Chapter Six
Maelis I wanted to avoid Prince Ulric, his brothers, and those ladies for the rest of the school day, so I headed to the school library. As I browsed through the sections looking for a quiet place to read, my eyes caught the billboard announcing upcoming exams in a few weeks, with a message encouraging students to study hard and wishing them good luck. On the other side, there was a notice about the annual Blood Moon Harvest scheduled for the next weekend. Despite the excitement surrounding the event and the activities planned, I wasn’t interested. I still felt like I didn’t fit in at the school, and attending the harvest would only exacerbate that feeling. My main concern was catching up with my studies. I knew I had fallen behind and needed to work twice as hard as my classmates to catch up. At the librarian’s desk, I joined the queue of students waiting to be served. While standing there, thoughts of the day raced through my mind — from the initial excitement of being at my dream school to sensing my wolf for the first time and meeting my peers, to being ignored and mistreated by almost everyone I encountered. It had started well, but reality wasn’t meeting my expectations. “How may I help you?” the librarian asked as I approached. Clearing my throat, I explained, “I’m a new student, just admitted today. Can I borrow books for our courses to prepare for exams?” “Can I see your ID?” she requested. After checking her system, she looked back up at me. “I’m sorry, but all the books for your courses have been borrowed. You may have to wait a few more days.” I sighed and nodded before turning away. Just as I started to leave, her voice stopped me. “Hey, new student,” she called. I turned back to see her pointing to a student returning books. “These are some of the materials you’ll need,” she informed me. “And feel free to ask your classmates for help if necessary.” “Thank you,” I replied with a faint smile, though I knew I didn’t have anyone to ask for help. “I can help you, if you want,” a voice said unexpectedly. It felt like a dream. I looked up to see the most gentle and welcoming face since I arrived at the school. “My name is Isolde, and I can help you if you want,” she offered with a soft smile. I nodded gratefully, unable to find the right words. She was the first person to speak to me without insult or disdain for my scarred face — the first to offer genuine help, which I desperately needed. “Yes, I do need your help,” I replied, trying not to show how much her offer meant to me. “I’m Maelis,” I introduced myself as she came closer. “I’ll just call you Lis,” she decided, helping me gather books before finding a spot in the library to sit. After several minutes of avoiding eye contact, she asked, “How do you find the school?” I looked up, uncertain where to start, from bonding with my wolf to feeling out of place. “In one word — hell.” She chuckled softly. “I can relate.” “What do you mean?” “I was once in your shoes. Admitted through a scholarship for average students in the kingdom, I was treated like an outcast, lower than the lowest rank. I considered quitting, but my parents had sacrificed so much. Seeing me in this school was their greatest achievement. It’s only a matter of time before their judgments no longer affect you.” Her soothing words and shared experience made me feel less alone. “Thank you for your kindness, Isolde,” I said sincerely. “You’re welcome anytime. I’ll be here for you,” she reassured me, diving into one of the books. “Now, about those exams coming up…” The next hour was spent studying and getting to know each other, forming a friendship. I was relieved my first day hadn’t been entirely bad. After lunch and a few more classes, Isolde and I walked down the hallway, chatting about our day. Suddenly, someone bumped into us, making it appear we collided, but I soon realized it was intentional. Laughter echoed from different directions. “So you two are friends now?” one teased. “Not surprising the two lowest-ranked students in our school are friends,” another added. A girl from our class approached, sneering, “No matter how hard you study, you’ll end up as our slaves. You can’t escape your fate.” Isolde grabbed my hand, leading me away until we reached the gate. “Don’t listen to them. We’re here to make our people proud. We won’t end up as their slaves,” she declared, extending her hand. “Promise me you won’t give up on your dreams, no matter how tough it gets.” I had shared my dream with her in the library — to become a physician and work in the Royal castle as the Royal physician. I smiled widely, joining hands with her. “I promise I won’t give up on my dreams, no matter what.” “That’s more like it,” she chuckled. “See you tomorrow,” she said before walking away. Lost in thought, I arrived home, reflecting on the day’s events. Amid the turmoil, I found solace