Defiant Sunshine

Not Recklessly Petty

Hearing Brandon point it out, Alia believed her cheeks could not become more hot than they already were. She buried her face in her hair as she ate like the matter didn’t concern her. Elena couldn't be more displeased by Brandon's words than she already were. She didn't know what her son was trying to do but she knew, something was off.

Seeing the Luna out of words , Alia took her stance. Lifting her head, she put her cutlery down and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Even if I was caught staring, I don't remember it being a crime. Or is it?” Alia didn't shy away from Brandon's gaze like she usually did, meeting his piercing stare head on without as much as a flinch. She was tired of always having to tiptoe around Brandon, Afraid to make any wrong moves. Alia was tired of Brandon's constant bashing, untimely humiliation and cold shoulder.

She was tired of always having to consider his feelings while time and time again he didn't even as much as consider hers.

“Feeling proud to have been undressing me with your eyes I see.” he broke their eye contact, lazily cutting into his medium rare steak. The table became eerily quiet at Brandon's statement.

Everybody felt like they had somehow missed something between the two. Come to think of it, Alia and Brandon never seemed to get along well ever since they step into the house earlier on. Some wondered what was it all about.

“Brandon!” Elena warned sternly as she glared at the nonchalantly eating Brandon. Before she could say anything more, Alia cut in while playing with her food a little.

“You should stop flattering yourself that much. The guard behind you is a more suitable candidate to be undressed by my eyes, not you…” putting the fork down, Alia prepared herself to leave the table since everybody was done and some had long excused themselves from the table. She was also tired from the drive, even though she had slept during throughout most of it.

Instinctively, she briefly looked at Brandon with envy at how fresh he looked. Alia wondered if he had gotten any sleep on the way like she had or was it all because of his strong alpha genes.

‘What are you doing you morron! Why are you even concerned about this prick!’

Seeing his seemingly unbothered yet smug face card, Alia had the urge to wipe it off of his face with a tight slap. She hardened her resolve then and there because she was tired. Worn out tired, of him acting like she doesn't exist at one point and at another, like she is some burden shackling him in one place. “…You should quit thinking so highly of yourself, Your Highness.” The sarcasm in her last words was undeniably prominent.

She didn't wait for Brandon's response and turned her gaze towards Elena and Alec. “Alpha, Luna. Maybe I please be excused.” Hearing Alia politely excuse herself, Elena gave her a ‘go ahead’ with an apologetic smile. Alia responded with her own sweet and innocent smile before leaving the dining area. Brandon sat there with a slight scowl on at Alia's sweet tone when she's conversing with his parents. It got on his nerves seeing as how different the tone was from the one she used on him.

He didn't like it at all and unconsciously clenched his fists under the table. His stoic expression gave nothing away while he bore holes on Alia as she took her leave. She left without even sparing him a backward glance causing his annoyance to spike. Brandon didn't recognize the girl infront of him. He couldn't even recognize himself! Worst part was his twitching c**k at her new sultry attitude, and his polluted mind about all the things he could've done to her right on that table.

“What was that?” snapping out of his trance, Brandon's eyes collided with his mother's cold ones. Looking at his annoyed mother he just shrugged his shoulders, attempting to stand up and leave. He lightly threw his napkin next to his plate as he slowly yet lazily stood up.

“Is this how you've been treating Alia all this time?” hurt, confusion and disappointment coated Elena's cracking voice. Detecting the various emotions in his mother's voice, Brandon paused his steps but did not turn around. He didn’t want to look at his mother, afraid he'd cave into her and her upcoming demands.

It always led to that everytime she'd want him to do something. Not this time. He didn't want to tangle himself with Alia more than he already has. “Does it matter?” his nonchalant tone made Elena feel the more devastated at the thought of her eldest son mistreating her goddaughter, all this time.

By the time she snapped out of her own emotional turmoil, Brandon had already retreated to his study. Everyone else left seeing as there was nothing they could do. At a far corner, one of the head maid trainees hid behind the pillar with a smirk dancing on her face before quickly heading back to their headquarters. Knocking on the head maid office, an annoyed voice gave her permission of entry. Closing the door behind her, she briskly walked towards the person sitting behind her desk, chewing gum like she owned the place.

