Rich Blood

Chapter 8: Entrapment

We were locked in a staring match. He was trying to read my thoughts, but like everyone else who tried, he was stumped.

However, I weighed my options in my head. Lie? Deny everything? Or come clean?

"Yes." I say, boldly, in a voice that feels unlike my own. "The southern pack leaders are furious and I have been sent here as..." I suddenly lost my nerve.

"A spy. And a piss poor one at that." He took a sip of wine.

"Excuse me?" I'm not sure why this was insulting, but I didn't like his tone. Rage built up inside of me.

"You had an entire afternoon to snoop, and what did you do with your time? You napped and you looked at the garden."

"Well, obviously I wasn't going to go write into your office and immediately break into your cabinets and tap your phone, was it?"

"Remember who you are speaking to."

"I don't give a s**t who I'm speaking to!" The fire I wanted to cast at my father, Demetrius , Kenneth every damned pack leader that voted to send me to my metaphorical or literal death was now being cast at the Lycan King. "Kill me, exile me, or send me back home. Any way you look at it, I'm pretty much dead already!" My claws began to extrude. I was ready to be hit, pushed, clawed, caged, punished for insubordination, but I was also ready to fight.

Blooding was oddly calm. It was obvious that he had been faced more threatening people than myself. In fact, he looked impressed?

"Selene, I am not going to kill you, Take a deep breath and reign your wolf in. While I am sure she is a force to be reckoned with, now is not the time." He said this with an almost a smile. "Besides, killing you would have the same affect as not paying you."

"Bad for business?" I respond, my voice cold, yet I feel grateful.

"Exactly."

"So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, I am still working out the kinks on how this will play to my favor. That is why I couldn't let you leave to see your family for the first two months. It gives me time to sort out the messy details."

I'm used to being a pawn, but for some reason it hurt more coming from him.

"And in the meantime?" I ask.

"In the meantime, you are expected to clean, be a "charwoman"."

I glare in his direction. "Anything else?"

"Your list." He hands me a list from earlier and I begin to read it, the tasks are broken up into daily, weekly and monthly.

Daily Tasks:

Sweep floors

Tidy bedrooms

Make beds

Laundry- MWF- R.B. / T TH- Guests and towels

Fold and put away laundry

Weekly Tasks:

Mop floors

Bring fresh flowers in

Wash the showers and tubs

Bathroom deep clean

Dust office and study

Vacuum rugs

Monthly Tasks:

Clean base boards

Polish silver

Vacuum the curtains

Wash the windows

Clean window ledges and blinds

Other duties to be added at any given moment

It took me a few minutes to read over everything and process. "This is, reasonable."

"I agree. But we need some ground rules for the time being."

I nodded.

"First and foremost, unless I am in there, you do not go into my study or office. I will lock it when I am not in there and my security system is more than capable of keeping someone from the southern border out."

His casual tone hit me like venom. It was meant to be an insult, but I refrained from reacting.

"Next, the first room on the left on the third floor, is out of bounds. I will not discuss why. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"There is a guest house by the pool, you are not expected to clean up out there."

"Does anyone live-"

"My little brother." He said matter of factly. I almost forgot he had a brother. He was only a year younger than me, but other than that I didn't know much about him. He opted to stay out of the lime light.

I nod once again and he continues to give me the ground rules.

"During counsel meetings, you are to be in your room at all times. No matter what."

"That's fair." I added. "Anything else?"

"When in your wolf form, you may only roam with a companion during these next two months and stay within the estate's boundaries. I don't want to prevent you from transforming, I am not cruel, Selene. But I cannot risk you going back and telling your pack what what I know."

I completely understood why he might think that. But I wish he understood that I wouldn't go back there if I could. Going back meant potentially marrying Demetrius, or getting caged, or maybe I would just disappear.

"That covers everything for the moment. I will let you know once I have everything planned out. Then we can discuss those new terms. Any questions?"

"How did you find out about the southern packs' plan in the first place?" These words slip through my mouth before my mind can stop me.

He stared at me, direct eye contact again. Trying to read my thoughts. "You have your secrets, Mrs. Fengari. And I have mine."

He stood up, walked out of the dining room and I was left there alone, trying to formulate a plan that now did not end with my head on a spike for being a traitor to the king or my territory. I have a lot of planning to do.