In the kitchen, I see the chef has already started cooking. He looks up at me and smiles kindly, and motions me to come forward.
"You are the new girl, right? I am James," he says.
He is quite handsome, I think to myself. He has a strong jawline and a neatly trimmed beard that adds a rugged charm. There's a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he smiles at me.
"Yes. My name is Sylvia. Rosemary asked me to come help you," I inform him.
"Great to have you on board, Sylvia," James replies, his voice warm and welcoming. "Rosemary mentioned that you have some kitchen experience. That's fantastic! We can definitely use an extra hand today."
He gestures toward the stove, and I see something boiling in a big pot. "We're preparing a special menu for tonight's event, and things are starting to get busy. Let me show you what needs to be done."
We work side by side for a bit, and I notice James is pretty skilled in cooking.
"What are the things you can cook, Sylvia?" he asks me as he throws some spices into the pot.
Herbs and potions...
I am almost tempted to tell him about that but stop myself. "Just some basic stuff," I reply vaguely, trying not to give away the secret of my unique culinary abilities.
Just then, Molina enters the scene.
Oh, great.
She sees me and glares, but her eyes soften as she sees James next to me.
She approaches him with a flirtatious smile, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers, ignoring me completely.
"Hey, James," Molina says with a coy tone. "Need any help in here?"
James chuckles politely, maintaining his friendly demeanor. "Thanks, Molina, but Sylvia is already helping me today. We are almost done cooking here."
Molina's smile fades, replaced by a spiteful expression. She disregards my presence and directs her negativity toward me. "I don't know why Rosemary bothered bringing in someone like her. She's probably just getting in the way," Molina snidely remarks, attempting to undermine me.
I feel anger flicker inside me but stay silent. James, however, interjects firmly, defending my presence.
"Actually, she is doing great, Molina," James responds calmly. "Sylvia has been a great help."
"I would still be careful. She ruined an entire batch of laundry, so don't let her ruin everyone's lunch," she sneers.
That's it, I can't take it anymore. "You know it wasn't my fault, Molina," I say determinedly.
Molina narrows her eyes at me. "What are you trying to say, Sylvia?"
"I am saying that you know I wasn't responsible for the ruined clothes. I know what your best friend Amelia did," I say through gritted teeth.
"What does Amelia have to do with anything?" Molina says dismissively. "Are you accusing her of something?"
The tension in the kitchen rises as Molina dismisses my words, her tone filled with skepticism. Sensing the need for clarification, I take a deep breath and respond firmly, determined to confront the situation.
"Yes, Molina, I am accusing Amelia," I assert, my voice steady despite the growing anger. "She tampered with the laundry batch to make me look bad. You know this, don't you, Molina? Why don't you tell me the truth?" The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Molina's eyes widen in surprise, but she quickly regains her composure, her defensive walls rising. "That's quite an accusation, Sylvia. Do you have any evidence to support your claims?"
My heart races as I realize I've said too much. I couldn't mention Daisy's name, so I retracted quickly. "I suppose I can't prove it. But don't think I'm stupid, Molina."
"Alright, girls. Let's not fight. We are all here to work together, not against," James says.
Molina nods at him, then looks at me with fire in her eyes. "Watch your back, girl. This isn't over yet." With that, she storms out of the kitchen.
"Wow...what did you do to Molina to hate you this much?" James asks me after a moment.
"Nothing! I didn't do anything to her. I don't know why she hates me so much," I say, sadness enveloping me.
James looks at me with concern, his eyes filled with empathy. He places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"Don't let her get to you, Sylvia," he says, his voice filled with sincerity. "Sometimes, people's actions and attitudes are a reflection of their own insecurities and issues. It's not your fault. Just focus on doing your best, and let your work speak for itself."
I pause for a moment, considering how much I should reveal about myself. But I didn't want to look like I was hiding something either, so I decided to give him a vague answer.
"I come from a small town on the outskirts of the city," I answer. "I am here because...I needed a job. There were no more positions left in my last pack."
James nods, accepting my answer. "That's great, Sylvia. I'm glad you decided to join our pack. I have a feeling you'll fit right in."
I am not too sure about that.
A man suddenly enters, interrupting our conversation. "Is lunch ready? Alpha Xavier wanted me to check."
James smiles at him. "Sure is. I will have someone send it over right away. He suddenly looks at me. "Oh, Sylvia. Why don't you deliver the food to the Alpha?"
