Torn In Between My Alphas

Chapter Four

ZANE'S POV

She was furious that she had broken down her door and barged into her house, but we simply couldn't ignore the fact that we heard a child scream in the house.

Cursing at us, she threw us out and swore obscenities at us, warning us to never come back to her house.

“Well, that was that," Zaren muttered as we got back to the palace.

“Tell me about it," I muttered, removing my shirt.

“I'm not giving up on her though,” Zaren said, leaning on the doorframe to my room.

I looked at him as I threw a casual shirt on. “Does it look like I want to?” I asked irritated.

“Then f*****g come up with something,” he said in the same tone that I used with him.

“We should get her to come here,” I suggested.

“For what? A vacation?" he mocked.

“A job perhaps," I said, thinking over what I just said.

He paused, and the gears in his head seemed to turn as he thought. “You're right. But what would we say?”

“Let's first make sure; she needs a job, right?” I asked.

We spoke for a while, then we agreed to summon her to the palace that evening.

Thankfully she had shown with a scowl on her face as soon as she saw us.

“Clio…” Zaren began as she stood before us.

“Why am I here?" she cut him off with a sharp note in her voice.

“We want to make a deal,” I offered.

Her gaze landed on me, and it was filled with anger and irritation. “What deal?”,

“A cook in the palace. You see, we're kind of having a shortage of staff, so we're hiring you,” I quickly said, keeping all emotions away from my expression.

“I don't want to,” she bluntly replied, then turned around to go.

“You don't have a job, do you?” Zaren called out after her and she froze, turning back to look at him.

“That is my business and not yours, and if you think that I can't get a job, you are utterly wrong.”.

“Clio, we know you need a job," Zaren said exasperatedly.

She rolled her eyes and pointed a finger at him. “Not from you guys. I can handle myself,” she said.

"Waㅡ,” I began to say, but she cut me off with a raise of her hand.

“Don't. Let this be your last warning. Don't ever come near my daughter and me. Got it?" she warned, then she walked out.

Zaren and I sat there for a moment, not saying anything until our right hand, who was standing in the room with us, cleared his throat.

“Would you like me to do something about her?” He asked.

I turned my attention to him and smirked. “Yes. That job she claims she can find. Make sure no one offers her a job and don't let her know that it was our order," I ordered the man who quickly bowed.

"Yes, sir," he said respectfully and left.

Zaren looked at me confused, and I smiled. “She'll be back; I guarantee that. Let's just give it some time.”

I got a person to follow her, and the person reported that she had indeed been searching for jobs, but every place in the realm rejected her. Good.

Just as I said, she came back to the palace a week later, hatred glaring in her eyes as she stood before us.

“I accept the job,” she said simply.

“Gooㅡ..” Zaren started to say when she cut him off as always.

“Stay out of my way. Both of you. I know you had something to do with this whole job stuff. Stay the hell away from me,” she warned.

“You will work in the kitchen, as I said. You may go,” I said, giving her a once-over.

Zaren looked at me and shook his head. “She's still as feisty as ever.”

"Indeed,” I muttered.

The next day, we had a meeting with another pack from the werewolf realm, and we were discussing the details in the meeting room.

"Yes, I understand." The man who had come to make a deal with us kept nodding.

“So if you understand these terms, I think you'll consider it,” Zaren said while I stared at the piece of paper waiting for the man to sign it.

This was a very important deal for us, and we had been working our asses off to get it. I was already close to the edge when the man refused to sign and kept stalling. He had been stalling for months over this, and it was beginning to get annoying, but at least today he was showing signs of conceding and signing the deal with us.

As Zaren kept speaking to the man while I added a few words in between, the door was opened, and Clio walked in with a tray of food in her hands and a smile on her face.

That made me freeze to get a better look at her; she had resumed her work already, and I knew that she should still be bitter, but I couldn't feel any form of bitterness through the mate bond, just excitement. Pure excitement.

Zaren seemed to think the same because he paused and frowned at the scene in front of him.

The man oblivious to the tense air around him beckoned her over. “I'll just have tea. Cold,” he requested.

She nodded and carefully dropped the tray on the table, giving Zaren and me a quick glance before she took the teapot and started to pour it into the cup that was placed beside the man.

The man was paying her no attention as he pulled the papers to himself and nodded. “Okay”

He picked up the pen, ready to sign it, and then tragedy struck.

It all happened in a flash: the man reaching out to sign the papers and Clio's hand magically slipping and dumping the contents of the teapot on his legs.

The man let out a yelp and almost hit her away, but she moved back just in time and quickly donned an apologetic expression.

Zaren and I quickly stood up alarmed. It was hot tea. s**t.

The man looked down at his legs and shut his eyes tightly, his hands clenched into fists.

“Seriously?” He asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

She immediately began to apologize. “I'm so sorry; I don't know what made my hand slip. I truly apologize,” she kept saying, but the man was staring right at Zaren and me.

“Consider this deal annulled!" he said, then stormed out, and as if on cue, Clio left the scene, leaving Zaren and me.

I sank back in my chair while Zaren sighed heavily. We had just lost a big deal, and it was because of her. She did it on purpose. She was trying to get her revenge.

“s**t…” Zaren muttered.

Yeah, this was s**t.