The Alpha's Secret Mate

chapter 21

I rubbed my aching temples slowly, trying to calm the frustration building inside me. My head felt heavy, and my chest tightened with anger I could no longer hide. Sometimes I truly hated the way this world worked. People born into wealth and power could do terrible things and still walk around freely, while people like us suffered in silence every single day.

It was unfair.

Cruel.

And no matter how hard we worked, no matter how obedient we tried to be, people beneath them were always treated as though our lives meant less.

I lifted my eyes toward Sara, studying the frightened expression on her face. She sat nervously at the edge of the bed, her fingers twisting together in her lap. Even now, she looked terrified that someone might suddenly walk in and punish her for speaking to me.

“No one saw your injuries?” I asked quietly.

Sara immediately shook her head.

“No, my lady,” she answered in a soft whisper. “The masters are always busy with their own affairs. Most of the time, they don’t even notice what happens inside the servants’ quarters.”

She paused briefly before lowering her voice even more.

“And the Alpha is rarely home because of work. The head maid makes sure everything is hidden before anyone notices. By the time the bruises heal, nobody suspects anything happened.”

A bitter laugh almost escaped my lips.

Of course.

Everything was carefully hidden.

People only saw what they wanted to see.

“And nobody questioned it?” I asked.

Sara hesitated. Her lips trembled slightly before she finally spoke again.

“The Luna knows,” she admitted quietly. “But… she allows it.”

The moment those words left her mouth, anger rushed through me so suddenly that my fingers clenched tightly around the blanket beneath me.

So it was true.

Glory was not acting alone.

The Luna knew exactly what was happening to the servants, yet she chose to ignore it.

Just like Michelle used to.

My stomach twisted painfully at the memory. I remembered the cold smiles, the cruel punishments, the way powerful people treated suffering like entertainment. No matter where I went, it felt like the same darkness followed me everywhere.

I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself before speaking again.

“You never told anyone?” I asked softly. “Not even the Alpha?”

The moment I mentioned him, tears filled Sara’s eyes.

She quickly looked down, but it was already too late. I had seen the fear written all over her face.

“Who would believe me, my lady?” she whispered shakily. “I’m only a servant.”

A tear rolled down her cheek.

“The head maid warned me many times. She said if I ever tried to accuse her, she would make sure my mother suffered for it.”

My chest tightened painfully.

“She threatened your mother?”

Sara nodded slowly.

“She said poor people like us should learn how to stay quiet if we want to survive.”

The sadness in her voice made my heart ache.

She could not have been much younger than me, yet life had already crushed her spirit so badly. Instead of enjoying her youth, she spent every day living in fear, carrying responsibilities far too heavy for her fragile shoulders.

“What about your parents?” I asked gently.

Sara quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand, embarrassed for crying in front of me.

“My father died years ago,” she said softly. “It’s only been me and my mother ever since.”

She sniffled before continuing.

“My mother used to work here too. She worked very hard, even when she was sick. But one day she collapsed while cleaning, and her condition became worse.”

Her voice cracked slightly.

“She had to be taken to the hospital in the nearest town. Since then, I’ve been working here alone to pay for her treatment.”

For a moment, silence filled the room.

I stared at her, unable to find the right words.

She was still so young.

Too young to carry such pain.

Too young to already look this exhausted.

I slowly reached forward and placed my hand gently on her shoulder. She flinched at first, as though expecting punishment instead of kindness, and that simple reaction broke something inside me.

“I’m sorry, Sara,” I said quietly. “You shouldn’t have to go through all of this alone.”

Her eyes watered again, but this time she tried to smile.

“It’s alright, my lady,” she whispered. “I’m used to it now.”

Those words hurt more than they should have.

Nobody should ever become used to suffering.

I looked away for a moment, my thoughts growing heavier. I understood how these households worked. Servants survived by obeying those above them. Fear controlled everything. Joanne, being the oldest and most trusted maid, had likely spent years earning the Luna’s favor. And with that favor came power.

Too much power.

