The Alpha Killed My Husband

Ze| Bemused Butler

Thirty minutes later, I close all doors and windows and switch off all lights. It's a childhood habit that has accompanied me all the way to adulthood. I still find it impossible to sleep with a light on. I straight away make it to bed—careless about the stuff scattered all over the floor.

However, I can give assurance with the ascertained conception that I am not to be blamed here. The mansion help has to put my comfy wears all the way to the bottom which leaves me with no other option but to ruffle through all my stuff if I wanted to get it.

It's the mansion staff and not me.

'What are you up to?' I eye my mate sleepily, stretched over the most comfortable mattress I have ever felt underneath me. Aaradhya has changed too. Instead of the comfy wear, she has sported jogging gears. With her hair up in a ponytail, it ain't a mystery that she'd be hopping around at–glance at the wall clock–nine in the evening.

‘I am gonna take a tour around. Wanna join?’ She snaps with a sharp edge in her voice.

Ever since we have stepped here, I find her rather edgy and in a permanent terrible mood–like she is bleeding down there and cannot understand why it is happening in the first place. Ideally, it should bother me—I just feel like letting her be for once. Maybe, her periods are near. She never had the mood swings issue ever since we are in marital bliss. It does not mean she cannot have it now. Things may change.

‘I don't wanna move a finger.' I slur. 'You slept throughout the journey. I was up looking after you. I think I must take a rest.'

'Go ahead. I will be going around. Are we allowed access to all the floors?' Aary asks, stretching her legs. Her voice seems to be coming from a distance when she is standing right before my eyes.

Damn it! I must be exhausted.

'Yeah…just do not go on the third floor. The doors are locked there. It's still not authenticated.' I tell her what I have been told.

‘Figures! Bye.’

I do not ask what she meant by that and how she knows there are as many floors in the palace. It is a comfortable bed, and I soon wish to fall asleep. My eyelids feel heavy and then everything is black, including her perfectly punning voice that said something to me.

___________

And indeed, it is the most peaceful sleep after a long time. I do not remember when I was in a deep slumber last time. I prefer keeping it that way. Only my blessings are short-lived. Mercilessly, I am awakened by a light tapping on the window near my bed that overlooks a cemetery in the tulip garden.

‘Ugh!’ I peep at the window. There is no one. Probably a branch of the peepul bush, I thought and fell asleep again. But my intruder was not satisfied with it because there was more tapping, louder this time, and I was fully awake.

'O-hello! Who is it?' I growl as I sit up in bed and draw aside the curtains.

There was a face at the window that startled me. It’s expressionless, bemused, and terrifying. In the half-light from the balcony I cannot make out the features clearly, but it is a transformed serpent's face.

'Who are you?' I ask, rubbing my eyes. 'Why are you hanging in the window?'

'Open!' It commands.

Alright! I am up and I do not like this crawling insect. I am Alpha of the strongest pack and not some ordinary butler who'd take command from anyone. Who does he think he is? He must show me some respect or I am gonna make him pay with my fist.

Kevin! Where the f**k are you, bro?

Shut up and sleep. The wolf growls. You are just an Alpha and not a f*****g monarch. I am f*****g exhausted. You twerk at such an odd hour only. Like dude what the hell!

Fine. I am on my own. No worries. I am gonna break his teeth if he uses the same tone again. Alright! Retreating is the only option when Kevin is grumpy.

'Listen, man! I think you do not recognize me. I am–' I started but was rudely cut off by the jerk who, for some reason, does not know how to behave. Did his teacher slack off on duty while teaching him etiquette? I’m gonna pay for his tuition.

'Open!'

Ta-da! Someone wants to come in and get his neck snapped. He must be the butler perhaps, or he could be a guard. But then, why not knock on the door? Is it a serpent thing to crawl through the windows? Perhaps he had but I did not listen to it. Dang! It isn’t more than some two godly hours in here and my head is already pirouetting.

The door is at the other end of the room, and I may not have heard the knocking.

'Listen! I am not in the habit of opening my doors to strangers at night, but somehow I do not feel threatened or uneasy around you. You seem to be a nice lad for a serpent. But I must tell you, you are behaving like a total jerk. Bro, you should not go around expecting everything to oblige. Did your master not pay you enough? That explains! Btw I am Alpha with an image of being the most beastly monster. Beware if you want to pull some stunt. Now, I am unlatching the door. Step back.' And I open it for my midnight visitor.

Standing on the threshold is an imposing figure. A tall dark serpent with a crown-looking thing on his head. His face was wheatish with hairs everywhere. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties or something. In dim lightly, I could hardly make his features. However, a closer squint and I know he is charming.

He has to have an issue with that for there is a permanent bemusement written all over his face. He is dressed all in white, some sort of rich fabric polished thong-type thing– the kind worn by those immaculate archaeologists who are hell-bent on unveiling the psychology of past civilizations by thinking like the creatures of that era.

Indeed, he would have been a far better resident in those eras; but a rare sight in a Palace as old as this one. Smile, f*****g smile!

‘What is it you want?’ I ask. ‘Are you staying here?’ He does not reply but looks past me, possibly through me, and then walks silently into the room as if he owns the place.

I stand bewildered and awestruck, as he strides across to my bed, smoothens out the sheets where creases have dampened and pats down my pillow. He then walks over to the cupboard and neatly arranges my stuff scattered on the floor.

The order is perfect and flawless as if he has practised it a zillion times in his lifetime.

‘Definitely a butler!’ I mumble under my breath. As if that is not enough, he picks up my day clothes, folds them neatly and places them on a vacant chair. Then, just as unobtrusively and without so much as a glance in my direction, he leaves the room and walks out into the night from the same window he had stepped in from.

‘What the hell?’ I wonder, looking out the window from where my intruder just had crept out. I have to admit, it was the most bizarre experience I have had.

For the next half an hour, I thought about the peculiarity of the event unfolding. The way he walked about the room–as if it was his own and not mine. There was something about his demeanour that made all the difference.

Even though he acted like a butler, his personality and body language were far from the ordinary butler. In the mishap of thoughts, I did not notice my mate missing from her side. Maybe she has not returned.

I do not have the energy or will to lift up a finger–I’d rather let the sleep consume me. In the morning, I’d get the bemused butler checked.