Chapter 10: Personal Maid

Aurora

I met Mrs. Kala in the maid’s quarters, and she gave me a quick refresher of the mansion.

“Up here, only the alpha’s bedroom is occupied. Both the beta, gamma, and the elders reside on the third floor,” she said.

“The second floor is only for guests and the offices,” she continued. “And you already know the first floor.”

I followed behind her, trying to remember every turn we took.

“Here we are, dearie. This is your room,” she said, standing before a door.

“The alpha’s bedroom is just down the hall.” She pointed to a lonely door that stood at the end of the hall.

“Here are your keys. Beta Barone already left your luggage in there. You go ahead and get settled in. I’ll come looking for you in a bit for lunch,” Mrs. Kala said kindly.

“Um, I’m not really hungry. I’ll just unpack and lay down for a while,” I said.

“You sure, honey? You didn’t eat breakfast, either,” she said, concern in her voice.

“Yes, ma’am.” I gave her a smile to assure her that I was alright.

“Very well. I know you are overwhelmed about all of this, so I’ll let you rest. But I’ll be looking for you at dinner, alright?”

I somehow knew that I couldn’t argue with her about eating dinner, so I sighed and nodded.

“Arrange your room however you feel like. I’ll come check on you later, dearie,” Mrs. Kala said.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kala.”

The older lady turned and walked out, leaving me alone in the huge room, which was decorated in pastel paint and white trimming.

In the center was a queen-sized bed with simple white sheets. Set into one wall was a little fireplace, which was lit to keep the room warm.

To the side of the bed sat an adorable white chair I could picture myself reading in. And right behind the chair stood a glass door with thick curtains that led to a balcony.

Two doors stood on the wall opposite the bed, with a huge TV screen set between them, hanging above the chimney.

The first door opened onto an enormous bathroom that consisted of a beautiful marble tub and a shower that stood to the side.

The wall was adorned with a huge mirror, and the countertop was long enough to accommodate four people.

The second door was to be a walk-in closet. Each side of the wall had hangers and drawers I was sure I’d never fill.

I walked over to the glass door and opened it, walking out to the enormous balcony.

I couldn’t help but sigh in delight as I admired the beautiful rose garden that stood below. Its aroma immediately permeated the room.

~Maybe it won’t be that bad, living here,~ I thought to myself.

~“Of course not! We’ll be closer to our mate!”~ Rhea suddenly shouted in my head, making me jump.

~“Yeah, we’re going to be closer. But as his personal slave,”~ I retorted.

~“It doesn’t matter. With time, he’ll realize we are meant to be together,”~ Rhea persisted.

I rolled my eyes. ~“But what if he doesn’t?”~ I asked as I walked back into the room.

~“He will! I know it!”~ Rhea said, determination filling her eyes.

~“Yeah, sure. Look at us! He literally just turned us into his slave. Oh Goddess, please give me the strength to endure what’s yet to come.”~

I was struggling to control my imagination, which kept envisioning any and every possible torture Wolfgang might have in store for me.

I spent the rest of my evening unpacking and putting my stuff away. A few hours later, someone knocked on the door.

“Yes?” I called from inside the closet.

The door opened, and a petite redhead peeked inside.

“Can I come in?”

I recognized her as Gamma Remus’ mate, Aspen.

“Sure.” I smiled at her as she stepped into the room.

Gamma Bowen and Aspen were one of those lucky couples who the Goddess had connected by faith.

I’d once heard that, before the gamma met his mate, he’d been an uptight, pompous workaholic.

Until one day a couple of years ago, while on patrol with the alpha, he’d caught a whiff of a scent that had rendered him motionless.

Remus had nearly torn the village down in search of that scent, until he came across a lonely she wolf who stood wary and frightened at the outskirts of the village.

Aspen had been a nomad, orphaned by the war. She’d roamed from village to village, seeking refuge, until she’d come to White Mountain.

Once she’d set foot in our territory, their mate bond had automatically sprung into place.

And from then on, they had been inseparable.

“I came to see if you needed any help getting settled, but I see you’re already good.”

She smiled as she sat down on my bed.

“Yeah, I didn’t bring much to begin with,” I said. I closed my closet door and went to sit next to her.

She stretched her hand out for me to shake.

“You’re Aurora, right? It’s a pleasure meeting you. The name is Aspen.”

She was beautiful, in a completely unique way. She was a few inches taller than me, with dark brown skin and bright green eyes.

Her hair was formed into a tall, curly, red afro, which she’d adorned with a green bandana that matched her eyes.

She was voluptuous for her small frame, making me aware of my small chest. I shook her hand, giving her the best smile I could manage.

“Nice meeting you, Aspen.”