She ruled over the servants however she pleased, rewarding those who obeyed her and punishing anyone too weak to defend themselves.

And because the Luna allowed it, nobody dared to fight back.

The strong protected each other.

The weak suffered in silence.

That was simply the way this world worked.

My gaze dropped to my trembling hands resting on my lap. Deep down, I knew how impossible this all sounded. Someone like me becoming the Luna of this pack? Under the current circumstances, it felt like nothing more than a foolish dream.

Still, no matter how unrealistic it seemed, one thing was certain.

I could not ignore Sara’s suffering.

If Joanne had done this to Sara so openly, then how many others were silently enduring the same pain behind closed doors? How many servants had cried themselves to sleep with nobody willing to protect them? The thought alone made my chest ache with helpless anger.

Because I understood that kind of loneliness far too well.

I knew what it felt like to suffer while the world looked away.

I slowly clenched my fists, forcing strength into my shaking hands before lifting my head to look at Sara.

“Listen to me carefully, Sara,” I said firmly. “From today onward, you’ll work directly under me.”

Her eyes widened instantly.

“You won’t have to obey the head maid anymore.”

For a moment, she simply stared at me as though she could not believe what she had heard. Shock and disbelief filled her expression.

“M-My lady…” she whispered weakly.

“I’ll speak to the Alpha myself,” I continued before she could protest.

The moment I mentioned him, fear flashed across her face. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress as her body trembled slightly.

She was terrified.

And honestly, I couldn’t blame her.

Sara was still so young, yet fear had already become a natural part of her life. Every word she spoke was careful, every movement cautious, as though she constantly expected punishment to fall on her shoulders.

Seeing that fear only deepened the resentment growing inside me toward this household.

“I’ll handle everything quietly,” I reassured her gently. “You don’t need to worry.”

I reached out and gave her shoulder a comforting pat.

Slowly, a small glimmer of hope appeared in her watery eyes, and for the first time since we began talking, I saw a tiny spark of relief on her face.

But even then, uncertainty gnawed at my heart.

What if I failed?

What if Kyle refused my request?

And even if he agreed, what would Joanne do afterward?

Women like Joanne never gave up power easily. If she realized Sara was slipping from her control, there was no telling how cruel she might become.

The thought unsettled me deeply, but I pushed the fear aside.

No matter what happened, I had to try.

I couldn’t continue living with myself if I stood by and allowed Sara to suffer any longer.

The room fell silent for a moment before something unexpected happened.

Sara suddenly climbed off the bed and dropped to her knees in front of me.

My eyes widened in shock.

“Sara—”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clasped her hands tightly together. Yet despite the tears, there was a trembling smile on her lips.

“Thank you, my lady,” she whispered emotionally. “If you allow me to become your personal maid, I swear I’ll remain loyal to you for the rest of my life.”

Her sincerity caught me completely off guard.

The gratitude in her voice sounded so genuine that it made my chest tighten painfully.

I quickly reached down and helped her back onto her feet.

“You don’t need to kneel to me,” I said softly. “And you don’t owe me your life, Sara. I only want to help you.”

She wiped her tears quickly, though her eyes remained red and swollen.

“You don’t understand, my lady,” she murmured quietly.

Her expression slowly became troubled again.

“This manor…” she hesitated before continuing carefully, “it can be a very cruel place.”

A cold feeling settled in my stomach as she lowered her voice even further.

“People have already started spreading rumors about you.”

I frowned slightly.

“Rumors?”

Sara nodded nervously.

“They say you may become the next Luna someday,” she explained. “And because of that, many people are already watching you closely.”

My chest tightened.

Of course they were.

In places like this, rumors spread faster than truth.

“They see you as a threat,” Sara continued quietly. “Especially the people loyal to the current Luna, Joanne.”

She looked at me with genuine worry in her eyes.

“I don’t want you to suffer because of me, my lady.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

The fear in her voice was real.

She truly believed helping her would destroy me too.

But instead of frightening me, her words only strengthened my resolve.

If people were already waiting for me to fail, then I had even more reason not to back down now.