Maid For Her Alphas

Episode 9 - Zang High

"Are you not changing too much?" Uncle Jocka criticized as Alan passed him the list of reforms he wanted to make. He quickly skimmed through the document, his frown deepening with each sentence.

Alan slowly raised his head from his laptop. The atmosphere in the large office suddenly became stifling. Alan did not like his authority being questioned.

Uncle Maska was also present in the office but was engrossed in his gamepad and the metaverse. Alan had never seen anyone more carefree.

"Let him do as he wishes, Jocka. He promised to take care of all consequences. Let's trust our Alpha," Uncle Maska joined the conversation, removing his headset to look at the two of them.

"Yes, Alpha," Uncle Jocka bowed and stepped back. "I just wanted to raise a concern. He's increasing the school budget, and human policemen are being recruited back and placed on security patrol. I'm afraid that might cause a ruckus. There are even scholarship placements here, Alpha. The plantation's proceedings are not what they used to be, which is why we augmented them with the underground..."

Alan felt his temper rising, but he willed himself to stay calm. He knew he would face several challenges like this in the future, and he had to remain level-headed.

"We're no longer in charge here, Jocka," Uncle Maska emphasized, putting an end to Uncle Jocka's rambling. The Zang wolf pack respected their elders, especially since Uncle Jocka was his uncle's closest friend and had helped raise Alan while he was growing up. Alan, however, was not willing to welcome any resistance to his rule. His Uncle must have noticed this as he kept on playing the referee.

"Just do as he says. Let's leave everything in the hands of the rightful owner," Uncle Maska cajoled. Uncle Jocka nodded, his face expressionless, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"You have to be careful with Jocka," Uncle Maska said gently, his voice barely audible.

"Why?" Alan asked puzzled.

"Do you expect him to be happy with you?" Uncle Maska asked, swinging his walking stick at Alan.

"Why wouldn't he be happy with me as the Alpha?" Alan asked, not understanding his uncle's point.

Uncle Maska scoffed "He's been in charge of this city in your absence, especially the underground business. You come in one night and tell him to scrap it all... Do you expect him to be happy?" Uncle Maska explained.

"Oh," Alan said nonchalantly.

"Just watch your back at night, will you?" Uncle Maska warned, his voice becoming edgier.

Alan took a closer look at his uncle. Old age had taken its toll on him. The shock of his uncle's sudden illness and the call to return to Zang City had left Alan worried. However, he and his uncle had a tough-love relationship. They were the last living bloodline of the Zang Alpha Truebloods, after all. No matter how much his uncle got on his nerves, Alan always tried to sidestep it. He couldn't push the old man away. They were family, after all.

"Is Uncle Jocka really going to try and kill me?" Alan asked as he closed his laptop.

"Oh, come off it," Uncle Maska replied. "Jocka is one of the most loyal people I've ever met. He's fought by my side in countless battles during my youth."

"Then why did you tell me to watch my back?" Alan asked, growing more and more infuriated.

"You're the Alpha of the Zang Pack. Isn't that reason enough for someone to want to kill you? Jocka has had to stop assassination attempts on my life more times than I can count."

"You probably deserved most of them," Alan replied unsympathetically. He barely finished the sentence before Uncle Maska hurled his walking stick at him. Alan dodged just in time, and the cane hit the glass wall. Alan couldn't help but laugh as he doubled over.

"How could you say that to me?" Uncle Maska shouted, pointing his fist at Alan.

"Don't you know your own reputation? Innocent girls are being traded in our name...that's enough for our competitors to want to take you out," Alan defended himself, still laughing, much to Uncle Maska's annoyance.

"Sorry," Alan said when he realized Uncle Maska wasn't responding. "Sorry," he repeated. They sat in silence for a moment before Alan glanced at the time.

"Just don't take my words for granted, Alan. Humans are sneaky and can't be trusted. And I don't like the sound of you taking one as your maid..."

Alan knew where the conversation was headed before his uncle even finished. "You can have Sloana come live with you. You two can share the housework, and she's a great helper. She could help you; I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Perhaps I should just ask her myself."

Talking wouldn't get Alan out of this situation, so it was time for some drama. He turned his hand to check his wristwatch. "Oh no, I'm late for school. I need to go," he said, making sure to look alarmed.

"Just make sure your friends are with you," Uncle Maska said, dismissing him.

"I can fight better than both of them," Alan boasted as he picked up Uncle Maska's walking stick and handed it back to him. He nearly got hit as Uncle Maska swung it at him one last time.

"You're just trying to change the topic, aren't you?" Uncle Maska called after him as he left. "You'll have to mate with her someday, Alan."

