CHAPTER 4

I sat up on my creaking bed the next morning and looked at the only window I had. It was a tiny and foggy window, which I couldn't open or see-through, only the ray of light signaling it was morning could pass through it. It had begun to rain in the early hours of the morning and the weather was getting all cozy, making me want to snuggle under my covers but I wasn't in the mood for that.

After the meeting with Eric's mate-to-be the day before, I had fallen silent and had gone into my room immediately after we got back home. Lady Freya, as if taking the cue, didn't say a word. In fact, she left me to myself, almost as if I wasn't the maid but her little sister. She was sweet like that.

I lay on my bed unable to sleep all night, I went from worrying to crying and dosing off and worrying and crying again. Now I was sitting up with red swollen eyes, convincing myself I was ready to go about my daily chores.

What do I do now? Should I meet him? Should I not? What if he tells me he had feelings for her? What if they were childhood sweethearts? What do I do if he rejected me? What if this meeting was to explain the situation of things?

I asked myself as tears began to form in my eyes again.

How did I get so miserable over a man I just met and knew nothing about? My logical self asked me.

I won't meet with him. That way, I would never know or be hurt. I was better off not knowing.

Sighing I got off the bed and walked into the bathroom, then looked into the vanity mirror.

"Ah. How do I explain this look?" I asked myself as I stared back at my sleep-deprived eye before lazily going to take a shower, then dressed up for the day.

As I stepped out of my room, I heard whispers coming from the kitchen, it stopped as I walked closer. On getting there I saw Lady Freya and Maria, seated by the kitchen counter with a cup of tea in their hand, the aroma filling the whole kitchen. They looked at me in horror.

"What happened to you Silveen?" Maria asked as she stood up and immediately walked to the sink to get a mug and started making another tea.

"I had a little trouble sleeping."

"You had a little trouble sleeping in a weather as cold as this?" lady Freya asked with a raised brow.

"This doesn't look like a little to me. You look like lady Freya when the Gamma went on the road trip to the Austan pack." Maria said as she walked to place a cup of tea in front of me, nudging me to seat down.

I obeyed.

"Hun! That was the scariest time of my life. I don't' know why he would go to see those horrible blood-sucking wolves. The mere thought of it still agitates me." lady Freya lamented.

I frowned, "blood-sucking?"

"It's the name she calls them because she feels there's no other way to classify their ruthlessness," Maria replied before sipping her tea.

"They can't be that bad, can't they?" I said sipping the hot tea, which calmed my nerves.

"Yes, they are! They rip wolves apart in a war! Who does that?" Lady Freya said wincing at the thought of it. I looked at her confused having never experienced any wars.

"The Austan pack are the oldest and strongest standing pure breed werewolves. It's not like they can help their combat style. The size of their wolves accounts for that method of fighting and you know that." Maria said batting her eyes at Lady Freya as she had seen my confused face, but I was even more confused.

I knew nothing about the Austan pack other than the fact that Eric's father had killed their alpha and had died in the process himself. The alpha of the Austan pack would have become an alpha king if he hadn't been killed. I heard.

"Size?" I asked.

"Yes. The Austan wolves are twice your size and bigger than all the other wolves. Like I said, they are the longest and purest breeds in the werewolf's kingdom and are practically all warriors. Rumor has it that they were all descendants of alphas who came together to create a community choosing the strongest to rule over them and that in their veins runs the true blood of our ancestors." Maria explained enjoying the story herself. I could swear that she had told this story to her children many times as a bedtime story.

"There are also rumors that they sometimes lose their humanity, forgetting all about themselves and their loved ones, becoming bloodthirsty, and going on a killing spree. Killing anything living thing on their path, human and animal alike." lady Freya said with disgust.

"But there were days when you dreamt of your mate being from the Austan pack." Maria taunted lady Freya, who rolled her eyes blushing.

"Yeah, yeah, they do have the prettiest men. But speaking of pretty and men," she said looking at me with new interest.

"What's up with you and my cousin," she asked her eyes dancing with excitement.

I looked from her to Maria, shock evident in my eyes. If she knew, then who else did?

"I.... I don't know what you mean." I said in a whisper, staring into my mug.

"Oh, please. Don't you feign ignorance with me Silveen. I heard he took you out of the house...."

my mouth dropped as I realized the women in the kitchen had been talking.

