The Alpha’s Shadow

Chapter 4

Anne’s POV

I followed quietly behind the guards to the staff quarters and to my pleasant surprise, everything seemed so much more pristine and orderly than my previous pack.

The staff quarters were located at the east wing of the pack house, on the ground floor. The air was fresh there and the curtains smelled like they were cleaned regularly. The lightning was perfect and ethereal, the omegas I passed on the way wore uniforms and hospitable smiles.

Suddenly one of the guards looked over his shoulder at me and said, “You will wait here with the other omegas to be assigned to your rooms.”

I simply nodded. We had entered a large hall and I could recognize some of the other prisoners I was supposed to be sold off with and I wondered what they intended to do with us now.

Then I spotted the all-knowing lady from the cell that was next to mine in our previous pack and I immediately ran up to her.

She had her back to me, so I had to tap her shoulder, she turned and I blurted out a nervous: “y...you...” she had no idea how happy I was to see her and her sharp green eyes.

She smirked, then stretched out her hand, “yes me, Eloise.”

I took the hand, delighted. Her palm felt coarse and rough, it saddened me knowing it was probably due to the hard life as a prisoner. Even though she looked so pretty to be called a prisoner. “You're here.”

She frowned, “So are you. That was foolish what you did earlier, running off like that, without a plan.”

I lowered my gaze and played with my hands, she was right, look where it got me after all. “I know, I’m...I’m sorry. I was just......”

“It’s okay, at least you’re safe. I didn’t think you’d be though. Alpha Jonathan actually told the guards to hold on, as they were about to go after you, he told them to hold on that he’d go after you himself and I feared for your life. I'm surprised he didn’t kill you because he seemed very angry as he stormed off.”

The first tear fell, “honestly, I was so scared. I... I heard him following me, and then I fell and...”

“Shh, stop crying.” was all she said. Perhaps she didn’t understand how narrowly I had once again escaped death, and not just death, death by the hands of a mate that didn’t want me. He dared ask me to be his mistress insulting the sacredness of the mate title.

She didn’t understand what it felt like to be rejected, looked down on, not considered to be worthy or good enough, just a mere composition of flesh and bones.

I nodded either way, and pointed to a part of the hall that seemed the busiest. “Why are they all gathered there?” effective changing our topic of discussion.

“That’s where they take our names and other information about us. Like a registration point.”

“Whoa, it’s all so orderly here. And then what next?”

“They’ll give us rooms and make us their servants. Alpha Jonathan rules one of the biggest packs and they need workers. Some of us will serve here at the pack house, others will serve outside the pack house.”

I was about to reply when I heard a powerful voice shout, “Is there an Anne here?”

I waited, expecting some other Anne to answer but no one does. I frowned but lifted my right arm, “present!”

“Good, follow me.”

I did, while quietly wondering who she was and how she knew my name. We walked to the end of a hallway and cornered into an office. The chubby woman in blue and white uniform like the other staff members I’d seen, went and sat behind a big wooden desk.

“I’m the head staff, Madame Carlise,” then she pulled out a drawer and produced a key, “I was instructed to put you in one of the best rooms without a roommate. Alpha's orders.” then she looked up and squinted her eyes at me. “Miss, what’s your relationship with the alpha?”

I immediately swallowed, so loud I was sure she heard. That wasn’t information I intended to disclose to anyone. But why? Why would she think I shared some sort of relationship with the alpha. I didn’t, I definitely did not. And I was about to open my mouth to tell her just that but she continued speaking.

“Because I am indeed shocked and curious as to what you must have done to warrant such preferential treatment.” she began ransacking her desk till she found a thick book and a pen. “Anyways, do tell me your full name.”

I cleared my throat, “Anne Rothfield.”

“Previous pack?” she took notes

“The crystal moon pack.”

“Family?’

“All deceased.”

She peered up at me. “Oh, poor thing. Anyways, starting today miss Rothfield, you shall serve the alpha as his personal maid.”

What? I panicked. But I made my choice, and I thought that entailed no more interactions with him whatsoever. So, for clarity, I asked. “What, what does that mean ma’am?”

