Chapter 25

Chapter 27
LILA'S POV

The bathroom door is slammed shut, and I panic, quickly washing the soap off my face to open my eyes.

Looking around, I'm confused to see that there's no one in the bathroom aside from me.

Who had just left the bathroom?

Feeling frightened by this, I rush the rest of my shower and hurry to my closet.

I quickly pull on my dress and then hurry out to look for Isabella.

Had she come to look for me?

I meet her in the kitchen working along with other maids.

"Sorry I didn't bring your breakfast up. Alec said you wanted to start associating with the pack more, so I thought you'd want to join them at the dining table." She says, on sighting me.

in understanding, the fact that I hadn't had breakfast skipping my mind momentarily.

"Yeah, I did say so, but I think I'll just join them for lunch, maybe." I smile at her, and she nods, returning to the potatoes she was peeling.

"Did you come to look for me earlier?" I ask, and she shakes her head in the negative.

Who could've possibly been spying on me in the shower and why?

Her answer makes me feel even more spooked, and I don't want to be alone in my room.

"Can I help out?" I ask, making puppy eyes at her.

She wants to object, but I continue pleading, and she soon gives in, handing me a bowl of potatoes and a knife.

"The alpha will probably kill me if he finds out I'm letting you work." She says as we work side by side.

I laugh softly, giving her a look.

"I won't let him; we're friends, and I was the one who insisted on helping out." I reply, and she hums.

It was good that she didn't dispute my statement of us being friends.

The friendship must feel mutual then.

'Isabella is a good person,' Neela says, and I couldn't agree more.

Was there a point in telling Isabella that the real reason behind me wanting to stay in the kitchen here and help out was because I was frightened?

I decide against it and just stay working alongside her and the rest of the maids and cooks hustling and bustling about.

I already had enough to deal with on my plate.

My unanswered questions concerning my dream and the woman I had seen.

My situation with the brothers, and now Josephine too.

Was I still going to run away?

And leave Alec and Kael?

The mate bond would be greatly affected if I were to cross the pack borders with the intent of escaping.

And my blood bond with Kael too would suffer as well.

I wouldn't be the only one affected or feeling pain; it would impact the three of us greatly.

I couldn't bring myself to cause them pain.

Remembering the last time I had seen Alec in pain because of something related to me still made me feel terrible.

Maybe staying here was going to be for the best.

It wasn't like anyone missed me at home or wanted me around.

And if I did run away now without any proper planning or destination in mind, where would I go?

Other packs might find me wandering around, and I would officially be tagged as a rogue.

The chances of getting locked up without getting the opportunity to explain myself were very high.

I had seen and heard of what happened to rogues; I didn't want to fall victim.

"I'm going to go check on the clothes I washed earlier; will you be fine on your own?" Isabella asks, and I nod as she leaves me at the section we were both working at.

We had been the only two there, and so when I hear footsteps return, I immediately assume it's her.

"What a pleasure to see you settling in where you actually belong...with the maids." Josephine's voice calls from behind me.

With a tired sigh, I turn to face her, placing the knife down on the counter.

What was she up to now?

One would think she'd tire of my face since it disgusted her so much, and yet here she was after just a few hours, already threatening me in the garden.

"Haven't you said enough earlier already?" I ask her, feeling honestly done with all this drama.

"This is just the beginning, you peasant; I won't rest till I've sent you back to where you belong." She says it back with venom lacing every word.

"I'll just ignore you and go about with my life like you don't exist. I'm married to Kael, and this is his pack; he alone can tell me when to leave or stay," I reply, returning back to what I'm doing.

What she does next is unexpected, though, as she suddenly grabs my arm and turns me back to face her.

Before I can ask what she's doing, she grabs hold of the knife tip in my hand and drags her palm across it, cutting herself.

What in heaven's name was wrong with her!

Her shrill scream has a good number of people come running over, and I stand perplexed and completely stunned, speechless, as she cried hysterically.

"What's going on here?" Kael's voice booms through the rising murmurs and whispers.

His eyes are on me, as well as a good number of the rest of the pack, everyone staring at the scene, which didn't look good at all.

Josephine's hand was bleeding, and I now had a bloody knife in mine.

"Lila cut me! I was trying to help, and she said, I'm back to try stealing you from her, and she cut me!" She suddenly begins to scream.

What's even more heartbreaking than her lie is the look of doubt on Kael's face as he turns to me and the looks on the faces of the pack members gathered around.

What was going to be his judgement of this situation?