Maya's POV I couldn’t believe the words that had come out of Alpha Orion’s mouth. The humiliation washed over me in waves, leaving me furious. How could he dismiss me like that? I tried to serve him, to be noticed, but he didn’t even glance my way. The sting of being cast aside was worsened by Luna Nora’s sharp words. “Don’t you get it? Only Anita is allowed to serve him. The rest of you don’t matter. She’s the only special one,” Luna Nora said, her tone laced with mockery. The way she glanced at Darius after making that statement made me think she was trying to stir something between him and Alpha Orion. Her words stung, but they also gave me insight into the tension simmering beneath the surface. I smiled inwardly—if there was discord between Alpha Orion and Luna Nora, this was something I could exploit. With a small nod, I turned to leave, keeping my composure as best I could. As I exited the room, I heard Darius muttering to his mother, but I couldn’t make out the words. Whateve
Maya's POV I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The maids gossiped so freely, and every word they said painted a clearer picture of the tangled web within the palace. It was more than I ever expected to discover on my first day, and I found myself eager for more. One of the maids, who had been whispering with the others, confirmed the rumors I had heard from Alpha Ethan. "Alpha Orion doesn't plan on marrying Anita," one of them said with a sneer. "All she is to him is a source of pleasure and, maybe, an heir. If she weren’t the only one who could give him a child, she would have been thrown out long ago.” Another maid chimed in, bitterness dripping from her voice. “She’s only special because she’s survived what none of his other mates could. Everyone else who loved him died because of that curse. I honestly thought she'd be dead by now too." I asked the question that had been burning in the back of my mind, something even Alpha Ethan had been curious about. “But why is she still
Maya's POV I needed a plan. Fast. I had come to the palace to eliminate Anita, but if I was going to succeed, I had to get close to her first. The only way to achieve that was by playing on our past—back when we were best friends in Alpha Ethan’s pack. I could use that bond to my advantage, but things weren’t going as smoothly as I had hoped. Anita had changed. She wasn’t the naive girl I once knew, and I realized getting her to trust me again would be harder than I thought. After wandering around the palace, I decided to head to Anita’s quarters. I knocked several times but got no answer. Curious, I opened the door and stepped inside. Her room was immaculate, far more luxurious than any maid’s quarters I had ever seen. There were beautiful dresses hanging in her closet, far too fancy for a servant. But it was clear she hadn’t worn them. She still dressed like a simple maid. I shook my head, closing the door quietly behind me. She really has no idea how lucky she is, I thought. But
Maya's POV I was beginning to think this plan might actually work. As Anita threw the napkin back at me, my surprise turned into frustration. “What is that supposed to mean?” I snapped, though I quickly composed myself, realizing I couldn’t afford to lose control. “I helped you clean the stain off your arm. I don’t want any trouble, Maya. Please, let’s just stay away from each other. I don’t want to be friends with you again,” she said, walking out without looking back. My mouth hung open in shock as I watched her disappear down the hallway. She had just walked away from me as if I meant nothing. Anger boiled inside me, but it wasn’t just the rejection that stung. It was the fact that my plan to get close to her was slipping away. I glanced down at my arm, where the hot porridge had burned my skin. It wasn’t the physical pain that bothered me—it was the ache in my heart, the fear that I wouldn’t be able to do what Alpha Ethan needed. Anita’s coldness was making everything much more
Anita's POV I sat in the garden once again. This was the third night in a row, and each time, I found myself deep in thought. I was finally done with my chores for the day, and, for once, there had been no major problems. No issues with Alpha Orion, who had been unusually busy, or Darius, who had been quietly going about his business. But even with the calmness of the evening, my mind kept circling back to Maya and the strange things she had said to me earlier. I shook my head, feeling a mix of irritation and confusion. How does she expect us to be close again, to be best friends after everything? Something about her felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I knew Maya wasn’t here out of pure goodwill. She had an agenda, and I wasn’t going to fall for it. Not again. The more I thought about her sudden reappearance in my life, the more suspicious I became. The way she had acted earlier… It was almost like she expected everything to fall back into place between us, as if n
Anita's POV “Can you just let go of me? I haven’t even tried to run away, or leave, or do anything. So, please, don't force me. Just let me go,” I pleaded, my voice shaking as I tried to pull my arm free from Maya’s grip. Her hold was too tight, too desperate. Finally, she loosened her grip, her fingers sliding away from my arm as she spoke. “I hate a lot of things, Anita. And one of the things I hate the most is seeing you close to Alpha Darius. He isn’t someone you should be near. You're not supposed to be in a position to be close to him.” Her voice trembled, a teary undertone creeping into her words. “I hate that you're being used as a sex slave. But I want to help. I need to support you.” I felt a burning sting in my chest. Her words echoed, reminding me of all the painful realities I had been trying to avoid. But why was she saying them now? And why was it all spilling out like this? Was she trying to help, or was this her way of mocking me? “Stop it, Maya,” I said, my vo
Anita's POV Standing in front of Darius, I could see the concern in his eyes, but I wasn’t ready to open up. My heart raced with thoughts of Alpha Orion’s anger and Maya’s manipulations. I couldn’t let Darius in, not now, not with everything so tangled. “Something is definitely wrong,” Darius said, gripping my arm tighter. “You can’t pretend with me, Anita. I can see through you. You’ve been acting strange for days, and I need to know why. I won’t tell anyone, I swear. It’ll stay between us.” His voice softened, his concern cutting through my resolve. “We’ve had our moments, talked about things. I’ve never betrayed your trust before. Let me help you.” I shook my head. I couldn’t tell him. It wasn’t just about the shame of seeing Alpha Orion with another woman—it was about the layers of betrayal, confusion, and my own helplessness. And worse, if I told Darius, I risked dragging him into something far more dangerous. “I’m sorry, Darius,” I said, my voice trembling as I pulled my arm
Anita's POV I stood frozen, my hand still gripping the door handle as Alpha Orion’s words echoed in my mind. Did he just say he wanted me to be his Luna? His wife? It was as if the world had stopped turning, my heart pounding so loudly I thought it might burst. This couldn’t be real—he couldn’t be serious. The same Alpha who had kept me as a sex slave, the one who had just been with another woman, was now saying he wanted me as his Luna? I stared at him, trying to process everything, but my mind was a mess of confusion and disbelief. Was this a cruel joke? A twisted game to see how far he could push me? My lips parted, but no words came out. I didn’t know what to say, how to respond to something so impossible. Alpha Orion stepped closer, his hand still resting heavily on my shoulder. I could feel the warmth of his skin, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me. He leaned in, his voice low and firm. "I’m offering you a position you don’t deserve, Anita. You should be grateful.