Chapter 4 FITTING IN

MILDRED'S POV

I groaned and rolled, fighting the morning sun. The bed was soft and warm, the room big and airy, but I just wanted to sleep.

Someone nudged me. Then a harder push. I didn't like it. I grabbed the blanket and pulled it over my head, wishing they'd go away.

"She's such a heavy sleeper," one voice whispered gently but sharp enough to make me strain my ears.

Another giggled softly. "Or maybe she's just as lazy as usual. Can you believe this is our Luna? Lying here like she has no care in the world?"

My body tensed under the covers. Was Ximena lazy? Because I am not. It's just that I went through so much that it knocked my body out. Adding to the fact that I stayed awake all night hoping that Alpha Hayden would return and at least apologize for the way he treated me. Dreamer of the century.

"Shhh," another maid hushed quickly. "Don't let her hear you. She is our Luna now. You don't want to get punished for disrespect."

The first voice scoffed. "Punished by who? She's harmless, soft, and timid as a mouse. The only one we should worry about is Lady Marcella. Now that one..." She lowered her voice even further. "...she practically throws herself at the Alpha every chance she gets."

The other servants gasped. "You shouldn't say that!"

"Well, it's true," the bold one insisted. "Everyone knows it. If she had her way, she would have been Luna by now. She doesn't hide it either. Always circling him like a hawk."

A softer voice spoke next. "But still... I'm glad Alpha finally chose Ximena. Everyone says she's the love of his life."

That made another maid laugh outright. "Love of his life? Please. Have you not seen him? He's cold to her. Always hostile. He barely even looks at her without scowling."

Silence stretched for a moment. I could almost hear the nervous glances they exchanged.

"Then why did he marry her?" one of them finally whispered.

The bold one gave a short, bitter laugh. "Who knows? Maybe politics. Maybe power. But love? No. I don't believe Alpha Hayden loves anyone. Not even her."

Their words sank into me like stones. My chest tightened beneath the blanket. So it wasn't just me who felt it, others noticed his hostility towards Ximena. No wonder she had run away. No wonder she left me to face this nightmare in her place.

I had heard enough. If I listened any longer, their gossip would poison my whole day before it even began.

Slowly, I stretched under the covers, letting out a deliberate yawn. My arms reached high above my head as though I had just been startled awake. I blinked a few times, rubbing at my eyes, pretending the voices hadn't reached me.

Immediately, the room went silent. I could feel their panic.

"Good morning, my lady!" they all chorused in unison, forcing wide smiles as though their words could cover what I'd just overheard.

I sat up slowly, my lips curling into the faintest smile. "Good morning," I said softly, hiding the storm raging inside me.

But in my heart, one thought repeated itself bitterly.

"So this is the life Ximena abandoned. And I am the fool left to suffer it."

"We are glad that you are awake, Luna," one of them said, bowing shortly. " It's a beautiful day, and we've got lots to do."

I looked at her confused. "What?" I didn't get it.

She just smiled more. "We're your maids," she said, pointing at the others. "Breakfast time, milady."

They dressed me quickly, slipping fine fabrics over my skin, brushing and pinning my hair. When they were done, I stood before the mirror, staring at the stranger who stared back at me.

Then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her. The maid with the softer voice, the one who had spoken up for me when the others sneered. Vanessa. That's what I heard them call her. Her kindness was subtle.

When the other servants left and we were finally alone, I felt like asking her the question I had long wanted to ask someone who had been at close range with him; How is he? What is Alpha Hayden really like?

But the words died on my tongue. She would realize at the spot that I was hiding something.

I opened my mouth once. Twice. Three times. Nothing. My throat tightened, the sound refusing to escape. Fear strangled me.

Because I knew the answer already.

He was like my father. Another man carved from cruelty. Another Alpha who believed fear was better than loyalty. My father had his Vermis, his flesh-eating beasts, and Hayden had his own way of feeding on souls. His dogs.

