CHAPTER 9.

9. Emma.

"Holy shit!" Amelia closed the door behind me. We were in some sort of storage closet. "I heard the rumours, I didn't know—was it you, the girl that Lord Damon sent out a few days ago? The girl whom Lord Damien had to fight his brother for?"

"Actually, that was yesterday but yeah," I admitted. My arm still throbbed where he touched me.

Amelia ran her fingers through her hair. "That's crazy." She paced back and forth.

"I thought he was going to kill me there and then," I sighed. I sat on a tiny stool, as my heart slowed down.

"Tell me about it. I was expecting blood any minute," Amelia admitted.

"What?" I was surprised. "Wait—wait, he was really going to kill me?" Amelia sounded pretty convinced he would kill me. "I thought he was probably going to hit me or something, not literally KILL me," I stressed on the word kill.

Amelia frowned and straightened up. "Oh my gosh, you really don't know anything? Alpha Damon—" She moved to the door, looked outside and closed it behind her. "—Damon is a hard man. He doesn't have any form of compassion! He would have killed you when it came to it!" Her voice has reduced to harsh whispers.

I slowly shook my head. What did she expect? I've been living in an orphanage all my life.

"Emma, you cave dweller—argh." She grabbed a stool and sat beside me. "Fine, I will tell you the whole story. I'm guessing you only found out that we have two Alphas and they are twins, right?"

I raised my brows. "Haha, yeah." I smiled nervously.

"Jesus. That's....amazing. Well, the brothers are twins but they didn't grow up together—" Amelia started narrating a story, and I shifted to align my focus to her. "Their mother passed away very young, when the boys were just toddlers. You can imagine how hard it was for the Alpha plus he was fending off the rogues that tried to attack the land. Everyone thought he would grow weaker when his wife died, because she was a great mastermind in her husband's war. Instead, he grew more merciless with his enemies. So, the Alpha and his wife's sister volunteered to take care of the kids but it was really crazy." Amelia's hands moved everywhere.

I placed my hands between my laps. "How?"

"The Alpha's sister, The Countess Celia, wanted the boys under her care, but she was met with fierce opposition from Lady Lilly, his wife's sister. Both sides argued that the other wouldn't be able to raise them properly. Hell, my mom told me it almost broke out in a full-blown war between the Daerk and the Alyssa families. But eventually, the Alpha decided to give a son, to both families until they became of age."

I sighed and rubbed my legs. That explained why they were too different, more strangers than brothers.

"But why do they hate each other? Were the families involved in this?" I asked.

"Yeah in a way, you know. It might have started with little things, like maybe Damon did something to Mason that the other didn't like or Mason stole his girl or something. I don't know, it might have been gradual. Besides, Mason's aunt Lily had a softer hand compared to Countess Celia who is known to be rock hard and unforgivable to her enemies."

I could imagine how hard it must have been for both men. I found it hard growing up without any parents, but I had the orphanage children to keep me company. To be torn away from your parents and forced to live with your aunt, one could only imagine.

"Well enough of that. I don't wanna get in trouble bringing up matters of the past." Amelia got on her feet and started counting the equipment in the storage.

I glanced at her clothes. "Amelia?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you wear casual clothes in the house? The other maids were wearing their uniforms except you."

"Hun?" She turned and raised a brow.

"N—nothing, I was wondering if I get only one uniform?" I changed the subject immediately. She almost sounded offended by my first question.

"Oh, that? Well, in a few days, I will give you your other pairs. Just do with what you have for now." She paused and slowly looked at me. "Why do I get the feeling that you asked another question?"

I shook my head. "No, that's what I asked."

Another awkward pause. "Alright, if you say so. Meet me in Alpha Mason's room in an hour or two after you rest. I'm gonna catch some sleep." She yawned and stretched. I heard a few bones pop in the process.

"But it's already past breaktime?"

Amelia scoffed. "Hello? We work for the Alpha. We are not like the others so we barely have a lot of work." Amelia grinned. "That's why the other maids hate us but it's their problem, not mine. Just steer clear of trouble while I'm out sleeping, okay?"

I nodded, and she gave me a thumbs-up before leaving the storage closet. I wonder why she could be so carefree. A closer look at her and she almost looked like the daughter of some noble, and despite the fact that she spoke casually with me, I couldn't help but pick up the slight posh way of speaking.

I sighed and mistakenly brushed the area where Lord Damon had grabbed me. My heartbeat quickened and I closed my eyes.

Even as Amelia spoke, narrating the history between both brothers, my mind occasionally drifted to that moment when he held my lips and drew closer. His masculine musk, his breath on my face as he peered into my eyes.

I was excited about it for a second, before I came back to my senses.

"Oh no," I gasped. Maybe I enjoyed it for a second back there.