Chapter 4
His entire demeanor screamed, Im the damn master of everything here, the absolute ruler.
I immediately lowered my head, trembling.
It didnt matter that I lacked an inner she-wolf the power radiating from that man felt like it could suffocate you, crush your soul, and he wasnt even standing that close to me.
He was a Lycan, the superior species of werewolves, the ultimate evolution, and I was almost certain this was the most powerful of them allAldric Thorne, the Lycan King.
Sasha, take out the trash and make sure my next personal maid isnt a scheming whore, or shell lose more than her head, his deep, cold, and intimidating voice echoed, followed by the sound of footsteps retreating.
This is a disaster.
Thats the fifth one in two months.
I dont know what goes through these girls heads.
I warned them, the housekeeper muttered as she approached, pulling a small vial from the dead womans hand.
Another one who tried to drug the King with an aphrodisiac.
Idiot.
Ill call a servant to take her away.
And your first task begins nowclean up this mess.
And so, scrubbing fresh blood off the floor, my work in the Lycan Kings castle began.
The first lesson I learned: never, ever try to mess with that dangerous man, or youll end up headless.
Unfortunately, I soon found myself on the razors edge again.
***** Sasha introduced me to the staff, a group of she-wolves and wolves working in the castle, attending to the Guardians.
They all stared at me as if they were looking at a monster.
I didnt careI just wanted to keep existing and stay invisible.
The Guardiansthats what they called the five Lycans who lived in this ancient, dark castle.
They enforced the laws of our world, or at least those affecting werewolves, maintaining balance with other supernatural creatures.
They delivered justice, protection, and punishmentoften in the most brutal, merciless ways.
Especially the Lycan King.
At least, thats what I had always heard.
I was forbidden from climbing the stairs or wandering beyond the service quarters.
And honestly, I didnt plan to try.
I focused on working and healing with the medicine the housekeeper gave me.
The food here was good too.
Except for the first day, I had gone three days without seeing any of the other Guardians.
Until this morning.
***** Hey, I heard the housekeeper saying she still hasnt found a suitable candidate for the Kings maid.
Maybe shell give us a chance.
I was scrubbing the floor on my knees, listening to the whispers echoing through the castles massive kitchen.
My head stayed down, and my long black bangs nearly covered my eyes, helping to conceal the disfigurement on my face.
My hands kept moving the cloth over the tiles, but ignoring the gossip was impossible.
Suddenly, the room went silent.
Heels echoed from the hallway, and tension filled the air it was the housekeeper.
Stop what youre doing.
of you in a line, she ordered, her voice
methe lowly cleanerall lined up
passing each trembling
front of me, I thought she
She didnt.
name
maam, I replied
my chin, forcing me to
eyes met her
Good.
a
she ordered, and a sense
the corner of my eye, I noticed the stares from the
filled with
Nothing good.
That much was certain.
Listen carefully, Valeria.
King Aldrics personal maid, she dropped the bombshell casually,
cook, iron, organize a mans things, his clothes, and so
dont think Im the
optional, she cut me
either accept it,
need a
need a maid for the
no
this harsh woman had
honestly, I still didnt know whyespecially now that she was sending me
everything Im
like… Prefers it this way… And his meals are only prepared
always her… And you
paced through the kitchen, the laundry area, practically the entire service zone, listing the
nearly short-circuiting from the
to write all this
his
a silver tray full of covered dishes
Valeria… remember, head
Stay invisible.
but a
forgotten the scene from
King, believe me, he
warning made me swallow hard as
a coward, but it felt like I was marching straight to the gallows as I climbed the forbidden stairs, moving through the dim candlelit corridors leading to
only door in this wingan enormous wooden door with intricate carvingsand tried to recall
at
Go straight inside.
So I did.
carefully, I twisted the heavy
den of the
at the center, the dim lighting,
then I heard
scent of
glanced toward a black door, slightly
moans seeped through,
one womans
something hitting a
didnt know, and I
important rule: head down, stay
Dont speak.
Dont look.
Dont listen.
remembering every detail of his preferences, circling the
voice behind me made me
tightened, and I turned, staring down
Majesty, my name
your new maid,
shadow loomed over me, every instinct screaming danger, runbut I stood firm as he placed a finger beneath
at my
saw fierce, intimidating gray eyes studying meso captivating
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