Chapter 4
878words
Three days had passed since I became her maid. Three days of cleaning, scrubbing, and biting my tongue.
I watched her leave the room, her perfect blonde hair swinging. The door slammed shut.
I looked around the massive bedroom—the luxurious space belonging to the future Luna.
Gwen enjoyed the best of everything while I was stuffed into a tiny servant's room.
She had deliberately messed up everything before leaving. Clothes thrown everywhere. Makeup spilled on the dresser. Bed sheets tangled.
"Enjoy shopping," I muttered, picking up a silk dress from the floor.
As I cleaned, my mind drifted to childhood. I was twelve, crying behind the school building after Kane and his friends called me "fat pig" again.
I thought I was alone until I heard footsteps. I quickly wiped my tears, expecting more teasing.
But no one came. Instead, a small package landed beside me. Inside—a healing cream for my scraped knee and a chocolate bar.
I looked up just in time to see Kane disappearing around the corner.
The memory confused me now. Why help me secretly after hurting me publicly?
I shook my head and continued cleaning. While putting away Gwen's things, I found a small leather book hidden under the mattress.
Her diary.
I shouldn't read it. But my fingers opened it anyway.
"Father says I must mate with Kane on his birthday. The prophecy must be fulfilled—a Beta's daughter will bring peace as the Alpha's mate. But what if I'm not the right one? What if the prophecy means someone else?"
My heart raced. Gwen had doubts too?
I flipped through more pages.
"Kane doesn't love me. He never has. But Father says love doesn't matter. Power does. Still, I see how he looks at her—"
The bedroom door suddenly opened. I slammed the diary shut, shoving it back under the mattress.
But it wasn't Gwen.
Kane stood in the doorway, his tall frame filling the space. His amber eyes locked on me.
"What are you doing?" His voice was low, dangerous.
"Cleaning," I said quickly. "Your fiancée's orders."
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. My heart hammered against my ribs.
"You shouldn't be in here," I said, backing away.
"It's my house." He moved closer. "I go where I want."
I hit the wall. Nowhere to go. Kane kept coming until he stood right in front of me, so close I could smell pine and rain on his skin.
"How are you adjusting to your new role?" he asked, his voice softer now.
"Wonderful," I said sarcastically. "I love being ordered around by the woman who hit my mother."
A small smile touched his lips. "Still stubborn."
"Still cruel," I shot back.
His smile disappeared. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of my head, trapping me.
"I'm trying to help you, Gina."
"By making me a slave?"
"By keeping you alive."
We stared at each other. My anger battled with something else—a strange pull I didn't want to feel.
"Your mark appeared again last night," he said quietly.
I froze. "You were watching me sleep?"
"I felt it." He touched his own wrist. "When yours glows, mine burns."
"What does it mean?" I whispered.
He leaned closer. "I think you know."
My body betrayed me. My heart raced. My skin warmed. Worst of all, my scent changed—the sweet smell of an Omega responding to an Alpha.
Kane noticed. His nostrils flared. His eyes darkened.
"You hate me," he said, "but your body doesn't."
"My body is stupid," I snapped.
He laughed—a real laugh that transformed his face. For a moment, I glimpsed the boy he might have been without the burden of being Alpha heir.
"The mark," I insisted. "Tell me what it means."
His face grew serious again. "Not here. Not now. The walls have ears."
As if on cue, footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Kane stepped back just as the door opened. Gwen stood there, shopping bags in hand, her eyes narrowing at the sight of us.
"What's going on here?" she demanded.
"Just checking on our new maid," Kane said smoothly. "Making sure she's doing her job."
Gwen's eyes darted between us suspiciously. "And is she?"
"The room looks clean," he said, walking toward the door.
As he passed Gwen, she grabbed his arm possessively. "We need to discuss the birthday celebration. Father wants to meet with us."
Kane nodded, not looking at me. "Of course."
At the doorway, he paused and glanced back. His eyes met mine for just a second.
"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" His voice was low, meant only for me. "Because your scent is giving you away."
Then he was gone, leaving me flushed and confused.
Gwen dropped her bags on the freshly made bed. "Clean these too," she ordered. "And stay away from my fiancé."
I nodded, keeping my eyes down. But inside, questions burned.
What was the mark? Why did Kane feel it too? And why did my body react to someone my mind hated?
The answers would have to wait. For now, I had shopping bags to unpack and a dangerous game to play.
