Chapter Six

Carly woke up the next day with her body aching all over. She struggled to get out of bed, every muscle screaming in protest. But she knew she had no choice. If she didn’t do her chores, the consequences would be even worse.

The other maids were already up, whispering among themselves and shooting her dirty looks. Carly could feel their hatred like a physical weight pressing down on her. She tried to ignore them as she went about her tasks, but their snide remarks followed her everywhere.

“You really think you’re something special, don’t you?” one of them sneered as Carly scrubbed the kitchen floor.

“Just because the Alpha brought you here doesn’t mean you’re any better than us,” another added with a smirk.

Carly didn’t respond. She knew that anything she said would only make things worse. Instead, she focused on her work, scrubbing the floor until her hands were raw and red.

As she worked, her mind wandered back to the night before. The way Terry had looked at her, the kindness in his eyes—it had given her a glimmer of hope. But then she remembered the way Tina had treated her, the way the other maids treated her, and that hope faded away.

When she finished cleaning the kitchen, Carly moved on to the laundry. She carried a heavy basket of dirty clothes outside to the wash area. As she started washing the clothes by hand, her thoughts were interrupted by a low growl.

She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. The growl came again, louder this time, and she slowly turned around.

Standing at the edge of the forest was a massive wolf, its eyes glowing with a menacing light. Carly’s breath caught in her throat as she realized who it was—Andrew, the beast that had been terrorizing the nearby packs.

The wolf stared at her, its lips curled back in a snarl. Carly knew she should run, but her legs refused to move. She was paralyzed with fear.

Just when she thought the beast would pounce, a figure stepped out from behind the wolf. It was a man, tall and broad-shouldered, with a cruel smile on his face.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” the man said, his voice dripping with malice. “An Omega, all alone.”

Carly’s mind raced as she tried to think of a way out of this. She knew she couldn’t outrun the wolf, and she was no match for the man either. But maybe, just maybe, she could reason with him.

“Please, I don’t want any trouble,” Carly said, her voice trembling. “I’m just a servant here. I have nothing of value.”

The man laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Oh, I’m not here for anything of value. I’m here for you.”

Before Carly could react, the man lunged at her, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her towards him. Carly screamed, struggling to break free, but his grip was like iron.

“Let me go!” she cried, panic rising in her chest.

The man’s smile widened as he tightened his grip. “I don’t think so, little Omega. You’re coming with me.”

Suddenly, a loud howl echoed through the air, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching fast. The man’s smile faltered, and he glanced over his shoulder, his grip on Carly loosening slightly.

Carly took the opportunity to twist free from his grasp and stumbled backward, her heart racing.

Before the man could grab her again, a group of wolves burst out of the trees, led by none other than Alpha Terry. The sight of him filled Carly with a mixture of relief and dread. She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful for his arrival or terrified of what would happen next.

The man snarled in frustration, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Terry. “You’re too late, Alpha. This Omega is mine.”

Terry’s eyes flashed with anger as he stepped forward, his wolves flanking him on either side. “I don’t think so. Leave now, or face the consequences.”

The man’s lip curled in a sneer, but he seemed to think better of challenging the Alpha. With a low growl, he stepped back, motioning for his wolf to follow him.

“This isn’t over,” he spat before turning and disappearing into the forest.

Terry watched him go, his jaw clenched in anger. When he was sure the man was gone, he turned to Carly, his expression softening slightly.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice gentler than she had ever heard it.

Carly nodded, though her whole body was still trembling. “Yes, thank you.”

Terry’s eyes flicked to the bruise forming on her arm where the man had grabbed her, and his expression darkened again. “You need to be more careful. You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

Carly lowered her gaze, feeling a wave of shame wash over her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Terry sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not your fault. Just…stay close to the house from now on. It’s not safe out here.”

Carly nodded again, feeling a strange mixture of emotions. Part of her was relieved that Terry had come to her rescue, but another part of her couldn’t help but wonder why he cared. After all, she was just a lowly Omega, nothing more than a slave in his eyes.

As Terry turned to leave, Carly called out to him, her voice hesitant. “Alpha?”

Terry paused, looking back at her with a raised eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Why did you…why did you save me?” Carly asked, the question burning in her mind.

For a moment, Terry seemed to struggle with his answer. Then he sighed, his expression unreadable. “Because no one deserves to be treated like that. Not even you.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Carly standing there, more confused than ever.

As she watched him go, Carly couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, things could get better. But as she turned back to the wash area, her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain in her side.

She winced, pressing a hand to her ribs where Tina had hit her the night before. The pain was a stark reminder of the reality she was living in, and that flicker of hope was quickly snuffed out.

Carly finished the laundry as quickly as she could, trying to ignore the pain and the fear that still lingered in her mind. She knew she had to be strong, but it was getting harder and harder to hold on.

Later that evening, after all her chores were done, Carly retreated to her small room in the servant’s quarters. She lay down on her thin mattress, staring up at the ceiling as exhaustion washed over her.

But sleep didn’t come easily. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, each one more troubling than the last. She couldn’t stop thinking about the man in the forest, about Terry’s strange behavior, about the way everyone treated her like she was less than nothing.

And then there was the beast—Andrew, the ravenous wolf that had devoured so many packs before. Carly knew that he was getting closer, and the thought of him attacking Lamine City sent a chill down her spine.

Would she survive if Andrew came? Would any of them?

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Carly’s exhaustion finally overcame her, and she drifted off into a restless sleep.

But her dreams were anything but peaceful. She dreamed of the man in the forest, of his cruel smile and cold eyes. She dreamed of Terry, his face a mixture of kindness and anger. And she dreamed of Andrew, his glowing eyes and sharp teeth as he closed in on her, ready to devour her whole.

Carly woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. The room was dark, the only sound was the faint rustling of the wind outside.

She sat up, trying to shake off the lingering fear from her dreams. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the images out of her head.

The next few days passed in a blur. Carly went about her chores as usual, doing her best to avoid Tina and the other maids. But the tension in the air was palpable, and Carly could feel it growing stronger with each passing day.

Terry, meanwhile, was more distant than ever. He barely spoke to Carly, and when he did, it was always in a curt, businesslike manner. Carly couldn’t tell if he was angry with her or if something else was bothering him.

As for Tina, her hatred for Carly seemed to intensify with each passing day. She found new ways to torment Carly, whether it was by giving her extra chores, making snide remarks, or even physically attacking her when no one else was around.

Carly tried to stay out of Tina’s way as much as possible, but it was difficult when they lived under the same roof. Every time Carly heard Tina’s voice or saw her approaching, her heart would race with fear.

But it wasn’t just Tina that Carly had to worry about. The threat of Andrew loomed over everything, casting a dark shadow over Lamine City.

Rumors were spreading like wildfire, and everyone was on edge. Carly overheard the maids talking in hushed tones about packs that had been wiped out, about survivors who had fled in terror.

One evening, Carly was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner when she overheard a conversation between two of the guards.

“I heard he’s getting closer,” one of them said, his voice low and tense.

“The beast?” the other guard replied, his expression grim. “Yeah, I heard the same thing.