Chapter 1

Camilla

When I was a baby, my parents were brutally murdered by a demon. I never had the chance to talk to them or learn to get to know them, yet the memories of that night still burn in my mind like an ever-flickering flame.

The red eyes of the demon, the screams, and the smell of blood: I remember everything even though I was only a baby, and this happened eighteen years ago.

I wish I could forget, but I can’t. My parents were taken from me by a force so dark and malevolent I shudder at just the thought of it.

I don’t understand how or why I survived. I’m nothing special. My wolf hasn’t even awakened yet. I’m a weakling, yet I’m the only person who is still alive in my family.

I live with my two foster parents... or I was until this morning. My foster parents have decided to sell me to our pack’s Alpha, Jackal, to pay off their debt, and if I can’t show myself useful to him, I will be thrown out on the street. Because of this, my heart won’t stop pounding. I’m uncomfortable and nervous about what lies ahead in my future.

At first, I didn’t expect Alpha Jackal to accept their offer. My foster parents are huge drug addicts and owed him a lot of money. I thought Jackal would simply throw us all out on the street since Jackal isn’t a kind Alpha. 

He is known for running an illegal business. Our pack, the Doom pack, is basically a mafia organization. Jackal sells drugs and murders those who can’t pay him in time, but surprisingly, he sent a butler to come and get me this morning. 

That was a mere hour ago, and now I’m standing in one of the rooms inside the mansion, waiting for my Alpha to come and tell me what my new role will be.

My stomach rumbles, and I nervously pick at my dress. I doubt I will be given food. I’m just a normal werewolf girl, and Alpha Jackal probably regards me as a lesser life form. I’ve heard he seldom even addresses his own butlers by their actual names.

He is a cruel man.

Suddenly, the doors open into the hall I’m standing in, and I jump to my feet, my breath caught in my throat. I’m so scared that I might throw up, but I grip my dress and manage not to freak out. There is a tall, handsome brown-haired man with blue eyes standing in the door opening, eyeing me.

He is wearing an expensive black suit and a white shirt underneath it. His hair is styled to perfection: longer at the top and shorter on the sides. There is an air of importance around him, and I grow even more nervous.

Is this Alpha Jackal?

I’ve never seen my pack’s Alpha in the flesh. This man looks exactly how I would imagine an Alpha to look like: he is big and strong with shoulders so wide I could sit on one. But then again, perhaps this man is too gorgeous to be a mobster? His face is beautiful, with high cheekbones and sculpted lips, but for some reason, I grow dizzy the longer I stare at him.

His beauty is far too perfect; even his skin is flawless, and the air around him is... strange. It’s almost like he is surrounded by a veil of magic, which I don’t like. He is very mesmerizing to look at, though. 

My mind is spinning with questions, yet somehow, I find my voice. “Are you Alpha Jackal?”

The man gives me an imperious look. “No, I’m his bodyguard and Beta. My name is Rin, but you’re not supposed to call me by my name.”

With this new piece of information, I crane my neck and drink in his appearance again. His expression is neutral, his face bored. He looks like a man that never smiles, and for some reason, that makes me sad. He would be pretty if he didn’t look so tired of life.

For many seconds, I continue to take him in while thinking. The man doesn’t look angry, so I feel bold enough to question him. “Why can’t I call you Rin?”

His eyes narrow, and irritation ticks against his jaw. “Because I’m the second in command, one of the highest-ranking nobles in the pack, and you’re just a nobody. You’re not supposed to use my name unless I allow it, and if I answer you, it means that I’ve made an exception.”

My lips twitch in amusement. “But you just answered me. Does that mean that I’m special?”

His nostrils flare in response, and for a second, he looks so outraged and insulted I want to laugh. I know better than that, though, and I continue to smile. I don’t expect him to smile back. I am, however, baffled when I notice a slight red tint to Rin’s cheeks.

“Are you blushing?” I stare at him, and he growls in response.

“No.”

I'm not afraid of talking to strangers, and I giggle. “Are you sure?”

Instead of answering me, his gaze darkens, and I grin. “You know, I think you’re lying. That’s definitely a blush!”

“Follow me,” Rin grumbles and holds up the door without meeting my gaze. “Alpha Jackal is waiting for you in the grand hall. He has a special job for you.”

I grow excited. “He has?”

“Yes,” Rin glances down at me. There is an arrogant smirk on his lips right now. “He needs a housekeeper he can trust for the most important job of them all.”

