~ Iris POV ~It has been a week since I started working in the Troy household and as Chad had promised, I wasn't sent anywhere near Leigh's quarters. I had also adjusted to my new life and was more familiar with my responsibilities. My only fear was running into Leigh and surprisenly, he hasn't been home since the past week. This was good news for me as I didn't have to encounter any more weird situations with him.As much as I wanted to resolve the misunderstanding between us, I wanted to avoid him as much.There are so many rumors about him from the older servants, he is known to be hot tempered and rude that all the other servants avoided close contact with him. The younger ladies all talk about how much of a pretty boy he was but his bad temper disqualifies him from being a perfect man, hence they all shifted their love and attention to Chad who was more likeable and easy to relate to.Chad was so likeable and easy going. He was loved and well received by all the servants. He was a
"Chad!" I exclaimed looking back to find him holding my arms firmly."What are you doing?" Leigh asked curtly as he turned to face Chad."I should be the one asking. What are you doing Leigh?" He said sounding pissed while Leigh tilted his head to the side in amusement."And what do you think I'm doing?" Leigh asked and I just stared at the both of them confused and afraid to utter a word."Wasn't it enough that you almost strangled her, now you also hurt her like this?" Chad said pointing at the injury in my arms."Umm it's actually... ""So what?" Leigh interrupted me. "What does it have to do with you?" He said raising a brow."Let go!" Chad said in an intimidating tone."You let go." Leigh said aggressively as they both gripped my hands tightly causing me to wince in pain.They both let go immediately."Are you alright?" Chad asked concerned while Leigh just stood there without saying a word. He seemed upset and irritated. He probably felt bad for being misunderstood and I couldn'
"Do you really have to seduce someone else?""What?" I asked confused."I'm talking about Chad, did you really have to get him involved?" He said with an expression I couldn't read.I really began to wonder what was going on inside of this man's head. Okay, I can understand the fact that he thought I had seduced him but him thinking I was doing the same with Chad was unacceptable. Angrily I pulled my hands from his grip."Master Leigh, I do not care what you think about me in that head of yours, but I will not have you insult me like this. I already told you that time at the hotel was a misunderstanding but you didn't believe me and I do not blame you, but you talking about my character like this as related to your brother Chad is unacceptable. If you would please excuse me." I said angrily as I stormed out.I knew I had spoken harshly and that I could probably lose my job, but I wasn't going to be insulted like that.I headed towards the servant quarters and I met Chad waiting at the
"You do know I can smell you." He said looking towards the direction where I hid."Hi!" I said awkwardly as I came out to his sight but he didn't answer, he didn't even look up at me. I stood nervously at the side contemplating if I should go back or not."Come here!" He ordered and I quickly moved closer."Give me a push." he said signalling at the swing and I tilted my head to the side at his request."Just do it." he said curtly. I moved slowly behind the swing and gave a light push. I pushed for a couple more times and we just remained there quietly."This was my mother's garden." he said suddenly and I just nodded."The empty quarter by the side also belonged to her. And this swing.." he said caressing it softly "was her favorite thing in this whole house" he said with a light smile."The garden is beautiful." I said softly as I didn't know what to say and he chuckled softly. I knew his mother was dead and we weren't exactly friends so I didn't know how to react now that he is su
~ Leigh's POV ~I really wonder why I can't bring myself to say the things I actually want to say but I always end up saying the wrongest and stupidest stuff. I sat restlessly in the car as I remembered the rubbish I had spilled to Iris."Do you really have to seduce someone else?" I cringed at the memory."Ahh!" I screamed going crazy over the crazy stuff I said."What?" Nicolas asked alarmed as he heard my scream."Nothing, just keep driving." I said composing myself."I think you are going crazy." he said as he shifted his focus back on the road. I was actually going crazy, I've been acting out of character for the past few days all because of Iris."What's bothering you bro?" He said looking at me from the rear view mirror."Nothing." I said curtly."Must be an Iris problem." he said smiling mischievously. I didn't bother to answer as I knew he was only going to make fun of me."Oh by the way, she looks really good. I understand why you have your heads in the clouds." he said wink
That night, I had the most comfortable sleep I'd had in years. I was happy, just too happy that i got to open up to someone other than Nicolas or claws. The next day, miss Felice brought my breakfast down to my room, she noticed I was in a good mood as I was not as grumpy as usual."You seem quite happy leigh darling." she said with a light smile and I smiled brightly back at her."Before I forget, I got a new batch of bird food for your birdie dear." she said pointing at the balcony where i usually left claws cage."His name is claws." I reminded her. She always forgot his name and called him birdie."Whatever dear, I have to head back and ensure those servants are doing their jobs properly.""Don't be too harsh on them Felice." I said and she stopped on her tracks and faced me."And when did you start caring about the servants?" She asked with this look on her face like she could read my mind."I never said anything about caring about them, I only said that because I know how strict
