Cilla’s POV
Two weeks had passed since Jane Willow returned to the pack. A lot had changed since her arrival. Ridian and I had not had any time together. He was rarely at the pack and I rarely saw him. I remained Jane’s personal maid and she never made any unrealistic demands. As long as I did what I was required to do, she mostly left me alone. Jane seemed more disturbed than I was about Ridian’s plans but she distracted herself by getting involved in Camilla Jamison’s project.
The only good thing about Ridian not being around was that it meant he was not spending time with Jane. It was why I did not feel a lot of pain. Had he showered attention on her, it would have driven me crazy.
I ran into him a few times in the hallway as he stepped out of his elevator but he did not say anything to me. It was very hurtful, but I was beginning to get used to that attitude. When you choose to worry less about something, it becomes less stressful.
Cara and I hung out together during our free time. Maryanne usually never paid much attention to me. She seemed focused on getting the attention of Brody Jamison. She had finally understood that Ridian was not interested in her. So, she went for the next best.
Occasionally, I would go find Katy and play with her. Sometimes, I managed to sneak out the toys I found lying around the backyard. Behind the backyard was a small recreational enclosure for the pack children.
Unfortunately, children of slaves were not allowed there. So, whenever the kids were careless and brought toys out of the enclosure, I’d pick them and take to Katy. When she got bored of them, I returned those ones and looked for different ones. It was the only way I could bring some semblance of normalcy into the little girl’s life.
As my birthday drew closer, I started to feel melancholic and moody. I remembered my last birthday which had been filled with love, joy and life. The whole pack had celebrated my birthday and I had felt so lucky to be surrounded by people who loved and cared for me.
My parents, siblings, relatives and friends had all been there to celebrate me. It had been a beautiful occasion and I’d felt like a princess. Life was good, and I had never imagined it was all about to come tumbling down.
Now here I was, away from all those people, wishing that the day would come and end as soon as possible. I did not even want to experience it. It reminded me of so many good things I had lost so I wanted it to pass as fast as possible. I couldn’t stand the wait.
Cara noticed the difference in my mood and asked me what was wrong. At first, I insisted I was okay but eventually gave in and told her everything. She was the only person who reminded me that I deserved love and care. She was the only family and friend I had at the time. Life had taken away all the others.
Eventually, the dreaded day finally came. When I opened my eyes, tears were the first things to come out of them. I started sobbing immediately, feeling a lot of dread and sadness inside. The painful memories of my parents’ death came alive in my mind. No matter how much I tried, I could not erase the picture. I decided to get up and shower hoping it would cheer me out.
Opening the curtains of the window, I glimpsed at a new bright day. It looked so good but the darkness in my soul dulled it within seconds. I turned back and removed my nightdress. Nude, I walked to the lower end of the bed and removed my towel from the frame. Wrapping it around myself, I went to my stool, picked up toothpaste and a brush. After squirting the paste onto the brush, I walked out of the room and headed to the showers.
Had I been back at the slave quarters, the shower rooms would have been crowded. We were few in the house, I had been assigned to live in so there was little congestion. I brushed my teeth at the sink before heading to the shower. The cold water ran over my body causing me to shiver but I loved it. I want discomfort to distract me from my painful situation.
After showering, I got ready and went to the pack house to attend to Jane who was still sleeping. I kept knocking louder and louder on her door until she shouted. “Go away. I’ll call for you when I need you. Can’t someone get some peaceful sleep in this house?”
“With pleasure,” I said and turned away. I was heading to the stairs when I saw Maryanne and Cara arguing while coming out of the elevator. Maryanne pushed out the trolley and Cara followed like a boss. I smiled.
After exchanging greetings, we went our own ways. I went to the kitchen to see if I could get something to eat. When I got there, I was surprised to see a lot of uncooked food items.
“Is there a ceremony today?” I asked.
“Yes,” A girl called Aya said. “I think Miss Jane and the alpha are officially getting back together. I wonder if they will organise another wedding. I love weddings.”
“Hope she won’t get kidnapped again this time,” a friend of hers whose name I didn’t know said. “Poor Miss Willow has been through a lot. I’m happy she’s finally getting her happy ending.”
Mary, who knew about my mate bond, noticed my discomfort.
“Don’t make stupid conclusions, girl. Alpha Ridian’s business partners are coming over later. Hey, Cilla, come on, have something. Get a cup and pour yourself some tea first. These scones are very fresh and tasty. You need to try them.”
“Really, Mary? I thought this is for something fun, not some stupid business partner meeting. I wanna dance and have fun. We haven’t had a party in a while. Ever since Jane was taken, alpha Ridian hasn’t been his usual fun self. It may be a business party but I’m happy that the lively part of him is returning.”
I tried to tune them off as I served myself but it was impossible. Eventually, I carried my breakfast and went to have it outside in the yard. Before I was done, Jane asked for me. I went and did my work peacefully. When I was done, I went to look for Katy in the slave quarters. I helped her do her laundry and we dried it together while Janine Bakers seethed.
In the evening, I started to hear party music. Cara came to find me and told me we were both invited to serve at the party. Since I had not been at a party in a while, I was happy to go. Besides, it was my birthday. Even if the party was not for me, I was going to try and enjoy it while serving those it was organised for.
At least, I was going to enjoy some good food. Also, we didn’t have to wear maid uniform but dinner dresses that Cara had. Since we were almost the same size, I was able to wear hers. She told me that she’d paid to have them brought from outside the year before.
When we got to the hall, I was shocked to see the type of decorations. It did not look like a business party but a more social one. As we got closer, Cara became very excited. Many of the pack members had gathered and they did not look too happy, save for a few.
I froze when I saw the banner.