Alpha Edison

[Claire's Point-of-View]

"Get out of the way! "

A loud, angry yell almost made me throw the basket I held.

"Get out of the way! King Alpha is coming! "

Marie rolled her eyes in exasperation and stuck her tongue out as if mocking the one who was yelling. She mimicked him with a silly voice.

"Stop it; they might see you," I warned her. I patted her hand when she attempted to pick one more apple to buy. "No, Marie. We already have enough supply for a week."

"I'm sorry, I get hungry when I hear that irritating horn sound every time the King Alpha takes this path towards the House of Sacrifice." Marie winced when I spanked her shoulder, a warning to keep her voice down, but she kept talking. "Many people are famished in this part of his territory, yet he sat on his expensive chair. Poor men are forced to bring their finest lamb to the House of Sacrifice to burn to a crisp."

"Shhh, shut your mouth, silly girl. Do you want your tongue to be cut? That lamb is required as a sacrifice for a successful hunt this season!"

My best friend Marie grimaced, disagreeing with me, and continued looking at the succulent fruits displayed. It was a typical day in the market, and we were in charge of buying the supplies needed in preparation for the coming Bloody Moon and the event we called 'The Choosing'.

The head maidservant, Marina Foller, was a strict but loving mother-like figure to me. She adopted me. She worked under the care of the Rutherford family, the Royal Blooded Werewolf Race.

After the War of the Claw and Fang Pack, a gang of rogue werewolves attacked villages ten years ago. Both of my parents were slain in front of me, and I was lucky enough to hide under the floor, inside a secret small bunker that my stepfather made as storage for our winter supplies.

When he found out the gang attacked our small village, he quickly hid me under it and sat on top of the bunker just so the assailants wouldn't notice the space between the floors. I could still remember how my parents' blood flowed down the bunker, bathing me with it. The memory was still fresh in my head like it just happened yesterday. And every time it emerged in my mind, my body couldn't stop trembling with fear.

We were both working as maidservants in the household of the great landlord of this part of the pack's territory. My landlord's name was Ralph Rutherford, the very handsome, kind, and sweet Beta and ally of the Alpha King, Edison Tyrell. Although Alpha King Edison was known as a barbaric, heartless, and cold Alpha, Ralph was his total opposite.

Master Ralph was loved by his people and was respected by many. He was intelligent and had never failed his people, even in this poorest part of the pack. He visits the elders and the orphans and supports their needs. He was a generous, kind-hearted official, ready to serve his people. Thinking about him made me smile already.

I didn't know how to explain this, but I assumed Master Ralph had feelings for me. Especially every time he looked me in the eyes. I saw how his eyes grew bright when we met in the corridors, and he was kind enough to help me whenever there was something for me to carry. Tonight, we'll see each other again in the center of the maze in his garden. He told me there was something he wanted to say to me about something. Whatever it was, I believed it was something important, and I couldn't wait to see him.

"You're smiling like an idiot, Claire. You're scaring me." Marie narrowed her eyes on me as if thinking hard about what made me smile from ear to ear. She took a large bite of the apple she was holding.

"It's nothing. I just remembered something important," I said to her, taking the apple from her hand. She gave me a sharp look when I took a huge bite too.

The day was busy as usual: attending to the needs of the higher members of the household, cleaning, helping in the kitchen, and tending to and feeding the horses, pigs, and goats. Helping with the laundry and keeping Lord Ralph's bedroom clean. I had to make sure that the pillowcases and bed sheets were spotless and fresh. I always put yellow chrysanthemum flowers on his bedside table.

I gaze at the king-sized bed in front of me, imagining myself on top of it with Lord Ralph's arms around me. The idea suddenly made me feel nervous and fuzzy, and I felt that strange tickling sensation between my thighs. It was inappropriate that I couldn't help imagining myself as his. His face was the first thing I would see when I opened my eyes in the morning.

Blushing and embarrassed, I sat at the side of the bed, smoothing it with my small hands. I daydreamed about him a lot, and I couldn't hide the fact that I had been in love with him since we were just kids. I was seven when his father bought me from slave traders and trained me to do the housework in the mansion. I remembered the first time we met-the way he smiled at me while he offered me his favorite toys.

It was a small wooden horse that I still kept in the drawer of my room. It was the only treasure I possessed from the person I loved. He was such a good kid back then. He never treated me differently and always asked me to play with him. I was always scolded by Miss Marina not to get too close to him, though. She used to remind me I was a servant and not a playmate to the young master, but Lord Ralph always defended me, saying I was his favorite playmate.

There was a loud creak on the door that was opened in haste. I almost jumped when I saw Marina, her forehead full of creases as she frowned when she found me sitting on the Lord's bed.

"What are you doing, you fool? Go and help in the kitchen!" She scolded me and waved her hand toward the outside of the door furiously, wanting me to go out.