“And what is that?” Maybe I was wrong about Alpha Jackal? If he has a special job for me, maybe he does notice his pack members and the hard work we do. Perhaps Alpha Jackal has seen me bake and work my ass off at the bakery, and that’s why he accepted my foster parent’s offer to take me in?

“It’s a very grand job. Are you sure you want me to ruin the surprise for you?”

I beam up at Rin. “Please tell me what the job entails! I can act surprised when Alpha Jackal reveals it to me. But I hate surprises, so please tell me now what sort of special job he has in store for me!”

I can barely wait to hear it, and I look up at Rin with what I must imagine are sparkling eyes. Rin is still smirking, and anticipation fills my chest when his lips move.

“The special job is to clean all the toilets in Alpha Jackal’s mansion. It must be someone trustworthy to handle such a task to ensure every spot is immaculate.”

My mind halts and Rin’s expression turns sly. He seems to be gloating over something, but his smirk falls from his lips when I laugh in delight.

“Wow, not the job I expected, but I will take it! It’s great to be needed!” I chirp.

Rin looks at me incredulously as if he cannot believe my reaction. “You find it amusing to clean toilets?”

I shrug, still grinning. “I find it amusing that Alpha Jackal picked me for such an important job. I’m honored he trusts me with such a task.”

Rin shakes his head, looking at me as if I’m insane. “You’re an odd one. Come on, then. The toilets aren’t going to clean themselves.”

I follow Rin through one corridor after the other, taking in the opulence of the mansion. The walls are adorned with expensive paintings and tapestries, and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling are made of crystal. I feel out of place and like I don’t belong in such a grand setting.

As we walk, I can’t help but notice Rin’s broad shoulders and muscular build. He seems to move with purpose and grace, and I can’t help but feel drawn to him. There’s something about him that prickles at my senses.

I wonder what it is?

I stare at his back as I walk up the stairs, unknowingly misplacing my foot and shrieking in the next. I brace for impact, but Rin turns around quickly, grabbing my hand. He pulls me back to my feet, and my nose smashes into the fabric of the crisp, white shirt he is wearing.

“Be careful,” Rin’s voice sounds deeper this close. “You don’t want to hurt yourself.”

With blood gushing into my ears, I look up at him, my heart racing. His eyes sear into mine, and I’m speechless. He is truly mesmerizing to look at, and I’m touching him! My palms are trembling as they rest on the broad expanse of his chest, feeling the form of his large pectoral muscles that are hiding underneath his shirt.

Shit-shit-shit!

Breathing gets harder.

Thinking becomes impossible.

Currents of electricity are traveling through my veins, and I don’t know how long I stare up at Rin before I realize I’m gaping at him like a fool.

“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling my cheeks flush.

“Are you usually this clumsy?” His tone is irritated, as if he sees me as a nuisance, yet I don’t feel offended.

I grimace. “Kinda?”

He snorts. “Great, I’m sure you will be a great asset on the cleaning team.”

Was that a joke?

Regardless of which, I laugh. “Is that a hint of humor?”

A single dark eyebrow arches. “Humor?” He shakes his head at me. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t possess a single bone of humor in my entire body.”

I laugh again, and Rin’s expression softens for a moment. I even catch a hint of a smile on his lips. But then he straightens up, his face going back to its usual bored expression.

“We are here,” he says, pointing to a door at the end of the hallway. “Alpha Jackal is waiting for you behind that door.”

Rin releases me, and I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the task ahead. I know that cleaning toilets is not a glamorous job, but I’m determined to do my best.

I lift my chin, smiling at Rin. “Thank you for escorting me.”

“No problem.”

“Are you…” I hesitate. “Are you going to follow me inside?”

Surprise lights up on his face, but then his expression darkens, and his eyes turn conflicted. I don’t know what it means or why he is giving me that look. 

“I’m afraid I’m not allowed to walk inside with you. Alpha Jackal wouldn’t like that.”

I blink repeatedly. “But aren’t you the Alpha’s Beta? Surely he won’t mind if you step inside the room since you were tasked with the job of fetching me.”

Rin seems to be hesitating, and I notice there is a gleam of fear in his blue eyes. It puzzles me. Why is the Beta afraid of his own Alpha? Something isn’t right here…

“It would put me at ease if you came with me,” I say in a low voice, and my words are as shocking to me as they are to Rin. I’ve never had a filter, and my words are the truth: I would feel better if Rin accompanied me. But what bewilders me is that I can’t put a finger on why his presence would put me more at ease. I just met him—he is a complete stranger!