"... Into the woods. I also saw the look you gave Layla. It said 'what'?" Maria laughed as she mimicked my facial expression.

"You also locked yourself up since last night, obviously crying seeing from your swollen eyes." She finished.

"I..... I wasn't crying." I defended,

" Ha. She doesn't deny any of it." Maria said and Lady Freya smiled happily.

"So tell us, are you his mate?" she asked, her and Lady Freya focusing on me with so much seriousness. I looked at both of them, then nodded helplessly.

They busted into happy cheers and I began to cry, finally letting out the tears I had been holding.

"But he has someone else." I croaked and their cheerful looks changed to that of pity, as they came around me to console me.

"No, he doesn't. Layla means nothing to him. He only agreed to marry her because of the pressure from the pack and their need for a Luna." Lady Freya explained.

"But she's from a rich family and I am....."

"The daughter of the Gamma of Estradol." she finished, cutting me off.

I busted into more tears, as I realized that I was worse than an omega. I was a girl who was rejected by her family and pack, a girl who can't even shift into a wolf, one who can't even protect herself, not to talk of this pack as a Luna. I was someone who should stay in the shadows and not in the spotlight because that was where all my secrets were safe. How do I cope when all the truth comes to light, I would just be sent away again and I loved it here.

Lady Freya hugged me, now trying to console me.

"Don't cry too much Silv. Even Eric called to make sure you could..."

"He did what?" I asked interrupting her. She bit her lips.

"oh, nothing."

" You should go get some rest, honey," Maria said now.

"No. I have to do my chores and...."

"Oh don't worry about all that, I've got it. You just go back to your room and catch some sleep okay? You look horrible."

Lady Freya pulled me up and led me back to my room before I could protest. I laid down on the bed mopping my teary eyes like a baby as she pulled the covers over me, then sat at the edge of the bed and began to stroke my hair from off my face. Before she was done, I had fallen asleep. I was obviously more exhausted than I thought.

....

When I woke up it was past lunchtime. I felt refreshed and consoled at the same time. I cleaned the dirt from the corner of my eyes as I got off the bed and out of the room. I met Lady Freya and Maria playing chess in the living room. Lady Freya was now dressed in her outing clothes.

"How did you sleep, darling?" Maria asked me the moment I walked in, causing lady Freya to turn to me.

"You obviously look better than you did in the morning." lady Freya replied before I could even answer.

I came close to them and sat at the edge of the sofa, watching them play the game, which made absolutely no sense to me. They had tried explaining it to me many times but I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. Slowly my mind drifted to Eric, would he still be waiting for me in the woods? Perhaps he had noticed that I wasn't coming and had left or perhaps he had come to his senses and had chosen to stay with his Luna-to-be. It was better that way. I thought as sadness began to wash over me.

Why couldn't I just go and find out? I wondered, then sighed as I realized my fear of confrontation was what was keeping me here, and I wasn't ready to break loose of its grip. The confrontation was obviously going to cause pain, it was better not to know.

I sigh again now earning their attention.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Maria asked, a concerned look on her face and I nodded.

"Would you like something to eat?" she asked again and I shook my head, noticing the concerned look on lady Freya's face too from the corner of my eyes

"Did you go somewhere lady Freya? You are all dressed up." I asked calmly, trying to change the subject.

Lady Freya's eyes lit in surprise as she sprang to her feet.

"My God! I must have lost my mind. I was supposed to meet with a friend of mine an hour ago, what was I thinking." she said looking horrified.

"You were thinking you were going to beat me in the next round," Maria said giggling. I brightened up a little.

"You won, didn't you. In the first round." I asked Maria knowingly. She laughed, waving the money she had earned in the air.

"All three rounds."

I smiled. Lady Freya was addicted to winning and even though she knew Maria was her superior when it came to chess, she still refused to give up, probably hoping she could learn all of Maria's moves and use it against her someday. Well, that day might be somewhere in the distant future, because I don't see it happening anytime soon.

"Quick Silveen, you have to come with me."

" What?"

" I have to have a reasonable excuse as to why I couldn't make it on time."

My eyes widened at the prospect of her claiming I had something to do with it.

"And by the way," she continued, "you seem like You need some fresh air."

"That is very true." Maria nodded in agreement and that was all it took for them to pull me back into my room, helping me to choose an outfit.

"Why do I have to get dressed if it is you who's meeting up with someone?" I asked confused as they went through my clothes.

