Twelve

“Alpha Anton picked out these dresses for you to select from and wear one to lunch.” Cynthia repeated.

Kyra could not find any response to give to Cynthia after hearing that these dresses were sent to her by Anton and that she was supposed to pick one and wear it to have lunch with him now and dinner later. Why would he send her different dresses? Did he pick them out by himself? Kyra did not want to even imagine it. Why was he interested in eating with her?

She could not find any response from asking herself these questions. Her shoulders slumped down as she released a defeated sigh, “Just help me with any of them.”

“You don’t want to pick the one you will wear by yourself?” Cynthia looked surprised.

“No,” Kyra responded, “Anyone you pick will do. I’m sure you can pick out the best, right?” She pushed the work to Cynthia.

No way was she going to be selecting her dress by herself. They looked beautiful and while she must have enjoyed such activity in the past; picking out her own clothes, that phase of her life was over. She had problems that were bigger than picking out her dress for lunch and dinner.

“Really?” Cynthia looked so excluded, she was practically bouncing on her feet.

Kyra could not understand the girl’s excitement about selecting clothes but did not think much about it either. She gave a nod in response, “Really.”

“Yay,” Cynthia let out a tiny squeal.

“I need to take my bath. I’m sure you’ll be done by the time I’m out.” Kyra did not wait for any response and even if she waited, she wouldn't have received one because Kyra was already buried in the pile of clothes.

Kyra pulled off the clothes on her body as she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She noticed the full length mirror in the bathroom and moved to stand in front of it stark naked like the day she was born.

She stood to her side in front of the mirror as she slowly raised her hand to touch her stomach. She was a month gone already, but nothing was showing on her stomach. It was still so flat, no one would know that she was pregnant unless she told them. Werewolf’s pregnancy was six months unlike humans who gave birth at nine months so she knew that very soon she would start showing.

The joy she had felt when she first found out about the presence of this child was now nonexistent. All she wanted now was to protect the only person she had left in this word; her baby.

After a few minutes of standing there and gently rubbing her stomach, she moved to take her bath. It would be wrong of her to keep Anton waiting for long.

“I have the perfect dress for your lunch and dinner today.” Cynthia called out in excitement as Kyra stepped out of the bathroom, while waving a blue gown in one hand and a white gown on the other hand.

“Okay.” Kyra gave a nonchalant response as she went ahead to sit at the vanity so that Cynthia could help her dress up.

Seeing that Kyra was not reacting as excitedly as she was, Cynthia’s shoulders slumped in disappointment before she moved to help Kyra to dress up.

Kyra was out of the room once Cynthia was helping her with the gown and her hair. She rejected the slippers that were brought out for her. It was high and looked uncomfortable. Her gown was long so no one would really notice. She was just going to have lunch with Anton and come back.

There was no time to waste, she needed to get this done and over with so that she could come back quickly and sleep.

“Please, Miss Kyra, wait for me!” Cynthia cried as she ran behind Kyra.

Kyra ignored her completely as she stepped out of her room. She heard Cynthia whining about how she was walking too fast, and she should at least wear the slippers that were brought out for her and not the one on her feet.

Those words barely stopped Kyra. It was nonsense to her. It was already enough that she was going to accept Alpha Anton’s invitation to lunch. No wag in hell was she going to go there and be in discomfort. Her slippers were okay!

Cynthia's voice droned out in the background. Then, it was just a couple of maids moving around. It took Kyra a while to notice them as she was just marching on and to realize that they were all bowing to her as they went about their work. It made her more antsy.

What was wrong with them, and why were they bowing to her? Were they not the same set of people who were mocking and bullying her just a few hours ago?

The only thing she asked herself repeatedly was, “What the hell was going on here? What’s changed?” It seemed weirdly out of place, and strangely dysfunctional.

She was about to take a turn by the left when a hand suddenly touched hers. She turned to see it was Cynthia, sweating profusely.

“It's not that way, Miss Kyra,” She managed.

Kyra nodded slightly as in her haste to walk fast and not have Cynthia complain about her choice of slippers, she had forgotten that she was a stranger who did not know her way around the pack.

She let Cynthia lead her to the dining table, which happened to be at the other side of the hall. There was a black chandelier up, and the setting was black and gold. Normally, it would have looked like something out of a horror movie, but it didn't. She almost liked it, and that made her forehead squeeze with a deep frown.

It took Kyra a moment to realize that Alpha Anton was in the dining room with her and was already seated at the head of the table, with a fork and knife on either side of his hands. And, he was watching her approach him with a dark and piercing gaze. How ways were moving from her head to toe, and her steps nearly faltered, but she caught herself, jutted her chin and kept moving forward.

Kyra was almost at the table when she shifted her gaze to Cynthia. The girl bowed slightly and she made herself scarce before Kyra could even say anything. Kyra took a deep breath, and continued to move towards the long table.

“Alpha, I shouldn't be in here with you. I don’t think it’s advisable to eat lunch together. You are an alpha and I’m just the girl you bought for a hundred thousand dollars from her mate who did not want anything to do with her.” Kyra said once she got to the table.

Okay, she had planned on quietly having lunch with him and quickly returning to her room to sleep, so why was her mouth suddenly moving like they had a will of their own and saying things she did not plan to say? She was so sure that he would get angry with her right now and she would get into the trouble she’s told herself she should avoid at all costs.

Her eyes widened a little and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach but it was from fear. Anton, whose face has been blank the few times she has encountered him, had his lips curled up in a smirk and his eyes shining brightly with amusement as he watched her babble.