Esmeralda
Tension hung in the air as all eyes were locked on a confused-looking Vanessa who stood transfixed on a spot, hands on hips and head going wild with thoughts.
“Just walk to the door, open it and meet the Alpha,” Bryan’s whisper broke the silence.
Silence. Thick silence reigned in the room as Vanessa was still glued to the spot, contemplating her decision.
“Why are you not walking?” Bryan’s voice taunted her again. Sarcasm was evident in his voice.
A few awkward seconds passed and Vanessa was still rooted to the spot.
“Have you forgotten how to walk?”
“Cut it out, Bryan,” Vanessa snapped, hissing loudly, “How do you expect me to go to the Alpha for petty reasons,” Her furious eyes found mine, giving them a dreadful look.
“But you just dared us,” Bryan rolled his eyes in disgust, “I knew it. I knew they were all empty talks. You’ve always been a scared puppy who pretends to be brave around new intakes, like Esmeralda and her friend,”
“Don’t you dare,” Vanessa rushed to launch at him, but Madam Dora’s timely intervention restrained her.
“Stop it, both of you!” She screamed in frustration with her hands holding Vanessa firmly, “We are supposed to teach Selene and Esmeralda what to do, to show them around, but here you are, doing worse than the opposite,”
“Don’t make me lose my temper,”
“We are sorry, Madam Dora,” They chorused, but Vanessa’s deadly gaze found mine, conveying a message I didn’t understand.
She hated me, I knew it and I was fine with it.
She wasn’t the first person to hate me and she won’t be the last.
Hatred doesn’t bother me anymore as I live and breathe in it. It was already part of my existence.
My curious eyes found hers, struggling to decode the message.
But it was futile.
The message was strange.
Strange to comprehend.
Different from the usual hateful glares shot at me. Except that this time, it promised me loads of horrible experiences.
“Sorry for yourselves,” She snapped before her small eyes met Vanessa’s, “Vanessa, you will assist Esmeralda in cleaning Alpha Kade’s quarters, teach her what she needs to know, her boundaries and everything,”
Vanessa’s eyes widened in disbelief, “I won’t do such,” She spat, fuming in anger, “First, you replaced me with this thing and now, you want me to show her around? Seriously?” She cocked her head to the side, furrowing her brows.
A long weary sigh escaped Madam Dora’s lips and one could tell that she was frustrated by Vanessa’s attitude, “If you don’t teach her, how will she learn? She doesn’t know how the Alpha keeps his things, she doesn’t know shit about his quarters. And Vanessa, you know how the Alpha likes his stuff neatly arranged, you know how mad he gets if he spots a stain or any mistake. And since you were the one in charge, you know all these things, you will have to teach her,”
“She can learn from anywhere for all I care, but the last thing I will do is to teach her, ” She lashed out. Her voice filled with pure hatred.
“Vanessa…” Madam Dora’s voice trailed as she ran out of words. Her slender hand tapped her forehead lightly before she heaved a long sigh.
“Don’t worry, Madam Dora, it will be my pleasure to show Esmeralda around and teach her all that she needs to know,” Eyes turned to meet Jade’s plumpy figure walking toward us. Her smooth caramel skin shone brightly under the sun, making her appear like an angel. Her face wore a cheerful smile and her aura screamed ‘friendly’.
“You were saying?” Madam Dora asked, creasing her brow.
“I said that I will take it as my responsibility to teach Esmeralda about Alpha Kade’s quarters,” Her clear voice filled the room, sweeping me off my feet.
Finally, someone who cares.
But what if it was all a facade?
“Thank you so much, Jade. You are heaven-sent,” Madam Dora’s hands said in a relieved tone, stroking her thick black kinky hair.
“So where will I be since you are throwing me out of the quarters?” Vanessa askedVanessa’s asked, her voice laced with worry.
“Uhm… maybe in the kitchen, with me,” Madam Dora said boredly.
“What? I can’t even cook. I hate cooking!” Vanessa screamed, her voice tearing down the walls in my ears with anger evident in it, “You can’t do that to me,”
Jade’s brown hand snaked its way to Vanessa’s shoulder, giving her a soft pat, “There is no harm in learning how to cook. Cooking is fun and the fun part is that you get to cook the Alpha’s food,”
“Get your hands off me, brat. Your opinion wasn’t needed,” Vanessa shrugged her shoulders, dropping Jade’s hand.
“What if I still clean the quarters and she assists,” Vanessa’s voice shook in fear.
What was she afraid about? Losing him to me?
He was mine after all.
My mate. Mine.
“Vanessa, dear, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that only one person takes care of the quarters. It’s not possible,”
I bit my lips as mocking laughter threatened to slip out of them.
Snap out of it, girl, I’m in charge!
“Fine,” Vanessa stamped her feet angrily on the tiled floor, throwing the napkin on the group, walking out of the room in anger as her butt shook rigorously beneath the tight uniform, “You’ll see,”
A sigh of relief washed through me as she made her way to the door, but one nasty look from her made me flinch back in fear.
I’m so done. I knew it.
Help me, Moon goddess.
“Ignore her, Esmeralda. That’s how she is. She will do nothing,” Jade’s brown arm found its way to my shoulder, tugging me closer to her.
What the hell was she doing?
Pretending to be my friend?
Selene was more than enough for me. She was my everything. I didn’t need her.
With shaky hands, I tossed her arm aside, enlarging the distance between us.
“You’ll see,” Those words replayed in my mind, awakening my fears.
“Ignore her, Esmeralda… she will do nothing,”
No, she won’t.
Those words didn’t sound like empty threats.
Vanessa meant every word she said.
I hope she doesn’t make my stay miserable.
“Esmeralda!” Jade’s voice jolted me from my long train of thought, making me jump in fright.
“What?” I asked breathlessly, placing my hand on my chest.
“Sorry for startling you but you seemed lost in thoughts,” Jade’s hands found mine again, giving it a gentle squeeze.
What the hell, girl!
“Are you okay?” She gave me a concerned look. Small v-lines formed between her brows.
“I am fine,”
Why was she concerned about me?
I wasn’t used to people being concerned about me and it made me uncomfortable.
“That was Vanessa, our spoilt brat and this is Bryan. Bryan, say hello to our new friend,”
Friend?!
Bryan and Jade were my new friends?
“Hello,” Bryan waved, flashing a smile at me before burying himself in his activities.
“Hy,” My voice trembled as I waved back timidly.
“My name is Jade and I will gladly show you around,” Her smile grew wider, revealing her perfect dentition.
“Thank you for being nice,” I said in almost a whisper. Tears welled up in my eyes at her kind gesture.
As much as I’ve always longed to feel loved, I wasn’t used to it.
Why was she nice?
Why was she friendly?
Why was she warm?
All my life, I grew up in hatred. I wined in hatred and dined in hatred, never had someone willingly become my friend. Except for Selene.
But this atmosphere was strange.
Madam Dora was strange.
Jade was strange.
Nicely strange.
“Don’t sweat it,” Jade pulled my hands, urging me to leave the room, “Come on, let’s get started,”
Anxiety and excitement filled me as I made my way out the door, leaving Selene behind with Madam Dora but the thought of Vanessa crushed my excitement to pieces, weakening my bones with fear. Fear of Vanessa and her shady plans for me. And at once, I wished I wasn’t here.