in Isolde, whom I had grown attached to in just a short time. She was the first to offer help and see my dreams as achievable. My father often said I dreamed too big, destined only for menial work like cleaning, as those students had mocked. Lost in thought, I reached the front door, where I noticed a fleet of expensive cars parked outside. My father didn’t even own the cheapest car. What were they doing here? Did the alpha princes know I was their mate and send guards to bring me to them? Excitement and fear mingled in my heart as I waited to hear what was happening inside our house. I also headed home, with the days activities wandering through my mind. Even in the midst of the storm, I still found some calmness, which was in Isolde who I had grown attached to in the few minutes I got to spend with her. She was the first ever person who offered to help me, she was the first person to see my dreams as a feasible one. My dad would always say I was dreaming too big and I should just learn to clean, because as those students said, I would end up as a maid. I was too lost in thought to realize that I had gotten home. I was about to open the door when I saw the fleet of expensive looking cars parked at around. My dad didn’t even have the cheapest car, what could these cars be doing in our house? I pushed the door open gently and my hand froze on the knob when I saw the Royal guards in our house, with my father seated with them, and my stepmother offending them a drink. My jaw dropped and remained unclose as different thoughts wandered through my mind. What could they be doing there? Does the alpha princes know that I was their mates already and they sent the guards to bring me to them? My heart raced with a mixture of fear and excitement as I waited to hear what they were doing in our house.Chapter SevenMaelis“Oh! Thank goodness you are here. I was just telling the Royal Guards about you,” my dad said with a big smile on his face as he pulled me towards the center of the room, right in the middle of the Royal Guards.My dad had a big smile on his face, one I hadn’t seen since my mom passed away. He usually wore a frown or scowl, glaring at me whenever he wanted to speak to me. But now, he was smiling from ear to ear, and I could tell he was genuinely happy, which he hadn’t been in years.What could the reason be? Why were the Royal Guards here? What news could they bring to make my father this happy? I searched for answers but couldn’t find any. The only explanation that seemed reasonable to me was that the Royal Guards were sent by the Alpha Princes. I imagined instances where I would have to choose between the Alpha brothers, scrutinizing them from their looks down to their behaviors. Those minutes I spent standing and waiting for an explanation were filled with dayd
Chapter Eight Valko“The Alpha King mentioned in the last meeting that he would love for his sons to find their mates before the next pack feast,” my uncle, also an elder of the pack, informed me. He turned to me with a smile, his brown teeth baring at me. “Have you found your mate yet?”That was one of the questions I hated to be asked: Where is your mate? Have you found your mate? Can you feel her presence? How long will it take to get to her? I hated all these questions, but they wouldn’t stop asking me. The questions only opened up my insecurities, revealing a part of me that I always tried to forget.How exactly could I tell all these people that I had no wolf? I had never felt its presence, and I didn’t think I ever would.“Valko,” my mom called. “Have you found her?” she asked.I forced a smile onto my face and shook my head. “Not yet. But I am sure I will find her soon,” I responded, knowing full well that was a lie and I might end up with no mate.“I can find the perfect wom
Chapter NineMaelisThe gate of the Royal castle was so big that a family of elephants could pass through it all at once. I had never seen a gate so big in my entire life, and I had thought that the first time I would enter this royal castle would be to seek employment as the royal physician. But here I was, being bundled in to work as a slave.Tears kept rolling down my face, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. My heart felt like it was ripping apart. Never in my life had I imagined that things would get so bad that I would end up as a slave. I always thought that if I could get admitted into the institution, I would do whatever it took to graduate as a qualified physician and prove everyone wrong, especially my stepmother.I was ecstatic when I received the admission. I thought my dreams were finally going to become a reality, that my far-fetched dreams were finally within reach. But now? My dreams were farther away than I could have ever imagined. I might never become a p
