“What are you doing here?” Hearing that familiar icy voice, she stops abruptly on her track and takes a deep breath, trying not to appear nervous. Turning around, she almost jumps out of her skin at the sight that welcomes her. There is Astrid, glaring hard at her.
“I asked a question, what are you doing here? Are you here to steal something?” Astrid questions her again, and she scoffs unbelievably as she tilts her head around as if she’s searching for something.
“I asked a question, what are you searching for?” Astrid sounds pissed.
“I’m looking around to be sure that there’s someone else you’re talking to, and not me. Steal something? That’s ridiculous. I don’t look like a thief, do I?” She scoffs as she crosses her arms on her chest. How come she’s suddenly bold and talks back at her in that manner, is what even she has no idea of.
“Your father didn’t look like a traitor and he still killed the late alpha,” Astrid smirks at her, and she gasps as she slowly clenches her fists in anger.
“So, it’s ok not to look like a thief, but still one. You know, I have been wondering where you got the guts to be parading the castle as if you’re a free person all this while. You know if I were you, I’d lock myself up in the room and cry my eyes out all day. How can you not think of your miserable life? You’re going to die soon, why are you not sad?” Hearing Astrid’s words, she grits her teeth as her heart sinks into her stomach. She’s right anyway, she has no reason to be happy, she’s supposed to lock herself inside her room all day and anticipate her death, but how’s she supposed to do that when she has to be happy? What if she dies before they can even find her father?
“Is it necessary to do that? I already know my fate, and I’m strong enough to accept it. Don’t you think I’ll be a weak lady if I lock myself indoors and cry all day? I guess you would’ve done that if you were in my shoes…”
“And who says that I’ll ever be in your shoes? My parents will never be so greedy to the point of hurting their leader, and…”
“And what if it’s not the crime of treason, but another grievous one?” With a smirk dancing at the corner of her lips, Cassie says to her confidently and she gasps.
“You!” She raises her hand to slap her.
“You wouldn’t dare do that,” Her cold voice brings Astrid’s hand abruptly in the air.
“The only person that can raise hands on me is alpha Damien, and nobody else. Even if I’m a slave here, I’m his slave alone, and nobody will dare to bully me. I won’t allow that, not even you,” She further says, and Astrid gasps sharply. She wasn’t expecting her to be so brave.
“Excuse me,” And with that, she walks past her and ambles out of the garden, leaving Astrid stunned.
Walking down the veranda, she keeps scoffing angrily. The weird sound coming from the other end of the hallway pulls her attention, and she halts abruptly. Following the sound, she finds herself standing in front of the alpha’s door a few minutes later. There are still two guards standing in front of the door.
“What are you doing here?” One of them asks her icily, and she gulps down nothing nervously. She’s sure that the sound is coming from the alpha’s room, which makes her worried. The whimpering sound continues, but the guards don’t look like they’re hearing the voice.
“Uhm… The alpha asked me to meet him earlier today,” Hearing this from her, they both glance at each other, weighing the truth in what she just said. It’s already late in the night, and the alpha must’ve slept off for so long, how come she’s just coming now?
She watches as the two guards whisper into each other’s ears before one of them finally push the door open for her, and she quickly walks inside. They close the door behind her.
Stepping into the large room, she looks around, but there’s no sign of him in the room.
“Where’s he?” She wonders, still standing on the spot. She mustn’t have heard wrong or maybe was she hallucinating. She wonders as she stares around the room. The whimper that was coming from inside the room moments ago has disappeared.
“Maybe it was my delusion,” She concludes, and turning around to leave the room, the whimpers sound through her ears again, bringing her to a halt. Listening to the voice with rapt attention, she realizes that it’s coming from the bathroom.
She gulps down the sudden lump that forms in her throat, as she stares at the closed bathroom door. Scared of going close to it for the fear of the alpha getting mad at her, and scared of going back for the fear of him getting hurt in there. She stands on the spot, contemplating what to do, until the door suddenly bursts open and she gasps sharply as he staggers out of the bathroom, looking weak. He’s wearing a black towel around his waist. His body is well built with his perfectly toned abs, but it’s not the time to admire him yet, he doesn’t look like he’s fine.
He stops abruptly as he spots a blurry figure standing in his room. He tries to keep his eyes open, but the more he tries to, the more he feels his heart hurting badly. His heart wrenches in pain and he finds it difficult to breathe.
“My lord… Are you OK?” She asks in a quivering voice as she stares at him from where she’s standing, scared of going close to her. Of course, she won’t want to be scolded like he did the other time.
He suddenly clutches his chest tightly as he feels his heart beating fast, causing him more pain, and slowly, his legs weaken and his eyes become heavy. That’s all he remembers as he suddenly slumps, and falls on her. He passed out…