Secrets and boundaries

I woke up the next morning to a lot of chores as Harol threw up during the night; messing up her bedroom, her toilet, literally everywhere! I cringed as the putrid smell hit my nose and I placed my hand on my nose

"What are you covering your nose for," Harol asked as I began to clean the vomit off the floor. She was scanning me over with contempt in her eyes but I only laughed inside, she had forgotten everything she said to me the previous day, I knew what her problem was now. She opened her mouth to say something but just then there was a knock on the door

"Come in" and Haleth, their other servant opened the door "your parents have asked for your presence in the council room" she bowed and closed the door. Harol turned to me instantly "this is all your fault, you should have gotten me inside before they saw us"

"I tried to make it all quick but you were too drunk to cooperate with me, it wasn't my fault"

"I just hope I don't get grounded" she rolled her eyes and walked out of the room slamming the door behind her. I hurried up with the room and proceeded to the kitchen to make lunch. The Alpha and Luna don't normally have lunch so I made them snacks and fruit drinks. I arranged it onto a tray and proceeded to the council room, as I approached it, I heard noises

  "You have to start taking responsibilities" the Alpha shouted he was apparently talking to Harry "and how is this a responsibility" Harry retorted

 Determined to know what they were talking about, I stopped in front of the door and leaned my ear against the wall. Eavesdropping isn't a good thing, not to talk about the punishment I would receive if they caught me in this position but I couldn't help my curiosity 

"Don't talk to your father like that" Lunar said "sit down and listen to us"

"I'm not interested in talking about it" Harol yelled "I'm sorry I came home late yesterday, I'm sorry I drank to excess but I'm not interested in this"

"Sit down and hear us out" Alpha Feston shouted again "I command you to sit down" I pictured Harry sitting down and I snuggled even closer to the door to be able to hear them clearly "we are running out of money, very soon there'll be barely anything for us to live on and you know what that means"

There was a brief period of silence, then he continued "it means we'll starve. We'll lose control of the pack and we might even end up homeless. Alpha Ailwyn will take over our pack I'm sure you won't want that to happen"

"Of course, I don't want that to happen but what you're asking me to do is impossible"

"It's quite simple, Alpha Ailwyn wants a wife for his son"

"His abnormal son?" Harol sneered and hissed

"You shouldn't call him that Harol"

"Isn't that what he is"

"Just calm down and be considerate for once," Lunar Esdel said

"I am not considering anything, I'm not interested in getting married especially not to that psychopath. Why does his father have to be the one to find him a wife if he's a good person I'm not interested in suffering for the rest of my life" 

"You don't care if we suffer too, you don't care about our reputation, you don't care if people make fun of us, please, think about this"

"There's nothing to think about father, let's find another solution"

With that, I heard footsteps advancing towards the door and I quickly knocked. I didn't want to be caught in the position I was in 

"Come on in" the Lunar bellowed but as I stepped into the room I collided with Harol who was already in front of me, the drinks and snacks splattered all over the floor

"What nonsense is this" she shrieked holding out the hem of her dress "you've ruined my dress"

I was still stunned by what happened when a slap landed on my face. I immediately fell to my knees and began to pick up the spilled contents 

"You should always watch where you're going the Alpha said "or have you lost your sight"

I nodded negatively and rose to my feet "do you still need the snacks"

"No," he said dismissing me with the wave of a hand. When I got back to the kitchen I settled down and pondered on what I heard. What was going on with the Alpha, why are they suddenly broke, was he into some debt and why was marrying Harolden off the solution and who was the psychopath she claimed to be getting married to? I didn't know whether to feel happy or sad about the Pack's predicament but some part of me felt like they deserved it. They treated my mother badly when she was broke, now they would feel what it felt like to run out of money, As for being sad, I had no other family apart from them, I had no one to call a friend and nowhere else to call home so if they were having a financial crisis, we would all starve together. I heaved a deep sigh to clear off the thought and proceeded to wash the dishes, I just hoped that nothing went wrong. 

After cleaning up the kitchen, I washed Harol's clothes and trimmed the flowers in the garden. I went to the storage room which was where I slept and was about to start reading a book when there was a knock on my door. I stood up and immediately and went to it when I opened it I saw Holden, my heart skipped a beat as I saw him, he had this lustful look on his face again. I quickly stepped out and closed the door behind me 

"What are you up to," he asked gazing at me suspiciously 

"Nothing" I answered

"Have you finished your chores"

"Yes" I answered and he rolled his eyes and sneered

"Well we're throwing a party tonight, so start preparing the food now don't let what happened last time repeat itself"

I was so busy with chores that I wasn't able to prepare the food early enough., I hadn't finished preparing the food when the guests arrived, the party turned out to be a big disaster. I was whipped for three weeks and made to sleep in the cold basement as punishment. Today's party would be the first they would throw ever since then. 