So I kept quiet. My questions burned in my chest, but my silence was safer.

Vanessa walked to the door, twisted its knob, and waited patiently with a smile for me to walk out. I heaved a smile and then stepped out.

The dining room was huge and the walls were fancy. Stone, wood, gold. But none of that was as shiny as my diamond-edged plate, sparkling so much it was almost blinding.

Everywhere you looked in this place was like a painting. A giant viola stood in the corner, and a glass cabinet showed off trophies and shiny wine glasses. The walls were crowded with statues of some guy, all different, all fancy. I squinted, trying to make out the faces, but they were too far away.

Vanessa slid out a gold-plated chair, and I sat. Beside it was another chair, larger, also gold-plated, with a wolf's head engraved into the backrest. It had to be Alpha Hayden's.

For a while, I sat stiffly, staring at the gleaming table, unsure if I should even touch anything. Then, hesitantly, I picked at the appetizers already set before me. Tiny rolls of bread, slivers of cheese, and some kind of spiced meat I couldn't even name.

I nibbled at them without appetite, chewing slowly. I had never tasted something that good, or served on a table like this. I mostly ate on our kitchen floor back home. My stomach twisted with nerves, and though the food looked rich and expensive, it felt more like ash in my mouth.

I was still looking around when Vanessa popped up next to me, quietly putting down a plate of fancy beef and fish eggs. "You look lost, Lady Ximena," she said, clearing away my half-eaten appetizers. "Everything okay?"

I jolted, didn't even hear her come by. "Oh, Vanessa? I didn't see you," I tried to smile, but my head was spinning with too many thoughts.

She leaned in, "I've got to get back to the kitchen, but if you need anything, please let me know."

I nodded, "Don't worry, I'm good," I lied, not wanting to bug her with my mess of feelings.

She gave a little bow and left, her footsteps echoing until she was gone. I dropped my head on the table, feeling the weight of this new life, like I'm some joke for people to laugh at.

Sighing, I sat back up and started eating again. The beef was dry, the fish eggs were weird, and the lettuce was crunchy like leaves. But I ate, trying not to think about throwing up.

As I set down my fork, the door swung open. I looked up fast, who was it now?

But then my heart sank. It was Marcella, stomping in like she owned the place, with wide and angry eyes. "You still married Hayden?!" she screamed across the room, looking like she might cry or explode.

My mind raced back to what the servants had said earlier as he stormed toward me, and I didn't even think. I pushed my chair back and stood up, ready to run. But she quickly grabbed me.

"Ow!" I cried out, seeing the scratches bleed.

"You think you can hide?" Marcella hissed, her face all twisted up. "You can't. I know what you did."

"You married my man?" she yelled, pressing her fingers harder, pain shooting through me. "You broke our deal?"

I just stared, no clue what she was talking about, just feeling the hurt.

With a push, I sent her tumbling back and made a run for it. But she was up in a flash, quick like a snake, grabbing me again. She spun me around, her eyes glowing scary red, her face all kinds of crazy.

"You're not getting away from this," she snarled.

MARCELLA'S POV

My anger and frustration towards Ximena heightened as I hoisted from the floor.

I muffled a curse as I dashed to her in giant strides before she could make it halfway from the dining area.

I grabbed her arm again and this time she jerked free in a manner that made my jaw sag. Ximena would never react this way.

Or was her ruthless attitude fueled by the fact that she was now married to Hayden? Did she imagine she had immunity from me just because she wore that huge rock on her finger?

A deal was a deal and she failed to keep her part, I could treat her however I chose to.

"How dare you walk out on me!" I scowled, not seeing the need to mask my displeasure.

"You were hurting me that's why I..."

I raised my hand and she instantly grew silent, the gesture must've stunned her.

"Why did you not leave as I commanded you to?"

The confusion on her face gnawed at my patience strings. It was now a battle of nerves to keep myself from pouncing on her.

