Live or die

Aurora's anger towards Theresa surged, making her wish to tear her apart. However, she momentarily forgot that Theresa's rampage always had an equal effect on everyone around her.

"Why me?" Aurora questioned the handmaiden, seeking an explanation.

"She is extremely furious right now, so please comply with her demands," the frustrated handmaiden replied before hastily leaving the kitchen. 

If Aurora didn't serve breakfast, the handmaiden would face trouble. It seemed that whenever one person made a mistake, it caused trouble for others. Just like the Alpha's mistake of approaching her instead of the Lady he was supposed to meet.

"Please, don't provoke her further. Until Scarlet returns, no one can handle her," pleaded Aurora's assistants. Reluctantly, she had no choice but to proceed with serving. It was undeniable that Scarlet was the only one who could keep Theresa's temper in check. Theresa held a deep affection for Scarlet, more than anyone else in the mansion.

Aurora wanted to release a scream of frustration. She felt doomed from the moment she laid eyes on the Alpha.

"I love you all, just in case," she pouted her lips, bidding a farewell message before proceeding to serve breakfast.

As Aurora reached the dining table, only a few people were present, and the Alpha was absent. Relieved, she hurriedly entered the dining room, serving everyone before the Alpha's arrival.

However, when she approached Dave's seat, he interrupted her with a query. "You strangely look familiar. Where do I know you from?" Aurora cursed him inwardly for the delay.

"This is my first time meeting you. It must be a misunderstanding," she politely replied and continued serving him. Dave shook his head, unconvinced by her words. "I am definitely sure I know you."

"Have you slept with so many people that you are comparing them now?" mocked a man sitting across from Dave, tutting disapprovingly.

"You know, if you weren't my brother's Beta, you would have long met your demise at my hands," Dave retorted. Aurora took that as a cue and kept on serving him as they bantered with each other. 

"With those feeble hands that only know how to handle women," the Beta responded, and they both burst into laughter, confusing Aurora. Weren't they just insulting each other? Their relationship seemed quite awkward.

Theresa's furious voice echoed through the dining room, reprimanding them for their lack of table manners. Everyone, excluding the Alpha, had already taken their seats, waiting for his arrival to commence the meal.

"He is finally here, geez!" Dave exclaimed, turning his attention to Damien, who descended the stairs with a stressed expression.

Aurora couldn't help but glance at him, growing worried by the signs of his exhaustion. They had indeed shared an intense night, but it was meant to provide him relief. Why did he appear so frustrated?

Damien seated himself at the table, and Theresa signaled for Aurora to come forward and serve him. Slowly, Aurora approached Damien's seat and began serving him, deliberately avoiding eye contact. Fortunately, he seemed disinterested, remaining still as he waited for her to finish.

"Pour me some wine," he ordered, and she promptly picked up the wine bottle to pour some into his glass. Suddenly, Damien grabbed the bottle from her hand, causing their hands to make unexpected contact. Startled, she jerked her hand away, causing the wine to spill onto his trousers.

"I am so sorry," she said, worriedly picking up a tissue and bending down to wipe the stain from his trousers. It was at that moment that she remembered their encounter from the previous night.

"Ahhh!" Instinctively, she screamed, yanking herself away, and stumbled backward, ending up on the floor.

Damien, who didn't anticipate such a reaction, grew furious and opened his mouth to yell, but he halted when he realized who it was.

It was the maid who had pleased him the previous night. What was she doing here?

"Aurora, what's wrong with you?" Theresa inquired. Damien raised an eyebrow upon hearing her name. Just like her scent, her name was unique. But why was she so defensive towards him? Was it because of last night? It's not as if he could mate with her in front of everyone, and besides, their actions had been driven by the influence of a drug.

"I deserve to die. Spare me, Alpha," realizing her mistake, she knelt and pleaded for her life.

"Do you wish to live or die?" he taunted, his eyes filled with amusement as they scanned over her.

"Blame yourself, Alpha. Women are now afraid of you," Dave interjected, leaving his chair to help Aurora up.

"He is not a tyrant. Don't be scared," he reassured her while extending a hand to assist her, which only further intensified her worries. If only he knew what had transpired between them, he wouldn't offer her reassurances.

"You may go," Damien released her and headed upstairs to change into fresh clothes. Aurora nodded and hastily retreated to the kitchen before he could change his mind.

Returning to the dining table, he was met with displeased expressions from those who had been waiting for him so they could begin eating.

"Let's eat," he declared as soon as he took his seat.

"Alpha, now that you are back, it is time to reopen our borders and start receiving guests from different packs to raise awareness," an elderly man seated a few chairs away from Damien suggested.

"He has only been back for two days. Give him a break," Damien's Beta, Enoch, responded, almost scoffing at the man's suggestion.

"We have already had a break for five years. A pack without an Alpha is vulnerable. We managed to stay safe only thanks to Alpha Lucas, who vouched for us," another man in the dining room retorted.

"We never asked him to vouch for us, and you know he is doing it for his own benefit. I don't trust him," Dave confronted them this time. It was evident that Alpha Lucas was attempting to gain their trust to exploit them for his own gain.

"The fact remains that he helped us when we had no Alpha," the first man asserted, standing firm in his position.

"Alright," Damien simply responded, causing the men to smile with satisfaction.

"Alpha, we need an heir."