Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 8

Betrayed by Blood~

"There, that’s your work for today! Make sure it’s sparkling clean or you get no food for today," the head maid warned, throwing a bucket, a bowl, and a mop stick at me. I managed to catch it all, although ungracefully.

The woman scrunched her face in irritation. "Well, get going! You don’t have all day," she barked at me.

I flinched at her voice and immediately rushed towards the shed I was meant to clean. It wasn’t just me; there were about five of us cleaning different parts of the shed. Early this morning, we’d been woken up and given a flimsy material to wear in place of clothes because I wouldn’t ever call this a cloth.

I glanced at the two girls beside me who were also cleaning, recognizing them as the girls from the room. I shook my head, ready to get started with work. I fetched a bucket of water and got cleaning. Not only was the shed dirty, it was large. It looked like it had not been cleaned in years, therefore accumulating piles and piles of dirt. It was practically impossible to be done with it by night, yet we were expected to be done with it before lunch. I sighed internally, wondering if this is the life the goddess had chosen for me. How do I run from one problem only to land in a bigger one?

The scent of dust and mildew filled the shed, making it hard to breathe. I tried using my elbow to block the dust, but it was useless. Eventually, I got used to it and continued scrubbing, ignoring the ache in my hands as I scrubbed at a stubborn stain. My stomach growled, reminding me of the little food I’d had since I’d arrived here.

The other girls worked silently, almost like they were used to it. Occasionally, I’d catch one of them glancing at me, only for them to quickly look away. Maybe they were sizing me up, but I honestly couldn’t care. What mattered was surviving this day and the next. If only I hadn’t slipped, then I would be out of this pack. I would be far, far away from here.

"Did you hear?" one of the girls whispered suddenly to another. "The Alpha might have found his mate."

I froze, my hand pausing mid-scrub. I swallowed hard, trying my best to listen to what they were saying.

"No way, is that even possible?" the other girl replied, her voice so low that I had to strain my ears extra hard.

"Who would ever want to be mated to him? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Whoever she is, she has the worst luck ever. She must have offended the goddess because that’s not a blessing. That’s a curse," the girl mumbled out, only to have the other one clasp her hand over her mouth tightly, her eyes blown wide with fear.

"Are you out of your mind? What if someone heard you speak about him like that?"

"Relax," the first girl hissed, pulling the other’s hand away. "I’m just saying the truth. You know what they say about him."

I shifted uncomfortably, pretending to scrub harder.

"What truth?" the second girl whispered, her voice trembling.

The first girl leaned in closer, her voice dropping further. "The man killed his parents. Everyone knows that. The only reason no one speaks about it openly is because they’re too scared. He killed his father the second he clocked sixteen. Who would want to be mated to a man like that?"

My heart stopped. He really did kill his parents? His mother and his father? Oh, goddess.

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and suddenly, the air in the shed felt even more suffocating.

"Whoever his mate is," the first girl continued, her voice filled with pity, "She’s doomed."

I gripped the mop tighter, my hands trembling. The bucket wobbled under my foot as I shifted back, and before I could stop it, the mop slipped from my grip and fell to the ground, clattering about. Water splashed across the floor and right onto a pair of shoes standing in front of me. My heart leapt into my throat.

I looked up to see a woman with sharp, sculpted features, her red hair tied into a high ponytail, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Kendra.

The woman’s gaze was icy, her eyes narrowing as she took in the mess. She didn’t speak at first, just looked down at me irritably. "Ah, it’s you, isn’t it? Avery Jae," she finally spoke, her voice dripping with disdain. "Alpha Cain’s little mistake."

I couldn’t help but look up at her. For someone who I had no idea who she was, she sure did bear a whole lot of disgust for me.

I immediately bowed my head. "I’m sorry, please forgive me," but she ignored me.

"You’re the one he gave control over?" Kendra’s gaze flicked to the other maids, who quickly averted their eyes. "Pathetic. Does he really think you’re worthy of anything?"

My heart pounded in my chest at her words. ’Control over?’ ’Punishment?’

Kendra’s lips curled into a sneer. "Look at me when I’m talking to you." She yanked my hair from behind, her grip like iron. I gasped in shock, the sudden pain pulling my head back so sharply it felt as though my scalp might tear.

"Look at me," she ordered, and I did, my mind going wild. Tears pooled in my eyes.

"That’s right," she grinned as our eyes met, "You’ll learn that you can’t make mistakes here."

"I’m sorry, I-" I choked out, feeling her fingers curl deeper into my hair, yanking me back harder.

"You will be sorry," she hissed. "Get on your knees."

I froze, my breath catching in my throat, my body trembling with fear, and my eyes darted to the ground. Kendra let go of my hair and stepped back with a sickening grin, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Don’t make me repeat myself, Avery," Kendra purred, her voice low, almost as if she were enjoying it. "Kneel."

I swallowed hard and slowly got on my knees, my hands clenched into tight fists. I wished I had never stumbled into this pack. I wished I didn’t stay to get water. I wished I never came across those guards.

""Good girl," Kendra said, her smirk deepening. "Now, I think you owe me an apology... for ruining my shoes."

My heart sank. She was talking about her shoes. The ones I’d spilled water on.

I swallowed hard, trying to regulate my breathing as I slowly lowered my head, "I’m sorry," I said again.

Kendra’s eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t recognize. "You need to show more respect than that," she began, "You want me to forgive your mistake, don’t you? Then you’ll need to clean up this mess properly."

I felt a knot in my stomach as I watched her lean closer to me, a sinister smirk on her face. "Get on your knees and lick my shoe," Kendra purred, her voice sickly sweet as if she were enjoying every moment. "Clean it up, Avery. Every drop of water."

The words hit me like a blow, my face drained of color quickly. My chest tightened, and I fought to control the tears that threatened to fall.

The other maids stood in silence, all watching in shock at what Kendra had just said.

I could feel the burn of humiliation creeping up my neck. The thought of what Kendra was asking me to do made me want to collapse, to break down in front of everyone. It was insane to think and even wilder to say.

I opened my mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a sharp voice.

"Kendra!"

I paused to see a dark-haired woman walking our way, tall, taller than Kendra herself and lean. Kendra’s smile dropped the second she heard the voice, irritation building up in her.

"Lydia...how lovely of you to join us."

Lydia’s gaze flickered from Kendra to the lady kneeling before her. Ah, Avery. The one reason Cain’s currently losing his mind...

"What do you think you’re doing?" Lydia barked out.

Kendra raised her eyebrows, "Teaching a maid a lesson, what? I can’t do that?" She shot back at the beta.

"A lesson? Kendra, have you lost it? She isn’t a maid, and you know it," Lydia gritted out, and Kendra’s eyes flashed gold.

"If she isn’t, then what is she? I’d like to see you say that to Cain," she spat out, her eyes filled with anger. She snapped her face to me and glared hard. "This isn’t over..." she spat out before stomping away.