"Why would I want to do that? Why would I want to run away from my husband?" She searched my face blankly.

Ximena had great talents and acting was certainly one of them. I released an audible breath as I searched the area. Vanessa stood with her head slightly bowed by the table. When our eyes snagged, the poor maid instantly averted hers.

That was the kind of animalistic power I possessed around here and that was just the tip. Ximena had signed a death wish by choosing to go against me.

"You know I can make things rough for you!" I muttered standing as tall as possible looking down at the petite girl before me, "You know that just right, now don't you Ximena?"

"You should've married Hayden if you so much wanted him." She said quietly.

My hand reacted the second the words left her mouth, leaving my handprint on her soft face as the sound resonated in the vast area we were in. I heard the poor maid gasp from where she stood.

"You think since you wiggled in and out of bed with Hayden last night you have some immunity?" I chuckled, my fury gleaming brightly in my eyes, "But let me guess, a man that barely kissed you at the altar would be sickened to his stomach to even think of going down there, gross!" I mouthed dramatically.

"I don't see what the problem is here." She said quietly.

Ximena never talked back. No matter how hard the words stung, I was used to the timid girl who would bite her tongue and allow me to rock the boat in whichever direction I deemed necessary but this girl before me right now, her tongue was soured and it was best doused the pride burning savagely in her eyes before they grew wild.

"I know right? But soon the problem would be perceptible to all but trust me Ximena, you're the problem and when I have that little chat with Hayden you'll be nothing but history!"

She was about to say something when the chief butler ushered in a few guests through the entrance double doors.

I heard Ximena gasp and her eyes twinkled instantly in an emotion I suspected to be fear.

From where we stood, the guests couldn't see us but it was easy to spot them. I watched each of the visitors with a scrutinizing gaze.

When the butler led them into the living area and retired to head to the door I stopped the forty-something-year-old-looking man in his tracks with a snap of my fingers.

"Who are those?"

"Alpha Bruce Hadid, Alpha of the Blackburn Pack." He gave a stiff bow.

"A little something for the love birds I see!" My sarcasm strummed louder than my tones and my condescending gaze settled on Ximena's blanched face, "Isn't that lovely?"

But she was too far off her thoughts to hear a word I was saying to her. Her gaze was rooted on the living room right at the guests smiling warmly as their eyes darted around the entire room.

It spiked my suspicion. There was something about this Alpha that had Ximena nervous, something worth exploring. Something juicy enough to fill my heart with glee.

"They're here for the Alpha and his..." I held my tongue and just couldn't bring myself to call Ximena a Luna, instead, I went for an adjective that was more pleasant to my ears, "Ximena."

"Yes, Ms. Marcella." He bowed again.

"So why don't you lead her to meet with her visitors?" I tilted my gaze to her and she shook her head vehemently.

"I, I," she stuttered and all the colors left her face leaving her blanched.

"C'mon, don't keep them waiting. Hayden is busy, why don't you take the initiative?"

"My head hurts. I must get some rest!"

Ximena stuttered and started towards the stairs but my fingers caught her arm again, this time soft enough to avoid my nails digging into her soft flesh.

"You will do exactly as I say." I glowered at her.

"Our Luna can rest if she's not feeling..."

"Ah!" I snickered and the butler instantly grew silent, "Your opinion is much appreciated by the door!"

He nodded stiffly, masking the bitterness on his face as he smoothened his black suit jacket and retired to the door. Leaving me some alone time with this girl.

This girl I needed to tame before she grew and extended tentacles.

I dragged her towards the living area and when the occupants of the living area saw her, they sprang to their feet with an ear-to-ear grin on their faces.

It stabbed my heart to watch another woman living my destiny. I was supposed to be the one all these nobles were smiling so warmly at. I was deserving of all the eagerness on their faces wanting to please and gain favors from me.

With my bleeding heart, I slipped from the living room. It was just too much to watch. It was just too much to bear.