You've got to be kidding me. What's with people today wanting me to deliver things to Alpha Xavier? "Um...I'm not sure I should," I reply hesitantly.
James observes my sudden change in demeanor and raises an eyebrow in mild curiosity.
A smile forms on James' face. "That's the spirit, Sylvia. Take the tray of food to the dining hall, and Alpha Xavier will appreciate your effort."
I nod, trying not to show that I am dying inside. "Thank you, James. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."
With the tray of food in my hands, I head towards the dining hall, my mind racing with thoughts about the encounter that awaits me with Alpha Xavier.
Again.
As I make my way toward the dining hall, my heart pounding with nervous anticipation, I sense a sudden disturbance behind me. Before I can react, my feet tangle with something, and I feel myself losing balance.
I hear laughter behind me, so I lift my head to look at the culprits.
Molina, Amelia, and some other girl I didn't recognize right away.
Molina made me trip on purpose, and I couldn't keep the tray steady. It fell with a loud crash, and all eyes turned to see what happened. The room went quiet.
I felt so embarrassed, and I was frustrated with Molina for always trying to bring me down. I tried to stay calm and took a deep breath. "Did you really have to do that, Molina?" I said, disappointed.
Molina smirks, enjoying the attention she is getting. "Oops, Sylvia! It's not my fault you are so clumsy," she replies, mocking me.
James hurries over, looking concerned and annoyed. "Are you okay, Sylvia?" he asks with genuine worry in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I assure him, although my frustration is clear. It seems like accidents keep happening around me.
"I will go prepare another tray for the Alpha. Why don't you go get cleaned up, Sylvia? I will have someone else deliver the food," James says and hurries back into the kitchen.
"I will do it!" Molina calls after him.
Bitterness fills my heart. She did this to sabotage me and make me look bad!
But wait, this isn't necessarily a bad thing because now I don't have to be face-to-face with Alpha Xavier again. This is a blessing in disguise!
Alpha GabrielWhat do you do when your pet bird escapes its confines and soars to freedom? You hunt her down with wild determination, enraged that she dared take flight. When you catch up to her, you rip her wings from her body with a vengeance, taking out any chance of freedom. And that's what I plan to do when I catch my soon to be bride, Victoria. Think she can hide from me forever? I don't fucking think so. Ha! I will find her and when I do, she'll wish she never tried to run away from me!But I will have to admit, she is a sneaky little thing. She slipped past all my guards and somehow still managed to stay hidden. It's been a few weeks and I'd been looking for her everywhere, but even my keen sense of smell can't seem to track down her scent.I decide to visit her parents in the dungeon this evening. They claimed not to know where she is, but I could see through their lies with ease; those bastards were determined to protect their daughter from me at all costs.As I make my wa
I manage to avoid Alpha Xavier for one more day before fate decides to mess with me again. It's as if the universe has some sick sense of humor - no matter how hard I try to keep my distance from him, he always manages to find me. This girl just can't catch a break around here!Just like today when he summoned me out of nowhere.I knew better than to question Alpha Xavier's orders. He was the leader of the pack, after all, and my survival depended on this pack."Are you sure he is asking me to do this? Wouldn't Molina be a better fit for this?" I ask Rosemary, not because I like Molina. Far from it since she has nothing but mean to me but because her eagerness to serve him kept me away from him.But Rosemary shakes her head. "He specifically asked for you by name."I hold back from groaning out loud. My heart sinks at the thought of being so close to him. I have been trying so hard to stay invisible and avoid any attention from the Alpha Xander as much as possible.This is the opposi
"Why do you look like you just got transported into another world?" Alice asks me as I stumble back into the house. "Hmm?" I ask distractedly. My head is still swimming from that kiss earlier."See? You are not even listening to me. What's wrong with you, girl?" Alice barks at me, snapping me out of my dream world. I hesitate. Should I tell her about Alpha Xavier kissing me? I didn't have a lot of friends here, but Alice has been nothing but nice to me since I got here, so she could be considered my friend. "Something happened," I say quietly.Alice narrows her eyes. "What happened?""I went to the bathhouse earlier to meet Alpha Xavier, and he..." I stop. "He what?" Alice asks, her eyes glinting with curiosity."He gave me a promotion as his personal maid," I say, still hesitant to tell her about the kiss.Alice claps her hands together. "Oh my god, Sylvia! That's amazing! His personal maid? That is such an honor. Why don't you look more excited?"I shift uncomfortably, avoiding A
I quietly enter Alpha Xavier's room and take a moment to compose myself. I remind myself to stay calm and confident, ready to fulfill any request he may have. I knock on the door, my heart pounding in my chest."Come in," a deep voice responds from inside.I push open the door and step into the opulent room. Alpha Xavier is seated at his desk, engrossed in some papers. He looks up as I enter, his piercing blue eyes meeting mine. My breath catches in my throat, but I quickly regain my composure."Good morning, Alpha Xavier," I greet him with a polite smile.He nods in acknowledgment, his expression unreadable. "Sylvia, you are here on time, he states, his voice commanding and curt."Yes, sir," I reply, keeping my voice steady.Alpha Xavier studies me for a moment before nodding again. "Very well," he says. "You can start by bringing me a cup of black coffee."He is acting cold, I think to myself. He is acting as if the kiss yesterday never happened.I sigh. It's probably for the best.
