The Alpha's Unexpected Savior

RHEA

"No!, please. Let me go!" I screamed in agony as the men held my wrists and tightened.

"Please!!" I screamed even more but the more I screamed, the more they tightened their grip.

"You were stealing!" one of the men yelled and I shook my head, the pain rushing through me as I tried to make them understand.

"I swear, I wasn't, please!" I shouted but the men only raised me up, their hands inching to burn my skin with the hot coal that made me squirm in fear as my eyes now burned with tears.

"What are you doing!"

Someone had screamed and immediately, the men who had held me up released me and I fell with a heavy thud, my body too weak to even catch my own fall.

"Get out from here and look after the guest,you morons!" Nico's voice pierced with disdain and the men all filed out while I started to cry.

I would never have believed that I would treated below the status of a slave in my own home. I tried to sit comfortably, nursing my now burned wrists in my other hand and not been able to even cry.

My ears picked up the sound of Nico, my father's special advisor coming towards me and relief washed inside of me.

"Those men, they hung me up like meat, I didn't do anything, I swear I wasn't stealing, I was only---" my explanation got cut off when Nico instead of listening to me, placed his hands in my low messy ponytail and gripped it with the roots of my hair.

"Arghhhhh!" A scream erupted from my lips instantly, the pain from my wrists becoming a child's play to what was going on.

I stared at Nico in confusion.

What was going on?

Why was he behaving like the others?

"Now, listen to me, you piece of evil shit!" his breathe harsh against the skin of my ears.

"Today is your sister's birthday and her claiming day, you will not cause us any problems, your work is to be her personal slave and attend to all of her orders, the moment I get word that you are causing trouble, however small I will call those men back here and have them ravage you then burn your back with coals and irons. Do you understand?" he whispered and before I could respond, he pushed my head out of his hands and I hit my head against one of the kitchen cabinets breaking several dishes while blood escaped from my head.

I knew that I was assigned as the personal slave to my younger sister but all of the times, I have worked here under unjust conditions, nico had never treated me badly infact nico had never interacted with me since the death of our mother and the ailment that now affected father.

"Get a broom and make sure the menu is ready in five minutes, don't let me come back here" he warned and walked off without looking back at me.

Shock made me stand up quickly and all of a sudden I knew that if he came back here to meet me for whatever reason then he was really going to do what he threatened and my body trembled.

I stood up on shaky legs, the sounds of fireworks blasting the sky reminding me that today wasn't just my twin sister's birthday, it was mine too and ever since our mother died, Alicia and everyone else had been convinced that I was a product of evil because of a prophecy from forty years ago.

Tears lurked like oceans in my eyes as my shaky legs navigated the way to the back where I knew the cleaning equipment were been kept and tears left my eyes.

There was no pleading I hadn't done back in the day when my mother just died, for my blind father and evil twin sister to accept me as their own and let me come home but Alicia had the wicked plan to trick me home and then announce that I would be her personal slave to place the "pack's mind at ease"so she had said but really, it was for her own benefit.

It had been rumored that the evil twin, the one that was said to bring doom to the whole pack would be cursed by the moon goddess to be wolfless, so when I got my wolf Eval, it confirmed what I already knew : Alicia was the evil twin but without proof, I couldn't accuse her, not when she had the whole pack in her paws.

I had begged Eval to allow me showcase her, at least when the people knew that I had gotten my wolf when I was 14 years old instead of now when I turn 18 years old, the people would respect and believe me but Eval refused, she advised me to keep quiet and that Alicia would kill me before I fulfilled my destiny but Alicia was going to kill me either way, destiny or not. If it wasn't because of some stupid prophecy then it would be with hard labour.

Suddenly, my body began to feel slower, hunger pangs sunk their teeth in my stomach making me pause for breathe as my eyes caught the glint of the broom but I knew that I would rather do what Nico asked of me than become entertainment for those men.

I had barely straightened up and touched the broom when suddenly, my body felt... Alive!

There was a scent in the air and Eval who was mostly inactive seemed to rise up, her body glistened under the moon light and I could feel blood rush to my cheeks.

The scent of fresh wood and rain and a sensation I couldn't explain below my belly filled my senses and suddenly, the mean, harsh words from Nico seemed to fade away into the night.

Suddenly, the broom was falling out of my hands and my body was moving towards the scent, my legs growing stronger and my strength coming up as I navigated my way towards a field of roses till I got towards the center.

"Naughty girl, tell me again" I heard a male voice growl and it felt as though he was talking to me.