The words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat as I saw the endless questions in her eyes."So like I mentioned before," Dr Eli broke my line of thoughts "I've only seen one case and luckily enough I'm able to handle it." he said patting her shoulders lightly and I could see her confused look."What are you talking about?" She asked."Nothing." I replied in a panic and she looked at me with doubting eyes."Father," she turned to him "what were you talking about?" He looked at me and I was sure my eyes were screaming 'do not say a word' he raised a brow and shaked his head in amusement."It's nothing dear, just grown up talk." he said smiling warmly at her. "Do you have all your stuff ready?""I'll be with you for only less than a day, I have to be back before dark." she said showing the small bag in her hands. She didn't look back at me, she was probably still upset and I get it. If what Dr Eli said was true, then I have been mistaken the whole time and blamed her wrongly. She must
~ Iris POV ~Father scolded me all the way home for my improper behavior towards Leigh. I just stayed quiet because I knew it was pointless trying to find excuses for my behavior this morning. Whether I liked it or not, he was in a position that was unreachable by the likes of someone like me, and what right do I even have to be upset at someone like that."I understand." I said after he had said all that he thought he needed to say to educate me on proper behavior.But I was more curious about something else, and that was what Leigh was getting treated for. I looked at dad and contemplated how to ask him but I decided to just ask him straight forwardly."Hey Dad, what are you treating Leigh for?""It's a patient doctor secret dear, I can't possibly tell you that." he said with his eyes still on the road. What was I expecting, this man was so strict and he probably would never reveal information about his patients even if a gun was pointed at his head.We finally arrived home and I wa
~ Leigh’s POV ~The world was a muffled, distorted echo. There was this constant rhythmic thumping hammering within the confines of my skull, like a relentless drumbeat that threatened to shatter the fragile remnants of my little consciousness. It was a dark and suffocating, a place where sound and sensation were twisted from reality. I was lost in unconsciousness and couldn’t seem to fight my way out of it as I kept floating without having any sensation except for pain that spread through my bones.I tried to grasp at the edges of my consciousness, to pull myself back from the abyss, but my efforts were futile. My eyelids were heavy as lead, refused to obey my commands. All I could see was an overwhelming darkness, a void that stretched endlessly before me. The thumping intensified in my brain, a relentless hammer against the inside of my skull, and I felt myself slipping further down and sinking deeper into the dark.A series of sounds began to penetrate the darkness. I heard muff
The servants led me to my chambers as they closed the heavy oak doors behind me, the soft click echoing the finality of my confinement. I sank onto the bed as I sighed. I was losing my mind at this point and I really wonder how long I can continue to suffer confinement like this. The room, though luxurious, felt like a cage, each ornate detail a reminder of my isolation. Luka Lane was keeping me prisoner and he says I’m to be his bride. What sort of bride am I even?I gazed around the room, my eyes tracing the intricate patterns of the wallpaper, the delicate porcelain figurines on the side of the room, the shimmering golden silk drapes that framed the tall windows. It was a beautiful prison indeed, a place of comfort and opulence, but a cell room nonetheless and I wanted to get out.My thoughts drifted to the upcoming mating ceremony, it seemed scary to me, an event that filled me with a sense of dread. Luka Lane, the pack master, my supposed betrothed. The very idea of marrying hi
I was feeling so frustrated and I didn’t even want to be here or do any of these. There was actually no use having me here since the head servant practically picked out everything herself. From the dress to shoes to the jewellery. I just sat there like a pile of nothing as my thoughts kept wandering around like someone lost. Well, I was lost. My memory was. After the hassle, we were finally done and the servants escorted me back to my room. It was like procession, as the servants walked in front of and behind me, as if shielding me from something dangerous. I felt suffocated and trapped here. "Could I… could I take a short walk?" I asked the head servant, my voice barely audible. I knew I wouldn’t be allowed, but I just wanted to try. "Just a brief look around the grounds? And we’ll be back.” I said innocently.But she shook her head. "I am afraid that would not be possible, Mistress Amore. Master Luka would not approve and he gave strict instructions to not let you wander."“But...
