Chapter 3: Rhys Heather Sage

CHAPTER 3

"Heather Rhys Sage!" Godmother calls in a way that makes my heart shake in its rib cage from fear. 

It's been two weeks. 

Two weeks since my parents forced me to a new type of hell, one that makes me feel like I will be trapped till forever. 

One because of the heavy security that sends me back everytime I reach the gate and two because of the mate bond. 

Everyone seemed to have realized it on that day except for him or was he pretending not to because he was embarrassed of me?

And before we had had the chance to even talk, he was out. 

Out after threatening to break me in a way. Now, I do not know if I ought to be happy or not that he is not back, but then… 

"Rhys?" She calls me by the name dad used to call me when he was alive, except there is no love in her tone. 

"Yes godmother?" I answer as I race my way down the stairs, stopping to maintain a steady pace the moment I sight her in her favorite couch in the mini living area. 

"Don't you feel it? Can't you tell if he's alive or not? My grandson planned just seven days for this battle, yet it's been fourteen!" She says with a stern voice as she drops her teacup with its saucer back to the table. 

"I can't feel it godmother, we didn't have the time to bond", I tell her. 

"Oh you useless piece of trash! What makes you think that you are worthy enough to be the Luna of this kingdom. You had it all planned didn't you?" She raises her voice as she glares at me.

And as much as I feel like backing away and just crying in my bedroom, I hold myself together and stand my ground. 

I remember the advise the alpha gave to me when I was on my sick bed. 

"Don't let them see you cry, weakness means death here". But I can't die yet. 

I can't let my weakness push me to my death, so I meet her gaze. 

"I do enough cleaning to prove to you that I am not useless, godmother", I tell her, calling the name that she insists I call her instead of grandmother as everyone else calls her. 

She claims it would be a stain on her. 

"We have maids for that", she retorts. 

"And that's what I am trying to prove to you. You can save all that extra money and donate to some orphanage or something", she sighs in what seems like resignation to me. 

"He could have picked someone else who was more worthy", she mutters under her breath. 

I try to hide my smirk at my little victory but just then, a soldier runs in, one I don't recognize because he hadn't been around for the past two weeks since I moved in. 

"What is the hurry?", She asked with a frown, clearly displeased with the interruption, but her gaze sharpens when she recognizes the soldier. 

"Keegan? You're back? Where is my grandson?", she demands with a strength I wouldn't have assigned to a woman as old as she is.

"He is at the palace gate, but I was sent ahead to check up on her", he says and glances at my side. 

My heart skips two beat at the meaning of what just happened. 

Maybe he knows, maybe he felt it that we are mates. 

And maybe, just maybe I would not be going through hell here. 

Who would have thought I would be mated to the most feared Alpha? 

Who would have thought that all the evils I heard about him were just rumours and that he was really loved and coveted by women? 

Most of the ladies who came for the selection have tried to extend their stay for as long as they could, just to see if they would get another chance, but they have of course reduced in numbers leaving someone I barely meet and the lady who has the most connections and is favoured by the alpha's grandmother. 

"What makes you think you deserve any of that?" A voice filled with hate sounds from behind me. 

I return from my little daydream to meet the furrowed eyebrows of my mate's grandmother. 

She looks like something is brewing, something that would not be good for me. 

Something I would apprently not like. 

This time, I take a step back without even knowing it. 

The air in the room seems to have gotten darker. 

I watch as she calls a maid forward and whispers something in her ears. 

The maid who has proven with both her actions and sometimes her words that she hates me glares at me and smirks before turning away. 

"You said my grandson is at the palace gate, right?" Godmother asks and the returning soldier who bore the news nods. 

"Good, take me to him", she says. 

I take a step after them because I also want to see him. 

I feel like I've earned the rights with our mate bond and also the fact that Alpha Warren recognizes it and is willing to accept it. 

But the sole someone who could deter everything pauses in her steps and turns back to look at me. 

Glare might be the right word though. 

"You witch!", she spits, "you better not breath a thing about what happened to my grandson and wait in here till I'm back." I furrow my eyebrows in questioning hoping she'd say more, and she does. 

" or would you deny me the chance to see my grandson as his only parent first?", One way to put me in a tight spot, but I guess I will leave her to have her shine. 

After all, she is his only parent. 

"Oh don't worry I am not as petty, your secret is safe with me", the soldier turns to me with his eyes wide open in surprise and my brazenness increases so that I wink at him. 

He looks away with a blush and godmother continues.

"Not like he would believe you," she looks me dead in the eye before continuing, "I will make sure of it", she says and turns away. 

I find myself thinking of the worse things that could happen. 

What does she have planned? 

Definitely something evil. Something I wouldn't be able to figure out until she acts on it.

And just as she exits the large door, a pitiful looking figure walks down the stairs and for a long while, I do not recognise her. 

But the smirk and look of contempt she sends my way send my memory working in overdrive. 

"Mara? Why do you have bruises all over? And why are you dressed like that?" I ask referring to the rags she has on.