PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK
1240 Words
CHAPTER THREE
PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK
Tatsumi’s Pov
“What the…
” I muttered, looking around. I was standing in front of the sink. My face still pale
and wide-eyed stared back at me from the mirror. Was the Liora encounter real, or a terrifying
flash of my new, unstable power?
“I need to get out of here.
” The urgency was cold, immediate, pushing away the terror.
I dashed out of the bathroom. The ringing in my head subsided, but I sucked it up. I needed to
be focused if I was going to avoid the people who murdered me. This was the biggest, most
dangerous game of hide and seek I had ever played, and I had to win if I wanted to survive.
“Sumi…
”
I turned to see a furious Mrs. Selena. I paused instantly, bowing my head low, preparing for the
inevitable storm of scolding.
“What the hell are you doing out of line?!” she hissed. I stayed mute.
Ring out your voice, go back to your station now!” she yelled.
“If you don't want me to
I flinched, bowed again, and dashed out with the speed of light. My relief was immense when I
remembered the layouts: the Jackal Pack stayed in the quieter Southern Wing, while the
Bloodfang Pack settled in the West Wing far from me.
I hurried to the Southern Wing. It was a hive of activity as the staff rushed to settle the guests. I
showed the guards my servant ID, and they let me pass. I immediately picked up a broom,
hoping to blend into the busy crowd.
Just as I started to feel safe, I collided with a huge, immovable object or so I thought. The soft
but firm surface smelled like expensive spice mixed with roses. I knew instantly that no ordinary
servant smelled that rich. I swallowed hard, praying I hadn't just created an incident.
I slowly looked up to see a god standing in front of me. He had long, thick black hair that flowed
to his upper back and a pair of dark eyes that simply swallowed the light. As I looked into them, I
felt like I was being sucked into a black hole, mesmerized, terrified, and utterly speechless.
I blinked hard, trying to break the spell.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice deep and gentle. I snapped out of the trance. I swallowed hard, opening and closing my mouth uselessly. Should I
risk speaking? The silver mark on my shoulder pulsed faintly. No.
“Hello, miss, are you okay?” he repeated, kindly.
I shook my head in response.
He gave me a warm, gentle smile that almost melted the tension from my bones. Between this
Man and Storm, I honestly couldn’t tell who was more handsome.
Just then, a hand grabbed my arm. It was Maya, a servant girl who had shown me kindness
more than once since I arrived.
“Sumi, what the hell are you doing?” she whispered urgently in my ear. I looked at her with a
confused, grateful gaze, but she ignored me, turning back to the imposing man.
“Alpha Caius, we are so sorry,
” Maya stammered, bowing low.
She is just mute and doesn’t speak.
”
“She is not being disrespectful,
I followed her lead, bowing my head low enough to hide my face.
“Oh, is she now?” he asked, his voice still gentle.
“Yes, she is, Alpha,
” Maya confirmed.
“Ah, that’s not a problem. You are dismissed.
”
We curtsied, and Maya pulled me out of there like a lightning flash. We bent into a corner, and I
finally let out a shaky sigh of relief.
When we were sure he was gone, Maya tapped me sharply.
“You are welcome. You don’t do
that with a noble, much less an Alpha of one of the biggest packs in the kingdom.
” She scolded
me, but I just looked at her, communicating my thanks through my eyes.
“Argh, this is useless,
” she sighed, throwing her hands up at my silence.
“Just try and avoid any
more nobles. Stick to sweeping and cleaning. Maybe you can get out of this summit with your
head still attached to your body.
”
I gave her a grateful nod and bowed my head as a form of appreciation. The girl gave me a
quick, fleeting smile and walked away.
“Phew, that was close,
” I whispered, but my mind flickered back to the handsome stranger,
Alpha Caius Moonveil. He truly looked like he was molded by the Goddess herself. Damn. I hope I stay out of trouble. I picked up the broom to focus on my job.
The first day was a success. I made it through without seeing Storm or Liora, and I kept my
secret. But the next day was Tuesday; the Grand Ball.
I was part of the serving team. The uniform made me blend in, but the thought of being
surrounded by hundreds of powerful eyes made my skin crawl. I kept praying for guidance.
Hours later, I stood in my uniform with a tray filled with wine glasses. The ballroom was large
and breathtaking, filled to the brim with the most important people in Astrid. Everyone wore
gleaming crowns and jewels. I felt small, which was good, it meant I wouldn't stand out.
I can do this. It is time to face the enemy.
The bell rang, signaling the servants to move out. I filed in, keeping myself in the middle of the
group. I began passing out drinks, my gaze fixed on the floor, keeping a constant, terrified watch
for the two monsters I had spent my existence trying to avoid.
I was doing well. Too well.
Then, the temperature in the room seemed to shift entirely. A sudden, thick silence fell around
me, like the music and chatter had been instantly muffled. I turned ever so slightly, balancing my
tray, and felt it.
The air behind me solidified with tension. A familiar, suffocating presence wrapped around me
like chains I thought I had broken.
I turned, excruciatingly slowly.
And there he was. Alpha Storm Thor.
He was even more terrifying and beautiful than I remembered. He looked like a demigod, his
short black hair neat, his jaw sharp. His eyes, those cruel, unreadable silver eyes that
condemned me to death, locked directly with mine across the crowded room.
The tray in my hands trembled violently.
He looked like a nightmare in a royal suit; dark crimson with gold embroidery, the Bloodfang
crest glittering on his chest.
“Stop,
” he said. The word was low and impossibly cold, meant only for me.
Everyone around us kept moving, oblivious to the storm brewing in front of me. I froze. My eyes
dropped instantly to the floor, but it was too late.“Look at me,
” he commanded, and the authority in his voice was absolute.
My body refused to obey.
He moved closer, his presence suffocating me entirely, and his next words were a direct hit to
My biggest secret, making my knees buckle.
“You thought you could hide from me, little fox?”
The tray slipped from my hand, wine glasses shattered loudly on the marble, and every eye in
the massive ballroom turned instantly to the sound
- Writer