"Mate" Eval whispered sweetly

A smile came up on my face as realization hit me. This could be my salvation, this was how I was going to vindicate myself! If I showed up with my mate then it would be known that I had a wolf, which would mean that I wasn't the evil child as everyone claimed.

It was only a bush of roses that separated me from my ray of hope and without thinking about the sounds that came from the other side, I leapt with joy "I have found my mat--"

My mouth stopped talking, legs halted and my eyes widened in horror.

"Mate?" he asked me but I didn't know whether to say no as he was hunched under my own sister, his hands on her waist as she was on top of him.

"You can't be fucking serious" Alicia's voice bit hard as the man pushed her off of him, coming towards me with his hands outstretched. Alicia and I were to share a mate?

"Marcus!" she shouted

"You can't possibly be mated to a maid, right? I can't share my mate with a fucking slave" she spat and the light that had been behind his eyes died instantly. While the answer to my previous question swam in front of my eyes and sorrow started to grow.

"But, I'm your sis--"I wanted to say but Alicia cackled instead.

"My evil sister you mean? You are no sister of mine, looking like that even and you can't have my mate, I won't allow that. Marcus? Your family would disown you, they would peg you for the mate of the prophesied evil twin, don't you want to be on the winning side?" she asked seductively, her hands circling his chest as my eyes begged for his support but my lips were shut.

I looked at Marcus, suddenly realizing that I knew him and he used to play with us when we were kids, the third son of the lyacntrope family and he had been rumored to be among the list of our betrothed.

Sorrow started to well up in my eyes as Marcus was taking too long to respond "Marcus?" I asked but he shook his head.

"What am I even doing? Everyone knows what you are, I can't be with a fucking maid and worse, one that is an evil twin. You disgust me, you fucking liar! Calling me your mate when we all know that you are mateless and wolfless." he spat and the tears burst out of me like a dam.

"I, Marcus chase of the lyacantrope lands hereby reject you fucking maid, Rhea Cross as my mate!" he said and in one moment the world I had dreams of crashed and died.

Alicia placed her hands on his neck, forcing his mouth to hers, kissing him like no tomorrow.

"Wait for me babe? I have a few things to sort out" Alicia whispered while my legs, once shaking resumed its weakness and I crumbled to the floor.

I didn't even know when Marcus left but when the familiar pain of my hair been pulled from my roots came upon me, I didn't have the strength to scream.

"So, tell me dear sister. How long have you had your wolf?" she asked with a murderous glint in her eyes.

RHEA

"So, you wont talk huh?" Alicia asked, her patience drawing thin as her fingernails now scraped blood on my head.

"Not a single word, Rhea"-- Eval spoke stiffly and I obeyed without complaint at the command.

Alicia was getting frustrated at the fact that I kept looking at her in the eyes without saying anything, not even screaming as her hands continued to dig fiercely into my skull.

"Fine" she suddenly said, easing her grip on my skull and letting me crawl with speed away from her as she cleaned her hands on her dress.

"Enjoy the party" she said innocently, a facade I knew too well since when we were kids.

Alicia looked angelic with her silver hair and her baby blue eyes while I looked the opposite with my dark hair and my even darker eyes but what people didn't know was that, Alicia was good at pretending, it came naturally to her.

All those times when we were little and she would push me to fall when our parents managed to spare me a glance then pushed herself and start to cry to get our parents to look at her then accuse me of pushing her, so that I got a good tongue lash from our father made me realize that she was a little monster but I couldn't hate her. I loved her too much, I still do.

Alicia didn't spare me a glance as she walked away from me, immediately she had gone, the pain from the rejection hit me square in the chest and breathing became even more difficult , I curled on my back, the pain taking me deeper than even i realized but when i could think through the pain? something clicked... My breathing was still difficult but not as difficult as when I remembered that I was supposed to have been doing something before Nico came back.

"Shit!" I wheezed and stood up despite the pain that was enough to take my breathe away and went towards the kitchen where I started doing my job, luckily nico hadn't arrived.

The other servants watched me work with my condition and never offered me help, I couldn't blame them there had been an announcement forbidding anybody from coming to my aid lest they faced a similar fate and my fate was very bad at the moment.

I had prepared the menu and did all that Nico had asked of me when he came out of nowhere. My body stiffened and I held the broom for support, my body trembling. If I had to endure one more assault I didn't think I would survive long enough to expose the truth.

Nico came to where the food was and nodded his head and then cast a glance towards my direction as I slouched, my body immediately straightened and a new pain formed in my lower back.

When was the last time I slept?

Or that I ate?

