Chapter 6

#Chapter 6 Doris, was it you?

Doris sat up quickly, desperate for air. Her gown felt soaked through, every inch of her skin felt tainted and wrong. Her head ached, she had to scrub herself clean again to rid herself of him—

“Doris!” Beth whispered harshly for her attention, it took her a moment to realize she was in the room with Beth and not being eaten in the forest by a giant wolf. Doris touched her neck and looked down to see her hand was clean, there was no blood. Slowly, her heart beat calmed and she was able to breathe.

It felt so real… she was so sure she was about to die at his hands. “Get up, quickly! Prince William is here, he asked for all of the maids to be checked!”

That woke her, she scrambled out of bed and almost tripped over herself. Doris paled at the thought of facing him. “Checked? Checked for what?”

“Apparently he left a mark on one of the girl’s neck.” Beth already looked delighted from the gossip, she started shoving clothes at Doris before she paused. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?”

“Nothing’s wrong!” Doris turned away to change, the nightmare still fresh in her mind. “I was just wondering what he could possibly want with her. She’s just a maid, after all.” Doris touched the mark at her neck beneath her dress. The makeup she used would surely have rubbed off by now—she needed to reapply it before she left.

If he found out it was Doris he was looking for, would her nightmare become reality? She was silently thankful that he must’ve been too drunk to remember her face.

“I’m not sure, he’s probably not through using her yet after they slept together.” Beth laughed a little, though it sounded empty. “Remember with Lisa? He wanted her all to himself until he didn’t. But—this girl doesn’t seem like she wants to be found by him. Every other girl here would gladly announce themselves as his lover, but no one has come forward yet.”

No, we definitely didn’t sleep together. Doris silently corrected her friend. At least he didn’t get to take that from her.

“Hurry up!” A man appeared at their door, Doris gasped at the sight of Prince William’s valet and almost touched her neck to cover it more than her dress already did. “You two don’t want to keep Prince William waiting, I suggest you stop chattering and get moving.”

“Of course, sir! We’ll be right out!” Beth shouted to his retreating form. When she turned to face Doris, her brows furrowed. “Doris? What’s wrong? You look as if you’re about to pass out.”

Doris wiped her clammy hands on her skirt and took a deep breath. “I’m fine, give me a moment.” Beth squeezed her hand and nodded. She didn’t care if it looked suspicious, she just needed a minute alone.

Once Beth left, she quickly opened her drawer and grabbed her cheap container of makeup to cover the mark. Her shaky hands dabbed at the bite, she could still see a sense of bruising that the makeup just couldn’t seem to cover. She couldn’t let him find her, he would… he would kill her just as he tried in her dreams.

Doris made her way out to the open field where the other maids gathered. She took her spot next to Beth and listened to those around her gossip silently amongst themselves. Each one of them looked even more confused than her, but just as eager as Beth to find out who it must be. She wondered how many of them wished it was them that the Prince was looking for, Doris wished it was one of them, too.

When Doris looked up to the front of the crowd, she felt her heart still for a moment in her chest.

There stood Prince William, easy to spot when he was taller than everyone around him. Even his guards.

He wore no jacket over his suit, his shirt clung to his well built form and left little to the imagination of what he hid beneath. She could see why everyone found him so attractive, his sea blue eyes and dark tossed hair. He looked as if he just rolled out of bed with a lover, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he did. He looked out into the crowd like a born predator, his eyes catching every movement made around him as if he were hunting. The Alpha blood ran purely through his veins and it showed with every breath he made. As handsome as the third prince William Arnold was, she had a taste of how he acted and it was not something she desired to repeat. She wished the rest of the girls here knew how awful he was, then perhaps they would stop fantasizing about him.

“Your majesty, this is the last group of maids in the Golden Palace.” Mr. Carson announced, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

William only nodded, his face free of emotion as he took in the sight of each girl. “Do your job.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Mr. Carson bowed before he turned to the maids. “Prince William is looking for the maid he left a mark upon just the other night. Please, line yourselves up by Ms. Shirley so she can check each of your necks. Only do as you’re instructed, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Mr. Carson!” The crowd responded. Each of the girls lined up outside of the booth Ms. Shirley had set up. The old maid had been serving Royal House Arnold for over 40 years, surely she was one of the more trusted maids of the bunch.

As soon as each girl was checked, they were asked to leave. Though, it seemed none of them actually wanted to. They were all curious to see who this mystery maid could be, the one that Prince William was so desperate to find. They hung around a bit away from the booth, watching as each maid was dismissed and the line grew shorter. Doris forced herself not to scratch at the mark on her neck, she didn’t want the makeup to smear off and hoped her sweat didn’t ruin it either.

As time went on, Prince William grew more impatient. He frowned at the thinning line, not one of them came forward to announce herself as the one he’d left his mark upon. And why wouldn’t she come forward? It would be an honor to be his mate, her resistance angered him more than he liked to admit.

He waited for her to come to him yesterday, it was no secret he desired her to. Yet she hadn’t and now it resorted to this foolish attempt at finding her. Because he would find her today.

“She is here, I can feel her.” Waylon, his inner wolf declared in his mind with a deep growl. “Our mate.”

“If she is here, than pick her already you useless wolf.” William shot back silently. “Why must you make it so impossible? Other wolves would have brought her to me by now.”

“I’m trying, I can’t connect with her wolf. It’s as if she doesn’t have one.”

William almost laughed a sinister sound. “The moon goddess must be kidding me. She must have a wolf if she’s my mate.” Otherwise how could it be?

One by one the maids were cleared until only three remained in line. Doris stood with Beth and Melody, nervously picking at her nails as they got closer.

Beth was quickly cleared, she offered a quick smile to Doris before she wandered near the other curious maids. At least her friend was kind enough to wait for her.

Doris took one step towards the booth, and stopped. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t go in. What if Ms.

Shirley saw through her horrible attempt to cover it? What if—what if Prince William finished what he intended to do that night with her? Would she end up like Lisa, or worse?

Mr. Carson frowned at Doris. “What do you think you’re doing? Get inside now to be checked! We don’t have all day.” Doris stared at him, her lips parted. “Are you defying the Royal order?”

Doris knelt down instantly, clamping her lips shut. She didn’t dare to move or speak and make things worse for herself. The crowd gasped around her.

“What’s your name?” Came a demanding voice from above Doris. She looked up slightly to see Prince William walk straight to her.

Still, Doris said nothing. As if every bone in her body refused to let her.

“Doris Goodwin, your majesty.” Mr. Carson answered when she wouldn’t. He shot a displeased look in her direction as if she were the dirt on the bottom of his shoe.

“Doris…” Prince William said her name as if he were tasting it for the first time. It sent a strange shiver through her to hear her name on his lips. She kept her head down—refusing to look at his handsome face and remember what he did to her.

Slowly, Prince William lowered himself until he was able to spit out the sentence clearly enough in her ear. “Was it you?”