DESDEMONA

Why is he always there to help me?

Did Alpha Alaric instruct him to do that?

I stared at his cold back, he fell and his shadow took over me, even from the back he looked good.

“I think I should go back to my room now,” I stood up from the bed, suddenly his hand grabbed me and pinned me to the wall.

My heart skips a beat, and I forget how to breathe for a few minutes. What is he doing now?

His eyes were deep, his hand was pinned on the wall, he stared into my eyes not giving me a chance to escape. I can see the furious state.

“Stay away from Alpha Alaric, this is not your place,” he said before releasing me, and walked out of the room. His words hurt more than I could imagine, my chest tightened, my legs went numb.

Just when I thought that I was getting accepted, it turns out that he also wanted me to stay away. I touched my chest and hitted it hard, I wanted to be accepted so badly.

I walked out of his room, immediately I stepped out, I could see the stares, I did not want to, I should have just run away and live alone. I walked slowly until I reached the kitchen.

“Where have you been?” Laura asked with folded arms across her chest.

I took a deeper breath, as I took a few steps closer to them, my thoughts were in chaos, my body stiffened, the words tangled in my throat.

“I…I was only—”

Before I could explain myself, Laura sneered, her sharp gaze cutting me down like a blade. “You were with him, weren’t you? You think that makes you one of us?”

She smirked and raised her brows . “I heard that you were stripped naked in front of Beta Theodore. Don't fool yourself Alpha Alaric can never acknowledge you, you are just a game in his pun.”

The other servants snickered behind her, their whispers louder than my heartbeat. My hands trembled as I clutched my dress tighter, wishing it would swallow me whole.

Laura stepped closer, her breath hot against my cheek. “Desdemona, You’ll never be more than what you are—an unwanted bride thrown to the wolves.”

Her words struck deeper than her hand ever could. My chest burned, but I bit my lip and said nothing. If I spoke, the tears threatening at the corner of my eyes would betray me.

I turned, wanting to escape the kitchen, but the door swung open.

A shadow filled the threshold.

Alpha Alaric.

His gaze swept the room, cold and commanding. The air thickened, every servant bowing their head.

My pulse raced as his eyes found mine and lingered.

“Desdemona,” his voice was sharp, final, leaving no space for refusal. “You’re coming with me.”

The room stilled, Laura’s smirk faltered, and the servants’ whispers died down

My heart thundered, and my chest raised in anticipation, I wondered why he was here.

He grabbed hold of my arm, my heart skipped a beat. Am I finally getting accepted?

“No one else gets to bully her, only I, if anyone dares to bully her again, they will be punished,” the weight of his words made my whole body tremble in fear, I don't know what's coming next.

Will he beat me up in front of everyone?

He pulled me closer and dragged me along. I can see the big stares from the servant, the way they smirked at me, it was no different from the way I was looked at in the village.

I kept my head down as he dragged me alone, soon the eyes faded away, and I was pulled into an extravagant hall, the loud laughter, music and whispering filled the room. My eyes travelled around the hall, it felt like it's another world different from before.

“You will work here, beside me from now on,” he said before retaining to his throne, he sat down calmly, soon two beauties walked up to him

The two women swayed their hips as they approached, their gowns cut so low I wondered why they bothered wearing fabric at all. Silken skirts clung to their waists and slid with each step, revealing more skin than they hid.

When they leaned into him, their movements were deliberate, backs arched, lips grazing the edge of his jaw, their breasts pressed close as if they belonged there.

Their laughter rang sharp, sweet, and practiced. One of them shifted her waist, rolling it against his thigh as if the hall itself was her stage. The other brushed her fingers across his chest, her nails trailing down like claws, while the jeweled straps of her gown slipped just low enough to tease.

The sight made bile rise in my throat. My face burned as whispers carried around the room, mocking me with every glance.

Alpha Alaric’s hand moved easily to their bodies, resting on a hip here, his finger sliding along a bare waist there, as though to remind me I was nothing more than a shadow at his feet.

My chest tightened as his other hand rested on one of their thighs, fingers tracing lazily. He did not push them away, he didn’t even look at me.

“Wine,” he commanded.

I walked to the table where the wine is, each step is like a needle pinned in, my heart My hands trembled as I poured, careful not to spill

I returned to him, kneeling to offer it, laughter rose around us. I could feel every stare piercing into my back, whispers hissing like snakes.

“She kneels well,” one voice said mockingly.

“The cursed bride suits her place,” another chimed.

Heat burned behind my eyes, but I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood.

Alaric took the cup from my hand, his fingers brushing mine only for a second before he turned away, to laugh at something one of the women whispered in his ear.

I wanted to disappear, but instead, I stood still as stone, my humiliation bleeding into the ground for all to see.

“Pour me a wine as well,” A loud voice came from the hall, I glanced at Alpha, before I went to the man that spoke, I carefully picked up the wine bottle and was about to pour when I felt a sharp pain in my hand causing the wine to spill on the floor.

“Ohhh, how dare you!” The man stood up, and yelled. The wine spilled on his trousers and he is sucking wet.

My hand trembled and my body went numb, no I don't want this to happen not again.

The man smirked and licked the corner of his lip. “Clean it up.”

I could sense the heavy stare from everyone, they were all looking at me. I moved my gaze to Alpha Alaric that was now looking at me, but he was calm. He raised his brow, and the beauties were still resting on his bare chest, his hand pinned on their thighs.

I wanted to run to him and ask for help but I know he was waiting for it as well. The stares grew more, and my chest tightened up, my face turned pale from everyone's stare.

I closed my hand, as my hand reached for his trousers.