"I'm sorry, I am just having a short rest," I explained, intimidated by her upset look. I scurried across the room and quickly went outside to run again, heading to the kitchen.

I thought about looking back if old maid Marina was still glaring at me, and I was startled when I bumped into someone, squeezing myself against the impact.

Raising my head to someone I accidentally ran into, my eyes widened with terror as I stared at the last person I ever wanted to meet.

"What are you looking at? " The King Alpha's brows were in a deep frown, looking down at me as if I were just a rat in his eyes.

"Goddess, I am so dead." I gasped in a whisper.

The night was cold. The winter was soon to come, and everyone was getting ready for the long nights that would soon overwhelm the place. I breathed through my mouth; the warmth of it condensed through the chill air, creating smoke as I sighed.

To ward off the freezing weather, I wore extra clothing and walked silently on the rocky ground of the mansion, hoping someone wouldn't see me sneaking behind the evergreens. Good thing I was small and that no one would even notice I was not inside the hall anymore, partying with everyone. There was someone I needed to see tonight. And I couldn't wait to meet him in the center of the garden maze.

I grabbed my skirt and pulled it up as I crouched, trying to quicken my pace through the tall walls of evergreens. My heart was pounding fast with excitement, and my lips stretched in a joyful grin as I evaded the dried, thin branches on my way toward the middle of the maze, careful not to create a sound that might distract someone.

The moon was full above the cloudless sky. The white smoke was giving away my location, so I had to pull my scarf up to my mouth and breathe against the old fabric. I hoped the old lady wasn't looking for me yet since everybody in the hall was too busy looking for a random servant. I needed to be quick before she found out I was missing.

Before I reached the middle of the maze, which was a fountain with an angel statue holding a trumpet, I first peeked to see if he was already at the meeting place, waiting for me. But he was nowhere near the thing, which made me a little scared and disappointed.

Did he forget? I stood and stretched my neck to look for him behind the statue, but I found no one. The tears started to wet the corners of my eyes until strong hands snatched me from behind the evergreens, making me almost scream.

"Oh, my heart nearly exploded!" I couldn't believe I failed to feel his presence behind me! I hissed to him, giggling and struggling hard to lower my voice.

"Shhh." Ralph hushed me and gave me a peck of a kiss on my neck as I giggled. His arms were still on my waist as we stood beside the fountain. His smile was so wide that I could see his white, perfect teeth. "It's so hard to sneak out of the hall with the Alpha always looking for me. Being his beta is tougher than I thought."

Ralph leaned and kissed me, pressing his lips so gently against mine, and whispered things between his kisses: "You are so pretty as I watch you from our tables tonight, Claire." He whispered, his hands slowly pulling up my skirt, and I twitched as I felt his warm hands against my cold thigh. I chewed on my lower lip, blushing as his hands kneaded it, caressing it gently.

"Sir," I said, pushing his playful hands away from me, trying to excite him a little. I giggled, and I saw the desire burn in his eyes as he exhaled. His breath made a steam of white smoke in the chill air. "I am not ready yet to do what is on your mind right now, but I am happy you invited me here."

He pulled me tighter against him and brushed my face with the back of his hand. "Of course, my sweet Claire, I won't do it yet unless I marry you."

I lifted my face to him, and my eyes widened as if assuming the impossible. But the reality struck like a mace hitting my head hard, and I lowered my face to him, ashamed to dream of such a thought.

I could never be the type of girl that Master Ralph would marry. I am just his mere servant who caught her master's attention because he thinks I am pretty and would be worth his time. But I didn't care what he thought of me-what he thought about my status in life.

He was the nicest person who treated me so well ever since I came to this mansion. I could be everything he wanted me to be. I knew he was just stopping himself from stepping inside my boundary lane, and I was still thinking. If he ever begged me for it, can I really give it to him?

Ralph took my hand and kissed me again when he felt the warmth of my skin. He stopped just to stare at my eyes lovingly. "I know what you're thinking, Claire. You know you are special to me, right? I've never failed to make you feel that, even when we were kids. Can you promise to stay here with me no matter what?"

"What do you mean, no matter what?" I smiled at him, a little nervous. Does he mean staying with him even after he gets married to someone else?

"What? You never want to be with me?" Ralph whispered, brushing his lips against my cheek, making the words sound as if they were simple for me to do. But then, why was I worrying? I have been in love with my master, and if that's what he wants, then I'll just have to dedicate my life to it.

"Yes, My Master," I murmured to him, looking directly into his eyes, and it suddenly stoked the desire that's been torturing him to let go. He pulled me to kiss again, but we were both baffled by an angry voice echoing through the silence of the night. The old Marina was calling my name.

"It's the old lady." I nervously pulled myself away from Ralph, almost losing my balance. But he caught my arm before I dropped myself on the cold, hard ground. "I must get back to the hall, Master. I can't let them see you with me."

