Chapter 7

Alicia's POV

I hesitated to let him into the room, cautiously placing my hand on the door, hoping for some meaningful words. However, it became evident that neither of us was willing to back down.

After what seemed like an eternity, he broke the silence with a question, "Can I come in?" It took a good three minutes before he uttered those words.

With trembling uncertainty, I finally gave in, gesturing for him to enter. Yet, fear gnawed at me, prompting me to check behind him, making sure he wasn't followed, especially by his supposed Luna. Both Mrs. Sinclair and Nora would have warned me against any involvement with Astor, advising me to steer clear of trouble.

But why did I allow him into my room? I had only recently recovered from the beatings inflicted upon me by Melissa, his so-called Queen. He had witnessed my suffering, yet he did nothing to intervene. And now, inexplicably, he stood before me.

As I stood at the door, I mustered the courage to ask Astor about his intentions. "What do you want, Astor? I'm not going to walk away this time," I asserted firmly, determined not to back down.

Astor motioned for me to take a seat, trying to ease my nerves. "Alicia, come sit down. You don't need to be afraid of me. Do you really not want me around?" he inquired, his penetrating blue eyes seemingly looking right through my nightgown, as if trying to read my thoughts.

Concerned about potential conflicts with his Queen, I quickly pulled away from him, attempting to establish boundaries. "Why are you here? I can't afford to have any issues with your Queen," I expressed, trying to be clear about my apprehensions.

"I came here to see you, Alicia, because I miss you deeply. It's been a couple of days, and I haven't had the chance to see your face. So, I thought I'd come by myself to visit you," Alpha Astor expressed, inviting me to take a seat, but I stood my ground.

"Thank you for your concern, but as you can see, I'm doing well. You can leave now," I responded firmly as I reached for the door, intending to guide him out. However, just as I was about to do so, I felt his hand wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to him, and I could sense his desire evident.

"Are you sure you want me to leave?", he asked gently, his lips brushing my left ear, as his hands found their way around me, cupping my breast. I tried to resist, but I couldn't ignore the undeniable pull between us, so I let go of the doorknob and held onto him.

His lips met mine almost instantly, but the kiss was brief, as I remained anxious about the possibility of Melissa interrupting us.

"This is not a good idea, Astor. Melissa might walk in on us. I'm scared," I expressed my concern, trying to break free from his tight grip."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't worry. No one will interrupt us. Your door is locked, and I can tell your body wants me to stay," he said, pointing at my puckered nipple that brushed against his chest.

"But…I...," I began to say, but he silenced me with a seductive kiss and whispered, "No buts, love. I want you, and I know you want me just as much."

"This is a bad idea, Astor…please…" I pleaded, but my body seemed to have a mind of its own as my eyes were fixated on his thin, flat, pink lips.

"You should see what your body is saying to me, Alicia. Touch me. Feel me," he commanded, guiding my hands to his erect member, which stood proudly. My touch seemed to ignite his arousal further, making it even firmer.

"Oh-oh…that's...hard..." I stammered, unable to finish my sentence as he started to undress me, slowly exploring my body and tasting my nipples.

"Oh…my…goodness…Astor…this…" I moaned, and he eagerly kissed me, our passion intensifying as I wrapped my hands around his shoulders, responding to his touch. The moment seemed endless until he reached for my panty, and suddenly I snapped back to reality.

"Stop…just stop. Please leave," I pleaded, hurriedly picking up my clothes from the floor and gesturing for him to go. For a moment, I felt lost in the encounter.

"I thought we were having fun. Why are you scared, sweetheart?" Alpha Astor asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and frustration as I angrily threw his clothes at him, urging him to put them on.

"Fun? What? Am I just a toy you can play with and then discard? No, I won't accept that. I've grown wiser now. Please leave because I don't want your witchy Melissa to see you here," I asserted, pulling him away and guiding him to the exit.

"Show some respect, alright? She's the Queen and the Luna of this kingdom. You will not speak to her disrespectfully. Is that understood?" Alpha Astor's voice was laced with anger, and his piercing red eyes made me retreat into myself as I obediently nodded in response.

"Alright, I'm sorry. So please leave," I insisted, observing him looking at me with a seductive expression.

"Alright, I'll leave, sweetheart. But not without a kiss," he insisted, and I couldn't refuse since I felt powerless to fight back forcefully. So, I reluctantly gave in to his grip, and we shared a passionate kiss that awakened my senses.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten that I had already opened the door, and it swung open revealing none other than the Queen herself. We quickly broke off from the kiss, but I could imagine she might have thought we were locking lips.

"What's going on here, Astor? Why are you in my maid's room? I mean...my...personal maid?" she asked, her voice filled with annoyance, and Astor could sense it too.

"I...came to check up on her. I thought you might be too tired to come and see her," Alpha Astor quickly attempted to defuse the situation, hoping to avoid any escalation.