"You need to rest" he suddenly said, his voice carrying an emotion I didn't think anybody had.

I was too afraid to look at him or to slouch or to show how tired I was, I didn't even know if he was even talking to me or if I was imagining it.

"Why not take the rest of the night off? I would send someone to get you food and water, just concentrate on getting rested then we can continue tomorrow" he said and I looked at him for two seconds then quickly averted my eyes, blinking away the onset of tears.

"Rhea?" he asked and that was all I needed to hear to know that he was even talking to me, I slouched back and my hands covered my eyes as tears fell down in waves.

His hands came behind me, rubbing my back and I stiffened at first before I relaxed. I looked back at him as his face stretched into a smile and gratitude welled up in my heart.

"But you have to leave quickly before your sister starts asking me questions about your whereabouts, I will make something up, just come back here in ten minutes for your food then go back and retire, OK?" he asked and I nodded my head, happiness coming upon me as I made to follow his instructions.

"Oh and Rhea?" he asked and I turned back to look at him, my heart hammering in my chest in case he had changed his mind.

"Happy birthday" he said and I smiled for the first time in weeks.

Ten minutes later, I came back to the kitchen with my head banging and my stomach making embarrassing growling noises, True to Nico's word, a plate of food had been kept for me. I knew the wise thing to do would be to take the food back to my own small run down shed of a bed and eat in privacy but the food smelled so good.

My hands dug into the bowls of food, scooping meat and some other things into my mouth and chewing in the most unladylike manner, my head still banging as I drank water to ease the food down my throat.

"Rhea?" I heard Eval say but I was in no mood to answer Eval right now. We were hungry and this was a gift that I needed to be quick with, I didn't want to cause Nico any problems on the only day he decided to be generous.

"Rhea" she called again but the food was hitting a spot when my eyes started to feel heavy.

The cup of water that I had been holding slipped away from my hands and my now sleepy eyes caught a whitish substance beneath my cup.

"Poisoned. Run!" Eval said while I tried to grab onto something to hold myself but it was too late, the world was already closing in darkness.

"Did you ask her to eat it here? Are you fucking dumb! What if my father walks in and sees her sprawled on the floor like a log of wood?" Alicia's whispering voice echoed in my subconscious.

"I assure you, this wasn't my doing and your father is sound asleep as planned and even if he came here, he is still blind," Nico's voice came out strange and I struggled to open my eyes but failed. I was half awake and more than half still asleep.

"Eval?" I tried to call out to my wolf from my subconscious but she was silent.

"And you are sure that the potion would make her and her stupid wolf considering she has one, asleep?" Alicia asked

"Yes" Nico said, his irritation obvious and I could tell that Alicia would do a spontaneous eye roll.

"Did you take the money from Draco? I asked him to double the amount, you can't want to cut out a wolf from her owner, skin it and eat it and then share the blood with your pet vampires and want to pay shillings. Rhea should cost more especially if she is what the stupid prophecy claims her to be, its either that or I have her left in the woods, I have heard of one ugly masked wolf hiding deep in the woods, waiting for one of our pack members to just come out, I heard he's ruthless but either way, Rhea here would have company but i would prefer Draco, you know? which is why he can't be paying shillings!," Alicia said without a hint of remorse and I could hear Nico sigh.

"In fact, he plans on coming here soon, why don't we ask him to double the amount? I will get the men ready" Nico said and his footsteps started to fade and soon I felt fingernails dig into my cheeks before she let go of her hold.

"I said, enjoy the party and you really did. Foolish girl" she said and gave a snort and then her footsteps left.

Tears escaped my closed eyelids "Eval !!" I called out for her, she was good at telling me what to do and how to do it. She was my guide, my guardian and my protector and I needed her now but Eval was silent.

I knew that I couldn't get her to wake up and if I didn't peel my eyes open soon, I wouldn't be waking up either.

It was high time I fought for my freedom!

RHEA

I moved as quick as my fragile legs could take me, my body wobbling and my instinct to survive getting stronger as beads of sweat poured out from within me, decorating my head and trailing my face as I was now battling for life against whatever Alicia had given me to incapacitate me.

It won't be long before they start looking for me and if I didn't get far away from this place then I wouldn't be able to get away from here again and I could feel it in my bones.

Voices suddenly started to echo when I just bypassed the gates that led to the palace of the silverfox pack and I picked up the pace, coming out from the sidelines.

"Who goes there?!" A voice echoed and I took the cue to run.

"Stop!! Stop!! Her majesty commands you!" the guards screamed as more people and footsteps pierced the silent night.

