if I were to freak out now.

"It's been twenty five minutes already." I said as my gaze trailed over Chelsea.

A maid blinked, bending her head. "I apologize, Your Highness! But... were we supposed to take her to your room?"

"Where else then?"  My firm response stunned Kai even more.

He had his eyes rounded like saucers. “Dude, really?”

I forgot to mention that his asshole was my childhood friend. However, we neither treated each other like friends nor a boss and an employee. Most of the time, it was like enemies. 

Noting my expectant look, Kai walked towards the bed and cleared his throat. "Hold on. She seems sick." He reached down and pressed two fingers against her wrist to take her pulse. It was just fine.

Irritated, I stuffed my pockets and rolled my eyes. "She is just sleeping."

“She is young.” Kai tilted his head and examined her temperature whilst scanning her refined features and cheap clothes. “She is poor, isn't she?” asked Kai.

Despite how my blood raged in anger, Kai was right. Her face was pale, almost seemed bloodless. Her body was small, her long red hair appeared rough at the edges. In brief, she looked like someone whose life was not spent in luxury, not even once. 

But, she was so beautiful... just like a dream. Or perhaps like a nightmare, she was terrific. Her beauty scares me. She indeed wasn't someone extraordinary, yet something about her set her apart from other women.

"Have you drugged her?" All of a sudden, Kai tossed the question at me, jerking my thoughts away.

Hearing such a question, I scoffed in disbelief. "Why would I?"

Ignoring my existence, he grabbed his stethoscope and put it on her chest. “Everything is okay. Her breathing, blood pressure, and temperature are all normal. But something's off. So... that's why I asked if you drugged her. I mean you could.” As I shot him murderous glare, he explained. "In case... you didn't want her to find the way back?"

"My guess is that she won't even try to find the way back." came my dry response. I was confident that a tiny thing like her wouldn't dare to escape because of the harm it would do to her parents.

Kai removed the earpieces and shrugged. "It's ok. Just tell me... what is it? Sleeping aids?"

He wanted to know why I brought her here. It was his way of asking. Tricks, he was using his bullshit tricks despite knowing the fact that there was nothing harder than tricking me into giving a straight answer. He knew it all. Yet, messing up with me was at the top of his list of endeavors. He indeed tried hard but I didn't give a shit.

"Even sleeping pills cost a few bucks. Hence, no." I played along.

“I thought she was important.” Kai looked blank. Another trap.

I was going to respond but just then, Chelsea's eyes quivered. Though those weren't fully opened, I knew she was listening to this entire conversation.

I clenched my jaw and shrugged. “She is one of the insignificant properties I wouldn't sell off.”

My statement seemed to awaken Chelsea entirely. Her beautiful gray eyes squinted, welcoming the light. She then briefly glanced around to see the faces in front of her—all of them seemed to confuse her until her gaze met mine. She paled as if my presence itself was bad news.

"She is awake!" Exclaimed the maid who stood across the bed and had noticed her sluggish movements. She was late though. I noticed it minutes earlier.

Kai turned toward the woman and clenched his jaw. "Hey, I'm Dr. Kai Miller. Are you okay?" he asked. Hearing his voice, her gray eyes blinked, then widened with surprise. I wondered why. However, this time, while observing her, Kai seemed to be surprised too. “An Omega... she is.” He muttered. Alphas and betas are always able to detect the rank of others. He was just flexing that he was a beta.

It didn't bother me but what bothered me was when he asked. “Were you sleeping? Or were you forced to sleep? Do you remember anything?”

While the maids assisted Chelsea to sit up, she met his gaze hesitantly. "I'm alright. Maybe, I was just drunk. His... highness offered me... a drink. After taking a few sips, I felt so sleepy."

I was dumbfounded by her claim. What was she saying? I gave her what? Jeez!  I didn't even say a word to her throughout the entirety of the journey. There was either something wrong or she was just making things up to embarrass me which of course, was a failed attempt.