Chapter 26 : Aloof Twin Brother

Natalie

I winced as the heavy oak door creaked loudly in the silence of the deserted corridor. The main palace was still, most of its inhabitants already retired for the night. As a lowly kitchen slave, I was rarely permitted access to these opulent upper levels, reserved for the pack's nobility.

But one of the fine rugs in the guest wing's main sitting room had been stained earlier today, and the head housekeeper insisted it be washed immediately to avoid offence.

So as the most junior servant, the unpleasant task of scrubbing out the large rug in the dead of night inevitably fell to me. At least the silence and solitude was a respite from the chaotic confines of the kitchens.

I didn't mind the tedious labor or late hour. It was a stroke of luck not to encounter any disapproving guards on my long trek here from the servants' wing. My pulse had only just settled to a normal rhythm after sneaking up several concealed back staircases.

Some instinct prompted me to scan the seemingly de