A shocking revelation

Denara

The day was finally upon us, the day the whole pack except me of course was waiting for. It was the day our next alpha, alpha Tim’s only son, was coming back home from his five year study trip.

So it only meant one thing for us: the packhouse maids. More work! Though other maids could see a positive side to this, I couldn’t because it meant more people would visit the packhouse and more people visiting the packhouse would mean more errands for us.

Running more errands wasn’t exactly my problem, the problem was running errands around people. I dreaded being around people because the more people in my space, the smaller I felt.

“You have been on that spot for how long now?” The familiar voice of Freya, my cousin, made me turn to know who else was with her.

It was Magda, the chief of the maids. I didn’t know when they entered because I was lost in thoughts.

“And you are still standing there looking at what?” Magda asked.

 I quickly turned and continued what I was doing, hoping they’d leave my space, but they didn’t, instead they started talking about things I didn’t need to hear.

“I’m so happy for you Freya, please do remember me in your paradise.” Magda said amidst giggles.

“Sure.” Freya replied and I could see her smirk even without looking at her. “And I’ll make sure some useless things leave this pack for good.” She added.

I knew she was talking about me but there was pretty much nothing I could do.

“I don’t know how you cope, living with a low life like her,” Magda scoffed. 

I grew up with Freya and her parents, my dad’s only sister and her husband because I didn’t know my parents, I was told they died when I was three or four so I had nearly no memory of them.

But Freya was obviously not okay with the fact that I was living off her parents. It wasn’t her fault though, her parents planted the seed in her that I was a freeloader ripping them off.

The only thing that kept me going was the hope of meeting my mate someday. I didn’t meet him when I turned eighteen when other people were meeting theirs, but I still held on to the belief that he’d find me someday.

“Why is she still here? Don’t you know who is coming back? He shouldn’t meet people like her in the living room.” Freya said to Magda.

I didn’t pay attention to her or acted like I heard what she said and it irritated Magda as she walked up to me with a scowl on her face like she was about to hit me.

I couldn’t talk back because I knew it could cost me my life, no one cared about low lives in this pack. 

“Denara, you should listen to Freya, she’s the next Luna of our pack, if you don’t you might regret it later.” Magda warned me.

“She’s only doing this because she knows I’m very soft and gentle, that's why she’s looking down on me.” Freya complained.

“I didn’t even say any—”

“Shut up! Before I tell my father,” Freya cut in with a threat. 

Sighing, I picked up the things I was using to clean and left them because I had had enough of Freya’s bullshit. But what could I do?

Magda just mentioned that Freya was going to be Luna soon and I was not surprised. Freya’s mom, aunt Rosa and the Luna had been friends for a long time and they had agreed that their kids would be mated to each other no matter what so their friendship would be stronger.

Because of that they attended the same elementary, middle and high school before Bruno left to study abroad.

“Don’t just go and sit there doing nothing, there is still a lot to do. Better still, go to the duck house and tidy it.” Magda said as I was leaving.

“But the duck room is…”

“Out of bounds. Yes!” She completed my sentence. “But today is different so you have to do the job, unless you want the Luna to do it.

I left without complaining, to the abandoned part of the packhouse. I didn’t know why or for how long it had been abandoned neither did I know why it was called the duck house, but it wasn’t my business. All I had to do was do my job and get the fuck out.

As expected the place was dusty and dirty. Roaches and rodents made it their safe space as they scampered about as soon as I opened the door.

Cobwebs covered my face and I fought with them till I gave up all the while I was sneezing uncontrollably.

Without further ado, I started cleaning up while inhaling dust and battling with the insects and rats.

The room looked ancient and I tried to look around for something that could make anyone want to abandon this kind of beautiful space.

I was more than halfway through cleaning the room when I started perceiving a strange but wonderful smell. It was the best thing I’d ever perceived in my entire existence. It was the combination of earthy dust and grapefruit. 

At first I tried to think nothing of it since dust was already disturbing my airways 

Don’t tell me…

No.

“Denara, it’s our mate.” Sevyn my wolf said, dancing in my head.

“Not now Sevyn.” I replied, climbing a shaky wooden stool to be able to clean the parts my hands couldn’t reach, but the stool was too weak to accommodate my weight.

As I felt myself starting to fall, panic rose in my chest. But in the next instant, a pair of strong arms caught me, arresting my descent.

My eyes shot up, and I found myself staring into the warm, familiar gaze of….

Bruno. 

My heart raced, both from the shock of almost tumbling and the unexpected presence of this man who we all had been cleaning up for his arrival. 

"Careful there, are you okay, mate?" he asked, his voice low and smooth, sending a shiver down my spine. "Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

Mate…

Heat crept up my neck, warming my cheeks as I gazed up at him, acutely aware of the way his hands steadied me, the heat of his body so close to mine and heaven knew I wanted it closer and everywhere around me. 

"Th-thank you," I stammered, cursing my sudden inability to form coherent thoughts. "I, um, I wasn't expecting..."

Bruno smiled, that same enigmatic half-smile I had glimpsed earlier, causing my belly to do multiple flips. "It's my pleasure," he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.

I could stare into them forever. 

We stayed there, suspended in that charged moment, neither of us wanting to break the connection. I wanted to continue to breathe in the air that was covered with his scent.  

It was as if time stopped, everything else fading away except for the two of us and Sevyn's voice echoing in my head, her excitement palpable. "It's him, Denara! Our mate, our other half!" 

Staring from his eyes down to the bridge of his nose and landing my gaze on his lips, I could still see that half smile. I wanted to move in closer and close the remaining gap between us. I wanted to feel how soft his lips would be against mine. 

I swallowed hard, torn between the overwhelming desire to surrender to this connection and the need to maintain some atom of composure. 

This was all happening so quickly, so unexpectedly. How could this stranger, the alpha’s son, Bruno, be my mate - the person I was destined to share my life with?

Sensing my inner turmoil, Bruno's expression softened. He slowly released his hold on me, allowing me to find my footing once more, though the loss of his touch left me needing more

“You fool!”

My eyes widened in shock. 

“Freya,” I said in realization when I saw her. She was far from happy and I was sure she saw everything that had happened. 

She technically snatched Bruno away from me, dragging him closer to the door with every step. “Filthy bastard. Did Denera cause you any trouble, Bruno?”

Freya disgusted me, but upon seeing her even lay hands on my mate angered me but I  stayed quiet. 

“Denera? Is that your name?” Bruno asked, completely ignoring Freya as his eyes tingled with excitement.

“Y-yes,” my voice still stammered. 

“Denera is my mate,” he announced to Freya and I felt my belly do a flip over. Was this the feeling of butterflies in the belly?

“This filth? You have no idea who she is, do you?” Freya scoffed, probably bewildered that Bruno had not rejected me. 

“I don’t entirely care if she’s a maid,” he shrugs, taking a step closer to me. 

I was going crazy on the inside with what I believed was genuine joy and excitement. He was really taking me for who I am?

“Let me remind you that this girl is my cousin. The one whose parents tried to kill you and your parents, many years ago. The traitors whose greed overtook their thinking and believed they could kill the alpha. Did you forget that was why they got eliminated in the first place?” Freya announced. 

The air seemed to stop at that moment. 

Or maybe I just stopped breathing. 

“What?!” Bruno and I chorused.