Chapter 7: LUST

Irwin was jolted awake by a loud slam on her door. She had fallen into a restless sleep, haunted by the thoughts of everything that had transpired between her and Dorian the night before. The knocking had apparently been going on for some time, but she had been too lost in her troubled dreams to notice. 

Another knock followed, this time louder, and she groaned, pulling herself up from the bed.

“Lady Irwin?” A servant's voice called from outside.

“I’m awake,” Irwin muttered, her voice groggy. “Give me a moment.”

After she quickly washed her face and tried to collect her thoughts, the door creaked open, and two servants entered. They quietly went about helping her get ready for the day, assisting her with bathing and dressing. The silence in the room felt thick, almost uncomfortable. It was clear none of them wanted to speak to her.

As the servants fastened the ties on her gown, one of them finally broke the silence. “You’ll be expected in the dining hall shortly, my lady.”

Irwin nodded but said nothing. She wasn’t eager to face Dorian again, especially after the kiss, the argument, and the mess of emotions she couldn’t quite process. But there was no avoiding it. This was her reality now.

Once they had finished dressing her, the servants escorted her down the hall to the grand dining room. The moment she stepped inside, the rich aroma of food filled the air. The table was laden with an overwhelming variety of dishes , with fruits, roasted meats, fresh bread, and pastries. It was a feast fit for royalty.

Dorian was already seated at the far end of the table, his eyes fixed on the food in front of him. He didn’t acknowledge her arrival, and Irwin was glad for it. She didn’t know what she would say to him if he did.

She quietly took her seat, trying not to make eye contact. As she sat, a servant approached and began to serve her, but her attention was soon drawn to the other side of the room. The young woman serving Dorian was being far from subtle. She leaned over the table, her low cut dress revealing much of her chest as she refilled his wine. She smiled at him seductively, batting her eyelashes. Her every movement a blatant attempt to catch his attention.

Irwin’s stomach turned. The display was so obvious, so shameless, and yet… Dorian didn’t seems to mind. In fact, he was watching the servant with a faint, amused smile on his face. His eyes lingered on her, and the servant’s grin widened as she leaned even closer.

“Wait for me in my chambers,” Dorian murmured to her, his voice low.

The servant’s smile became a smirk as she nodded and sauntered out of the room, swaying her hips as she went. Irwin felt bile rise in her throat. She gripped her fork tightly, forcing herself to focus on the food in front of her. She refused to look at Dorian, refused to acknowledge what she had just witnessed.

Dorian, seemingly unconcerned by her presence, glanced at her once with a dismissive hiss before turning back to his meal. 

The silence stretched between them, thick with tension. Irwin wanted to say something, to call him out for his behavior, but she bit her tongue. What was the point? It wasn’t like he cared.

After what felt like an eternity, Dorian finally stood, pushing his chair back with a loud scrape.

“I have a business to attend to,” he said, his tone cold. He didn’t look at her as he spoke. “Feel free to entertain yourself in my Mansion. Explore, have a look around. But Just… stay out of my way.”

Irwin didn’t respond. She stared at her plate, pretending to be engrossed in the food she wasn’t even hungry for. Dorian didn’t wait for her answer. He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving her alone at the massive table.

She sat there for a while longer, poking at her food, trying to make sense of everything around her. 

How had her life spiraled so quickly into this? Forced into a world where she didn’t belong, surrounded by people who looked down on her, and bound to a man who clearly wanted nothing to do with her. It was overwhelming.

Eventually, after she could carry no more of the tensed silence, she stood and left the dining hall. She wandered aimlessly through the palace for a while, trying to take Dorian’s advice and “entertain yourself,” but it was hard to find peace in a place where she felt out.

As she walked through the hallways, she passed by groups of servants and guards, all of whom either whispered behind her back or blatantly ignored her presence.

Two guards stationed at the entrance to a courtyard didn’t bother lowering their voices as she approached.

“Do you really think she’s the one?” one of them asked, his tone dripping with skepticism.

The other guard chuckled. “Hard to believe, isn’t it? A hybrid, of all things. He’s the alpha. Shouldn’t he have someone… more suitable?”

Irwin’s fists clenched at her sides, but she kept walking, her head held high. She refused to let their words get to her, even though they stung more than she cared to admit.

As she neared the grand staircase that led to her chambers, she overheard another conversation between two servants cleaning the banister.

“I don’t know what the council was thinking,” one whispered harshly. “That hybrid girl? She’s going to ruin everything for him.”

“I heard she can’t even shift properly,” the other added with a sneer. “She’s weak. She’s not worthy of him.”

“Not worthy,” Irwin muttered under her breath. “As if any of this was my choice.”

She finally reached her room, her mind spinning with all the murmurs and whispers she had heard throughout the day. She sat on the edge of her bed, trying to drown out the noise in her head. But no matter how hard she tried, the words kept coming back, each one cutting deeper than the last.

Mistake. Unworthy. A burden.

Irwin closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She couldn’t let this get to her. She had to be strong. She had to prove them all wrong. But how?

After resting for a while, Irwin decided to explore more of the palace. Maybe if she kept herself busy, she could push the doubts and the whispers to the back of her mind.

As she wandered the halls, she passed by a corridor she hadn’t explored yet. Something about it seemed different ,quiet, more secluded. Curiosity got the better of her, and she followed the path, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor.

As she walked past a set of large, intricately carved doors, she heard something that made her pause. At first, she thought she imagined it, but then it came again a soft sound, muffled but unmistakable.

Moans.