Chapter 3

Lucy walked under the fiery sun, sweating profusely as she made her way to the room where she was kept with Katherine. She hurried away without stopping not until she bumped into Isabella who was already standing in her way.

She shrugged and immediately bowed her head.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry," Isabella smirked and dared to reach out for her jaw, lifting her head slightly upward so she would make eye contact with her.

Lucy struggled as she didn't want that but received a resounding slap that weakened her, causing her eyes to become fuzzy.

"You look at me when I'm talking to you," Isabella vocalized with a sharp tone.

Lucy slowly raised her head high up and stared at Isabella, solemnly with a straight face. She was angered, every instinct of her body telling her to fight back but she decided to keep her calm.

Her eyes caught Marie who stood behind Isabella. Marie fixed her eyes on her for a moment but then, Lucy was smart enough to read the look on her face as it gave off the impression that she was guilty.

Marie looked away from her as she could no longer fathom her gaze on her.

`` What have you done, Marie... Could it be you,`` She pondered. 

Now where are you off to," Isabella asked a second time.

Lucy knew she had to give a response to her question if she didn't want to be punished but then again, the thought of her escaping from the pack crossed her mind.

`` Didn't she know already? What if she already knew... I just have to find a way around this,`` She thought to herself and was about to voice out when Isabella yelled at her, making claims about her escaping from the pack.

"Do you think I won't know... I have eyes and ears everywhere in this pack," She grinned and at that moment, Lucy took a brief look at Marie, knowing she was the one who ratted her out but Marie wasn't looking her way. Lucy kept mute, knowing there was nothing else to say to defend herself.

"What do you have to do with Leo, He was the one who saved you... You wouldn't be standing right in front of me if not for him," Isabella suspected, petulantly, and took two steps forward so she stood very close to Lucy.

"What do you mean... I don't know, he relieved me of my stress, that's all," She argued.

Isabella chuckled and wavered her head sideways.

"Just know one thing, Leo is mine... No one is to go near him, not even a handmaid like you," She said and smiled, devilishly.

"Leo will never go for a girl like you! You're not anywhere close to his league... Trust me, you're just something he needed to pass the time," She whispered, her head close to Lucy's.

Lucy stared, her eyes reddened and her eyeballs clouded with tears that were about to drop down.

"Leo has no right to have you... Just forget about him," She cracked up and walked away, brushing her shoulder against hers so that she moved out of her way. She watched Marie walk behind Isabella until she lost sight of them.

She stood on a spot right where she was and contemplated, absorbed in her thoughts about the words which Isabella uttered.

`` I felt it too, he's the one but why Isabella... How's that possible?`` She wagged her head swiftly, in an attempt to wave off the thought but she could not stop herself from thinking about the words of Isabella.

`` Why does it hurt so much... I can't believe this, Isabella is a liar, she was only trying to make me hate him after knowing he was my mate,`` She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her thumb before deciding to walk away to see Katherine whom Leo claimed would be released.

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Lucy walked along the narrow path of the Royal residence and soon burst out into an open space. She discontinued immediately when she heard horses neigh with a high-pitched sound. She propelled her head forward so that she peeped without anyone noticing her.

It was the site where Katherine had always worked. She was meant to take care of the horses, though she wasn't the only one, and most of the time, she would have to pack the dung of the horses to keep the site clean.

She soon sighted Katherine coming towards her way, with a bucket filled with dung on her head.

"Katherine, Katherine," She whispered and waved her hand. Katherine, in response to Lucy's voice, walked hurriedly and disposed of the dung in the bucket before she attended to Lucy without anyone noticing her.

"I thought as much that you'll be here since he said he'll have you released," Lucy said and embraced her.

"Are you talking about Leo... Was he the one who had me released," Katherine questioned with an expressionless look on her face. Lucy nodded her head and smiled at her but soon took note of the look on her face with great scrutiny and read it as dissatisfaction.

She dangled her legs around on a spot and had her guesses about why she could have given off such an impression.

"Was it because of Leo... You didn't even know him," She clicked her tongue. 

"Not because of him... I just don't want you to mingle yourself with anyone in this pack," She uttered and sighed. "How about Marie, have you..."

"Leo is my mate... We both felt it and he is the son of the Alpha," Lucy chimed in.

Katherine grunted and took a deep breath in after hearing the words she uttered. She kept mute for some moment like she was absorbed in thought.

"Why are you not saying anything," She asked and pulled her folded arms.

"What could I have said, he is your mate... I can't stop that but," She paused.

"What is that... That reminds me, back in the room, you wanted to tell me something... What is it," Lucy inquired, petulantly. She looked curious and pressed on with her stare on Katherine.

`` Why am I so scared... How will she feel,`` She called to mind and formed a mental picture. She was shaken by Lucy's voice when she called out her name with a sharp tone.

"What is it, Katherine... You seemed lost,"

"I'm fine... I'm okay," She gasped, her heartbeat racing faster than usual.

"Look who's coming," Katherine jerked her head while Lucy turned to notice who it was.

"Why are you here,... You should be busy working," Lucy questioned with an unfriendly tone.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," Marie said, feeling remorseful.

"U trusted you but then, you told Isabella about my plan," Lucy yelled, neglecting the fact that she was in an open space.

"I had to tell her... If I don't, she would have Katherine killed," She paused. "She knows you two were always together and that means something,"

Lucy sniffed and sighed. She turned to notice Katherine and looked away. She kept mute for a while and rubbed her face with her palm. 

" I didn't know... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have judged you," She said, looking away.

"But how come, Leo guards found me," She asked. Marie explained what happened, how Leo stopped her after having disclosed to Isabella how Lucy had escaped the pack, and questioned her about Lucy's whereabouts. It was Leo who cleared out Isabella's guards from going after Lucy and sent his guards instead.

"I'll leave you two... I have an unfinished business to attend to," Katherine strolled away.

Marie pulled Lucy and embraced her and said behind her neck "You know I won't do anything to hurt you,"

Lucy could feel her breath but then again, she pondered about her words, what prompted her to utter them.

"What's going on with everyone... What are you all not telling me," She muttered, dangling her hands in the air.

"I've told you everything, I'm just afraid to lose you," Marie replied and continued. "Leo, he asked to see you... That's why I'm here,"

"Where is he, How are you even seeing him," Lucy sighed

"He said you'll know where he is... I don't know how but you will," Marie chuckled and took a brief look at her dress. She gave her a thumbs up and told her how good-looking she was.

"You don't mean that... Do you?"

"Just go, don't keep him waiting," She said. Lucy smiled and left for the Royal residence.