"Because," lady Freya began as she picked up a shirt, and looked at it frowning a little before throwing it into the pile of the mess they had made on the bed.

"You need to always look your best Silveen. Ugh! I think you need a change of wardrobe. These clothes are horrible." she said and I flushed in embarrassment at the sight of the clothes I had inherited from my siblings, who had in every way a build different from mine.

"You're right. But I found something nice and simple." Maria said showing us a black pair of jeans and white shirt. She and Lady Freya shared a glance, and I could have sworn something flashed in their eyes, something I didn't understand. I frowned as I looked at the two women.

Was I missing something?

I wasn't given the freedom to wonder as lady Freya pushed the clothes into my hands, urging me to change.

Lady Freya seem way too excited about this meeting and I couldn't help but notice as I quickly changed into the clothes. They smiled at me and then rushed forward, as one began to comb my hair, while the other applied makeup on my face. I frown but wasn't given the liberty to think or argued as these two women fawned over me as if it were my birthday.

When they stepped back, I saw satisfaction in their smile, before turning to the mirror to take a look at myself. I smiled despite of myself. In no way did I look like what I was feeling. As if reading my thought, lady Freya spoke

"Sometimes, you just need to dress up and grab a bit of fresh air."

Was that what this was about? We were grabbing a bit of fresh air with her friend? I began to pull my waist-length hair into a bun....

"No. don't!" the two women shouted stopping me halfway as I looked at them confused.

"You look more beautiful leaving your hair down." lady Freya said hastily, then pulled me out of the house before I could process what exactly she had said.

We walked along the trail leading to the woods and entered it, walking steadily through the forest. I frowned as I looked around not knowing where I was, or where this path led to. If I had wandered more, I would certainly have known.

"So your friend wants to hang out in the woods?"

"Hey, don't sound so nervous, we are werewolves, after all, the forest is our home," she said glancing at me before looking straight ahead. I followed behind her.

"We are just going for a run," she said and my heart sank, as my brain went into overdrive, and I began to think of a possible escape route. What do I do if they asked me to shift and run with them?

"uhm L.. Lady Freya, I don't think I'm in the mood for a run."

"Of course not. I have no plans of letting you ruin those skinny jeans by shifting," she said and I felt relief wash over me. But I knew it was only a matter of time before, people began to notice that I couldn't shift. What would he say then?

I found myself dreading the rejected look in Eric's eyes and the thought of him calling me a freak. I shook the thought away from my head and decided to converse with the lady instead.

" Lady Freya?"

"Mhnn?"

"Why did you say I loved the woods yesterday?"

"I couldn't tell the Luna that you were with Eric in the forest now, could I?"

" you saw us?" I gasped.

"Na. The maids did, I only told them to keep their mouth shut."

"Do you think she would approve of me? If Eric were to choose me I mean." I asked sadly.

"And why wouldn't he choose you? You're his mate!"

"How do you think the Luna would react?" I asked ignoring her claims.

"I honestly don't know. She loves Eric dearly, but she also wants a strong woman to stand by his side. A woman as strong as herself. I guess that was why she accepted Layla, even though she doesn't like her very much."

"She doesn't like lady Layla? Why is th ....."

"Look we are here!" lady Freya shouted gleefully interrupting me.

I looked up and saw a lake not far from where we stood. My sharpened eyesight also saw the picnic cloth laid on the floor, there were foods there. I smiled softly.

Don't tell me Gamma Dilan was treating his wife to a picnic. I thought to myself as I rushed to catch up with her, now seeing the setting clearly. There was a huge teddy bear lying on one side of the pale red and white striped food cloth, beside it was snacks and then dishes of all sort.

My face heated up at how romantic the Gamma was, as lady Freya stood there, so excited and happy.

My mood changed immediately when I perceived the smell of the ocean. I frowned wondering why his scent lingered here. Had he helped the gamma prepare this surprise?

I wondered, but then I saw him, my breath hitching almost immediately. He walked toward the picnic spot, a red rose in his hand, oblivious of us. He was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt that hugged his muscles too tightly for my own peace of mind. He looked up to the evening sun, raising his hand to shield his eyes from it.

I felt my face flush as I slowly realized what was happening. I had been tricked into coming to see him.

Fear leaped into my heart and I immediately did what I did best. I turned around and began to leave.