‘Mhm, well you are to run his errands for him, ensure his room is tidy at all times and his laundry neatly done. His meals served and so on.”

“Just that?” nothing else? Nothing that involved the work of a mistress? Then fine, I guess I can do that. I relaxed.

“Yes, don’t worry, I’ll guide you and soon you’ll get used to the system here. Your room is room 11A, hard to miss. You may leave; it’ll be dinner time soon.”

“Thank you, ma....”

“Madame Carlise.” she firmly corrected

“Sorry. Thank you Madame Carlise.”

I exited her office and practically ran back to where Eloise and I stood earlier, conversing. To my delight, she was still there.

“I just had my name written, I'll be joining the kitchen staff.” she said and waited for me to fill her in too.

“I’ll serve the alpha.” I murmured.

She smirked that smirk of hers that made her look like some cunning villain. “I don’t know if I should happy for you or scared for you. Do you think he’s punishing you for running away by keeping you close in order to torture you every day?”

I hadn’t thought of that. I gasped, “Eloise......” she just had to put that in my head.

“Anne, my only advice is that you be careful, listen, talk less, and think, before every action, please think.”

Just then, a bell went off and I heard Madame Carlise scream: “Dinner, everyone!”

And immediately the atmosphere shifted to rowdy and chaotic as all roads led to the dining hall.

“Don’t overfeed yourself, remember, you’re in foreign territory.” Eloise whispered to me as we joined the commotion.

The original pack house staffs, in their demure uniforms, walked into the dining hall in pairs of twos and threes, chatting and laughing. They seemed, happy. Content. But they were omegas like me. I couldn’t stop staring.

The hall is packed and dotted many with large rectangular tables, filled with different assortments of food, my mouth watered. Of course, they knew how to be happy, they were well fed.

“Okay, listen up, new intakes. Each table belonged to a department, so sit with fellow members of your newly assigned department, that is, those assigned to be gardeners sit at the gardeners table, new cleaners locate the cleaners’ table and sit there. Eat together, get to know yourselves, you’ll be working together.”

Eloise waved me before going to locate her fellow kitchen staff and eat with them. I looked around aimlessly till madame Carlise waved me over, “Anne, come join us.”

I sat at what seemed to be the scantiest table in the hall, beside madame Carlise. “This table is for the higher ranked staffs.” she told me. Does that make me a high ranked staff?

Sounds of cutlery and chatter filled the air, I quietly filled my plate and listened to them talk:

“Do you even mind Joe? He can’t literally be serious to save his life.”

“Hehe, it’s not that I’m not serious, it’s you guys that don’t take me seriously.” a dark-skinned boy answered defensively. “I’m telling you; Beta Franklin begged me to chase her out of his room.”

“Joe, should you even be telling us the details about what Beta Franklin does? You're there to serve him not spy on him.” madame Carlise intervened.

“Nice one madame.”

I watched as conversation flowed easily amongst them. They didn’t look like they were maltreated, or starved, or lived in fear like I was. Alpha Jonathan treated his people well? I mean look at what they were eating. Was he not so bad after all? They were happy and free, I had long forgotten what that felt like.

“Hey there’s a new face at the table! She’s the only ununiformed staff here.” I hadn’t known he was talking about me, till the dark-skinned boy called out from across the table, “hello pretty, what’s the name?”

I looked up, swallowed my chewed-up morsel of food and answered, ‘Anne.”

“Nice name, I’m Joe. So, you’re the alpha’s new personal maid?” he answered.

I nodded, mainly because I had stuffed my mouth again and also because I was bad at socializing.

“That’s cool. The alpha’s never had a personal maid before.”

“Right?” a girl piqued up, “thought it was weird at first but then again it’s Alpha Jonathan, so welcome to the crew.” she smiled at me. But I grew restless.

After dinner, I was looking forward to rushing to my room, bury myself on my mattress and replay the day’s events in my head. But a guard approached me,

“Miss Rothfield, the alpha summons you,” he said.

My heart skipped a beat.