The Mind Reader

I blinked. What was that voice?

The handsome stranger pulled me to my feet. He took off his jacket and covered me with it.

“Who are you?” Alex demanded.

“Do I need to introduce myself before I can shield her dignity?”

Dominic was nowhere to be seen, it seemed that he had made himself scarce after Eliana entered the room.

Alex glared at the stranger.

“You should fix your tone, you are in my house.” He sneered. Alex was the son of the alpha, making him the next alpha of our pack, the Blood Moon pack, and master of the Wilder manor.

“What happens if I don’t?”

Alex stepped closer to him. “Is that a challenge?”

There was a change in the atmosphere as both of them stared each other down.

“Young Master Alex, it’s time for your morning training.” Dominic’s voice cut through the silence as he hurriedly approached the scene. “The Luna and your beta are waiting in the training grounds.”

Alex merely nodded and returned to his room but not before shooting another glare at the stranger.

Dominic occupied his position in front of Alex’s door once again and gave the stranger a polite nod. The stranger grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

“Hey!”

He didn’t respond to me but continued pulling me towards the other end of the hallway. He turned a corner, opened a door and dragged me into a bedroom. He let go abruptly and shut the door behind him.

“What are you doing?” I seethed.

“Protecting your dignity, I thought I made that perfectly clear outside your lover’s bedroom.”

My cheeks heated up with embarrassment.

“What does that have to do with you bringing me here?”  I demanded, keeping a safe distance away from him. I hoped he didn’t think that he could have his way with me simply because of the situation that he found me in.

“Sleeping with you is the last thing on my mind, I promise you.”

What?

“Did you just…?”

“Read your mind? Yes, I did.”

He… could read minds? He had to be of alpha blood, they were the only high-ranked werewolves that could have special abilities. He walked to a door and opened it. It opened up to a bathroom. Looking back at me he said, “Go in and put on your clothes.” He eyed my chest which was very visible through the thin fabric of Alex’s white shirt. “Except if you’d rather continue walking around in that.”

Self-conscious, I pulled his coat tighter around my body but stood, unmoving. I didn’t know if I could trust him.

His eyes narrowed. “Get in.” He ordered.

I scoffed. I didn’t take orders from him.

“No.”

He closed the distance between us and I stared into those cold grey eyes.

“I said. Get. In.”

There was danger in them. I could see it as clearly as I felt it earlier and yet, I didn’t cower.

“I said. No.”

His brows furrowed slightly.

“Not until, you tell me who you are.” And why I heard a voice calling you my mate.

If he read my mind, and heard my unspoken question, he didn’t signify. He just stared at me, seemingly deep in thought.

“Well?” I asked.

Suddenly, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

“What!? Let go of me!”

He walked into the bathroom and dumped me on the floor, then he left slamming the door behind him. I ran to the door and gave it a hard kick, stubbing my toe in the process.

“Ow!”

He opened the door and threw my clothes in my face. I looked at him incredulously. He just slammed the door again.

So infuriating!

Moments later, I stood in front of the mirror, properly dressed in my maids’ uniform. I combed my fingers through my golden-brown hair, and began braiding it gently. I stared into the mirror and soft blue eyes stared back. I had always wondered why my eyes were blue instead of brown. As a regular wolf, it was expected for me to have brown-coloured eyes. High-ranked wolves were the kinds that usually bore different colours of eyes, from beautiful hazel browns to blues to greens. Regulars and omegas only ever had simple browns. Maybe, I was just… an anomaly.

I stepped out of the bathroom to find the stranger sprawled on the bed. Shirtless.

I averted my eyes but not before spying the trail of tattoos that spread across his chest. I turned to leave.

“Leaving already? Don’t I at least deserve a ‘thank you’?” He drawled.

Gritting my teeth, I turned around and bowed slightly.

“Thank you. For the jacket,” I muttered stiffly.

Turning my back to him again, I walked towards the door, eager to leave his presence.

“Wait.”

What was it now? I turned around.

“You forgot your boyfriend’s shirt.” He held it out to me.

I tried to keep my focus away from his chiseled abs as I walked over and snatched it from him before turning away again.

He released a low chuckle. “You’re pretty feisty for a slave girl.”

I looked back at him, anger burning in my blood.

“How dare you call me that?”

“You didn’t have a problem when your lover called you one. If you’re a slave, you must be an omega wolf.”

His grey orbs swirled with amusement as they stared into my blue ones. “You don’t look like one, though. They’re more… docile.”

The regulars were the weakest rank of true blooded werewolves. They were usually hired as servants to the wealthier higher-ranked werewolves, receiving a modest pay. Omegas, on the other hand, were wolves of tainted blood. Weaker than regulars and they could only shift during a full blood moon. They were rare in our pack but wherever they were found in the werewolf kingdom, they were kept as slaves to the higher ranked werewolves. They served them for life, without any pay.

It was a thing of shame to be a slave. The look on his face assured me that he knew that, and he thoroughly enjoyed pissing me off. The insufferable prig.

“You were listening in on my conversation earlier? Or let me guess, you read my mind.”

“I’ve only read your mind once. Well, and maybe a second time when you were ogling my chest just now.”

“I was not!”

“Anyway,” his lips twitched with the hint of a smile, “I didn’t read your mind.”

“You both were just really loud.” He pointed at his ear.

Right, higher ranked werewolves had really sharp hearing.

I took a step closer to him.

“I am no-one’s slave.” I said firmly, glaring at him.

Turning away, I walked to the door, and slammed it as I exited the room.

~                                     ~                              ~                           ~                           ~                                  ~

There was a hush when I walked into the laundry room that morning. The maids paused their work to stare at me for a moment, before whispering to each other.

Ignoring them, I headed for my work station. There was a large pile of used bedlinens in a basket ready for washing. I let out a heavy sigh, time to get to work.

Holding a bucket, I walked over to the well standing at the center of the small yard bordering the laundry room. Setting my bucket beside it, I held the handle and began lowering the well bucket into its depths.

The squeaking sound of the metal pulley system was interrupted by the crunch of footsteps behind me.

Turning around, I came face to face with the regulars that had made the past few years of my life in the Wilder manor as miserable as possible. I almost groaned audibly.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the Heir Alpha’s whore.” Amy said with a malicious grin.