Chapter 46

• HAERA. "Is there food wherever it is you're taking me?" I've lost count of how many times I asked Alan that question as he led me out of the Alpha's throne room and into an open space, trudging along the sides of different buildings all in the compound of the Alpha's residence. All I know is that I kept asking the same question in a different format with that one thing that was driving me crazy in it. Food. When do the maids eat here? What kind of food do we eat? Are you leading me to join them to eat? I mean, it's late already. Can I..are you...are we...ugh. He answered none of questions and just walked ahead of me. Now I was more convinced that he only cared about the well-being of his Alpha. He's said it and now he's clearly putting it into action. "Can you just answer me?" I stopped walking and yelled to his back that was turned towards me. I was fuming, my stomach was grumbling, my throat hurts and the frustration was driving me insane. Alan stopped as well before turning around with an unimpressed expression at my outburst marred on his face. Well if that was meant to scare me...it did. Slightly and it made me take a step back, almost losing my footing. "Are you serious right now?You're worried about food?" He asked slowly, trudging back toward me. I took another step back. "I've been worried about it for the last ten minutes and you're seriously asking me that now? Have I been speaking gibberish!" I tried so hard to contain my anger now. His Alpha treated me like shit and now he's also acting like I "You almost got killed and what you're worried about is food?" I scoffed. "What else is there to worry about?" I asked,crossing my arms over my chest and glaring back at Alan. I seriously don't understand the man. I don't know what he wants from me after I've done my best to convince his Alpha and today, I almost got killed for it. One thing I knew was that, to Alan, I was the only thing meant to keep his Alpha sane. Well, both their asses could go to hell for all I care. "What is to you if I die? Afraid your beloved Alpha would have died too? Well, now I wish he had gone through with killing me. Then maybe he'll roll over in his grave and regret it for as long as he has before he turns into ashes." He shook his head and drew in a deep breath. "You're reckless..." he trailed off and I rolled my eyes at him. "Listen, you've asked me back at my pack and I told you there's nothing I can do about it again. I didn't lose my Wolf and I guess there's nothing for me to worry about anymore. All I want to do now is to find my away around here and be invincible to him and anyone else. I just want to be alone!" I was not in the right state of mind. No one would be if their mate just held his hand to their throat, enough to leave the imprints of their fingers all over them. My throat still burned from how he tightened his arms around me and it was killing yet I tried not to think about it and used food as the only escape I could get. My life keeps spiraling out of control with each passing day. What make death so bad after all? Alan didn't say anything and just stood there, staring back at me like I was crazy. The stare down lasted for seconds longer than I could tell before I finally saw the resigned look on his eyes. "Turn left when you get to the building ahead of us. You'll find the maid quarters there and maybe food." He didn't wait for an answer before he walked past me and began to head back in the same path we came through. I swiveled around to watch his retreating figure till it disappeared. I stood in the same spot for a few seconds, reflecting on what to do and deciding seconds after that food comes first before anything. I don't have to worry about anything else right now as long as I stay far away from the Alpha like he Commanded. I walked further down the path Alan guided me towards and turned to the left side of the building. Up ahead, a large low ground building had candle lights peaking out of its windows and fire touches hanging on the outside walls and serving as the source of illumination on the outside. "Must be the maid quarters..." I whispered to myself before making my way towards the building. I walked into it and my eyes roamed the hallway that had different doors on each side of it. I swallowed hard. Which one was I supposed to go into? No one took it upon themselves to show me around this fucking pack. No one cared enough to and now I have to do everything all on my own. As if coming here on an empty stomach wasn't already hard enough. Taking a deep breath, I stepped in front of the first door on the left and turned the knob. Whatever happens to me when I open this door, it couldn't be worse than having the imprints of my mate's hand on my neck. No. Nothing could be worse. Loud chatters hit my ears just as I opened the door and stopped immediately I took a step into the room. Every mumbling, murmuring and whatever juicy gossip was going on before my arrival stopped as what felt like a million pairs of eyes bore holes into my body. The silence the room fell into made it more awkward to just stand there and gawk at a dozen maids in a single room with bunker beds. I swallowed and gripped my things hard. Their eyes looked expectantly at me, glazing over my dress that obviously set me apart from them. I couldn't tell the irritated ones from the disgusted ones or even the curious ones. Everything seemed the same to me. It was like going over the experience at my previous pack over again when they look at me once and decide they're going to hate me for the rest of their lives. I cleared my throat. "Hi..." I whispered and it was barely even audible to my own ears. The chatters resumed. Like I didn't just walk in here and say hi to them, they turned away from me and continued talking. Like I wasn't even in the room with them. They didn't care. I looked around at the bunkers, they were full. There was nowhere I could fit in here. I sighed. I guess I have to open every door, get stared at and then get ignored before I find food and a place to rest my head. I turned around and pushed the door open but I didn't make it far, a soft hand grabbed my arms and I jerked my head around out of shock. The shock tripled in size when I saw who held me. "Opaline!" Her lips trimmed into a thin line, obviously irritated with the way I shouted her name but I didn't care. I rushed into her arms. She flinched and tried to pry me off her. "Hey! Hey! No touching!" She whined but I didn't let go. I was enthralled to see her. This felt like the highlight of my entire day and I didn't even think I would see her here. "That's enough," Opaline grumbled before pushing me away from her. I grinned back like a fool. Opaline wasn't smiling anyway. "You don't have