I went to the kitchen and began to prepare the food, The other servants would decorate the house. As I prepared the food my I wondered why the Alpha and L

una allowed their children to throw one of their usual orgies if they were broke. The party was an orgy because it was always filled with wild and pervasive youngsters and all sorts of alcoholic drinks. 

Few hours after I finished cooking the food the party began. The house began to reverberate with the sound of loud music and very soon the air would become stale with the smell of alcohol and cigarettes. I lay on my tiny bed and began to read a novel I sneaked from the pack library, I hated parties and loud music besides, I was forbidden from attending the parties thrown in the house, my job was to cook and clean up after the party. 

The party went on as I read my novel when I finished with the book, I lay on my side and kept staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes of boredom, I decided to go to the garden and get some fresh air and look at the stars. I stood up from the bed and walked out of my room but the moment I opened the back door, I bumped into someone

"Ouch" the dark figure yelped as it fell. Thinking it was one of Harol's stuck-up male friends, I fell to my knees instantly, if he reported me to Harol, I would be in trouble

"Are you okay?" I asked "I'm really sorry I didn't mean to push you, please I wasn't..."

"Calm down," the dark figure said hoisting himself to sit up "you don't have to be this worried" then he giggled "it's my fault I shouldn't have been lost in thoughts, give me a lift would you" I took his hand and pulled him to his feet. That was when I saw his face; never have I seen eyes so bright the moonlight shone in them and features so lovely that he looked like a doll

"Harol didn't tell me she had another sister" I was about to object and tell him the truth when he took my hand and smiled

"I'm Leoric, it's nice to meet you" I smiled wryly and tried to remove my hand from his but he held tighter

"What's your name?" He asked telling him my name would be a bad idea because if he asked the twins about me they would be disgusted that I called myself a sibling of theirs

"What is wrong," he asked "don't you want to tell me your name. I'm not harmful" he laughed and tickled mg palm with his thumb. I smile dryly at the effect. Just then an idea crept into my head

"Bimla" I lied "my name is Bimla"

"That's a nice name... nice and unusual"

"Thanks," I said tugging my hand out of his grip

"I came out here to get some fresh air," he said again "the air inside is thick with smoke; what about you, where were you going?"

"I was going to go back inside,"I said making for the door but he caught me by the hand and pulled me back"

"You aren't going in because of me are you"

"No" I stuttered gazing at the floor "I have to check on something inside"

"Why did you come outside at first then"

"Emm... I wanted... to... look at the stars, yes... Look at the stars" the instant I said the words I realized that I wasn't thinking. I've told a stupid lie and this stranger in front of me smiled broadly

"We could look at the stars together can't we"

"No!"I answered quickly and sharply

"What, why?" 

"I meant yes" oh damn what was wrong with me

"Well then, let's go" he took me by the wrist and lead me further into the garden, stopping on the spot we could get a good view of the moon from, then we sat on the grass

"Tonight's sky tells a story," he said after some minutes of silence. I gazed at him with interest in my eyes

"Do you want to hear it"

"Yes" I nodded

"Okay," he giggled, "the stars tell the story of a beautiful girl who loved to be alone. She is lovely and sweet and"

"This isn't a real story is it," I asked cutting him short and he laughed "I never learned to read the stars. I was just kidding trying to talk about you" He gazed at me weirdly making a sensation flood through me. I broke the gaze by looking in another direction, we stayed that way in silence until I decided to know a few things about me

"So do you come here every time, I meant to the parties every time".

"No I don't" he answered "I hate parties, I only decided to honor Harol's invitation this once 'cos she's been inviting me for a long time now and she's starting to feel bad"

"Ohhh...okay"

"What about you? Do you like parties"

"No, I don't like noise"

"I understand that," he said "so, how come I never see you," he asked 

"I meant how come, I never see you with the twins, don't you go out together, why didn't you attend the same high school"

Those questions set a fire under my butt and sweat trickled down my face as my heart began to beat. How do I explain to him that I was a slave

"I'd better go inside now" I rose to my feet and dusted the dirt off my hands "thanks I enjoyed your company"

He rose to his feet also and smiled "I understand" 

I nodded, forced a smile, and began to walk away

"You don't have a mate do you?" I turned to face him

"No, I don't"

"What if we are mates" 

My eyes almost popped out at those words but then I felt something in my heart. At that moment, I couldn't describe the feeling but I knew it was love. Kaylee, my wolf whimpered as she muttered "mate" and I knew it was true. I felt connected to the stranger in front of me at that instant. Some part of me wanted to run into his arms and have him stroke my hair with his warm hands and tell me it would be okay. I had finally found someone to love me. My days of misery were finally numbered. He'd been advancing towards me but when he raised his hand to touch my face I slapped it away

"We're not mates," I said ignoring Kaylee's whimpers, ignoring the pain I felt as I said so

"Okay," he said but there was disappointment written on his face

"Can I see you again"

"No" I answered

"But why"

  I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, taking another route just so he wouldn't change into his wolf and catch me. There was no point being close with him, he would never accept a slave, besides, I was doomed to this life, until I would be able to pay the debt.