Serena's POV.
I took deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart, but so far, it wasn’t working. To make matters even worse, a traitorous heat pooled low in my belly, leaving me in a daze. When I felt the wetness between my legs, I nearly died of embarrassment. I wanted nothing more than for the earth to swallow me whole. What if he found out that… I was wet for him?
“Are you alright?” Kaidon asked, his assessing gaze making me feel as if I were naked.
“Yes… yes, Alpha,” I replied, struggling to keep my voice and my heart steady, but once again, I failed spectacularly. Just the memory of his mouth on my neck made me shiver.
“Good,” Kaidon nodded, but I could have sworn he was smirking. Was he doing this on purpose?
“I will inform Cassie that, from now on, you’ll be the one cooking my meals.”
“Of course, Alpha,” I replied, my cheeks burning bright crimson.
“Good.” Kaidon gave a slight nod, though his gaze lingered just a second too long.
“You’re dismissed now.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” I muttered, and without wasting a single second, I bolted out of the throne room as fast as my legs could take me, slamming the heavy metal doors behind me. Leaning against them, I sucked in deep breaths to calm myself down.
“What happened in there?” Lily quickly made her way over to me, placing a hand on my forehead with a look of concern. “Did the Alpha scold you so hard that you forgot to breathe?”
“No, nothing like that! It’s…” I hesitated, searching for an excuse. “Just… you wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, come on.” She folded her arms. “You look like a tomato that tried to go for a jog but tripped over its own vines. Something definitely happened!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the ridiculous comparison. “Lily, don’t be ridiculous!” I quickly changed the subject before she could dig any deeper. “Actually, the Alpha… said I’ll be cooking his meals from now on.”
Her eyes widened in genuine shock before she broke into a grin. “Wait, are you serious? Serena, that’s huge! Do you know how many people have tried to win that position?”
“I don’t know… how many?” I asked curiously.
“A lot,” Lily said, but then she looked around nervously, lowering her tone. “But, seriously… don’t let any of the other maids hear about this. Cassie’s one thing, but if they catch wind of it, they’ll be at your throat faster than you can say ‘breakfast.’”
I shuddered at the thought, remembering the looks of malice the other maids gave me when Cassie informed me about the Alpha’s summons. “Trust me, I’m keeping my mouth shut.”
“Good. Let’s head back to the kitchen and have some breakfast of our own,” Lily said, and with that, we started down the hallway toward the kitchen.
As we walked, I couldn’t help but replay those intense moments with Kaidon in my mind. The possessive way he’d claimed me, the heat in his voice, the feeling of his hand on my waist… it had awakened something in me that I’d pushed aside.
The desire to have sex
And not just any kind—something that would leave my entire body shaking from raw, passionate ecsta—
“Focus, Serena,” I chide myself, shaking the desire off. I was so close now. Who knew that I’d make this much progress on my first day? This new role provided me with the opportunity I was craving. The closer I got to him, the more he trusted me. And the more he trusted me, the higher the likelihood that he would accept my request to obliterate Draven.
A devious smirk stretched across my lips as I reminded myself that it was just a matter of time.
\---
Later that night, I was dragging the heaviest load of trash I’d ever carried through the back corridor of the palace. The pile of bags and broken boxes weighed me down so much that the whole ordeal felt like a personal battle. My arms screamed in protest as I trudged toward the dumpster, silently cursing every single item in this ridiculous pile.
Finally, I made it to the dumpster, panting, muscles burning, and with one last heave, I tossed the load over the side. “Ugh, take that, you disgusting, vile… whatever you are!” I muttered at the bags, rubbing my sore arms.
I paused, letting out a long, exaggerated sigh, and looked up at the night sky. “Thanks a lot, Moon Goddess,” I grumbled, wiping sweat off my brow. “If you’d just blessed me with a wolf, maybe dragging trash wouldn’t feel like I’m trying to lug around a whole bear. Real thoughtful of you.”
I rolled my eyes. Just as I was stretching out my tired muscles, dusting my hands off with a final flourish, I noticed three maids rounding the corner. They strolled toward me with a little too much purpose, a little too much focus in their eyes. I frowned, instantly feeling my guard go up. The glances they exchanged told me they had something planned, and it wasn’t exactly a welcome party.
As they closed in, I tried to sidestep around them, hoping to avoid any drama, but unfortunately, drama met me. One of them shoved me roughly, making me stumble back and fall hard onto the gravel.
“What the hell is your problem?” I shouted, trying to regain my footing, but before I could, the lead maid seized my arm, yanking me to my feet. Before I had the chance to react, her hand shot out, and her palm connected with my cheek in a vicious slap that reverberated through my skull.
The impact of the blow sent stars dancing before my eyes as I staggered, barely able to keep it together. I blinked, trying hard to shake the dizziness off, but it was safe to say that I was doing a horrible job.
“Why are you guys doing this?” I managed to choke out as I glared at the three of them. “What did I ever do to you?”