Chapter 5

Our eyes lock, and I feel like I can hardly breathe. Alpha Xavier's piercing gaze holds me captive, leaving me transfixed in the moment. The intensity radiating from his eyes is so potent that it sends shivers down my spine. I can sense a flurry of emotions swirling within him, yet he remains silent.

Why is he not saying anything?

"You," he says huskily. "You are..." he stops talking again.

My heart pounds in my chest as it fills with dread. Has he recognized me from the other pack? But how could he?

He clears his throat. "Remind me your name again."

"It's Sylvia, Alpha," I say meekly.

"Sylvia," he repeats, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and intrigue. I peer into his eyes, searching for any sign of recognition, but there is none. I only notice a subtle shift in his gaze. There's something else lingering in his eyes, something that goes beyond recognition. "This is very strange, Sylvia, but I can't quite track your scent. Are you not a werewolf?"

"Of course I am!" I exclaim.

"Then explain the absence of your scent," he says. "All I can smell on you is Lily flowers."

I can't help but feel a bit relieved. He has no idea who I am, nor can he smell me.. The potion I used to cover my true scent must be working wonderfully.

"It must be my lotion!" I chirp.

"Your lotion?" he narrows his eyes.

"Yes. It's a new and..."

He suddenly grabs my hand.

His firm grip closes around my hand and a surge of warmth courses through me. His touch is strong yet gentle. A jolt of electricity shoots up my arm, sending a shiver through my entire body.

What's wrong with me?

"I need to go back to work. Rosemary is expecting me," I manage to croak out.

Alpha Xavier releases my hand. "Of course, Sylvia," he says, his voice is calm, but I hear a twinge of disappointment in it. "Duty calls."

I rush out of there without wasting any more time.

"Where have you been? How long does it take to deliver a stack of letters?" Rosemary scolds me when I get back in the kitchen.

"I am sorry," I say and try to think of an excuse, but my mind goes blank. I keep thinking of Alpha Xavier and how good it felt to hold his hand earlier.

"Nevermind. Just finish the laundry. Amelia started a load already, so go help her," Rosemary says, shaking her head.

I quickly obeyed, relieved that she didn't ask me any more questions.

I rush to help Amelia with the laundry, but my thoughts are consumed by the meeting with Alpha Xavier earlier. His touch still lingers on my hand, reminding me of the strong energy I felt.

"About time you got here," Amelia sneers at me. "Do you think these things get done by themselves around here?"

"You don't need to be so nasty, Amelia. I am here, aren't I?" I say. Amelia is one of the girls who is mean to me for no reason. 

I take a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure despite Amelia's snide remark. I have to remind myself that I am here to stay hidden and safe.

Ignoring Amelia's comment, I focus on the next load of laundry. Carefully, I mix the proper amounts of detergent and bleach into a water-filled bucket. I mix them well, then I select a few white garments and dunk them into the soapy liquid, allowing them to soak.

But it seems that Amelia wasn't done with me yet. "You are doing it wrong," she says.

I pause for a moment, taking a deep breath to center myself. Instead of responding defensively, I choose to remain calm. "I appreciate your concern, Amelia," I reply calmly. "But I have my own way of doing the laundry."

"Is that right?" Amelia says.

I keep my composure, refusing to let Amelia's sarcasm and skepticism affect me. "Yes, it is," I respond firmly, meeting her gaze with confidence.

Amelia shrugs and turns her back on me.

Molina walks in right then and looks at me with contempt. 

"Rosemary is looking for you," Molina says.

"Me?" I thought Rosemary wanted me to stick to the laundry. Why is she calling me now? It isn't because of my interaction with Alpha Xavier, is it? Did he tell Rosemary something?

I sure hope not!

I nod and quickly leave the laundry room to meet with Rosemary.

When I reach Rosemary's office, she looks up from her desk in surprise. "Sylvia? Did you finish with the laundry?" she asks.

"No, ma'am," I say nervously, wringing my hands together anxiously. "I thought you called for me."

Rosemary shakes her head in confusion. "No, I don't recall calling for you," she says after a moment of thought.

I'm relieved but baffled at the same time. Why did Molina tell me to come here then?

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I must have misunderstood," I say.

"It's alright," Rosemary says. "Go back and finish. It's almost time for lunch."

I nod, relieved that she didn't call me in because of Alpha Xavier. "Yes, ma'am. I will go right away," I say and quickly exit the room.

I frown, wondering why Molina would lie to me. I need to be careful and pay attention to what's going on around me. Something is off, and I can't afford to let my guard down.

When I enter the laundry room, I find Amelia gone. The room is empty, and the washing machine is beeping, signaling that the cycle is over. I open the lid and gasp when I look at the white clothes.

They are all pink! How did this happen? Could it be because of the different types of detergents I mixed together?

I frantically take out the clothes and try to separate them, hoping to salvage what I can.

Did I accidentally swap the bleach and detergent containers with something else?  I groan in frustration as I realize my mistake. If Rosemary found out about this, she would be furious!

I know there's no time to waste if I want to fix this mess.

"Oh no, what have you done!?"

I hear Amelia screech behind me.

I turn around to see Amelia standing at the doorway, arms crossed and a triumphant smirk on her face. I grit my teeth, knowing that she is going to take advantage of my mistake. "I made a mistake," I say, holding up the pink-stained clothes. "I'll fix it, I promise."

Amelia shakes her head in disgust. "This is just like you, Sylvia," she says. "Always messing up and making everyone's lives harder."

I clench my jaw, trying to ignore her hurtful words. "I said I'll fix it," I repeat, trying to keep my tone calm and even.

Amelia scoffs, walking in. "As if you even know how to," she mutters.

"It's not what it looks like," I say, trying to explain myself.

"Really? Because it looks like you ruined the laundry," she says maliciously. "I bet Rosemary is going to be livid when she finds out."

My heart sinks at the thought of Rosemary's disappointment and anger. I can't let this happen. I have to fix it somehow.

"Please, Amelia. I need your help," I say, trying to appeal to her better nature.

Amelia looks at me skeptically. "Why would I help you? You've been nothing but trouble since you got here. I am going to get Rosemary right now," she said and grinned.

Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. Why is this happening to me?