THE ALPHA'S DESTINED MATE

Twelve – THE SEED OF DOUBT

Twelve – THE SEED OF DOUBT

“You knew all along?” Freya asked. She was terribly shocked. She couldn't believe her ears.

Madison had known her identity all this while?

Madison tilted her head, a sheepishly composed, tired look knitted across her face, before letting out a loud, sarcastic clap accompanied by a mischievous smile. “Did you really think I wouldn't find out?” She arched a brow at Freya.

Freya bit her lips, her teeth sinking hard into her flesh as her mind throbbed with thoughts. ‘Where exactly did I make mistakes?’ Freya wondered.

‘I made sure not to leave any loopholes. How come she discovered who I was? Did she…’

“How did you find out?” Freya quickly asked, snapping out of her thoughts. Her eyes were masked with curiosity as she stared intently into Madison's brown eyes.

“Hmmmm! Let's see…” Madison clicked her tongue sarcastically as she stared at the ceiling, as though the answer was written there.

“Let... Me... try... to remember,” she wheezed softly, tapping her head with one finger. “Oh, I remember now!” She snapped her fingers, taking a closer step towards the bars.

“Remember that fateful night you suddenly vanished?” Madison blurted, throwing her hands into the air.

“That night I found you crying under the stairs, at the corner of the hallway leading to the empty quarters.”

“Do you remember?” she asked, her brow raised as a triumphant smile darted across her lips.

FLASHBACK

“Freya?” Little sixteen-year-old Madison called out, her voice filled with worry and anger.

She pulled open the door to each room, glancing through it, but it was all empty. Then the second and the third—no shadow in sight.

“Where on earth did that silly maid go?” she groaned with fury, placing her hands on her waist.

Slowly, she heard little sobs. Her eyes filled with curiosity as she tiptoed down the stairs. Gently, she leaned over the stair railing, and her eyes caught sight of Freya crying profusely, a picture clutched in her hands.

“I promise you, I will avenge your death!” Freya mumbled, tears streaming down her face.

“I will make sure she pays for what they did to you, even if it takes me years,” Freya muttered, using the hem of her sleeve to wipe away the tears that dropped onto the picture.

‘Whose picture is that?’ Madison wondered under her breath, stretching her eyes to get a glimpse of the person in the picture, but it was too far away and dark for her to see.

“Freya!” she abruptly called out.

“Yes, my lady,” Freya quickly responded, hiding the picture beneath the mat beside her before hurriedly getting to her feet and wiping the tears from her face.

“Where are the clothes I asked you to get?” Madison asked, hurrying down the stairs.

“I’m sorry, my lady, let me...”

“Sorry? Do you intend to use forever to get a simple cloth for the white party? You know I shouldn't be late?” Madison thundered.

“I'm sorry, my lady,” Freya apologized, staring at the floor.

“Did you cry or something?” Madison suddenly asked, her voice now tender and soft as she stared intently at Freya's red, puffy eyes.

“No, my lady. Something flew into my eyes,” Freya quickly lied, rubbing her hands furiously over her eyes to make her lie convincing.

“Are you sure? Did you lose something or someone?” Madison asked, concerned.

“I will go get your clothes now,” Freya blurted, quickly hurrying away, her feet clicking against the floor.

Madison's eyes dimmed with curiosity as she stared at Freya's retreating figure. “What are you hiding, Freya?” she wondered.

With a few steps, she closed the gap between herself and the mat. Without hesitation, she leaned forward and retrieved the picture.

Her eyes widened with shock. “Kathy?” she blurted, staring back at the hallway where Freya had disappeared.

“Is... Is this possible?” she muttered, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead as the devastating memories surrounding Kathy's death played through her mind.

The accidental death that her grandmother had helped her bury for years.

END OF FLASHBACK

“So now that I have refreshed your memory, you know I have always had my eyes on you, Freya.” A sarcastic smile played on her lips. “You are not that smart!” Madison blurted.

“Smart?” Freya said in a condescending tone.

“You aren't even considered smart by your father and sister,” Freya raged back.

“Don't you dare say that! You don't know them!” Madison warned, grabbing the bars of the cell, her eyes flashing with fury.

“What? Are you scared to face the bitter truth?” Freya sneered.

“You think your sister loves you?”

“Well, it's about time you know the truth, little lady. You are just a pity bunny that needs protection from her father, and she is filling up the space, using your vulnerability to buy some favors,” Freya snapped, her words diving like sharp knives into Madison's chest.

Madison scoffed. “I know what you are trying to do, but I won't let you have your way!”

“Trying to create war between my sister and me?” Madison raged. “Never!” She spat out angrily.

Swiftly, she straightened her demeanor, brushing her hair back with her fingers and flipping it behind her shoulders, before tucking a few loose strands behind her ear.

“I only came here to see how the cell was befitting you,” she blurted, letting her eyes wander around the cell as she covered her nose with her palm against the dreadful smell of a dead rat lingering in the air.

“This is a perfect place for scums like you. I'm sure your sister will be eager to see you in hell,” Madison snapped.

“She is in heaven, evil witch!” Freya yelled angrily.

“Whatever. Say hello to her for me.” Madison walked out of the dungeon.

Freya's breathing became heavy, wishing intently that she could tear down the bars and devour Madison. But her powers would be nothing compared to Madison's. She was just a weak omega who never had a special ability of her own.

Freya's words echoed in Madison's head, her face contorted with worry as words of doubt settled inside her.

‘She was lying to me! I shouldn't allow her to get to me,’ Madison wheezed inwardly.

“Jewel is my big sister!”

“She cares a lot about me!” Madison muttered to herself as her feet carried her swiftly across the tiled floor, so fast that she reached her room in a daze.

She quickly grabbed her phone, her fingers moving aggressively across the touchscreen as she hurriedly dialed her sister's number.

“Pick up the call fast, Jewel!” She paced around her room restlessly, her mind weighed down with worry as she nervously gnawed at her nails.

“Jewel, are you pitying me because of Dad? Do you see me as a weakling too?” she immediately asked as the call connected.