"And why were you hiding behind the doors?" Queen Melissa questioned as she placed her right hand on her forehead, her pupils turning blue with anger. It was clear that her wolf was awake and active.

"I was just about to leave, so..." Alpha Astor's statement was interrupted as Queen Melissa snapped at him.

"For goodness sake, let her speak, Astor. She has a mouth of her own. Are you slow? I...I asked why my mate was alone with you, Alicia?" Queen Melissa inquired, and suddenly, my body started to tremble, and sweat dripped from my hands to the floor. My thoughts were scattered, and words failed me as I looked at Astor, who appeared to be giving me an apologetic look.

Almost immediately, Alpha Astor grabbed her hand and left my room, realizing that the situation was overwhelming for me. Not that he cared whether I lived or died, but maybe he did have a slight concern for me. As soon as they left, I closed the doors behind me and broke down in tears.

"I don't know what to do anymore. Why are you so foolish, Alicia? Why?" I banged my head and kicked the air in frustration.

Alpha Astor's POV:

Upon reaching my room, Melissa and I began to settle our dispute as I tried to shake off the guilt.

"Alicia, do you like her?" Melissa turned her back against me and asked. I rolled my eyes, placing my hand on my waist, and said nothing, just staring at her. Melissa rushed at me and started hitting my chest. "You lying bastard. I trusted you. I traveled from a far place to be your Luna. And now you are here, fooling around with my maids. My personal maid?" Melissa continued to hit me until I finally caught her hand to stop her.

"So...You're ranting about something you didn't catch us doing? Have I ever lied to you before?" I held her face, trying to meet her gaze, as she struggled to break free from my grip.

"No. But..." Queen Melissa attempted to speak, but I silenced her with a kiss and pulled her closer to me.

"All I think about is you. Alicia's beauty can never compare to yours. She looks insignificant to me. Have you seen your porcelain skin? It's incomparable to hers." I lifted Melissa and locked the door behind us as I laid her on the bed. This was to be our first night together.

"Oh...Jeez...please," Melissa begged, but I turned a deaf ear, knowing her words were merely pleasurable, as I slid a finger to feel her wetness. Since she wasn't a virgin, it was easy to continue.

And we continued in the flame of our desires until Melissa could moan no more.

Alicia's POV:

On the other hand, I went to bed devastated and angry at myself for being so foolish. I cried all through the night, uncertain about what fate had in store for me the next day, knowing that I would be resuming my position as Melissa's personal maid.

Time seemed to fly by since I arrived at the palace. Back when I was in prison, time moved slowly, but now, as a personal maid to that witch, it rushes even faster. I opened my eyes, and it was already past 8 am.

"Oh my goodness, I'm late again." I hurriedly scrambled out of bed and took a quick cold water bath, as there was no time to waste heating it. I dreaded facing another punishment, especially after yesterday's incident, and I had no idea what my fate held in store for me. Suddenly, a loud knock on the door startled me, causing me to drop the mirror I was holding, which unfortunately pierced my fingernails.

"Alicia, your attention is required by the Queen," the guard said, and I heard his footsteps fading away from my door. I heaved a sigh of relief and quickly grabbed a cloth to stop the bleeding. Hastily, I put away my makeup kit and opted for a more natural appearance.

As I stepped out of my room, I could feel the guard's lingering gaze on my skin. It was as if they couldn't resist harassing me, making me prefer staying indoors once I was done with the Queen. However, my hopes for a peaceful day were shattered as soon as I entered the palace and received a scorching slap, causing hot tears to roll uncontrollably down my cheeks.

"Are you stupid? Do you even know what time it is?" Queen Melissa's voice was seething with anger, though deep down, I could sense that she had moved on from last night's incident. Alpha Astor, as usual, remained passive, merely observing from the sidelines.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," I mumbled, holding my cheek and rubbing it gently. Even the guards stood by, helpless and silent. I lowered my head as tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Now, let's focus on today's business," Alpha Astor interjected, breaking the tense silence.

My day began with a slap and ended with nagging from Queen Melissa herself. The atmosphere turned dark, and later, Alpha Astor summoned me to his private chambers, where we had our initial encounter that I couldn't refuse.

My hands trembled as I stood outside his door, unable to muster the courage to knock. Instead, I opened it cautiously and found him sitting across the table, his back turned to me.

"I was told you needed me," I said, bowing respectfully.

"No need to be so formal," he replied, rising from his seat and approaching me. He came close, and despite my efforts to deny my feelings, a powerful attraction pulled us together. It felt like a mate pull, and the goddess knew that my connection with Queen Melissa was a mistake.

"Please, Astor, we shouldn't do this," I pleaded, but the allure of his touch overwhelmed me. Our passion consumed us, and just as the door swung open, we found ourselves entangled, my pants already discarded, and I stood there half-naked as the witch, Queen Melissa, stormed in, her anger apparent in her gaze.