The Girl Upstairs Part Two - Kendric's POV

A few minutes pass and I am caught between going up there to see for myself or wringing all their necks and killing them. But then I hear footsteps and Valeria soon appears. She enters the living room before I know it, gathering up a basket from the corner near the door and putting on a velvety navy blue cloak.

Millie stands with a smile plastered on her face. “Oh, there you are, my darling helper. You have worked quite enough today already, but I have one more special task for you today and will pay you handsomely for doing more than you are required.”

Valeria’s eyes widen in surprise as she clutches the neck of her cloak and ties it. “Yes, madam.”

Millie bursts out laughing, waving her hand in the air and then she looks toward Waylen, then me.

Realization dawns on Valeria’s face. It appears to be like I first thought. This isn’t how they normally treat her.

“Oh, you silly girl. You don’t have to call me madam. You know you don’t have to do anything other than calling me Millie and helping around the house.”

Valeria’s face says it all. It seems like every fiber of her being is telling her to run, but she’s frozen to the spot.

Valeria drops her gaze to the floor and refuses to meet her gaze. “Thank you, but I would like to continue to use madam as your name out of respect for you and your family.”

“Oh, such a sweet girl. So, the favor I would like to ask of you is to go with Kendric to the market and show him around. While you are out, would you mind picking up my list? I appreciate everything you do to help our family,” Millie says sweetly.

I watch as Millie hands her a list before shoving two fingers under her chin to force her to meet her gaze.

“Thank you, sweetie. You have such a beautiful face and shouldn’t hide it.”

I walk closer, crossing the room in two big strides. “Shall we go then?”

“Yes, we shall,” she says in a whisper, though she appears curious as to why I’m going with her.

As we walk toward the front door, she trembles like a leaf beside me. I’m betting she thought this is some kind of trick and I’m thinking the same thing.

But then it comes. Millie reaches out and grips Valeria’s shoulder.

“Go outside, Kendric. I forgot to give her something, so she will be right out in a minute.”

I go onto the porch, knowing I’ll be able to hear every single word, so it’s not like they can truly hide anything when I’m this close.

“Listen, I’m having to play nice. Unlike the rest of the alphas, they care, so do as I say and do not breathe a word of anything. Do I make myself clear?” Millie asks, keeping her voice as low as possible.

“Yes, madam,” Valeria whispers back.

“Good girl. Now go on before he suspects anything. If he asks, I added lemons to the list. I’ll see you soon, dear.”

I look back just in time to see Valeria coming outside. She reaches back with one hand and flicks the navy blue hood over her head before coming down the steps.

“Have fun, you two! Don’t keep my girl out too late,” Millie says as we walk away.

Valeria lifts a hand in a small wave before slipping inside, the door shutting behind her with a quiet thud.

I turn back toward the path, my footsteps falling into rhythm with hers as we move through the quiet stretch of road. The air is thick with unspoken thoughts, but I stay quiet, thinking about how everything just went.

“Well, that was interesting. Is she always fake like that?”

Valeria’s breath catches in her throat. “What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” I say as we get further from the house. “You’re a slave in that home, aren’t you?”

“What?” Valeria asks, her head jerking to the side to look up at me. I glance over at her, keeping a straight face. “Sorry.”

She drops her gaze back to the ground.

“Sorry for what?”

“It’s nothing,” she whispers.

I’ve had enough, so I reach out and stop her from going any farther before sliding one finger under her chin. I tilt her head back until she has to look at me. “Why do you drop your head like that? I know some work for others, but this behavior isn’t normal. What do they do to you?”

Her sparkling blue eyes meet mine as her throat bobs. “My confidence isn’t the best.”

Something about the way she holds herself now tells me there’s more under the surface. She just doesn’t trust me with it yet. I’m in a daze before she tries to pull away from me.

“Hey, stop it. There’s something going on, isn’t there? I can tell just by the look on your face. Not to mention, I could hear every conversation in the house.”

“Nothing is going on, okay? Let us move on.”

I won’t let this go, so I block her path. “What happened? You can’t lie to me like this.”

She dodges and keeps moving. We almost make it to the tree line where the market is when I reach for her and grab her shoulder again. With the other hand, I reach out, dragging one finger down her throat where a scar is. “Keep lying to me because if this is what I think it is, I'm going to burn this pack to the ground.”

“It isn’t what you think,” she whispers and I can already smell the lie in the air.

I keep my gaze focused on her. “Oh? Is that your answer?”

“If you want to keep me safe and from further harm, that is how it must be.”

“No, I don’t accept that answer. You don’t understand who I am and what I can do,” I say with a laugh. “Tell me why you live with them.”

A shiver snakes down her spine, and she caves. “My parents both passed away when I was a child. I was passed from house to house until I was twelve when I went to live with the alpha and his family. Sometimes I wish he had never taken me in. He only took me in to make his family look good and now I pay for it. Are you happy?” She snaps, and for once, it’s sharp.

I don't answer because I’m too busy realizing she’s not as broken as they want her to be. Her shoulder slips out of my grasp with ease as I hear her words.

She keeps walking, and I fall into step a few feet behind her.