Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Anya’s POV

"You're the new one? The special servant, just for Alpha Kai?" The head servant asked.

The way she said sounded like an insult. I could only nod, lowering my head immediately as a sign of respect. I kept my eyes on the floor, trying to look as small and harmless as possible.

She made a disgusted sound in her throat. Then, she grabbed a pile of clothes from a nearby shelf and threw them at me. The rough, scratchy fabric hit me in the chest, and I fumbled to catch it.

"Change your clothes," she ordered. "From now on, this is what you will wear. Always." She pointed a long, bony finger at me. "You get two pairs of that uniform, and one thin gown for sleeping. That's three sets. You'd better be a good servant, girl."

She took a step closer, and I had to fight the urge to step back.

"Or else," she hissed, her voice low and threatening, "Alpha Kai will not give you another mercy. Do you understand me, human?"

"Yes... M-Madam," I stammered, keeping my head bowed. I didn't dare to look at her. I learned quickly that the head servant, Madam Divina, controlled everything and everyone in the servant's quarters.

The other maids whispered her name with fear. She was half-human, half-witch, which explained the unsettling, cold energy I felt from her.

I took a shaky breath as she led me down a narrow hallway to a small, plain door. She opened it, revealing a tiny room with nothing but a cot and a small chest. She raised an eyebrow, her expression still sour.

"The Alpha wants you to have your own room. Lucky you."

My own room. All my life, I had never had my own room. In the orphanage, we slept in a large, crowded hall. We ate together, dressed together... there was no such thing as privacy.

Now, here I was, my life hanging by a thread, and in a strange way, this felt like a tiny upgrade before my death sentence.

I just nodded, my voice small. "Thank you, Madam."

She adjusted the small eyeglasses that sat on her sharp nose. "Take note," she said, her voice turning even colder. "You will wake up at three a.m. every morning. You will go to the kitchens and prepare everything the Alpha requires. And you alone will take care of him."

She paused, looking me up and down with obvious suspicion. "I don't understand why he chose you as his special servant." Her bony hand came up, and she traced a finger down my cheek. I flinched at the cold, dry touch. "It could be your... beauty." She said the word like it was a disease. "Or perhaps there is something else about you he finds... fascinating."

She pulled her hand back and gave me one last, hateful look before turning and leaving me alone in the hallway.

I stumbled into the small room, and the second the door clicked shut, my heart was beating so hard I thought it would jump out of my chest.

Damn it. What should I do?

I stared at my new room. There was a small bed, just big enough for me, and a small cabinet where my three sets of clothes were. There was also a little window.

When I opened it, I saw that it overlooked a dark, quiet lake, where tiny fireflies were dancing in the night.

The small moment of beauty made my fear feel even sharper. I sat on the bed, shaking, and cried softly. I had no idea what my future was here. It could be so much worse than anything I'd ever known. And I knew, with a sickening certainty, that tomorrow Alpha Borin would come looking for me.

I couldn't let him have me. Not him. Not ever.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, a sharp knock on my door made me gasp and jolt awake. My eyes flew open. Oh, no. I'm late! I had to work. I had to be a good servant, or Alpha Kai would throw me out, right back to Alpha Borin.

I scrambled out, threw on the rough uniform, and hurried out of the room.

Madam Divina was waiting for me. She was staring at me angrily and holding a heavy tray of food. She shoved it into my hands, making me stumble.

"Give this food to the Alpha," she snapped.

I took the tray, and I noticed the other servants in the hall were watching me. They all looked terrified for me. As I walked toward the main stairs, one of the maids, a younger girl, hurried up next to me.

"Be careful," she whispered, not looking at me. "He's... not good in the morning. Every maid that served him before... they either got injured or... or worse. They say he can kill you with one snap of his fingers."

My eyes widened in pure terror. I wanted to say I couldn't do it, that I was too scared, but I didn't have a choice. I glanced back, and Madam Divina was glaring at me from down the hall.

My hand was shaking so badly that the dishes on the tray rattled. I knocked on the Alpha's huge bedroom door. When I entered, I saw him. He was standing on his balcony, shirtless, staring at something in the distance.

I slowly put the tray of food on a small table. When he finally turned his head to look at me, my breath caught in my throat. He was even more intimidating in the daylight.

"Alpha," I whispered, my voice trembling. "G-good m-morning. H-here's your food." I cursed myself. My stuttering would only make his morning worse.

He walked towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. He grabbed the coffee mug from the tray. I gulped and quickly lowered my head, waiting for the blow. I expected him to snap, to hit me with his hand, just like the maid said.

But nothing happened.

When I slowly looked up, I met his gaze again. He was just sipping his coffee, staring at me over the rim of the mug. I immediately lowered my eyes again, too scared to look at him for long.

And then he said, "Alpha Borin is coming."

I gasped in terror. Oh, god, help me.

"You have to make your choice," he continued, his voice calm. He slowly put the mug down on the table and closed the gap between us, standing so close I could feel the heat coming from his body. "To return to him... or stay here.... as my servant."