Chapter 59

• Hate Them All
• HAERA She was coming.... Just when I thought my life was finally getting better. It's obvious my life wasn't actually getting better but at least I had people I could call my friends. I also started having fun in the kitchen since the three old maids weren't around to bully me and I spent most of my time in the kitchen which made it nearly impossible for the other maids to get to me without annoying Dina. But she was coming. The scheduled arrival of the woman who had done everything in her power to make me a worthless piece of shit wasn't the height of my problem. When I woke up that morning I had promised myself not to think about it...about my destined mate and about what I felt last night after I walked away from him, leaving him in the dark corridor without an ounce of regret. Well, I did regret it a few minutes after I lay on my bed to sleep last night. The usual but excruciating pain I felt whenever my mate was making love to his marked mate had me gritting my teeth for hours. Alpha Zachary had promised to punish me last night and I was expecting he would but what I didn't foresee was his plans to make me pay for my actions that very night. For some reason, the pain I felt last night was different. It wasn't less painful but it was extremely painful in a way that made me feel like I was burning from inside. "I hate them both. I hate all of them!" Dezra sounded strong and convinced but I didn't overlook the slight break in her voice when she said that through our link. I pitied my wolf. I wished I could take all of her pain away. I might have done something evil to someone in my past life to deserve these misfortunes but my wolf wasn't meant to pay for it. Dezra hardly recovered from one blow before another hit us in the guts. I mean we were still coming to terms with losing our mate to the lady Gennora favored over me from the day we were both born and last night's pain only for me to force myself out of the bed with the intention of serving My mate And his marked mate breakfast but I received two awful information that seemed like good news to princess Ilvira. Gennora was coming to the Imperial pack! And the worst of it all, Princess Ilvira was carrying my mate's child in her perfect womb. The princess was happy but I couldn't be. Like I said before, her happiness meant something huge had gone wrong for me. "I hate them all, Haera. I really do!" . Dezra cried out again and I couldn't agree more but I didn't cry. The pain I was feeling was too heavy and crying wouldn't comfort me. Should I say I was in pain or I was shocked? Perhaps it was a mixture of both emotions. I went about the rest of the day like a zombie after I broke the plate and left the dining hall in a rush. I didn't utter a word to anyone, not even my wolf. I couldn't bring myself to cry nor did I stay in the kitchen longer than necessary. I went to bed but two things rang in my head and ear throughout the night. She was coming. She is carrying my Mate's child. I didn't feel any better when I woke up the next day because Gennora wasn't just coming, she was arriving that day. My life would never get better not if Gennora and Princess Ilvira joined forces against her just like they did in the past. What was I saying? My pathetic life was over. "Haera, that witch can't be pregnant. I can tell she isn't." Dezra said. "Just accept it Dezra. Our lives are over. Forget about Princess Ilvira's pregnancy and think about why she wants Gennora here." I replied as I tried to fool Dina so I wouldn't have to go with her and the other maids to serve the Alpha breakfast. I literally forced myself to cook for my mate and Princess Ilvira without spiking the food with poison. I prepared the food but I didn't want to see Alpha Zachary and his mate that morning even though they are all I could think about. "You are disgusting! You knew you were vomiting but she still made the Alpha's food! As if your ugly face isn't enough to terminate the food already." Dina exclaimed after I pulled my stunt on her. If time was on her side and if she wasn't lazy Dina would have thrown the food I made out but she was all of that and more. I didn't apologize to her though. Why should I? Everyone that had ever done me wrong never took it upon themselves to apologize so why should I when I wasn't even wrong. Dina and the three maids left me in the kitchen which made me wonder why Dina didn't send me out despite my effort to get out of the kitchen and everything I had to perform or prepare that day. "What are we going to do!" Dezra wouldn't let me rest. She had been bugging me ever since I opened my eyes from the little sleep I got early this morning. I didn't blame my wolf. The truth is, I couldn't blame her. "I can't think of anything right now." I responded. It wouldn't even make a