Chapter TenUlricBeing at home is supposed to make up for the long day at school, but not in my case. It rather determined how bad the stay at home would be. It determined the amount of trouble I would have to put up with, as it was always double whatever happened at school.Sometimes I get tired and too overwhelmed, and I just want to quit everything, maybe go away with my mom and find a good place for us to live and start a new life. But my mom’s hopes were on me, and she wouldn’t be happy to see that I had given up.My mom was the only reason I was in this fight to begin with. Even though I had topped my brothers in every Royal class and training we’ve done, I never had it in mind to go head-to-head with them for the throne. But seeing how my mom was being treated and how she had been subjected to so much abuse and shame, I just couldn’t let her live like that forever.It wouldn’t even end with me. If I didn’t do anything to change the situation for my mom and me, then every singl
Chapter ElevenMaelisMy legs felt as though they were glued to the floor, I couldn’t move, and the same applied to my brain, it couldn’t come up with any way to escape the impending danger and chaos that would be caused by the brothers if they were to see me, standing there as one of the new recruited maid.I looked around, my eyes desperately searched for a way out, but I couldn’t find anything, I couldn’t think of a way out of this mess.I kept my head bent, maybe hiding my face could save me, but that wasn’t possible, anyone who knows me well would recognize me even if my face was hidden. The scar on the side of my face and neck would expose me.“Keep walking!” One of the guards leading us to our rooms yelled out.I looked up, and that was when I realized that the other maids had gone far beyond me. I picked up my legs and rushed to join them, finding a way to move myself in between them just so I wouldn’t be recognized.“Stop and greet the princes.” Another guard ordered, and we
Chapter TwelveUlricStanding there and waiting for my father, the Alpha King, to come in felt like forever. I already knew what my fate was, but I wanted to strongly believe that he would make the right judgment this time.He was always quick to make judgments and would even listen to my brothers over me. I was like the child he never wanted, but it was still confusing why he was acting that way. Until we were thirteen, my father was all over my brothers and me, treating us equally, without any preferential treatment for anyone.Though the other people around us treated me just the same way I was being treated now, my father and brothers were different. I always thought if I had their support and love, I wouldn’t care about how the palace maids or their mothers treated me. All of a sudden, the people from whom I gained my strength changed towards me. They were the shoulder I could lean on when I had any problems or was maltreated by any of their mothers or palace maids, but they move
Chapter ThirteenMaelisI watched as the three brothers walked out of the throne room, leaving us with the alpha king.What I had just witnessed was a display of power and wisdom. I initially thought the alpha king was being biased when Prince Ulric was dragged away, but I never expected him to do the same with Prince Valko. Even Prince Valko was as surprised as the rest of us.When they were both taken away, I wondered what the alpha king was going to do next. How did he intend to uncover the truth if he wasn’t going to hear from both sides? Were they being interrogated wherever they were taken?I was still pondering when the alpha king ordered Kael to step forward and explain what happened because he was the only witness. The alpha king emphasized the importance of Kael telling the truth and not being biased.Kael stood silent for a few minutes, likely debating whether to tell the truth or align with someone. From what I had observed since meeting them, if he were to side with anyon
Chapter FourteenMaelisJuggling school and working as a palace maid was way harder than I expected. I thought it would be a piece of cake, but it turned out to be like a broken part of a rock: hard and tiring.We were woken up by the loud blaring of the morning sound over the speakers installed in every room. We rushed up to go to work, and people who couldn’t get up with that sound were disciplined by the guards. I knew it: nothing would go unpunished in this castle, and I had to be extra careful.We were put into groups for work that morning. Some were sent to the kitchen, some to clean the royal halls, including the dining room, and others to the royal farm. I was lucky to be sent to the kitchen where we didn’t do much work, but none of us were allowed to leave once we stepped in. The chief cook said we might go out and come back with germs that could harm the royal family. If only he knew what we used to do in the kitchen back at home.Due to the drastic measures, restrictions, a