"Someday," Alan smirked as he picked up his school bag and left. He took one last look at Uncle Maska before returning to his game. Alan knew his uncle's fear: he didn't want their bloodline to become extinct. He wanted offspring before he died, someone who would expand and solidify their family. Alan wasn't against the idea himself, but he wished a different candidate would be chosen. Sloana gave him the creeps.

He waved at the staff, who bowed in greeting as he passed by. He had so many things to do - he needed to have meetings with each management team of the business.

Eddie and Julian were already in the car, waiting for him in front of the Zang Company. The three of them did their brotherly dance before getting into the car, with Julian driving. Julian was the quiet one, very observant, which made him the guard of the group. Eddie was carefree, got into fights easily, and was a handsome man who knew just how pretty he was - a typically terrible flirt.

"Thanks for letting us stay over at your house, man," Eddie said, slapping him on the shoulder.

Alan was about to say "You're welcome," but paused. There was nothing welcoming about these two.

"I hope you didn't turn my house into a dumpster," he said looking at their guilty faces.

"Ouch," Eddie voiced, holding a hand to his chest.

Alan brought out his phone and went to his CCTV feed. He replayed the video to the time they woke up; they had both been sleeping like logs of wood when he left for work the previous evening. He had dropped them at home only to return to work. Uncle Maska wasn’t letting him escape so easily. He had hardly slept a wink since the previous day, although he had gotten about two hours of sleep at the office before his uncle came that morning.

He saw Julian trying to cook. "You tried to cook?" Alan asked, terrified.

Eddie burst into laughter, slapping Alan. "He woke up before me; it was the burning smell that woke me up. He tried to make a pancake, and they turned to pan-coal in the process."

"There was nothing to eat," Julian said in his defence as he stopped at a police checkpoint.

"Then you should have woken up Eddie," Alan said, enraged. Julian was the worst cook there was. He didn't even know how to make a simple omelette. Yet he was trying to make pancakes? Preposterous! "This is unforgivable, man. You both had better start looking for your own houses. There is no way I am going to live with you."

He continued watching the video; seeing the mess Eddie made with his clothes was the worst. Eddie joined him in watching the CCTV, and Alan gave him a side glance as he saw him drop a used towel on the floor.

"You have a maid, right? The house was clean when we woke up this morning. It seems like someone came in."

"He is the Alpha of the Zang Pack. Of course, he is going to have one," Julian chipped in as the light turned green, and he began driving again, turning into the road leading to their school.

Alan fast-forwarded the video but saw nothing. Then he rewound it. Sophia had come in before they woke up and had cleaned up all the mess they had made the night before when they arrived at his place. Alan had to leave them to physically shut down the management boards of the underground business and give them a fair warning. So he had left them to take care of themselves. Apparently, they had slept through and had not even noticed someone come in. Thank goodness he had set Sophia's face on his security system.

“You guys gave her so much work to do. I just hired her,” he grumbled as he watched how she had worked. She was so hardworking.

“Woooh, I can see you're protective of her already, right?” Eddie teased.

Alan shoved him away from him. The push sent him reeling as Julian pressed the brake and parked the car. Eddie hit his head on the headrest of the driver's seat.

“Bad driver,” Eddie cursed as Julian alighted from the car. “And you, it was just a question. Reply with words next time,” Eddie threw at Alan, who tried to punch him but he dodged.

“I can't believe I'm back at this school,” Julian mumbled. Eddie and Julian had returned solely because of him.

“What are friends for?” Alan joked. As he alighted as well and walked ahead of them into the school. Students who noticed their arrival began to scream from their classes since a set of senior classes overlooked the parking lot.

And Alan Zang was a face they all knew except the new members of the city. The cheers began in earnest when Eddie joined the two.

“Wow, this is what it means to be a superstar. Yes, let’s go rock Zang High,” Eddie cheered. His face was full of excitement.

Alan teased, “Just manage to graduate, Eddie. That’s all I ask of you,” tapping his friend on the shoulder.

Eddie threw his arms around Alan as they walked into the halls, “For you, Alpha. I will do anything.”

“You must be kidding me,” Julian commented appalled at the behaviour of the two. They both looked up to see the number of people in the hallway. Apparently, a class period had just ended. But that was not what caught Alan’s attention. It was the shapely form of Sophia Andrews. She was standing and blushing profusely in front of... Alan traced her gaze to the boy standing in front of her. Josh, that football player jerk. Perfect, his maid and his worst enemy. He could just see this combination crumbling up. It irked him for no particular reason.