Rin searches my face, then lifts his gaze, and to my surprise, he actually moves to hold open the door. “Let’s go then.”

I smile and enter the room, but I’m rendered speechless at what happens next. I don’t even get to present myself before a man, black-haired and mad, snarls from a throne inside the room. He looks pissed off, and all that anger is aimed at Rin. 

“Who gave you permission to enter this room?!” The man, who I assume is Alpha Jackal, demands. He looks livid and stands up from his seat. “You were supposed to fetch me the new housekeeper and leave, not show your ugly face in front of me!”

Before I know what is happening, Alpha Jackal is storming towards Rin. He doesn’t pay me any attention, and I freeze when he slaps Rin across his face. I can hear the hit, and I wince at the sound. I expect Rin to growl back at Jackal. This is not a way to treat your Beta, and Rin is bigger than Jackal—he could take him. Yet Rin does nothing. 

What the heck?

I stare at Rin. He won’t meet my eyes and stares down at the ground while Alpha Jackal continues to growl. “I’ve fucking had it with you, Rin! You’re lucky that I won’t be sending you back to the dungeons.”

He keeps his Beta locked up in the dungeons?

What the actual hell?

I’m filled with questions and turn into a block of ice when Alpha Jackal spits in Rin’s face… or at least tries to. Rin is about a head taller, and the spit ends up coating his chest. I want to laugh at that but refrain from making a sound. This is hardly the time. Alpha Jackal is abusing his Beta, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why Rin would be cool with that. 

“Now go!” Alpha Jackal swats at Rin’s arm. “You should be offering food and drinks to my guests in the grand hall rather than standing here like an idiot!”

“My apologies, my Alpha. I will get right to it.”

Rin nods at that and heads for the door. Before he leaves, his eyes travel to mine. I can’t read his expression, but I’m not given the chance to think too hard about it because Alpha Jackal grabs my chin a second later. 

“Hmm…” he hums, pressing his dirty nails into my cheeks. “A bit thin, and your eyes are scarily huge like the ones belonging to a bug, but I guess that’s okay. If we have guests over, you will just have to hide that ugly mug.”

Ugly?

I’ve never been called that before, and I try not to show a sign of fear, but I don’t like the way Alpha Jackal is looking at me. His eyes are cold like I’m not even a person in his eyes. I gulp at that. Even though Rin looked at me with bored eyes, he still seemed to regard me as a person. 

Alpha Jackal?

I’m vermin in his eyes.

“What is your name, little wolf?”

I inwardly gasp when Alpha Jacka’s nails sink further into my skin, forcing me to look straight into his eyes. I’m positive blood is trickling down my cheeks, yet I try to keep my voice friendly when I answer him. 

“It’s Camilla, sir… I mean, Alpha Jackal!”

“What a common, boring name… perfect for an ugly little street rat like you,” his eyes glance the other way while he keeps digging his nails into my face. “Nadja? Would you mind taking care of this one? She is the new housekeeper I’ve taken in to clean all the toilets.”

I never even noticed there was a woman in the room, but as Alpha Jackal releases his hold of my hurting face, I see an elderly woman leaning against the wall. She is wearing a traditional black and white maid outfit, and his face is strict and serious. There isn’t a smile in sight, and I shudder as her eyes look me up and down as if judging me. 

“Small and barely any musculature, but I will take what I can get,” she grabs my arm in an iron grip and pulls me along. “Come with me. I will show you to your workstation and teach you everything I can. Maybe someone as useless-looking as you can be turned useful? But gosh, we need to do something about your long hair!”

“M-my hair?” I stammer.

“Yes, it’s awful!” She exclaims and glances over her shoulder with disgust in her eyes. “I think we should cut it all off!”

Wait. 

What?!

My eyes begin to fill with tears, yet I choke them back. Part of me wants to scream and demand that Nadja not cut my beautiful hair, but I know that doing so could result in a punishment far worse than what Rin received. The Alpha doesn’t seem to care about his own Beta; who knows what would happen to me if I spoke out?

Fear claws at me as I imagine all sorts of possible punishments I could receive for not agreeing to Nadja cutting my hair, and my lips close shut.

Even though I want to, I won’t cry or say a single word.