The Descendant and Her Mates

CHAPTER FOUR

IVAN

I stood in my suite, staring at nothing. The whole room was decorated in gold and silver, like some royal palace, but I didn’t care. My head wasn’t here. It was still replaying the exact scene where Alicia told me no.

She rejected me. Me. A whole King of the East.

I still couldn’t believe it. Did she know who I was? Of course she did. But even after knowing, she still told me no. And she didn’t even flinch while doing it. It made no damn sense.

She was a maid. Just a maid. A maid with no family, no rank, no future. Yet she stood in front of me like she had something I needed to earn.

And the worst part? She was right.

I felt the bond. It was strong, and it kept pulling me toward her like a magnet. She had to feel it too. No one could ignore a bond this strong. So why would she reject me?

Well, she didn’t reject me completely. She only rejected being my mistress. Which, now that I think about it, wasn’t really a no to me. It was a no to what I offered.

That meant I could offer something else.

I rubbed my jaw, already thinking of new angles. Maybe I’d caught her at a bad time. Maybe she was overwhelmed or confused. Hell, maybe she was scared. Either way, I knew I had to try again. Just… differently.

Yeah. That was it. I had to change the approach. Not just ask her to be my mistress like I was offering her a crown made of gold. That wasn’t going to work. She was stubborn.

So I had to play smart. I’d try again. And next time, I’d make sure she said yes.

ALICIA

It had only been a day since the King—my mate—asked me to be his mistress. A full twenty-four hours since I told him no.

Since then, everything had changed.

People weren’t talking to me anymore. Not even the little girls who used to sneak in sweets and sit with me when they were bored. They wouldn’t even look at me now. The ones who used to throw their dirty laundry at me were now acting like I had a disease. Like being around me would ruin them.

I didn’t understand it.

I wasn’t popular before, but now it felt worse. Like I was invisible and yet the only thing people saw.

Was it because of the hug? When he called me his mate in front of everyone? Maybe people were jealous. Or maybe… maybe they found out I rejected him. Maybe that was it.

How dare a maid reject a King?

But they didn’t understand. They didn’t know the full story. He wasn’t just a King. He was my mate. And I couldn’t be his side piece. Not when I knew he’d keep sleeping with every pretty woman who looked his way. I wouldn’t be able to handle that.

If I couldn’t have all of him, I didn’t want any of him.

So I pushed the thoughts away and turned to the window. The sun was already up, and it was time to start the day. Which meant I had to go and get my list of chores from the taskmaster. My stomach turned just thinking about it.

I headed out of my room and walked through the long hallway of the servant quarters, trying to keep my head down. Nobody said anything to me, but I could feel their eyes burning into my back.

When I got to the taskmaster’s door, I knocked.

It swung open fast, and he stood there, looking more surprised than I expected. “Oh. Alicia.”

Wait, what?

He never used my name. Ever.

I blinked. “I came to get my chore list for today.”

He smiled. Actually smiled. “Right. All you need to do is water the garden out front,” he said.

That’s it?

I stared at him, confused. “Is there anything else?”

“No. Just that. You’re free after.”

Before I could ask more questions, he shut the door in my face.

I just stood there for a moment, frozen. What the hell was that?

Why was I getting the easiest chore in the entire packhouse when just last week I had to scrub six bathrooms and clean the Alpha’s boots with an old rag? It didn’t make sense.

But I wasn’t about to go questioning it. Not when it meant I got to do something light for once.

I spun around and headed for the tool shed to grab the watering can, careful not to bump into anyone who might decide I didn’t look busy enough. I wasn’t in the mood to be their new entertainment.

Once I had the can, I made my way to the garden. It was peaceful there. A little piece of beauty surrounded by madness. The flowers were blooming, and the sun hit them in a way that made them look like they were glowing.

Thirty-five minutes later, I was done. I sat on the stone bench nearby, took a deep breath, and smiled.

For once, my body wasn’t aching. I wasn’t bleeding, sore, or barely holding myself together. I was just… fine. And it felt strange.

But I knew this wouldn’t last. Tomorrow, I’d probably be back to scrubbing toilets or sent out to sweep the training field again.

Still, I decided to enjoy this small win while it lasted.

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and stood up to return the watering can. Just as I turned around, I nearly bumped into someone.

“Woah…”

I froze. Ivan.

He stood there, dressed in a black shirt that clung to his chest like it was painted on. His dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, and those stupid blue eyes of his were looking at me like I was the only thing that existed.

“Are you stalking me now?” I muttered before I could stop myself.

He chuckled. “Nice to see you too, Alicia.”

“What do you want?”

“I just wanted to talk.”

“I already said no.”

“Yeah,” he said, stepping closer. “But not to me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I asked you to be my mistress,” he said calmly. “But maybe that was the wrong offer.”

I crossed my arms. “You think?”

“I was testing the waters.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, consider the test failed.”

He didn’t leave. Instead, he moved even closer until we were barely inches apart. “You know I’m your mate. I know it. And I don’t care what title you wear. I just want you.”

“Do you want me,” I whispered, “or do you want to win?”

His smile faded.

Exactly.

“I don’t want to be one of your women,” I said, trying to move past him.

He grabbed my wrist gently, but firm enough to stop me.

“I’ve never felt this bond before, Alicia,” he said softly. “It’s real. It’s not about power. It’s about you.”

I looked down at his hand. “Then let go of me.”

He did.

I walked off without another word while my heart pounded in my chest. I didn’t know if I was angry… or something else.

Back inside, I found myself heading toward the storage rooms to grab fresh sheets. If I couldn’t scrub or sweep, at least I could fold. I reached for the door, opened it…

And screamed.

Lying inside the room was a dead rat. Its throat was slit open.

And written across the wall in thick, red letters were the words: “Ugly Bitch.”