CHAPTER ELEVEN
1542 Words
ALICIA
The whole pack was going crazy.
Three days had passed since that mess in the Alpha's office, and everyone was still talking about it. Everywhere I went, I heard whispers. I could feel the stares, and I could also see and hear how they were judging me.
"Two Kings fighting over a maid?"
"She must have used some kind of spell."
"There's no way she's that special."
I kept my head down and did my work. What else could I do?
But the rumors were getting worse. They were also getting more creative and more cruel too.
Some people said I was a witch. That I'd used dark magic to trap both Alpha Kings. Others said I was just really good in bed. That I'd seduced them both with my body.
The truth was that I'd barely even talked to either of them. But nobody wanted to hear that.
Marla, the senior maid who'd always hated me, was having the time of her life. She'd found new ways to make my days miserable.
"Alicia," she barked from across the kitchen now. "The floors upstairs need scrubbing. All of them."
I looked up from the pile of dishes I was washing. "I just finished the guest rooms yesterday."
"Well, they need to be scrubbed again. And when you're done with that, you can clean the bathrooms. All of them."
I nodded and dried my hands. There was no point in arguing. It would only make things worse.
As I walked past her to get the cleaning supplies, she grabbed my arm. "You think you're special now?" she hissed. "You think because two Alpha Kings suddenly think you’re the best thing since sliced bread, you don't have to work anymore?"
"No," I said quietly. "I don't think that."
"Good. Because you're still nothing. You're still just an Omega servant. And when they get bored of you, you'll still be here, scrubbing floors."
She let go of my arm and walked away. I stood there for a moment, trying to push down the anger. And hurt. And shame.
She was right, though. When this was all over, when Ivan and Caleb moved on to other things, I'd still be here. I’d still be nothing like I’d always been.
I grabbed the mop and bucket and headed upstairs.
The work was hard. My back ached, and my hands were raw from the cleaning chemicals, but I didn't complain. I couldn't afford to.
By the time I finished, it was late. The pack house was quiet. Most people were already asleep.
I dragged myself back to my room. I was so exhausted. All I wanted was to collapse on my bed and forget about everything.
But as I got closer to my door, I heard voices. I could hear whispers coming from the hallway next to mine. So I stopped and listened.
"She's not even pretty," someone said. I recognized the voice. It was Janet, one of the younger maids. "I mean, she's okay, I guess. But she’s nothing special."
"Right?" another voice agreed. It was Lisa. "I don't get it. What do they see in her?"
"She's just good in bed, that's all," Janet said. "She must be. Why else would two Alpha Kings want her?"
"She probably learned some tricks from the male servants," Lisa said with a laugh. "You know how these orphans are. They'll do anything for attention."
My chest tightened in hurt. I pressed my back against the wall and closed my eyes.
"I heard she begged them both to take her," Janet continued. "Like, she got on her knees and everything."
"That’s so gross," Lisa said. "But it makes sense. She's desperate. She’s always been."
"Well, it won't last," Janet said. "Kings like that don't settle down with maids. They'll use her and throw her away eventually."
"Good," Lisa said. "She's been getting too much attention lately. Someone needs to put her back in her place."
Their voices faded as they walked away.
I stood there in the dark hallway, staring at the wall and holding back tears.
They were wrong. I hadn't begged anyone for anything. I hadn't done anything to deserve this.
But part of me wondered if they were right about one thing. Maybe Ivan and Caleb would get bored of me. Maybe this was all just some game to them. Maybe I really was nothing.
I unlocked my door and slipped inside. My room felt smaller than ever, and the walls seemed to be closing in on me.
I sat on my bed and stared at the cracked mirror on the wall. The girl looking back at me didn't look special. She looked tired, and broken. She looked ordinary.
What did they see in me? What could two Alpha Kings possibly want with someone like me?
But I didn't have an answer.
I pulled my knees to my chest and tried not to cry. I'd cried enough over the past few days. I was tired of being weak.
But the tears came anyway.
I cried for the whispers. For the stares. And for the way everyone looked at me like I was some kind of freak.
I cried for the confusion. And for not understanding what was happening to me or why.
I cried for the loneliness. And for being trapped between two worlds while not belonging to either one.
Eventually, I fell asleep curled up on my bed, still wearing my work clothes.
***
The next morning came too soon.
I woke up to someone pounding on my door.
"Alicia, get up! Kitchen duty starts in ten minutes!"
I rolled over and looked at the small window. It was still dark outside. They were making me start earlier than usual.
I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed. My reflection in the mirror looked even worse than yesterday. My eyes were red and puffy. My hair was a mess, but I didn't even have time to fix it. I was already late.
I hurried to the kitchen, expecting to find it full of the usual morning chaos. Instead, it was quiet. Too quiet.
Most of the other servants were there, but they were all whispering and staring at something near the stove.
No, not something. Someone, actually.
It was Ivan.
He was standing by the prep counter, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt. His hair was loose, and it fell loosely over his shoulders. His eyes were scanning the room like he was looking for something. Looking for me.
When he saw me, he went still. Everyone else in the kitchen seemed to hold their breath.
I walked to my usual station and started pulling out ingredients for breakfast. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't look up.
The kitchen was dead silent. Nobody was working. Nobody was talking. They were all waiting to see what would happen.
Ivan didn't move for a long time. He just watched me. He studied me for a while until he finally walked over to where I was standing.
"Alicia," he said quietly.
I kept chopping vegetables. "Good morning, Alpha King."
"Don't call me that."
"It's what you are."
He moved closer to me. Now he was so close that I could smell his scent. He smelled like pine and something warm that made my wolf stir to life at the back of my mind.
"Look at me," he said.
I didn't.
"Please,” he begged.
The word was so soft. It sounded so different from his usual demands. So I looked up.
His blue eyes were intense. But there was something else there too. Something that looked almost like... regret?
"Come with me," he whispered. "Let me take care of you."
My heart stuttered. "What?"
"You don't belong here. You shouldn't be scrubbing floors and washing dishes. You should be—"
"She's not going anywhere with you."
The new voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw Caleb standing in the doorway.
He was wearing a gray suit that fit him perfectly. His dark hair was styled. He looked like he'd just walked out of a fashion magazine. But his eyes were hard.
He walked into the kitchen like he owned it. Like he owned everything.
"Caleb," Ivan said. There was a hint of a warning in his tone.
"Brother," Caleb replied smoothly.
They stared at each other across the kitchen. The tension was so thick that I could barely breathe.
Everyone else in the kitchen was frozen. They were watching. And waiting.
"We need to talk," Ivan said.
"Yes, we do," Caleb agreed.
But neither of them moved. They just kept staring at each other. And I was trapped between them.
Again.
I looked back and forth between the two brothers. Two Alpha Kings. Two mates.
Both of them wanted me. Both of them were determined to have me. But what did I want?
I still didn't know. And I was running out of time to figure it out.
Because the way they were looking at each other, the way the air in the kitchen was filled with tension, I knew something was about to happen.
Something big that would change everything.
I just hoped I'd survive it.
- Writer
