CelineI have been working as a slave maid for five years to earn redemption for a crime I never committed.At three p.m. today, my last shift ends, meaning I won’t have to be a slave anymore. My eyes landed on the clock, and I watched as it chimed three. At the same time, the invisible weight I had carried on my shoulders for the last five years was lifted. A tear slid down my cheek.“I’m free,” I whispered to myself as I got up from my spot on the floor. Today, I was going to see my parents when they came to get me. A smile widened on my lips again. I would get to see my mama again.“You still believe that they care about you?” my wolf spoke up and sighed.“They will come, Silver. You are so pessimistic. I may not be their real daughter, but I am still a part of their family.”When I was young, I never doubted who I was. I was the Alpha’s daughter. My parents loved me, and my brother protected me. I was their little girl in their arms, bringing them joy and happiness, until I failed
Celine The world tilted beneath my feet. “No… that’s not true,” I whispered, shaking my head. “They promised-” They promised to take me home after I was released from the palace. “They lied.” Sheila’s words cut me as sharp as a blade would. “They don’t care about you. They don’t even remember you exist. Honestly, you should thank me. At least now you know where you stand. On your knees, scrubbing floors. It suits you.” A tear slid from my eye. My parents lied about the service term. They were never going to get me after five years? “Please don’t do this to me. ” Sheila smirked, her eyes glinting with malice. “Oh, Celine, this is what you are good for. Now refill my cup, slave.” She sneered holding up her tea cup for me to fill. I sniffled back my tears as I took small steps to the chair she and Anya sat in, looking at me with hatred in their eyes. I didn't believe her words. Mother and father would never allow this. She probably brainwashed them like she did to Anya. The porcel
Kaiden After so many years, I stepped foot into my pack again. My mind link being set in place again. My men and I have been gone for so long, it felt good and warm to be at the pack again. Years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would come to miss my kingdom, but after my brother and sister-in-law died, I had to take over, wear the heavy crown, and take care of my niece, who only had me. But due to the border rebellion from the nasty rogues, I had to leave her, too. And the minute I mind linked her that I was back to the pack, I could feel her excitement through the link. But something else caught my attention. As our pack tradition, when the king returned, the guards and maids lined up to welcome him. But that wasn’t what stole my attention. A maid, fallen on the ground, unmoving. The sight of her struck me like a bolt of lightning. Her soft features, the delicate curve of her neck, everything about her tugged at my instincts. My wolf stirred restlessly within me, a primal energy
Celine Shamefully, I ran away from the Alpha’s room like the coward that I was. I couldn’t recover from the look of disgust he gave me when I admitted to being a thief. His piercing gaze burned into my soul, making me feel smaller than ever under his stare. Why did I have to admit to being a slave? Would he have believed me if I had told him the truth about Sheila? My parents didn’t care for me, but why was I still helping them protect Sheila? I wiped away an angry tear that slid from my eye. I never thought my mate, not even the king, could be within these walls. But now, all hopes of finding a mate who would love me and cherish me had been dashed. My mate would rather die than accept me, a thief, as his queen. Approaching my sorry excuse for a room, I passed in front of the maids’ quarters... a huge room that all the maids lived in. They refused to let me live with them, casting me into a storage room infested with rats and insulting me every night I had to pass their room to get
Kaiden “How dare you run away from the pack that has been merciful to you despite what you’ve done?” I growled, my head roaring with anger, as I glared at the pair in front of me. How dare she run away? How dare he, a guard, help her escape? This infuriated me to no end as I watched them nervously shift under my gaze as they realized that they had been caught. “Kai- your highness…” Celine whispered, her gaze falling to the floor. “It’s not what you think-“ The guard pulled her behind him in a protective stance, and my gaze followed their enclosed hands. This caused my wolf to jump around in anger, begging for control so he could tear the little guard apart. “If you want to punish anyone, punish me. I am not sorry for doing this. She deserves so much better treatment than the treatment everyone in this kingdom has been giving her, especially your niece.” The guard all but spat in my face. A monstrous growl that would wake the whole kingdom tore through my lips. “How dare you talk t
Celine For the first time in a long time, I woke up on a soft bed, the warmth of the blankets cocooning me as a small smile tugged at my lips. I snuggled deeper into the comforter, savoring the softness, the safety, the quiet peace of the moment. But as my mind slowly began to clear, the memories of last night came rushing back, and my smile faltered. I sprang up, panic clawing at my chest as I realized where I was... Kaiden’s room. The events of the previous night came flooding back in vivid flashes. His eyes, burning with possessiveness. His kiss, was fierce and claiming. The sensation of being claimed, of being made his. Over and Over again. My face flushed with embarrassment, as I noticed the absence of Kaiden. The room was still, quiet, and yet there was a lingering tension in the air, as if his presence still held dominion over every inch of the space. I hastily wrapped the comforter around my naked body, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable, despite being alone in this lar
