THE RECEPTION

Mia's head was reeling in confusion. "You can't do this to me Aaron." She said, 

Her eyes darted to Justice who was ready to do as his Alpha had instructed. He was tall and had brown hair and brown eyes. He wasn't bad looking either but he also had that rugged build that his Alpha had.

She walked closer to Aaron but not too close, 

"Please you have to think this through. What if they find out?" She whispered to him.

He scoffed, "and who will find out? If they do, what exactly are they finding out? That I no longer want to mate Miram and want to take a different mate or that the mate I'll be taking in is very beautiful and irresistible?" 

He purposely left out the part where she was his step sister.

"Aaron, you have to stop this. How am I supposed to find a cure to my curse if you'll have me locked in this place." She said and gestured to the palace.

"I can't take my chances and have you leave..." He leaned into her ear, 

"Little sister." He completed and stood back properly. 

She was shorter than he was and so he had to bend to be able to whisper to her. He smirked when he saw the expression on her face.

She was visibly angry.

"You big brute. You've only met me after so long and this is how you treat me? You left without saying a word and left me in the claws of your mother and now you're back all of a sudden, an Alpha, and this is how you welcome me and receive me after so long. " She yelled in anger and frustration.

"Do you know what I've had to suffer?" She asked through gritted teeth with tears forming in her eyes as she spoke.

Aaron walked closer to her and teaches his fingertips on her hair, his eyes following his movement as he did so, 

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing that I could have possibly done. Everything that has happened to us has happened because they needed to. You can't change it Mia, you can only live with it." 

Then he turned to Justice, "you may take her now."

He turned his back to her and Mia could do nothing but curse him under her breath.

"Save your breath, you'll be here for a really long time." He muttered but it was loud enough for her to hear him.

Justice tried to hold her by her arm but she violently shoved his hands off, "I can walk by myself." 

He led her out the door and through the hallway. On every floor there seemed to be maids working on all of them. The palace was so huge. The maids all wore brown aprons, it wasn't really that fashionable, but there were those who wore white aprons and had finer dresses. They all just walked around and went about their duties without saying anything. 

Aaron must also be a brute to his subjects. His reputation precedes him but not as much as Miram. 

She shook her head, she had more pressing issues to deal with.

He took her to the room. Her mouth fell open when she saw how very huge it was. The bed was a queen sized bed. Three of her self wouldn't be enough to fill the space on the huge bed.

She gasped as she took in the whole room.

"Will this really be where I'll stay?" She asked Justice.

"Yes, anything you need will be delivered to you." He replied.

She nodded, "thank you." 

After he left, she plopped on the bed and just stayed there. Her initial joy vanquished with the thought of Aaron's proposal.

"How does he expect me to lift the curse while staying here at the palace? My mother is dead and so I might as well just accept this curse and do as he asked." She thought.

But that was a very bad thought. It wasn't going to work out. Not when everyone eventually finds out about what they really are. It would bring disaster to everyone involved.

Some maids walked into the room and that temporarily veered her from her thoughts and back to reality.

There were about five of them. Each carried something in their arms.

"What's that?" She asked no one in particular.

She was looking at something which was wrapped in a box.

One of the maids stepped forward. She was wearing a different uniform, the one with the white apron.

"We are here to take good care of you, miss. Now if you please, head to the shower." She said,

Her voice was rather commanding and Mia didn't really like that. She hated taking commands from others. She crossed her hands over her chest and just stood there.

"What's all this about?" She asked.

"Well, you're the newcomer and the Alpha instructed us to make sure that you're well taken care of. But first, we have to give you a..." Her eyes raked over Mia's body like she was irritating and Mia was offended by it but tried to remain calm.

It seemed like she wasn't liked by this particular maid.

"...good and refreshing bath because it seems like you really need it."

Mia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, "what exactly do you take me for ehm...servant lady?" Mia asked not finding the right words to call her.

The lady looked at Mia with a look of indifference like what Mia said barely grazed her heart or emotion, 

"It's Celia to you and I am not the servant lady, I am the head maid and will be in charge of anything that has to do with you so it would be in your interest to show me some respect. Even maids deserve as little as that. It's little because it's coming from you." She said and Mia has never been more annoyed.

Celia clapped her hands and all the

maids scurried into the bathroom, dragging Mia along as they proceeded to do their job.