CHAPTER 5: LIFE WITH ALPHA TRISTAN

Lyra

Immediately the court trial was over and each other packs kept voicing out angrily, I knew nothing good awaited the next life I had chosen. My hand was bound together and I was tied to the cart of Alpha Tristan. I was to walk the entire journey, from the courthouse to his pack.

As I was being led away, Eliza's eyes held an unspeakable amount of hate towards me. It terrified me and made me think about my choices too. Beta Thorin was not exempted, his was more like he loathed my very existence before I was born. Eliza's anger was justified, her father was killed and no child will take it lightly. At that point, I knew that Alpha Tristan wasn't the only one who made more enemies that day; I did too.

The cart started moving at a steady pace and at first I could keep up. But suddenly, the horses started going faster and no matter how much I bellowed, begging for my life, no one listened to me. My misery is their amusement, I better get used to that.

As I fell, trying to get back on the running track, the horses slowed down. I quickly got up and examined my body, cuts of different sizes were all over my body and twigs were happily making my hair home.

He poked his head out, laughing like a maniac. “This is your new life maid, start getting used to it from now.”

Before what he said could finally sink into my head, the horses went again, on full speed. Plunging back into my previous situation, I raised my head a bit as I was dragged on the floor. I couldn't let my face be battered, that would heal pretty fast and everyone would start demanding answers. Questions that I had no answers to.

The journey finally ended. I stood up, semi naked. Half of my clothes were gone with the woods. He jumped down and everyone bowed seeing him, I did the same thing in order not to anger him.

He raised my head up and scanned my body. “That was really a very good choice or else, I hate to think what I'd do to you right now.”

“Phew, that was a close one,” I muttered under my breath, making sure he caught no wind of it.

He clapped his hands and a long line of women came out. “Here's an addition to you, clean her and give her one of the dead maid's clothes.”

I shivered upon knowing I'll be wearing a dead person's cloth. The first woman to take me was kind enough to help me out.

“They are new sets of clothes, don't mind the Alpha, he's only messing with you,” she whispered.

It eased my mind. “Oh bless the moon goddess.”

“I'm Vivianne, the oldest of the maids.”

“I'm Lyra, the new maid, I guess.”

She laughed at my innocence and took me away, assigning other tasks to the other maids.

*****

I knelt on the floor in front of him, his left hand on his chin with his legs crossed over each other. His right hand kept tapping the golden handle, making a rhythm. Someone rushed in and I didn't dare to look up, who knows if it will magnify my problems.

“Oh my darling Tristan, you did it,” I heard an old woman's voice that doesn't sound old. With the way she ran in, she still has the strength of an 18 year old. “But what is she doing on the floor? That's no way to treat a guest.”

I heard his feet clinking on the tile, coming to stand beside me. Feeling a poke on my head, he must have touched me. “This is no guest Raven. She's a murderer.”

“That's not possible, healers can't be murderers. They fight for the living,” she countered him and I started to wonder why she called me a healer.

He yanked my head up. “Tell her what you did.”

That was the first time I saw her. A frail beautiful woman with icy blonde hair color, her eyes spoke of her greatly. Her look was intoxicating.

“Speak,” Alpha Tristan said between gritted teeth and yanked my hair backwards, making me jolt back to the present.

“I am being accused of killing my Alpha. The Alpha of the Blackshade pack, Alpha Damien.”

She walked towards us and slapped his hands away from my hair. “Whatever allegations are put on this child, I refuse to believe it. I know what I saw and what I saw didn't lie.”

“Good for you Raven,” he walked back to assume his former position. “She's my prisoner now.”

“SHE'S ALSO YOUR MATE YOU STUPID CHILD. YOU THINK I CAN'T SEE THAT,” she yelled at him.

The elephant in the room was becoming bigger, everywhere went silent and I knew that trouble wasn't far fetched at all. It always followed me wherever I went.

Gently, he said. “Raven, leave. Your time here is done. Whenever you need her, come see her. For now, leave.”

“She is not your prisoner Tristan, you owe her your life and everything you hold dear. She should have let you die instead.”

That word broke whatever might have been restraining him. He pounced from his seat and landed immediately in front of her, roaring loudly. She didn't move an inch, as I scurried away from them. My heart was in my mouth and I could hear my teeth grating unconsciously. Her words must have made him change. She took that as her final cue and just walked away, not without looking at me with pity.

He changed back and was covered with the curtains. Every guard stood out of his way, he must really have a bad temperament.

He yanked my hair, harder and more painful than before. Looking me in the eye, he spat out nothing short of hate.

“You let Raven talk to me anyhow, your first night here isn't going to be a pleasurable one. What she said might be true, you might be my mate but you are nothing compared to who I am. I'll make your life miserable and you would wish that you had died instead.”

He turned towards one of the guards. “Strip her and throw her in the cooling area. Increase it to the highest. If you notice she's dying, switch it off, let her regain her strength a bit and then continue. Suit yourself up and whip her. NOTE, she must not die or else you would have yourself to blame.”

At that point, I knew I was done for. There's no one coming to save me here. Another question etched in my head was what Raven called me. Why did she call me a healer? Who was I really?