difference if I did anything but was I ready to live like this for the rest of my pathetic life. I wanted more out of life. I wanted a stable life with a loving mate and beautiful kids. I wanted everything beautiful. I didn't request for the life I was compelled to live. No one in their right senses would do that. "Should we tell our mate that his fake mate isn't pregnant and that Gennora isn't coming to take care of her?" Dezra suggested stupidly. I still couldn't blame her. "And how do you intend to prove that? We were able to prove that we are his mate with our scent and all that mate stuff and he still didn't believe us. Do you think he is wise enough to see this glaring truth?" I yelled at my wolf and regretted that. I didn't mean to but I was just as frustrated as she was and I couldn't help it. Before I could apologize, Dezra blocked me out. Great! Fricking great! I remained in the kitchen till evening and that was when I sensed her. She has arrived. The bigger witch has arrived just like the younger witch requested. Does my mate honestly believe that Princess Ilvira was truly pregnant? What if she really was pregnant? Coming to terms with that was more painful than I imagined. My mate was going to be a father. Yayyyyyyyyy! But I wouldn't be the mother. Saddddddd as fuck! Everything was a mess and I couldn't even stick to one emotion as I sat in the kitchen absentmindedly. I stopped working earlier on and I couldn't give a fuck about what Dina was going to say about that. I didn't care because I had given up on everything, especially my mate. He would never be mine like he was fated to be. "....ef Haera." I heard but I didn't acknowledge the sound. "Chef Haera." I blinked rapidly when the owner of the voice tapped my arm lightly like her hands weren't supposed to touch me in the first place. I diverted my attention to one of the young kitchen maids that was standing timidly in front of me. "The head maid wants to have a short meeting with all maids in our usual gathering place." She informed me and I thanked her for coming to get me. I was certain she did it out of goodwill because she didn't have to. I tried to pull myself together as I left the kitchen, walking behind the young maid. I also tried to reach out to my wolf but she was still mad at me for yelling. The young maid and I rounded the corner and we soon arrived at the maid's meeting hall. Other maids were there before we arrived but Dina wasn't there yet. I almost sighed in relief but then her scent infested my nose like a plague. She was really here and she was coming this way. I was about to see the woman behind most of my nightmares. Gennora was the inventor of my nightmares. She started it all. I sensed her entering the meeting hall. I sensed her standing in front of the maids like she was the head maid. I sensed Gennora's eyes scanning the maid's face in search of mine. I sensed Gennora everywhere but I didn't meet her eyes when her bitter ones rested on my face. I sensed her but I didn't verify her presence. Gennora and Dina stood next to each other but none of them said anything to address the gathered maids. We all waited in silence for what I didn't know until she walked in majestically like she always does. Princess Ilvira. Every single. maid in the hall bowed their heads immediately while I stood tall, glaring at her sophisticated self. "She isn't sophisticated. She is a thief and I hate her the most." Dezra spoke, responding to my thoughts. I smirked when the princess returned my glare right when my wolf called her a thief. She might not look like it but she was indeed a natural-born thief. "I see you have grown some wings here, Haera. Not to worry I will cut them for you now that I'm here too." Gennora commented when she noticed the glaring contest between the princess and me. I shifted my eyes to the woman who was supposed to be my mother. All that was meant to be mine were taken one after the other by the perfect princess and luna of the imperial pack. Gennora looked the same way as the last time I saw her. Her lips were thin from her usual scowl and her brows furrowed in annoyance when I didn't fling from her harsh tone and words. Do your worst..... I wanted to scream it out for everyone to hear yet I couldn't find my voice. I was tight-lipped as I stared at Gennora and Princess Ilvira, standing side by side like the devilish twins. "They look so much alike from this angle. I have to say this again, I hate them all." Dezra said. I rolled my eyes at her statement because she had been mumbling the same words throughout the day. I took my gaze off the women sending daggers at me. I couldn't deny that I was afraid of what they had in store for me "I want to inform y'all of the arrival of some dear to me. She is the head maid of my birth pack and now that she is here, I