Esmeralda
The door opened to reveal a distressed and confused-looking Selene who froze at the sight of an angry pair of eyes glaring at her.
She must have been worried sick at my absence
She must have been looking for me.
But I let her roam in the devil’s castle, knowing how much Alpha Kade resented her.
Though her presence brought calmness to my troubled soul, her timing was unfortunate.
“Uhm, sorry, I was just looking for her. I don’t mean any harm,” She muttered an apology, gasping like she had seen a ghost.
“And who are you?” Silvius’ deadly gaze pinned her to the ground. Anger laced his voice, but he tried his best to curtail his raging emotions. If it weren’t for Alpha Kade’s warning, he would have torn Selene apart.
“Who the fuck are these people?” He flared, swinging his arms in the air.
Wasn’t he used to people?
I needed to do something.
I wasn’t going to sit back and watch him assault Selene.
“She is my best friend,” I chimed in. He dared not hurt a hair on her head.
“We don’t run charity here. You can go back to the holes you crawled from,”
We weren’t beggars!
Silence stretched. Long silence and Alpha Kade appeared lost in thoughts. Silvius wouldn’t stop devouring us with his eyes and the old lady stood quietly on a spot like a statue.
Why was she quiet?
Workers don’t have a say.
“Who are they Alpha?” Silvius’ stern voice jolted us from our thoughts.
This guy was hard to convince!
And Selene’s scent only infuriated him more.
“They are… actually, I brought them to assist Dora in taking care of the house. They are my new housekeepers,”
I was taken aback by Alpha Kade’s words. Unable to say a word, I glued on a spot with widened eyes. My jaws hit the ground and painfully tears welled up in my eyes.
It was like a bucket of ice was thrown over my naked body.
This was unbelievable.
Alpha Kade introduced me as a housekeeper!
An agonizing pain surged through me, paralysing me completely as my weak legs could no longer support my body.
The pain was too much for me to bear!
It took me a lot of willpower to remain on the spot.
I wanted to run, far away from his sight. Never to see him again as his appearance disgusted me.
How dare he refer to me as a housekeeper!
I was his mate, not his housekeeper! But I was afraid to voice out. I was scared for my life.
“Housekeepers?!” Silvius’ brows knitted in suspicion, glaring at the woman, “I am certain that Madam Dora has enough helping hands,”
“Adding two more will lessen the burden,” He said briskly, “Dora, meet Esmeralda and the wit…”
“Selene,”
“Selene. They are the new housekeepers. Make sure you educate them about the rules guiding this castle and teach them the basics, like cooking, cleaning… anything teachable,”
Dora bowed, submitting herself to his aura, “Yes, Alpha,” Her cheerful eyes met mine as she pulled me closer to herself.
“What is your name, dear?” Her comforting voice filled my ears, reminding me of my mother.
“I have said it before. Her name is Esmeralda,”
“Sorry about that, Alpha,” She bowed again, “Is there any specific place you want them to be?”
Silence stretched as Alpha Kade was lost in his head. It was like he was fighting a war in his head.
“Fix Selene anywhere, anywhere away from my sight. What she does is none of my business,”
Silvius chuckled loudly, “Working with witches now are we?”
Uncomfortable silence reigned as different thoughts filled my head.
Where will my place be in the castle?
Would he want me out of his sight?
“And what about, Esmeralda?” Her eyes shifted to meet me, “Would you want her out of your sight also?”
“No,” He replied quickly, swallowing a bile that got stuck in his throat, “Esmeralda will work in my quarters,”
“But Alpha, Vanessa is in charge of cleaning your quarters,” Her voice shook, trying not to anger Alpha Kade with her questions.
“Fix Vanessa anywhere. Maybe to help you in the kitchen. I want Esmeralda in my quarters. Teach her everything she needs to know,” He said with an air of finality.
Really?
I will clean his quarters privately?
Is that a way of compensating me?
Does that mean I won’t see Selene?
And why did he separate us?
I didn’t even know whether to be sad or to be happy.
“Yes, Alpha,” She bowed slightly, enveloping my hand in hers, “Selene, you may want to come with me,”
With baby steps, I walked out of the office, glancing at Alpha Kade who avoided my eyes. Guilt washed through him. I tried to blink back the tears that struggled to be liberated as I didn’t want to raise suspicion. Especially from Silvius.
“How are you feeling, dear?” Her cheerful voice echoed throughout the empty hallway as we made our way out of the office.
How was I feeling?
Terrible!
“I understand that being a cleaner wasn’t your expectation, but I can assure you that you will enjoy it. Working here will soon excite you and you will not regret it,”
Really?
I already regret pleading with him to accept me. I could have worn my rejection with pride.
“Today will mark a new beginning in you and your friend’s lives,”
Cut the crap, ma’am. Today is the worst day of my life!
Can this woman stop saying nice things? I wasn’t in the mood for this. I understand that she was trying to be friendly but now wasn’t the best time.
My mate just introduced me as a cleaner and it hurts so bad.
“Don’t cry, sweetie, our Alpha is no monster. He treats his workers well, but sometimes, some attitudes irritate him. But don’t be scared. We are here for you, anytime,”
My brows knitted in confusion, saying my first words to her, “We?”
“Yes, we, I mean the other housekeepers. I am Madam Dorathy, the chief housekeeper,” She flashed a smile at me, revealing her perfect dentition, “But you can call me Dora,”
“Least I forget, I will introduce you and your friend to the other housekeepers,” She said, cupping my cheeks.
They were other housekeepers?!
Urgh! Can today be any better?!