The air in the grand dressing room was thick, not with dust, but with the nerve wrenching sweetness of a hundred different floral perfumes, all battling for dominance to get to my nostrils. I was perched on a soft royal blue cushion, and I could feel the weight and pressure on my shoulders, though my mind was currently miles away, lost in the swirling, fragmented images of my dream. It was still a puzzle that I couldn’t quite piece together, so it bothered me so much. Much more than having to pick out the perfect dress for my mating ceremony.Around me, a flurry of activity unfolded, a meticulously choreographed dance of silks and laces as designers, with faces etched with practiced professional smiles and a hint of desperation, paraded their creations before me, sampling them as the best of the best for the occasion. Each gown was a masterpiece of its own, having intricate beadings and embroidery, meant to enhance my beauty for the upcoming mating ceremony. But to me, they were just…
"Betrothed?" I repeated extremely surprised, it possibly can’t be true. Isn’t he too..too old? "But aren't you… aren't you old enough to be my father?" I asked him.His eyes narrowed at me as the grey turned to ice. "You had no problems with it before. Besides, you have been betrothed to me since your birth." He sounded a bit annoyed as he spoke."But…" I tried to counter, but the words got caught in my throat as he cut me off, his voice sharper and firmer this time.“I won't blame you for the misunderstanding this time Amore. You got into an accident and lost your memory. It happens. Anyway, our mating ceremony is in a few days. I do not wish to postpone it. You better get yourself ready." He turned away and dismissed me with a wave of his hand. I stood there, completely frozen, unable to process his words. Betrothed to him? To a man who could easily be my father? He was handsome, undeniably so, with his sharp features and piercing grey eyes, but the thought of marrying him… it was
The morning light filtering through large windows didn’t make me feel as excited much. It was just like any other day, just like the rest I had spent here. Days and nights has passed by like a continuous endless cycle. A cycle of sleep, bland meals delivered by silent servants, and endless waiting. They all called me ‘Mistress,’ yet I had no recollection of who I was, what this place was, or why I was even here. All I knew was that the servants, though unfailingly polite, were also all awfully tight lipped that it grated on my nerves so much that I felt like pulling my hair some times.“The Master will see you soon and tell you everything you need to know Mistress." They would say, as their eyes evaded mine.Frustration clawed at my chest and I yearned for answers, for a glimpse of the outside world too. The door was always locked when they left, as if they wanted to mock my imprisonment. Why was I even imprisoned here? These questions I couldn’t answer. I scrambled to my feet as my
~ Iris POV ~The first thing that I was aware of was the sound around me. A low unfamiliar hum, like a distant buzzing in my ear. Then voices, muffled and indistinct, like words spoken under water. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt heavy, glued shut with heavy weights. It took a lot of effort, a desperate struggle against the thick pressure that seemed to surround me to finally peer them open.Finally, a sliver of light pierced the darkness, and I blinked, the sudden assault of bright light in my eyes making me to wince and recoil, shutting my eyelids once again. I heard a gasp, a soft, feminine voice, and then a flurry of movement. “She’s awake.” The soft voice said."Get the master quick!" another voice, sharper and more urgent commanded and I could hear clattering around as people moved about. I struggled to open my eyes again to see the people making the sounds, but the light intensified, blinding me again. I squeezed my eyes shut, groaning softly from the sudden sting
So he was dead? Everything he selfishly desired were gone just like that. I moved closer to him as I transformed to my human form. I held his lifeless body as I sobbed. I just couldn’t control the tears as they streamed down. No matter what, and no matter how I claimed to hate him, Chad was still my brother. The one I wished so badly to be close to as a child that I never doubted him. Even as I grew up, I still secretly wished to be accepted by him and father. I was bitter, and full of hatred, but I had never imagined that I would end up killing him with my own hands. I sobbed even harder, holding his lifeless body closer to me.“I hope in your next life you can have a better heart and stop thinking so negatively that you feel you would have to deceive and use others.” I said with a broken heart as I shut his eyes with my hands. I could hear the ringing of my phone at the corner, probably fell there when my clothes ripped as I transformed. I laid him carefully on the ground as I
The air crackled with an unseen energy as Chad transformed. His veins bulged beneath his skin, each muscle rippling with raw power. This was not the frail wolf he used to be, but a monster advanced by cursed medicine and as he would call it, ‘science’.The wolf let out a guttural roar, a sound that seemed to shake the very ground beneath our feet, and he charged at me with a deadly strike.I rolled, dodging the initial attack, I retaliated, a flurry of punches and kicks aimed at the beast he had become, but it was like hitting a wall of granite. He sidestepped, his movements fluid and graceful despite its size, and retaliated with a swipe of its massive claw. His body seemed to be adapting to all my attacks and countering them as he grew stronger with every strike.I barely managed to deflect the blow, the air whistling past my ear as his claws raked across my arm. A sharp pain exploded through me. I gritted my teeth, adrenaline surging through my veins.My men were also being ove