Alora.
The door to the kitchen pulled open and I stepped back.
Fear overtook me as the kitchen came into view. I suddenly didn’t want to go on, all the excitement I had felt earlier suddenly died down and was replaced by fear.
This was the first time in years I was ever going to make contact with more than one person at once. The past years, I have only been with Jax, no one else was allowed in the room and I wasn’t outside either.
I didn’t know how to act, I didn’t know what to do.
It was like the hallway was starting to close around me and I suddenly couldn’t breathe properly.
What if they didn’t like me?
What if they hated me and treated me badly?
I couldn’t deal with that. Placing my hand over my chest, I stepped backwards again as Lana finally turned. Her eyes widened as I backed against the wall breathing heavily.
It’s been so long since I made contact with other people that I didn’t know how I was going to act around them and what they would think about me.
What if they saw my scars?
Or worse, the brand?
“Calm down, uhm..” Lana started as she trailed off not knowing what my name was, but I was too busy having an anxiety attack that I couldn’t speak.
“It’s ok, Violeta.” Lana said and I turned to her, confused at the name she had called me.
“My name is Alora, why did you call me that?” I asked, and she smiled, her face wrinkling a bit as she reached for my face.
And for some reason I didn’t pull away, her eyes were so kind and filled with so much love. I had expected her to look at me with disgust or pity. But it was like they were telling me a story and I found myself being drawn to it.
I felt her palm against my cheeks, warm and soft, despite a few callouses from probably cooking, they felt so nice.
“Because of your eyes, mi amor, they are violet, and beautiful. In Spanish, the feminine name for the color violet is Violeta. And your eyes are the exact shade, Violeta.” She whispered softly to me and I hadn’t realized a tear had fallen past my eyes until she wiped them.
“If you don’t want me to call you that, it’s ok. I’ll call you Alora.” She said, smiling sadly at me and I shook my head.
I didn’t want her to call me that, there was something about her calling me something different that made me feel special.
I said nothing because I didn’t know what to say, but thankfully she understood and she chuckled.
“Ok, Violeta, I’ll only be the one to call you that. It would be our special name.” She smiled and I nodded before she stepped back.
I realized I had stopped having my anxiety attack and I was finally breathing normally, I also didn’t feel as nervous as I had earlier. And for the first time, I was calm.
“Come on, we have work to do and I’m sure Raya is busy with her phone and Carmen is watching that stupid Korean dramas she’s so obsessed with.” Lana hissed and walked into the kitchen.
I took in a deep breath before I walked in with her. The kitchen was massive, almost three times the size of Ares’ room. There were cabinets hanging on the walls, the kitchen island was big and square shaped lying at the center.
The countertop sparkled with the reflection of the lights hanging above it. Chairs lined the side of it, tall ones similar to the type in a bar.
Tall drawers stood at the side of the kitchen with expensive glass plates in them, silver and gold cups and the rest of the silverware. And to the left was a door that probably led to the store and directly opposite it was a door that led outside. I could see the bright sky from it and what appeared like a garden outside.
I almost gasped at the sight of the kitchen, it was like a mansion compared to the one at my parent’s house.
With wide eyes, I walked in, looking everywhere before my eyes met with someone else.
She was tall, about the same height as the other girl in the sitting room watching TV. She had blonde hair that she had pulled into a bun, they didn’t look like the original color, it was like she had dyed them blonde, while the roots were a deep shade of brown.
She had fierce blue eyes, and her skin was so smooth and they glowed in the white crop top she wore and blue jeans.
She was beautiful, and I could have mistaken her for a model.
“Who are you and why are you wearing my jacket?” She spoke sharply and I blinked twice before stepping backwards.
She eyed me, and her eyes told me she was disgusted by me as she trailed down my body with those fierce blue eyes of hers.
“Calm down Camila,” Lana said, going to stand in front of the girl and I could feel my eyes starting to water.
“Who’s she? Did you give her my clothes?” Camila spat again and I flinched at the noise wanting to run away or hide under the counter.
“Did I train you this way! mocosa podrida, you rotten child!” Lana yelled, raising her hand and hitting Camila on her back, not too hard but enough to scold her.
“What is it mama? She’s wearing my clothes without permission!” Camila groaned, throwing her bag against the counter and storming her feet on the floor.
“I’ll pull out your ears today!” Lana said as she reached to hit her again when Camila ducked and ran to the other side of the room. Lana sighed before turning back to me with a tired smile.
“It’s ok Alora, this spoiled brat is my daughter, Camila.” Lana said pointing to Camila who folded her arms and gave me a stern look that had me shifting my heel closer to the door.
