Chapter 5
958 Words
MIRA I watched Lucian’s face and it was like looking at a wall of stone. I was scared, my heart was thumping against my ribs like a trapped bird, but I didn’t back down. I wanted him to be the one to train me, I needed it to be him, and if he ended up killing me in that training pit, I would actually feel better knowing it was his hand that did it. It was a twisted thought but it was the only thing making sense in my head right now. Lucian looked p*ss*d off, his jaw was clenched so tight I thought his teeth might snap, and then he moved. He reached out and grabbed my chin, his fingers digging into my skin with a grip that was cold and hard. He leaned in close, his green eyes burning into mine, and he asked me if I was trying to get rid of my sins by making him kill me. He sounded disgusted, like the very idea of me trying to transfer my guilt onto him was making him sick. "It’s never going to work, Mira," he growled, his voice vibrating through my jaw. "You aren't going to die anytime soon. Not until you’ve paid for every single thing you did to this pack". He let go of me so fast I stumbled, and then he turned to walk away. I couldn't let him leave it like that, I just couldn't. I reached out and grabbed his hand, the tears finally breaking and running down my face. "Lucian, please," I choked out, my voice thick and messy. "I'm your mate. You’re ignoring me and it’s eating me up inside, it’s killing me slowly to have you look at me like I’m nothing". He stopped and looked down at my hand on his like it was a piece of trash. He scoffed, a short and mean sound that hurt worse than a physical blow, and then he pulled his hand out of my grip. "You should have thought about our mate bond before you crossed the line ten years ago," he said, and then he just walked out of the room without looking back once. I stayed there for a long time, just standing in the middle of the room and crying to myself. My chest felt hollow, like he had reached inside and scooped everything out, but I knew I couldn't stay here forever. I eventually wiped my face with the back of my hand and started the long walk back to the servants' quarters. The palace felt like a gauntlet. Everywhere I went, mocking whispers followed me, and I could feel the eyes of the pack members on my back. I walked past the kitchens and heard the maids laughing, their voices loud and sharp so I would be sure to hear them. "Look at her, the little parasite," one of them hissed. "She thinks because she was born here she can just crawl back and stay. Someone needs to get rid of her for good". I kept my head down and ignored them, my feet moving on instinct until I found the infirmary. Kara was there, sorting through dried bundles of herbs, and the moment she saw my face she dropped what she was doing. She didn't ask questions, she just pulled me into a corner and let me sit down. "Don't you dare give up, Mira," she whispered, her eyes fierce and steady. "You have to keep trying to prove yourself. They’re all stubborn and angry right now, but everyone will come to accept you later if you just show them you aren't the monster they think you are". I wanted to believe her, I really did, but then the news hit the palace like a physical wave. Sienna Drake was back. The palace went into an absolute uproar. Sienna was the woman Lucian had been with after I was sent away, his former mate, and she was high-ranking, beautiful, and absolutely vicious. She didn't waste any time making it clear that she hated the fact that I had returned to Seattle. She started appearing everywhere I was working. If I was scrubbing the floors, she would walk across them with muddy boots and laugh. If I was carrying heavy crates, she would trip me or order me to take them to the other side of the palace for no reason at all. She spent the whole day mocking me, calling me a traitor and a dog, and trying to take advantage of the fact that I was technically a servant now. I tried to keep my temper, I really did, but by the evening I was exhausted and my patience was gone. I was in the main hallway when Sienna blocked my path, her blonde hair perfectly styled and a cruel smirk on her face. "You know, Mira, it’s traditional for the lower ranks to show respect to their betters," she said, her voice loud enough to draw a crowd of guards and maids. "Kneel. Right now. I want to see you on your knees in front of me". The people around us went silent, waiting to see what I would do. I looked at her, my back straight and my jaw set, and I didn't move an inch. "I'm not kneeling to you, Sienna," I said, my voice steady. Sienna’s eyes flashed with rage, and before I could even blink, she swung her hand. She slapped me so hard the sound echoed off the stone walls like a gunshot. My head snapped to the side, and the force of it sent me stumbling backward until I hit the wall, my cheek burning like it had been branded with a hot iron.
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