Celine's POV My legs carried me as fast as they could, and I almost tripped a million times as tears blurred my vision as they flowed in streams. The minute I got into my room, I fell onto the floor and shook uncontrollably as I wailed. Could Anya be telling the truth? No, she couldn’t. It could just be a huge lie to pull Kaiden and me apart. But my chest throbbed with doubt. I was just a slave. Why would a king want me? If Anya wasn’t lying, why on earth would Kaiden make me vulnerable just to abandon me? Was I that worthless? Did last night mean nothing other than him getting pleasure from his useless maid? The thought of that caused me to sob harder. Everything hurt. But there were no answers on my room floor. I had to see for myself if I was just a tool to Kaiden, and the only way was going to do my duties as a maid at the party. Just then, my glance darted to my bed, where a flimsy black dress lay. It was the uniform of the day and every bit of it was designed to make the
Kaiden Alpha Sinclair rambled on about his plans to stop the rogues’ insistent attacks on the packs and all i could think about was last night. Look at me, a king going crazy because of a wolfless maid. If the Alphas could see into my mind, it could be quite a scandal. But I couldn't help it. I'm far too deep to leave now. If I closed my eyes, I could see her soft delicate porcelain skin. I could smell her delicious natural scent. Fuck I could even hear how softly she moaned my name while we were- “Your Highness. Permission to mind link.” A groan left my lips, drawing the attention of the Alphas, but I ignored them, focusing on the guard. “I am in a meeting, I will address this later.” I mindlinked back, ready to stop my wolf from allowing mindlinks, but the guard's voice came back stern. “Your Highness, it's about your mate. Princess Anya dragged her out and-” I didn’t wait for him to complete his sentence and I leaped to my feet and walked away, leaving the Alphas shocked an
CelineHades let out a weary sigh, his grip tightening slightly on my hand before he let it go, stepping back as if putting space between us would soften the truth he was about to tell me. The Dark Knight remained silent, his presence almost forgotten.I crossed my arms, my heart pounding. “Well?”Hades ran a hand down his face, his expression hardening. “I did give up my power on Earth for you. For you both.”My breath hitched. “Then what happened?” Hades sighed. “Rosa, your beautiful mother was pregnant.”I stared at Hades, my mind struggling to process the weight of his words. "Pregnant? You mean... my mother was carrying another child?" My voice trembled with grief. “How?”Hades nodded, his eyes dark with memories. "Yes, Celine. Your mother was expecting. In her defiance of Selena’s cruel demands, Rosa came to hell one last time, and we had one last night together. I…" Hades’ voice broke. “I had no idea how she found her way down here, and I hoped we wouldn't get caught… it was a
KaidenFor days I haven’t been able to get up from my bed. I just couldn’t, despite all that Damon said that night. And to make it worse, Everytime I closed my eyes, I saw her. I saw her in other people, I mourn our child, the one I wasn’t able to meet.And I just couldn’t stop perceiving her scent. Her scent was everywhere and I was convinced it was karma, to smell her everywhere and not touch her. Sheila had been so helpful, taking control of what I was usually meant to do, and taking care of me. She was the closest thing I had to a comforter, and it was funny how it was the person who she hated the most that was helping me out of this difficult time.But Sheila had redeemed herself. After that uncomfortable situation we had few days ago, she reduced her contacts, only providing me with what I needed. I appreciated that.I wished it didn’t hurt this much. Chasing Celine to her death. I took in a shaky breath as I stood in her room, wanting to surround myself with the last place she
Sheila“Your highness, The pesky beta is beginning to suspect us sooner than you expected he would.”My hand stilled on the magazine I was flipping through, my jaw pausing on the fruit I had in my mouth. Well, I expected sooner or later Damon would figure something out. He had that annoying quality about him. I hated that quality. If he were to be by my side, I would have loved it.“What did he do, Mirena?” I continued browsing my magazine, enjoying the fruits as two maids gave me a pedicure and a foot massage. They were maids that Mirena spelled to forget whatever they heard going on here the minute they left because I decided killing everyone would spark curiousity. And I couldn’t afford that. I was so close to getting everything I wanted.Mirena moved from her position from the shadowed corner of my room and into my focus. “He followed me out into the woods last night. I think he’s beginning to realize something is going on, probably because of my extended stay.”I dropped the mag