Ralph sighs, "Fine. I'll see you tomorrow then." He took my hands and kissed them while looking at me with his glorious smile. "And don't get near the King Alpha King, Claire. He has no liking for the hybrids..."

"Are you sure you don't want to wear anything better than that? "

"What? It's fine. I don't need to be well-dressed tonight since we're just going to offer drinks to the people. There is no use in looking pretty if you're just going to serve them."

Marie sneered at me and wrinkled her nose. She grimaced at the plain dress I chose to wear for the event tonight. We're both in our maid's quarters, preparing ourselves because old maid Marina wanted us to at least look presentable in the eyes of the royal visitors of Master Ralph, especially since Alpha Edison chose our master's place for the Night of the Choosing. It was understandable. There were so many beautiful lady nobles in this part of the pack who were excited to be chosen as King Alpha's bride and become the Queen Luna of this whole land.

"Do you think Aaron will notice me if I wear this? "Marie asked as she waved the dress at my face to distract me from tying the knot of the corset I was wearing. I chose not to pull it too tight and not to accentuate my figure, because who would take time to notice a servant like me?

Marie and I went straight to the kitchen and wore our aprons, so we could start serving food for the guests. I hoped I wouldn't be a klutz tonight. But knowing that Master Ralph was at the event made me feel so happy and nervous. I wished he would notice me, even though I looked plain and simple.

The event hall was large enough for fifty people who were busy chattering and drinking their wine as they happily greeted each other. All of them were wearing expensive dresses and sparkling jewels that made me feel too intimidated to even look at their faces.

An hour passed after I served drinks to people. I caught a glimpse of Master Ralph and King Alpha Edison enjoying their brandy as they smiled from ear to ear. They approached a nobleman with his beautiful daughter beside him. It was Lady Kendra, the jewel and the sweetheart of this part of the pack's territory. All the ladies in the room looked at her with contempt, threatened by her presence. She was the first candidate to be a Luna, and her beauty was incomparable to any lady in the hall. Her dark, long, straight hair hung loosely on her back as she talked gracefully to the King Alpha and his Beta.

I had no idea why I suddenly stopped and gazed at Alpha Edison. There was something in him that was magnetic to the eyes. He had an amazing smile and kissable lips that moved smoothly as he talked. I thought it was strange, so I just ignored the feeling.

But what bothered me more was the feeling that someone was also watching me. I scanned through the crowd and caught the stranger's eyes. He then averted his eyes and left, the second I frowned at him.

The red lights in my head warned me. He suddenly walked out of the hall and went somewhere outside the mansion. I didn't know if somebody noticed it, but it was clear to my senses. Someone uninvited came here, which scared me because I had no idea if it was just me or if those people were just ignoring the rotting scent coming from that stranger.

"Goddess!" I yelled, baffled after someone touched me on the shoulder. I almost dropped the serving tray from my hands!

"Marie! Don't you ever do-"

"Are you okay, Emory?"

I sighed heavily and placed the tray on a table. It was Jeff, one of the male servants in the mansion, whom I grew up with and who helped me a lot when I was new and still adjusting to this place. He and Marie were my friends. Sadly, something changed about him a few weeks ago when he became too distant after he found out that Master Ralph and I were secretly meeting in his room or the garden.

He warned me before that it wouldn't do any good to me. But, of course, I didn't listen. I was so in love with Master Ralph that I was willing to take any risk. My heart was stronger than my head, and my blood seemed to crave danger. I liked the thrill of being with Master Ralph. The excitement was addicting.

One thing I loved most about it was the idea that I could be with Master Ralph. To feel him and share my thoughts with him. That was all I wanted. That was what my heart needed.

"Jeff!" I blurted out, a little surprised that he was finally talking to me. The people were now focused because one of the Alpha's advisors had finally started the ceremony.

I didn't pay much attention to what the speaker was saying. Jeff blocked my way toward the kitchen, and he was starting to piss me off. "What?!" I hissed at him, careful not to distract someone's attention from the event.

"I saw you again last night, Emory. You shouldn't keep on doing it! You'll get yourself into trouble!"

"I'll be in trouble if old Marina sees me idling here with you! Now go, Jeff. It's not the right place to talk about that," I eyed and replied to him in a whisper. I tried not to shove him out of the way.

When I glanced back at Jeff, his face looked so down and his shoulders drooped, which made me feel bad that I had to pretend I never cared about him. I just didn't want to entertain his feelings for me because, one, I didn't want to destroy our friendship. Two: I was in love with only one person, and that was Master Ralph.

With a heavy heart, I walked towards the hall's exit door and got some fresh air. I was starting to feel suffocated inside that hall full of rich, arrogant people. I was tired, feeling sorry for myself for being just a slave.

A bunch of red roses looked so enticing in my eyes, so I thought of picking some to lift my adoptive mother's mood. After I took a few steps, a silhouette appeared between me and the flowers, and the next thing I remembered was the rough hands snatching me from behind.

The whole place was filled with my screams.