“What is it?” the woman glared at the girl who had just interrupted her peaceful head massage. Lowering her head she hesitated a little, not knowing if the woman behind the desk would be angry, taking it out on her or she'll be happy to hear the news.

“Speak!” startled by the sudden sternness of the woman and with fear, the girl spilled the tea to the woman. Telling her all that has transpired in the family dining hall. Listening to the trembling girl, the woman sat up straight and blinked a few times before a smile gradually formed on her dark red lips.

Now laying on her bed after taking a shower and sighing countless times, Alia stared at the ceiling Eliminated by the room’s scented candles. She had asked the girl that served her for them in this specific scent. Everytime she basked in the scent it dug out a distant yet familiar feeling. Like she knew the scent from somewhere but she couldn't remember where.

The familiarity was so thick that it calmed her everytime they were lit. Like always, she wondered if it's a scent from the time she had been a pup. She had wanted to find out more about it's origins but kept hitting a brick wall whenever she thought she had found something. It was as if someone was deliberately paving a way for her, only for them to lead her into a dead end.

Sunlight poured in from the opened curtains, hitting Alia's face like a ton of slaps in a single moment. Groaning, she covered her head with the pillow as she turned to the other side. Just when she was being comfortable, a woman's chirpy voice startled her off of the bed, landing her on the floor face-first with a yelp. The maid gasped as she hurried to Alia's side.

“Miss!” kneeling next to the woman covered in her sheets, the maid tried her utmost best not to laugh at Alia's predicament and instead asked, concerned “…are you okay?” Alia sighed loudly before peeking her head out of the sheets. Meeting Alia's gaze head on startled her, causing her to fall flat with her ass. Hurriedly standing up, she fidgeted with her fingers, embarrassed by what had just transpired in front of the Luna's goddaughter.

“What's your name again?” Alia asked with a hint of annoyance laced in her voice. She bit back her tongue, trying as much as possible not to flare up. “It's Tamia, Miss" she answered truthfully since she was the one to be responsible for Alia's every requests and demands.

That was what the young alpha emphasised when he put her in charge of the young Miss.

“Tamia…” Alia called out with exhaustion while rubbing her throbbing head.

“Yes, Miss?” Tamia answered almost instantaneously, seemingly waiting for her punishment for acting recklessly.

“Don't ever… wake me up ever again. Unless instructed otherwise. Understood?” Alia didn't have to look at the girl to know that she was shaking out of pure fear. Alia could smell the girl's fear pouring off of her, like water flowing out of an already full bucket of water. Alia knew what the girl had expected from her, but she wasn't such a petty person. Well, she was – Just not to everyone. She chose her targets meticulously, not recklessly.

“Understood”

“Good" Alia stood up and climbed back onto the bed, covering herself fully with the sheets. Finding a comfortable position to sleep on, Alia sighed in satisfaction and utter bliss. Her old bed wasn't as soft as the one she was currently occupying and she was going to take full advantage of it. Before Tamia could register what was going on she heard Alia's sleepy voice…

“Please close the door on your way out” not long after, Alia’s soft snores could be heard. Snapping out of it, the maid walked out and closed the door behind her. Passing through the family dining hall to go help the other maids, Tamia was suddenly halted by Luna Elena.

With a lowered head she gave the Luna her full attention.

“Aren't you supposed to be Alia's personal helper?” she asked confusedly, with a little frown on her face.

“Yes I am, Luna Elena" Tamia's response was immediate afraid to be punished by the slightest mishap. “Where is she? Where's my daughter" Elena questioned sternly. It sounded more like she was accusing the young woman of mistreating her goddaughter.

“Miss Alia is still asleep, Luna. She had instructed not to be woken, unless she said otherwise.” Tamia fiddled with her fingers , avoiding to shift her weight from one foot to another from the pressure the luna was giving off.