“So, you’re the alpha’s personal maid, huh? I can see why he requested you. You’re gorgeous!” she squealed, giving me a once-over that made me even more uncomfortable.

“Um…thanks, I guess. But I’m pretty sure I’m not here because he likes me. I’m just here to work.” I grabbed a pillow and hugged it tight as I spoke.

“Oh, please. I’ve known him for three years, and I’ve never seen him request a maid. Now all of a sudden, he’s taken an interest in you.”

I blushed as she looked me square in the eye.

~“You see? Our mate is interested in us. That’s why he brought us here to the mansion. He’s afraid we might leave the pack,”~ Rhea’s voice echoed in my head.

“I sincerely doubt it,” I said to both of them, remembering his words from last night, when we’d met in the forest.

Rhea rolled her eyes and laid down. Aspen just shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, think whatever you want. I know what I’m talking about. I mean, the guy put you in the room right next to his.”

Aspen giggled. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he had you sleeping in his bed before long. Or at least, that’s what I’d hope for.”

I blushed at the thought of being wrapped up in Wolfgang’s strong arms. “I don’t think that would be appropriate.”

“Of course it wouldn’t. But c’mon, this is Alpha Wolfgang Fortier Gagliardi we’re talking about.”

She waved her arms in exasperation. “I mean, he’s no Remus, but he is the most desirable man in the village, and he obviously has his eyes on you, Aurora.”

She put her hands on her hips and gave me a wink.

“Anyway, I have to get going. Remus and I are meeting the Blue Moon Pack’s alpha and his pack at the border.”

She stood and moved toward the door.

“The Wilhelms are coming over again?” I asked.

The Blue Moon Pack was one of our strongest allies.

Ever since Alpha Wolfgang took over the pack, he had made it his duty to acquire as many allies as possible, to end the war with the rogues.

“Yeah.” She gave a sigh. “Which means we have to put up with Tallulah and her eccentricity. See you later.” She gave me a final before leaving my room.

Tallulah Wilhelm. Daughter of the Blue Moon Pack’s alpha, Colt Wilhelm.

She was the epitome of elegance, with her gorgeous, tanned skin and long, glossy blond hair. Like her father, she exuded power.

Both packs had been working together to end the war against the rogues.

Rogues usually didn’t work together.

That was, until the battle between the great Alpha Gudolf, Wolfgang’s father, and the rogue leader Jacques Roulette, who had secretly managed to gather a group of rogues from around the continent.

They had overpowered our pack’s warriors, killing my father, who had been the gamma back then. Alpha Gudolf had managed to kill Jacques, but then Jacques’ son, Klaus had defeated the alpha.

Wolfgang had been on the battlefield that day.

The stories said that the moment Alpha Gudolf closed his eyes, the alpha’s powers had transferred, causing Wolfgang—who had been only seventeen at the time—to claim his spot as leader of the pack.

They said there was no wolf more powerful than him, that he’d run through the battlefield, biting flesh and snapping necks.

The rogues were forced to fall back, and we had won the day. But it had been a bittersweet victory.

After that battle, the rogues had continued gathering, trying to ambush our pack.

But thanks to Wolfgang, who’d immediately sought out allies, we’d become one of the strongest fortresses on the northern continent.

~“Aurora, let’s go for a run. I need to stretch my legs.”~ Rhea’s voice resonated in my head, pulling me out of my train of thoughts.

I smiled at her suggestion. ~“Sure. I could use some running, to help relax.”~

I walked out the door and headed down the flight of stairs to the first floor.

I was about to turn toward the kitchen area, to look for the nearest backdoor, when I heard voices coming from the foyer.

“…I thought you were meeting with my gamma, and with your father, Tallulah.”

It was Wolfgang’s voice. I couldn’t move. I was glued to the door frame separating the foyer from the grand hall.

I peeked around the corner and saw the blond she-wolf and my mate, talking alone.

“I was so eager to see you that I came before him. That little redheaded girl tried to stop me, but I couldn’t care less what a nomad like her has to say,” Tallulah answered nonchalantly.

It was clear that she was the daughter of an alpha, because Wolfgang’s strong aura did not affect her at all.

“Besides, you promised me on the night of the party that you’d take me out for a run around the forest. I thought we could do that now.” She said in a flirtatious tone.

I watched as her hands glided up and down Wolfgang’s chest, making my stomach twist in disgust.

Wolfgang swiped her hand away from his chest.

“I don’t recall making such a promise, but if you’re so eager for a run, I can appoint a warrior to be your guardian,” he said, beginning to walk off.

“But I want to go with you,” she pouted.

“I don’t have time to fool around. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few things to do before I meet your father.”

With that, Wolf disappeared through another door, leaving the blonde she-wolf fuming.

I had an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

~Why do I get the feeling that she was bad news?~