CelineI twirled the ring on my finger, feeling the smooth metal as my mind raced with numerous thoughts. I didn't find Mika and Neil, which made me hopeful, but I couldn't stop thinking about things and my encounter with Anya. Could I fix things with Kaiden? Would this ring be my key to getting my family back? But what of Sheila? Did Kaidenn love her now? Was he searching for me for any other reason except his child? Was giving him this ring worth the risk of going back?We stopped at the door of the castle, Evelyn, Bridgett,e and Penny giving me tentative glances while the demons played with Arienne, turning out to be big babies after all.“Your Highness,” Bridgette spoke out in a small voice as I glared at the door. “Are you not going in?”Her question repeated in my mind. I may have judged Hades too fast, it seemed. Even when he was forbidden from contacting me in any way, he was still watching over me. He not only sent a knight who intervened when bad things happened but, he als
Chapter 76CelineI could not believe my eyes or my ears as i ran to the direction of the voice that haunted me for five years as i suffered in humiliation and labor from my former best friend turned enemy.I could not believe that the reason my whole life turned apart, and my own mate hated me, was down here in hell, suffering. And now, she was here. Chained. Filthy. Beaten down by the same darkness she once used to destroy me.I should have felt satisfied. I should have felt like justice had finally been served. But instead, all I felt was anger.I stormed away from the demons and towards the ones who tortured Anya, ignoring the sounds of Evelyn and Bridgette behind me. I had a million things to say to her. I wanted to ask her why she hated me so much. Why she had to destroy my life even if it meant losing hers? I wanted to know if she was happy i lost everything. Many nights, I fought with her in my head.Why was i never good enough for you? Why did you think i didn't deserve Kaide
Celine“Oh my goddess!” I screamed as the demons walked into the room, my whole body vibrating, almost as if I had no idea demons lived in hell, and I'd been in it for hours. Evelyn jumped to my side, griping my shoulders as I backed away from them, scrambling away to a hiding place. “Please calm down, Your Majesty! They are here to protect you, not harm you! King Hades sent them for your protection!”I barely registered Evelyn’s words over the hammering of my heart. My breath came in short, sharp gasps as I pressed my back against the wall, my limbs trembling uncontrollably.The demons stood at the door, their eyes filled with eerie stillness and coldness as their towering figures claimed the space of the room. Their claws were long and sharp, skin blacker than coal, limbs an unnatural amount, and sharp horns on their heads. I clenched my hands into fists, trying to keep them from shaking, but my body refused to listen. My entire being screamed at me to run, to get as far away fro
DamonThe drop of blood on Sheila’s collar was too small for anyone to see, even the King if he was in his right mind. However, I spent most of my life training to see what others would not see because it was my fate to protect the king. Protecting the king was my priority in life, followed by my interests.So the drop couldn't just get past me. The scariest part? It was dried blood. And there was no way an injury she had could give her such a small amount of blood.This led me to remember that night I saw her after dark in the yard with a dark figure, I figured was the witch I trusted with nothing. I wouldn't have believed that she was right about Celine if she wasn't right about her location and my men didn't see blood flow in the waters just after her screams.I paused in my urgent steps in the middle of the cold hall, my heart plummeting to the ground as my breath seized in my throat.No… could it? No.I suggested Sheila as the queen because of the intensive background check I con
Celine“Could you explain to me how hell works? Is it every soul who dies that ends up here?” Evelyn looked up in shock as she was expecting me to say anything since I shut them out hours ago, but my curiosity had taken the best of me, I wanted to know and I was in no mood to ask Hades. Bridgette and Penny gave us their attention as Evelyn cleared her throat, putting down the yarn and wool she was working on. She studied me for a moment as if deciding how much she should reveal. Then, with a sigh, she clasped her hands together and leaned forward.“No, not every soul ends up here,” Evelyn began. “Hell isn’t just a pit where the damned are thrown. It’s… layered, stand ructured. A place of consequence.”Bridgette and Penny exchanged glances but remained silent, allowing Evelyn to continue.“The souls that come here either belong to those who have done unspeakable things in life, those who owe a debt to the gods, or those who have unfinished business.” She glanced at Bridgette and Pen
KaidenWith Damon’s help, I headed back to the palace with only the hope that I could ever forgive myself for all that had happened. I may be living, but I felt like nothing but dead inside, with no will to live on.“You need to be a king, Kaiden. You need to find a reason to get up every morning, for the people who died.”I had to prove to my child I never met that I was not a bad father. If I knew she was going to fall… if I knew she was so scared of her life here that it ultimately led to her death… I would have done things differently. Now I had to spend the rest of my life wishing and wishing that I did things differently. It was not enough punishment for what I had caused. The pain was not enough punishment, even the barbaric ritual wasn't enough pain. I needed something to punish me for the things I had caused because I would drive myself crazy with guilt. As soon as the doors to my chambers, Sheila leaped up from where she was seated and ran to me, her eyes filled with unsh