Lilith
A chill settled beneath my spine as he hurled those harsh words at me.
I was going to be punished severely if I flaunted one of the rules? Was that how he trusted his staff, like slaves that could be punished at the slightest provocation?
How bad could the punishment be?
Resting my gaze on the small hardcover in my hand, my eyes scanned the letters scribbled on it.
A guidebook. It stated.
I bit my lips to stop an incoming scoff as I didn’t want to annoy the Alpha.
I had worked in several places, but not one had issued me a guidebook.
I peeled the front cover, reading the words inwardly.
RULES.
It started in an aggressive manner.
I balanced the book in my hands to catch the small fonts printed on the paper.
Congrats! You made it as a staff, but here are some rules you must strictly abide by:
Do not use the private elevator. They belong to the Alpha alone.
Be professional at all times. You are here to work, not to develop feelings for anyone, especially for the Alpha.
I couldn’t help but scoff, rolling my eyes inwardly at the ridiculous rules I read.
Physical touch is frowned upon. Keep your hands to yourself and away from the Alpha.
I stopped briefly as my last encounter with the Alpha invaded my head.
I jumped on him unexpectedly, frightening him in the process.
I could feel the way his body stiffened against mine, as if in a state of intense shock.
“Noted,” I muttered inwardly, registering the rules in my head.
Avoid the last floor. It is a restricted area.
My eyes widened in surprise as Anna’s words flew into my head. She warned me about the same thing.
Noted.
Retire to your room before 11, remain in bed, and lock your door.
Noted.
I swallowed, raising the book to my eye level before proceeding.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner should arrive on time, not a minute late.
The lame rules were beginning to piss me off.
Seems the Alpha wasn’t the social type.
But it wasn’t enough reason to set a bunch of stupid restrictions branded as ‘rules’.
If he wasn’t the social type he shouldn’t employ anyone!
“And what would happen if it was served a minute late?” I asked myself, hissing inwardly afterward. My eyes hovered on the next rule.
“You will be punished. That’s what would happen,” he replied, shooting me a deadly glare as if reading my mind.
How could he tell what I was thinking even without me showing any emotions?
“I can see through you,” he replied again. This time, I felt my heart plummet down into the abyss of my stomach.
Fear embalmed me, and goosebumps sprouted all over my body.
Gulping down, I read the next rule.
Work and emotions don’t go hand in hand. The Alpha doesn’t give a fuck about what you feel. Do your job.
My head almost flew backward in surprise. But then I remembered Anna’s words.
The Alpha won’t give her time to heal despite suffering from a heartbreak that affected her health.
If he was yet to heal from what Marina did to him, he shouldn’t vent his feelings on his staff!
I huffed, lowering my gaze to read the next rule.
Lateness is not accepted.
Copy that.
Last but not least; Always carry an inhaler around.
I paused, rereading it again to be sure.
I landed a confused look at the Alpha who pulled something from his pocket.
Narrowing my gaze with my brows furrowed, I saw him withdraw an inhaler from his pocket, putting it on top of the book, intentionally avoiding physical contact with me.
My forehead creased as I stared at him with a perplexed look on my face.
“I am not asthmatic,” I said sharply, taking the inhaler and shoving it in his direction.
“Keep it,” he replied curtly, grinding his teeth.
“But I don’t have asthma,” I responded adamantly, throwing my hands slightly in the air.
“Fuck, Lilith!” He growled. His hands curled into a ball against his sides as he glared at me as if he was about to pounce on me.
“I should have added that on no account should you question the Alpha.” His words came out as if gritted. His call eyes switched into a more vicious appearance, almost making me shudder.
“Just do what you are fucking told and take the fucking inhaler with you. Is that too much to ask?!”
I kept mute, not responding to his rhetorical question.
My eyes were planted on the ground as I took in deep breaths to erase the fear building up in my chest.
If not for the fear of being punished, I would have communicated my thoughts to him.
My lips burned with unsaid words and I had to keep my teeth firmly over them.
Why would I walk around with an inhaler knowing that I wasn’t asthmatic? Or was there something horrific that would seize my breath?
I never could tell as I was surrounded by miseries in this scary house.
Has Anna been an inhaler around?
“Let’s take you to your room,” he announced, pulling me out of my thoughts as he led the way.
We walked past a plethora of doors, and deeper into the barren hallway. The only sound that could be heard was the loud thumping of his boots and the beating of my heart.
Why was he even wearing a boot?!
Silence hung in the air and I continued to follow him dutifully like a sheep striding behind a shepherd.
“But I thought Anna was the one to show me to my room.” My weak voice broke the silence, causing a sharp gasp to erupt from his throat.
Those menacing pair of eyes glowed in anger and my blood ran cold.
“Do you have a problem with me showing you to your room?” He thundered. His face hardened as he let out a loud hiss.
“I’m sorry, Alpha,” I muttered, lowering my gaze to avoid his terrifying dark ones.
“Sorry for your pathetic self,” he huffed, increasing his pace as he walked further into the hallway.
The air thickened with silence and it made me uncomfortable.
This house was impossibly big, but how was Anna able to manage it alone?
Who stayed in the vacant rooms?
Retire to your room and lock the door.
The rules found their way into my head, opening the door to a thousand questions.
The urge to ask the Alpha the reason grew strong in me, but I knew better than to give in to it.
Why should I lock the door? And why should I ignore any ominous sounds?
Was the house haunted?
Was there someone else in the house that I didn’t know about?
Would I be able to memorize all the rules and put them into practice?
There were a lot of them and I could barely remember them.
I groaned inwardly, frustrated as my questions were left unanswered.
“Here we are,” Alpha Casper’s impossibly soft voice broke the silence.
His voice came out as smooth as silk, causing my stomach to flip.
I could listen to it all day without getting bored.
He pushed the door open with zero effort, standing beside it with his eyes pinned on mine.
I took the cue, entering the room first with my lips curved at both sides.
Sensing him walking into the room, I bit my inner cheeks, fighting hard to mask my feelings.
The last thing I wanted was for him to see me blushing.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep a straight face as I could tell that my cheeks were slightly red.
I couldn’t stop the image of Alpha Casper holding the door for me.
“I hope you like your room,” he said, breathing hard as he cleared his throat.
“If there is anything you need, meet me, and as for the money, I need you to fill in your account number.”
He tried to sound cool, but I sensed that something was wrong with him.
He spoke as if his airway was clogged. His hands kept dancing around his pocket and from the shape, I could sense an object almost looking like an inhaler peeking out of it.
Or maybe I was wrong.
How could the Almighty Alpha Casper be asthmatic?!
There was no way he would depend on an inhaler despite how powerful he was.
“Hurry up!” He urged me, his voice was laced with urgency.
I filled in my account details, before placing his phone in his hands.
His fingers typed briefly on his phone, and it didn’t take a minute before my phone notification sound filled the air.
Retrieving it, I scanned the message, but a loud scream tore off my throat the money I saw a credit alert of $1. 7k.
“Look, Alpha,” I screamed breathlessly, almost shoving the phone in his face.
But immediately our skin brushed, a strong bond encircled our hands forming a ring as if binding us together.
Alpha Casper shuddered at the strange sensation that took over us before yanking his hands off mine and muttering inaudible words under his breath.
Without sparing a look, he stormed out of my room in anger.