much friends do you? If you did, you'd know that not everyone likes cringy hugs." "You're my friend ain't you? Then I have a lot to learn from you." I said. She didn't say anything and only let her eyes find glaze over me and my well packed things before returning back to look at me. "I'm not even going to ask what happened to you." She snorted. I gave her a wry smile. "I wasn't going to say it anyway." "Follow me." She turned, her hair bouncing to the side as she did while I followed like a lost puppy. I knew she liked me but I'll let her pretend she doesn't for as long as she could. I was just happy I met her. We trudged past the other maids whose eyes followed my every movement and made me squirm and much as I was used to such attention. I breathed out in relief when we finally got to the last bunker at the end of the room. The bed on top was empty. "I didn't know you'd be the one coming here when I was told to empty out the top bunker," Opaline said before I could ask any questions. So they knew someone was coming. Right. "Please don't tell me you snore," Opaline asked and I couldn't believe the seriousness her face held. I almost laughed. "Well–" "Don't! I can't stand it. Don't even breathe if you can." She turned away from me and slumped on her own bed. Opaline was weird and she was every bit as rude as everyone else I know but it still felt refreshing to know her. And so I just smiled sheepishly and took the ladder up to the top Bunker which will now be my new home now. I sighed. Resting my head on the pillow, I looked up at the ceiling. Reflecting about all that I went through today, i just didn't feel so hungry anymore. Instead, I was tired and it didn't take long before I let the fatigue take over me and lull me to sleep. Whatever tomorrow holds, I just hope it's better than today. Dear moon goddess... ***************************************************** "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" It was like the roaring of thunder. Only it didn't come from the sky but from the mouth of a certain head maid with obvious anger issues and maybe slight ear problems because I have repeated the same thing two times and she still doesn't get it or just doesn't want to. I guess the moon goddess failed to answer my prayers again. Tomorrow has barely even started and it feels like it would be worse than the previous day. "I said...I was as--assigned as the ne--new chef." I stuttered miserably as I stood, head bowed and hands in front of me, in front of Dina. She looked like a bomb was about to set off in her head. Perhaps it already has. "Oh I heard you quite clear you insolent thing, it's what gave you the confidence to come say it to me that makes me want to strangle you right where you are." Oh...I get death threats from even a common maid now. How suiting. How suiting of my "mate" to bring me here when the palace already has a chef who doubles as the head maid. How suiting of anyone not to tell me before I came to the kitchen and made to be at the receiving end of Dina's anger. And oh...how suiting of my "mate" to not have spelled it out to her whereas he had the time to "spell out my duties to me" and then try to kill me after. How very suiting. I was thrown into a situation that was beyond my control. "Wait... did you say you were assigned to be the new Chef?" Opaline had asked while we had breakfast this morning. I was so hungry and only mumbled incoherent words with my mouth full with food. My hunger didn't make me think anything of the look she gave me and now, I regret ever even eating that stupid breakfast. Dina who was only a feet away from me before stepped closer and barely left a inch between us. I breathed in her scent unintentionally and almost choked on it. It was strong and my face was fast going red from holding my breath. I couldn't look up at her because I was sure as hell the menace her face probably held could make me want to shrink to nothing. I didn't even know what to say. Was I meant to apologize when I did nothing wrong? The Alpha was to blame for putting me in such a situation. "I really have no idea what gives you such confidence to come to me this way but it is amusing and insulting at the same time. Amusing that you won't last long here with such a behaviour and insulting because a shaggy thing like you is brought here to replace me," she gritted out. "Guess what? I know what to do with insolent and smart mouth things like you. New Chef? Cooking? Dream on! You will do nothing of that here and only the things I ask you to do." My head snapped up and my eyes met her cold ones. I wasn't going to cook? No. That's the only thing I have left. That's the only thing that gave me strength even when I wanted to give up with the way my life keeps taking different turns and now someone is going to take that from me? "What? Do you have something to say?" My eyes burned with unshed tears. The only that made me feel like this pack wouldn't be bad after all will get taken away from me and it's all his fault. God I want to hate him so bad! Why couldn't he have just left me at my pack? Just why? "Answer me brat, do you have something to say?" I must have been glaring at her. I looked away instantly. "No,". I whispered. "Yeah, I thought so." She moved away from me and I let out a breath. "You will not come near the kitchen from today. Your duties will be assigned to you daily. You are to join the others in doing the laundry, cleaning, dusting and all other available chores, do you understand?" I nodded. "Talk when you're asked to brat!" "Yes , Head maid." "Good, follow the maids here and let them take you to do your first duty of the day. Laundry. You will do it together. Leave." There was nothing more to say and I followed the maids and she asked, walking sluggishly behind them not even having the will to do anything again. When we got to a well, the Pack water source, the maids who seemed older and looked really scary turned to me and pointed at the heap of clothing on the floor. "You'll wash this today." I looked at the heap of clothing and back at me. Were they kidding? Just me? All of these that looked like it could form a mountain? "But the head Maid said we had to do it together," I said. Biggest mistake of my life. One of them smacked me on the head and God did it hurt. "That's a warning because you're new here. Next time I'll break your ribs. Do as you asked without asking questions and we won't have any issues. Get to work ugly duckling, you don't have all day." My life just got worse all thanks to my mate who was meant to make it better. As if not being able to cook isn't enough,I now have to do everyone else's workload on top of mine. Dear go– Oh cut the crap. If she couldn't save me then, she can't save me now.