Chapter 3 Rules

• *Isla*
• “Obey the rules and you'll have nothing to worry about, by the way, I'm Beth. The Alpha's beta” he introduces himself.
• “Beth,” I repeat his name under my breath. The Alpha's Beta; is a position of authority within this hierarchy.
• “Rules?” I finally utter, my voice barely audible in the emptiness of the halls.
• “What are the rules?”
• Beth turns to face me, his face hardened.
• “You will follow the Alpha's orders without question. You will bear children for him, and those children will be raised to be the Alpha's heir” he explains as he soon stops at a door.
• “We've arrived, have your bath, and change into better clothes. Take care..” he says, opening the door for me and I slowly walk in. The moment I walk in, he closes the door after me, giving me the moment I want, to be alone.
• I sit on the bed in my new room, not sure what to do, grasping my bag. I look around, but I’m not sure what to think.
• Why am I here? Am I really to be a breeder? The breeder of the Alpha King, no less? If I touch anything else, will someone come flying out of the closet and slap me again? Beta Seth has assured me that this is my room, and I can do whatever I want, but I am still hesitant.
• I can’t help but think that this is all a huge mistake. If I get too comfortable here, I will just have to go. And this is the nicest room I’ve ever seen. I haven’t been sitting here too long when there is a knock at the door.I look up, and a girl with brown hair and wide hazel eyes is staring at me, just her head sticking in the door.
• “Hello, Miss,” she says. “May I come in?”
• “Yes, of course,” I say, starting to get up.
• “Oh, no, don’t get up!” she insists, flying into the room like a flurry, a small, contained tornado.
• “I’m Poppy, Miss Isla,” she says with a small bow of her head. “How do you do?”
• I hesitate to respond because I’m not used to being addressed this way, but then I say, “I’m f-fine, thank you.”
• “Good! Beta Seth sent me to take care of you. I will be your personal maid. So… what can I do to assist you, miss?” she asks, standing at attention with her hands folded in front of her.
• I don’t know how to respond to her because I have never had anyone bring me anything in my life, not since I was a child and needed my mother’s help.
• “I don’t know,” I admit to her. “Do… Do you know why I’m here?” The last part is a whisper tinged with a silent plea of confirmation. Not a Breeder, surely. I keep telling myself there’s been a mistake.
• Poppy laughs, and it sounds a bit like a melody.
• “No, miss, I’m afraid not. But don’t fret. I’m sure there’s a good reason if you don’t know. Now, let’s see…. Food is on its way from the kitchen. A meal should be arriving shortly. Is that your bag?” I look down at the pathetic bag I’m clutching in my hands, my knuckles white, and I nod.
• “May I?” she asks, extending a hand. I don’t want to let go of it, but I do. She takes the bag from me and looks through it.
• “All right,” she says. “We have plenty of clothes in the castle. We keep them in case guests forget their bags. Or so they say.” She takes my things over to the armoire and begins to put them away.
• “Although I have to say, I think it’s also in case they are robbed on their way to the castle. You know there are plenty of rogues out there. And some Alphas who can’t seem to remember who is king.” She shakes her head, and I am surprised.
• I didn’t know that there were any Alphas who would rise up against the Alpha King.
• “At any rate, I will go and get you more clothing. You should have a regal wardrobe. I will get what I can, but we will see that you have everything that you need. Alpha King Maddox said that you are to be treated as the finest ladies in the castle.”
• My eyes bulge. “He did?” Why? Aren’t breeders part of the lower class? I admit, I don’t know about them. It feels like such an archaic concept, especially in such modern times. Why on earth would someone like Alpha King Maddox need a breeder? I’ve never seen the man, but I’ve heard whispers of him from time to time. Ruthless, cut throat, the kind of man who makes men and women tremble, for different reasons, of course. He’s supposed to be exceedingly handsome, and I’m sure there are plenty of women in his court to choose from for this purpose. So why me?
• “Yes, he did. Now, what size are you?” I have no idea. I shake my head. “My mother makes my clothes.”
• “Well, do you mind standing up?” I manage to slide off of the bed, and she looks me up and down.
• “Tiny thing, aren’t you!” Poppy proclaims. She is rather thin herself, but she is much taller than me. My hands are trembling a bit, and I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve only been here a few hours, and I already miss my family.
• Poppy goes into the bathroom, and soon enough I hear water running and smell roses. She comes back a moment later with a big grin on her face.
• “Do you need any help getting undressed?” “No, thank you,” I say. I can’t imagine needing help with that. Rich people are… strange.
• “All right. Do you need anything else before I go?” “No, thank you.” She smiles at me and says, “I’ll be back soon.”
• “Thank you, Poppy,” I say before she goes. She nods and then heads for the door, and I can’t help but think that we might be friends—if I stay here. If I survive this place and this man.
• ****
• I sit on the edge of the bed for a few minutes after Poppy leaves, contemplating what to do. She’s turned the bathtub on, so I know I have to go into the bathroom eventually or else the tub will overflow.
• I want to take a bath. It sounds luxurious. I can’t remember the last time I did anything like that for myself. For the last few years, everything I’ve done has been for my family. But… the idea of taking my clothes off and soaking in the tub in this amazing room seems frightening and foolish.
• All of this has to be a mistake, and when they find out about it, shouldn’t I at least be dressed? Still, if I take a quick bath, maybe I can be in and out before Poppy returns. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this castle it’s that it is huge.
• Setting my bag down on the chest at the end of the bed, I head into the bathroom and take my clothes off, hanging my wet, dirty clothes on a hook on the door, embarrassed by my old underwear and bra that doesn’t really fit me correctly. I decide to leave the door open a crack so I can hear if Poppy comes back in. I turn the bathtub off and notice there are hair clips on the sink, so I grab a few. I want to wash my hair, but then I plan to clip it up out of the way so I can be sure to wash well.
• The moment my feet touch the warm water, I feel a soothing sensation ripple through my body. I’m not sure what Poppy put in this water, but it feels amazing. I sink into it and my whole body relaxes. Not only does it smell wonderful—like roses and lavender—but it wraps around my body like a warm blanket.
• I may never get out of this tub. Remembering I was going to try to hurry, I sink down and wash my hair, using the bottles of floral-smelling shampoos and conditioners on the side of the tub, I scrub my hair and my scalp before clipping my hair up out of the way and using the body wash and a soft sponge to wash myself off.
• Once I’m sure I’m clean from head to toe, I sink back into the water, telling myself I’m just going to soak for a minute and then I’ll get out. I must’ve dozed off because when I open my eyes later, the water is a bit cooler, and I realize I’d been asleep.
• But then I also realize that what had woken me was the sound of the door opening in my bedroom.I sit up quickly, remembering that I had that robe but not remembering exactly where it is. I see a pile of towels nearby.
• “Poppy, is that you?” I call, praying it is just the housekeeper coming back with the clothes she’d gone to find for me.
• “No.” I get my answer when a deep, rumbling voice answers my question. I inhale sharply and hold it for a second. There is a man in my room—and I am naked.