CHAPTER 82

CHAPTER 82
There is no need to look up to know who has arrived. The booming voice alone tells me exactly who it is. It’s Alpha Cassian and judging by the thunder in his tone, he is far from pleased to find Erin and I wrestling on the ground like wild animals. I lift my head and glance at him. Against my better judgment, a grin tugs at my lips.
“Let her go,” he orders. 
My grip loosens automatically. I release Erin's wrists and slowly rise to my feet, wiping my scraped palm against my skirt. Across from me, Erin scrambles upright as well. Her carefully arranged hair hangs in disarray around her face, and her elegant appearance has all but vanished. For once, she looks less like a future Luna and more like a woman who has just lost a fight with a maid.
"She attacked me, Cassian!" Erin cries, pointing at me as though I'm some rabid beast.
"No, Alpha," I say evenly. "She attacked me first. I just defended myself."
"She's lying, baby!" Erin shrieks. "I came here to speak calmly and she just–"
Cassian raises a hand and the effect is immediate. Erin's mouth snaps shut. Then, Cassian's gaze moves from Erin to me. When our eyes meet, I recognize the warning hidden beneath his expression. He doesn't need to say it aloud. I already know what he's thinking.
"Both of you," he says at last, his voice quieter now but no less dangerous, "are going to stop testing my patience!”
"She's not even sorry," Erin complains.
"Erin," he says, taking a measured step forward, "if I have to remind you again how to conduct yourself in this pack, you are not going to enjoy the consequences."
Shock flashes across her face. Clearly, she hasn't expected to be scolded too.
"But, Alpha-"
"I said enough!”
Erin immediately falls silent. Then his attention shifts back to me. "And you," he says coldly, "the head servant will deal with you."
For a split second, I can't hide my reaction. Cassian notices. He knows exactly what the head servant is capable of. He has seen the results of her punishments before. He knows they often go far beyond discipline.
"What is that look, Vivienne?" he asks. "Do you intend to defy me again?"
"No, Alpha Cassian," I answer quietly.
Cassian studies me for a long moment. His jaw flexes as though he wants to say something else, but whatever thought crosses his mind remains unspoken. Instead, he turns and walks away.
Erin follows a few seconds later, though not before shooting me a venomous glare over her shoulder. I barely have time to exhale before another familiar figure appears.
The head servant. She materializes like a specter from a nightmare, dressed in her usual uniform, her hair pinned back so tightly it seems painful. Her eyes lock onto mine with the warmth of winter frost.
"Come." That's all she says.
I follow in silence.
The farther we walk from the main courtyard, the heavier the dread in my stomach becomes. She doesn't speak until we reach a small locked room hidden behind the kitchen pantry. Then she turns toward me.
"You've made quite the mess of things, haven't you, girl?"
“Are you sure that it was me who started the fight? Don’t be blind, Madame,” I reply. 
"I've had enough of your arrogance, Vivienne!" she snaps. "You humiliate the future Luna, embarrass the Alpha, and then start a fight in broad daylight!” 
Then, she marches toward a cabinet. When she opens it, I immediately recognize several of the items stored inside. Weighted cuffs. Iron-tipped cord. And then she pulls out the servant's yoke. The heavy wooden brace is ancient, a relic from decades ago when disobedient wolves were trained through pain and humiliation. The device forces the arms above the head, locks the neck in place, and leaves the body trapped in a position of submission.
"Put it on,” she orders. 
I raise my eyebrow while staring at it. "Excuse me?" I mutter. "I'm not a feral dog!” 
The slap comes so fast I barely see it. Pain explodes across my cheek and  I stagger. "Put it on, Vivienne," she repeats.
My jaw clenches. "And if I refuse?"
A cruel smile touches her lips. "You know exactly what happens if you refuse."
Memories flash through my mind and my wolf recoils at the memory. No way. I don’t want to experience that again. Slowly, I reach for the yoke and the headservant fastens it around me herself. 
Within seconds, my arms are stretched overhead and my neck is locked in place. The strain hits immediately and pressure tears through my shoulders. Then she shoves me and I fall to my knees.
"You'll remain like that for two hours," she says and then she begins circling behind me. "Maybe longer."
Then she leaves.
I am absolutely furious with the head servant. She really doesn't hold back with her punishment. Fortunately, she really returned after two hours to remove the yoke from my neck and shoulders. The moment the weight comes off, pain rushes through my body.
The head servant watches me for a moment, perhaps expecting me to collapse but it’s not going to happen. Slowly, I rise to my feet and without a word, I walk out of the room. I barely make it halfway down the corridor toward the servants' quarters when I hear the unmistakable clack of high heels against the polished floor. I already know who it is. Definitely, it’s Erin!
“Gosh, you look terrible!” 
I continue walking but that turns out to be a mistake. She hates being ignored. 
“I'm talking to you!” she screams and suddenly, something hits the back of my shoulder. 
Slowly, I look down and a silver tumbler rolls across the floor. She threw it at me! 
“Oops,” Erin says without an ounce of regret. “My hand slipped,” she claims and the two she-wolves beside her burst into laughter.  “Pick it up,” she orders.
I stare. “Excuse me?”
“My tumbler.” She points to the floor. “Pick it up.”
“Or what?” I ask quietly.
Her eyes widen. The audacity of my response clearly shocks her. “Or I'll make your life miserable.”
I laugh. “You'll make my life miserable?” I repeat and then I take a step toward her.  The smile disappears from her lips. “You've already been trying to make my life miserable since the day you arrived here. Anyway, you should be careful in doing that all the time,” I warn her.  
“W-What?”
I lean closer. “Because every time you come after me, Cassian ends up paying more attention to me than he does to you.”
The color drains from her face. “You lying bitch–”