Chapter 37

Isabella barged into the room, her presence immediately instilling fear. Instinctively, both Lucy and Marie scrambled to their feet, their hearts racing with a mixture of fear and surprise. Isabella ignored them both as her eyes caught the view of the room. Her eyes swept across the room, taking in the sight of their work.

She nodded her head and clapped her hands slowly, a satisfied smirk played on her lips as she observed the clean and well swept room. “Well, well, well,” she drawled, her tone laced with a hint of mockery. “It seems you two have actually done something right for once.”

Lucy and Marie exchanged a quick glance, both unsure of how to respond. They stood silently, waiting for whatever command Isabella would issue next. The tension in the room was palpable and Marie could feel her heart pounding in her chest. 

Marie brushed her shoulder against Lucy's. Lucy glanced at her as she noticed the gesture on Marie's face, a sign that tells her to bow her head. Lucy nodded but did not consent to Marie's sign, instead she raised her head and pressed on with her gaze on Isabella while Marie could not bring herself to do the same.

Isabella's gaze soon shifted back to them, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in their dirty clothes. “You two look like a couple of ragged street rats,” she sneered.

Lucy fixed her eyes on her while Marie could only take a brief look at her after hearing her insult. 

“Change your clothes immediately. We can't have you looking like this when Aiden arrives.”

The mention of Aiden's name sent a jolt of shock through both Lucy and Marie. The room seemed to freeze as the name reverberated in their minds. Aiden, the Lycan Prince. The one Isabella had described as cruel and unforgiving. The one who wouldn't hesitate to have someone's head if they disrespected him.

Lucy hadn't seen him before but the stories she had heard about Aiden, the tales of his ruthless nature, flashed through her mind. She had thought of him as a distant figure, someone who existed only in whispers and rumors. But now, the reality of his presence was all too real. And she had to face him.

Marie, too, was struck with fear. The color drained from her face as she processed what Isabella had just said. Aiden was almost here. They were about to come face to face with the very figure that had haunted their nightmares. How were they supposed to handle this? What if she made a mistake? What if she accidentally does something she wasn't meant to do?

Before either of them could find their voices, Isabella turned on her heels and headed for the door. “And don't keep me waiting,” she called over her shoulder, her tone sharp and commanding. With that, she walked out, leaving the door behind her. 

But, a moment after, Isabella came back and the ladies who were about to exchange words, stood still again. 

“Don't forget to shut the door before leaving this room… don't make your first mistake,” Isabella tilted her head and hurried out of the room jerkingly.

As soon as she was gone, Lucy and Marie turned to face each other, their eyes wide with shock but Lucy felt a little bit calm, though was also struck with fear. The room that had felt safe just moments ago now seemed suffocating, the weight of what was to come pressing down on them.

“Aiden… he's almost upon us,” Marie whispered, her voice trembling. She sank back down onto the floor, her legs feeling too weak to hold her up any longer. “What are we going to do, Lucy?”

Lucy remained standing, though tired like her knees could give out at any moment but she stood still. 

“Lucy, don't tell me you don't feel a thing,” 

“What are you talking about?” Lucy walked back and forth the room. 

“I mean, fear… Aiden's name should instill fear in anyone.”

“Why not… Maybe not but yet, I'm kind of uncertain what would happen when I face him.” Lucy shrugged and took a pause.

“I see… I forgot who I'm asking the question to… so, what are we going to do?” 

“I… I don't know,” Lucy admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She stared at the open door, as if expecting Aiden to appear at any moment. “We just have to act the way we've always acted… that's all.”

Marie nodded, her expression filled with worry. “I just… I just don't want to do anything wrong. What if…?”

Lucy shook her head, trying to push away the worst case scenarios that flooded her mind. “More reason you can't think about Isabella's words,” she said, trying to sound braver than she felt. “Though, Isabella said he won't tolerate any mistakes… So, we have to be on our best behavior and that's all.”

The words sounded hollow even to her own ears. They were just maids, expected to serve and clean. How were they supposed to stand before a Lycan Prince and not falter?

Marie looked down at her hands, still trembling from the shock of it all. “Do you think… do you think he'll really be as bad as they say?”

Lucy hesitated, unsure of how to answer. The stories she had heard about Aiden were terrifying, but were they exaggerated? Or worse, were they true? “I don't know,” she finally replied, her voice wavering. “But we can't take any chances.”

Marie nodded again, swallowing hard. “We should change, like she said. We can't give him any reason to be upset with us.”

“We have to get going then” She turned around and Marie stood up on her feet and followed behind Lucy. Lucy waited so Marie would step out of the room and shut the door after she was outside. Marie smiled but didn't say a word as they both walked side by side in an attempt to get to their room as fast as possible.

The two ladies hurried along the narrow corridors, their feet echoing against the cold stone floor as they rushed back to their quarters. The energy in the pack house was with high intensity, a frantic buzz that filled the air as everyone hurried around, preparing for Aiden's arrival. They could hear the distant clatter of dishes, hurried footsteps and the occasional sharp command echoing through the halls. 

The normally calm atmosphere was now of movement, and tension wrapped around Lucy like a thick fog. Marie glanced at Lucy, her brow furrowed with worry.

“I can't believe how everyone is acting. All this for one man,” she whispered, almost to herself but then, her words mirrored Lucy's thoughts.

Lucy nodded absently, her mind still swirling with confusion and at the same time, admiration. The name “Aiden” reverberated in her mind, but it wasn't just Aiden who occupied her thoughts. Leo's indifferent expression when he saw her earlier, the way he didn't even ask how she was feeling –it gnawed at her, twisting her emotions into knots.

As they continued walking, the commotion around them seemed to blur. People rushed past, their faces tense with anticipation, but Lucy barely noticed as she was lost in her thoughts.

Suddenly, everything seemed to slow down. Lucy's heart skipped a beat as her gaze fell upon a familiar figure up ahead.