Chapter 8: Wedding date

Hope's POV

“Babe, I think she's ignoring you,” she whined again. I heard the chair scrape along the floor and his footsteps. My heart raced in my chest but I sat still, waiting.

I felt his thick fingers wrap along my braids and yank it backward, slamming my head into the metal crown of the chair. I winced in pain as he tugged on my hair, afraid that my scalp would come out.

“Did you hear what I fucking said!?” He shouted into my ear and my hands rushed to grab his hand that was yanking my hair violently. I gritted my teeth, determined not to give an answer, but my head burned from the places my hair roots were.

I heard another scrape of the chair and I knew Kaia had gotten up, she walked around the table and my eyes followed her quick movements. She walked close to me and then…smack.

The hall echoed with the sound of her hand connecting with my face: my cheek burned, but my eyes burned more with the reserved tears I didn't want to give them the comfort of seeing me shed.

She tucked her fingers into my jaw and held my head steady in her line of vision.

“You're nothing here, you're a nobody. So when we talk to you, you will listen!” She pushed my jaw forcefully backward and I slammed my head again into the chain, wincing.

“Now serve her,” Orion commanded once more, pushing me head forward before he sauntered toward his seat with Kaia’s hand locked in his. The tear I had been holding for so long broke out from its dam and I wiped it off quickly, I wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

I breathed out and pushed my chair out, moving toward the duo that had sat down. I pulled the plate closest to me and opened the dish, picking her plate up to serve her. My hand shook as I scooped a large quantity from her serving plate and sprayed it on her plate, clumps of food falling on her.

“Are you stupid!?” She yelled and hit my hand, pushing the plate upward toward my face. The food smacked my head, so did the ceramic plate before it crashed to the ground, shattering.

“What the hell!? Pick it up!” Orion yelled as he shifted to check on Kaia.

“Baby, she poured food all over my body,” she whined as Orion checked on her.

“I'm sorry,” I whispered even though crumbs were falling off my hair.

“Shut the fuck up and do what you're told,” Orion shut me up. I sighed and went down on my knees, picking the ceramics. I saw Kaia’s foot move before she placed it on my hand, pressing it against the ceramics. I winced as it dug into my skin, cutting it.

“What is happening here?” I heard the commanding voice of the Alpha and Kaia’s foot tucked into the dining table.

“Oh, nothing, sir, a plate fell off the table when Hope was trying to put it in order,” she said all too sweetly, I would have easily believed her as well.

“What happened to the Omegas? Why is she serving food?” He asked as he moved toward his seat.

“Hope volunteered,” Kaia pressed on with her lie. I stood and wrapped my hoodie around my wound, to stifle the bleeding.

I rushed back to where I had been sitting, afraid to be the centre of attention.

“And why are you sitting over there?” The Alpha asked coldly. I didn't expect any sort of warmth from him because he still thought my father had tried to kill him.

“Sir I…”

I didn't know what to say, where else was I supposed to sit?

“You're supposed to be sitting closer to him,” he pointed his cutlery in the direction of Orion.

“Kaia, switch seats with her,” he said it so casually and my body froze in fear. Switch seats? I was only setting myself up for further issues, I rather sit on the floor.

“Dad, I think Hope is comfortable where she is,” Orion chuckled nervously and for once, I agreed with him. I was comfortable here.

“It wasn't a request. Do it now,” the Alpha said it more firmly this time. I was the first to push myself from my seat and walked toward the other end that was closer to Orion. Kaia took a while to get up so I ended up standing awkwardly by her seat, waiting for her.

She scoffed and flung her hair in my face, smacking the place she had earlier hit before she sauntered toward the other end of the room where I was sitting. She grumpily pulled the seat before crashing down on it, pouting shamelessly.

I felt this spark of joy, but I knew it wasn't going to last, I knew she would try as hard as she can to assert her dominance and claim over Orion. Orion, on the other hand, had this taut expression on his face and it was so obvious he didn't want me beside him.

Hell, I didn't even want to be beside him either. I was still trying to wrap my head around this drama.

“I have good news,” the Alpha said before wiping his mouth with a cloth.

“What's that, father?” Orion asked, forcing a smile on his face.

“I've moved the date of the wedding, it's happening tonight.”

For the third time that day, I felt my blood run cold.