This isn't the first time I have been undermined by my peers. Oh no.Just because I look like the weakest wolf of the pack doesn't mean I am just some useless broad to mess with because, you see, I have skills that go beyond having wolf powers. Since a young age, I have had a knack for mixing potions and herbs to create powerful concoctions. My mother was a professional apothecary, and she taught me everything she knew about the art of magical alchemy. I quickly became her apprentice and grew to be an incredible alchemist in my own right.I can whip up almost anything with whatever resources we have in our area at the time. When I arrived here, I made sure to use my skills to make the perfect concoction that would help me hide my scent so I could stay hidden. And now, it's time to use my skills against Molina and Amelia so I can teach them a lesson!I have my potions filled up with the wolf pelt essence of my wolf pack. This essence was made from the wolf pelts of all the old wolf
I look at Rosemary incredulously. What does she mean by me being in trouble? A million thoughts race through my mind - am I in danger? Am I about to be punished? Nothing could have prepared me for the news she was about to reveal, and yet I found that my curiosity outweighed my fear."What's going on, Rosemary? What are you talking about?" I ask.Rosemary's voice dropped to a solemn whisper as she spoke of the incident. "Alpha Xavier's mother left him a lot of pieces of jewelry after she passed away. Some of them went back hundreds of years, belonging to his great-grandmother," Rosemary says grimly.I look at her with confusion. Why is she telling me all this?"One of the jewels got stolen this morning. A necklace with rare emerald pendant," Rosemary continues."That's awful!" I exclaim, still not understanding what any of this has to do with me.Rosemary's eyes flashed with rage as she spat the words, "Yes, it's awful indeed. That thief is going to rue the day they crossed him. He se
I tremble in silence as Alpha Xavier's piercing gaze drills into me. The air feels heavy with anticipation, and soon I am the only one left in this giant room with the Alpha. My mind is paralyzed with fear, and my heart threatens to burst from my chest in a panicked frenzy.Why did he want to speak to me alone? Why couldn't he decide on my punishment in front of everyone else?"Sylvia," his thunderous voice shook me to my core.Oh, goddess...he sounds angry!"Y...yes, Alpha?" I ask, my voice trembling.He stalks towards me, every footstep sending vibrations through the air as he advances with a calculated slowness. His eyes are burning holes in my soul, and I can feel the heat of his gaze even before he reaches me."Do you realize how serious the accusation against you is?" he growls."I do," I whisper."Then do you know what awaits a thief like you in my court?" His eyes narrow, and his voice drops low. "Punishments that will make you wish for death many times over.""I didn't steal t
The next day, I go back to work like normal.I bring breakfast to Alpha Xavier's room early in the morning. After he leaves for the hunt, I diligently clean up the room, ensuring everything is in order.Alpha Xavier officially declared my innocence, so no one has said anything to me since then. People were more relaxed, and they treated me the same way as they did before the accusations.It feels like a heavy burden has been lifted, and I can concentrate on my work without feeling constantly distrusted.Well...everyone is treating me like normal except for Amelia and Molina, of course. But this time, I can't blame them for hating me because the side effect of the portion is starting to show. And they are starting to figure out the fact that I gave them the potions to ruin their week.I didn't have to wait long because later in the afternoon, Molina burst into the kitchen and glared at me. "You!" she screams, pointing at me.Molina's sudden outburst surprised me, and it made the kitch