I hissed in misery as the posion made my legs wobbly and my eyes felt heavier than before but I refuse to cower!

I ran, the soles of my feet blistering "Stop her! She is an intruder!!" their voices filled the night but I didn't let it deterr me as the footsteps that I was sure were now following me turned to holves.

Shit.

They changed into their wolf form! Panic spread like wildfire, setting adrenaline pumping twice as much into my veins as I now struggled to run and use trees for my support.

I could feel them getting closer, my body ached and a part of me wanted them to just take me back. Maybe I wasn't cut out for any of this? Maybe I was really the evil child and I was just denying fact and maybe I deserved the harsh treatments I have been receiving since I was old enough to remember.

The moon shone down on me and I could suddenly see a steep hole, wide enough for me to hide and almost unseeable and a flash of hope sparked inside of me.

Fuck them.

I was going to live!

I couldn't switch to my wolf and the poison was eating worse at me but with my last strength, I glided into the hole evading the open mouth of a wolf trying to maul my arms but after entering the hole, I realised something.

There was no floor.

Panic spread evenly in my chest as I realised that this was a narrow slide, small enough for someone of my malnourished nature to fit in.

"Arghhhh!!!" I screamed, branches of tress hitting my face as I saw with horror that the slide opened up to somewhere else and it was very high, I knew that I was going to die but I never realised that it would be by breaking my own neck, the sound of dirt falling alerted me as I looked back in horror to see that the opening I had passed through had now closed shut.

This was it. This was the end for me.

I made peace with the fact that at least, I was dying on my own terms not by been drained of my life force by one vampire lord and I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

"What do you mean by she's the one?" a deep voice that I could ony associate with a god called out harshly in my subconscious.

"If she isn't the one then why did you bring her here?" Another voice slightly older and feminie responded and I struggled to open my eyes and panic set in again.

Did Alicia and Nico finally catch me? Was I done for?

The last thing i recall was falling through an agape hole and hitting someone from above... He was in a mask and even the mask was as ugly as they came but what was crazy was that behind the mask, his eyes were the prettiest i had ever seen but was that all a dream because i was not where i remembered, infact i was in a room filled with strange people and sweat gliding off of my back with so much ease.

"Look. She isn't the one, I felt sorry for her at the time but now that you have told me that she is from silverfox, she has to go back there, whether she's the one or not, I can't have enemies in my walls!" he spat again and this was enough to make me gasp.

My body shooting up, making me sit upright as though I had just woken up from a bad dream.

"All hail her majesty!" a woman cried and immediately, all of the people I could only assume were maids and servants bowed their heads to me while I struggled to comprehend what was going on.

"Where am I?" I whispered and I saw an old woman and a man who hid in the shadows and fear spread.

"You've woken up, let me just--"

"Everyone give us the room" the man in the shadows suddenly said and everything seemed to still.

A familiar scent came from him but I couldn't see his face.

"Everyone get out, Now!" he thundered and I flinched as everyone filed out of the room leaving the incense and whatever scent they had been diffusing in the air.

I swallowed hard, realising that it was just both of us.

"You can't send me back. Please" I managed to cough out, my voice cracked as I tried to squint into the darkness to see his face but I was unable to.

"They will kill me, they want to sell me to Draco the vampire lord, please a few moments here could save my life, I would be out and I would move on to the next clan, please jus--" I started

"There is no next clan, this is the end of the road for you and I have been waiting for too long for this" his voice was menacing and all of sudden, I couldn't breathe.

"Do you remember me?" he suddenly asked and I didn't know whether to say yes, if he would keep me alive or say no and look for a way to run.

"Your pack caused a curse on me. You betrayed us, chose the lycans over us and now you ask me for help, the audacity." he spat and I struggled to calm myself down.

"Eval?" I called to my wolf, trying to see if she could transform to make us faster, I could tell that she was awake but why was she ignoring me.

The darkness seemed to follow the strange man as he walked towards me.

"Maybe I won't send you back, maybe I should just kill you myself...princess" he said with so much malice. I could see that he was preparing to strike at me and my adrenaline kicked in but my legs wouldn't move.

I was paralyzed from fear.

"Eval! Please!" I begged

"Not, yet child.Not yet." she whispered back to me and I didn't understand. What the hell did she mean by not yet, was it until we were both been cooked that she would respond?

Suddenly the world spun and I saw him leap towards me, Eval suddenly took control over me and her hands placed two fingers on his head while the other hand held his shoulders and my eyes rolled back.

The last thing I remembered was the word "Mate " echoing in my head while a bright light came from within me.