want you to respect and obey her." Princess Ilvira said and the rest of the maids chanted 'yes Luna' in response to her. I see no reason for her action though. Princess Haera didn't need to introduce Gennora to the maids but who was I to question the so-called Luna. The princess proclaimed Gennora to be her personal maid who wouldn't be helping with other chores except taking care of her. Thankfully, Princess Ilvira didn't mention her pregnancy to any of the maids. Why was I being thankful anyways? I zoned out on the rest of the announcement. Surprisingly, I wasn't thinking about a damn thing at that moment. My mind was as blank as a spreadsheet. "I feel lightheaded, Gennora. Please guide me to my chamber." Princess Ilvira winced and Gennora supported her body, leading her back to her chamber as she requested but not after Gennora glared at me one last time. The princess and Gennora kept their eyes on me as they left but they were completely unaware of the murderous glare on Dina's face. I might not be the only one affected by Gennora's arrival after all. "The meeting is dismissed!" Dina shouted and we all tottered off and out of the meeting hall like chicks that were newly released to roam freely after they hatch. Why didn't Dina express herself to her Luna instead of passing aggression on the other maids and me? "She is just as crazy as the two witches." Dezra commented, making reference to Dina, Gennora, and Princess Ilvira. I agreed with her and that was the end of whatever riff that had been building up between my wolf and me. My mood didn't change as I scuttled back to the kitchen to bury myself in the only thing that could get my mind off the hardship that was about to begin in my life. I was happy that Dina excluded me from appearing before Alpha Zachary in the dining hall as I didn't even want to see him. "One of the old things or something new is cooking?" His voice paired through my cloudy emotions and I found myself smiling even though it wasn't a wide smile, it was the best I could pull off that day. "What are you going here? It's still bright outs-" I almost completed my sentence before I looked out of the window to see that darkness had taken over the brightness I was expecting. Tybalt chuckled at my cluelessness. I didn't realize how much time I had spent aiming to make a new recipe for Tata flan. It was one of my favorite desserts but I wanted something different from the traditional way it was made. The Alpha prince scrambled slowly from the entrance of the kitchen to where I was standing. His handsome features scrunched when he saw my face. I thought I looked uglier than usual but that wasn't the case. He was simply worried about me. "You are overdoing it, Haera. You are pale, obviously exhausted, and bothered. Are you okay?" Alpha prince Tybalt observed and asked me several questions as to why I wasn't happy and active like I used to be. I told him everything I could remember. Nothing about being his brother mate slipped out of my mouth but every single detail about Gennora's cruelty escaped my moving lips. I needed that more than ever. I needed someone else to talk to except for my wolf and my cold friend, Opaline. I needed to tell someone with listening ears how I had never celebrated my birthday because I share that day with the princess who Gennora loved so much. She didn't give two fuck about me. "She hated me for reasons that I don't understand." I told the Alpha prince. I explained more and more because I needed to be free of the burden of living like my past life was hunting the present one I lived in. I told him every damn incident that made Gennora unleash her fury on me. I also told the Aloha prince about the multiple chores I had to do just to please Gennora and to avoid being maltreated. "You shouldn't blame yourself for how others choose to treat you and how they see you. Chin up and don't let those people tamper with you again." Alpha prince Tybalt responded when I finished my miserable story. He held my head to his chest, embracing and engulfing me with his calming aura. He comforted me even though I wasn't crying. I couldn't bring myself to tear up. Probably because I had given up.....on everything. The Alpha prince left the kitchen earlier that night much to my displeasure. He excused himself after giving me his listening ears and his shoulders to rest on while I strategize my next move. But there still wasn't a 'next move'. I watched him go and I decided I should also retire early for the night. If I was to resist Gennora and Princess Ilvira, I needed all the strength I could get. "I knew I would find you alone doing all the dirty jobs." I had been wondering why she hadn't visited me yet. I turned away from my perfect creation to take a good and thorough look at her. There she was. The Creator of my nightmares.