“Camila this is Alora, she’s a new maid. Take good care of her and if I hear you talk about her wearing your clothes again, I’ll pull out your ears so you don’t have to wear those sparkling earrings you love so much.” Lana said, and Camila scoffed.
“We don’t need any new maid though.” She said, her eyes running down my body and I squeezed the jacket, scared she should see underneath it and at my scars.
“We do, with you and Carmen resuming school next week and the pack ceremony coming in. We need all the help we can get. Fetch me that bowl over there.” Lana said, typing her hair with a scarf she took out of her apron.
Camila frowned, reaching for the bowl and passing it to her mother. “But you have Raya and Isabel to help you.”
Lana laughed, snatching the bowl from Camila before she started breaking some eggs into it.
“Those two! Raya is probably still on her phone in the toilet she claimed to visit an hour ago. Isabel is always late. And where the hell is Carmen.” Lana said before grabbing a chair and sitting on it, sighing deeply.
“You four would be the death of me.” She said tiredly and Camila rolled her eyes before she snapped them at me, I jumped at the sudden contact and she raised her brow.
“What? Why are you so jumpy?” She asked me and I looked at Lana, she was busy breaking the eggs.
I turned my gaze back at Camila not knowing what to say in response so I just looked down at my palm and played with my fingers.
I heard Camila scoff before she started to walk towards me, this time Lana turned to us but said nothing.
I swallowed as Camila stood in front of me, she was a bit taller than me making her appear more intimidating with those fierce blue eyes which I realized were contact lenses upon closer look.
“Hey! Are you mute or deaf?” She asked, pushing me slightly against my shoulder and I gasped, stepping away from her like I had touched fire.
“N.. No.” I whispered softly, as fear started to shoot up my spine. Camila scared me and I didn’t like her. From the way she looked down at me to the way she spoke to me, everything about her was intimidating and as she stood so close to me I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.
“What’s going on? Who are you?” Someone else said and I noticed another girl walk into the room. In her hand was a tray with flour and I remembered she was the girl in the sitting room.
This time I saw her face and she was the splitting image of Camila. She looked exactly the same as her and I knew instantly that they had to be twins.
While Camila had dyed her hair blonde, this girl had the natural hair for them. Brown, and hers was long and almost reaching her waist. Her eyes were hazel, matching the color of her hair. She was beautiful, just like Camila, tall and slender.
While Camila had fierce blue eyes, hers were kind just like their mother, kind brown eyes and they looked at me with curiosity.
“Hi?” She said, dropping her tray just at the table beside the door before walking up to us.
“Camila what’s going on? Why does it look like you’re bullying the new girl?” Camila’s twin spoke, folding her arms and putting her weight on her left leg.
“Fuck off Carmen. You’re too nosy.” Camila said, frowning at her sister before she glared at me and walked back to the sink to do the dishes. I must have sighed in relief because Carmen chuckled.
“It’s ok. That’s my twin sister Camila, she’s a meanie so avoid her.” Carmen smiled at me kindly and I nodded, stepping backwards a bit.
“I heard you!” Camila yelled from the sink and Carmen rolled her eyes before raising her hand, I flinched immediately before I realized she was going for a handshake. I blushed in embarrassment.
Thankfully, Carmen didn’t act like she saw that and instead smiled at me. “I’m Carmen, the nice twin. What’s your name?”
“Alora.” I whispered softly, pulling the sleeves of my jacket to cover my hand. I didn’t want anyone to touch me and I felt a bit guilty when Carmen’s eyes turned sad before she smiled and leaned closer to me.
“You have really beautiful eyes. Are you from our pack? The Blood Moon Pack?” She asked and I leaned backwards, uncomfortable before shaking my head.
“Yeah. I was sure about that, I never forget a face. Are you going to be working here too? Are you a maid also?” Carmen asked with curious eyes.
“Yes she is. Unfortunately.” Camila said, not turning to us as Lana finally stepped forward and grabbed Carmen from her shoulders.
“Where have you been?! I know you’ve been watching those stupid Korean dramas! I sent you to get these flour hours ago!” Lana yelled, raising a spatula at her daughter who ducked and laughed before running away towards her twin.
“I swear I wasn’t!” Carmen laughed, pulling Camila and making her drop a rubber bowl that splashed water everywhere.
“Ugh! Leave me alone and stop using me as a shield!” Camila yelled, trying to tear her grip away from her twin.
“Please! Mama’s going to kill me!” She yelled, turning sharply to avoid the hit from Lana who was looking for an opening to hit her daughter.
“Yes I would, and then I’ll tell the Alpha you installed those dramas on his TV!” Lana yelled before Carmen laughed and ran to the other side of the kitchen, tripping in the process.
The three erupted into a heavy laughter and I stood there watching them with curiosity and awe.