New family, here I come. Mom took my hand and we both went to where David was standing.
"Are you guys done?"
He observed both our faces.
"Are you fine now, Katherina?"
I nodded.
"Don't worry, they don't bite."
He smiled kindly, and I returned it with a small, uncertain one of mine. He nodded and opened his arm and my mother put hers through the space and they were linked. The house was very big, it made begin to wonder just how rich this David guy was. One of the men standing outside the big door that led to the house, opened it and we stepped into it.
"Welcome, Alpha."
Alpha? Who was the Alpha? Then they bowed and I realized who they were bowing for. David was an Alpha? Oh my goodness! My stepfather is an Alpha. Someone wake me up from this dream. This was too surreal. Was the universe trying to play a fast one on me? An Alpha? I tugged my mother's cloth and my brow in questioning. She understood my question, she smiled and nodded a yes. My mouth went agape and my eyes went wild with surprise. I was going to be living with an Alpha.
"Melissa."
Alpha David called one of the young girls lined up, probably waiting to be called upon. They looked like they worked here as maids.
"Yes, Alpha"
She kept her face bowed.
"Raise your head."
She did obediently.
"You're going to be her personal maid henceforth. She's now part of the family."
"Yes Alpha."
A personal maid? What did I need one for? I could take care of myself, well except for making my own meals. The maid walked to me with a straight face. I stared at her uncertainly. Was she not happy to be assigned to me?
"But do I really need a maid, Alpha?"
"It's David to you until you're comfortable enough to call me dad."
He reminded.
"I'm sorry, David. Do I really need a maid?"
My voice was quite low and I was avoiding the faces of the other people in the room.
"Yes, you do. As an Alpha's daughter, you do."
I looked to my mother, but she was just beaming brilliantly at everything and everyone. I remembered my promise to not complain or cause problems for her.
"Thank you, David."
He merely nodded. "Melissa, show her to her room. Make sure she's comfortable until she'll be needed."
"I wonder where those boys are."
I heard him tell my mom before the maid led me away from the reception area to an hallway. Any maid who came across me bowed in respect. It kind of made me uncomfortable. I was not used to this kind of life and luxury. I bowed back at the two maids who had passed me and they gave me a strange look when I bowed back to them. The house was really big, I could not keep count the number of rooms we had passed.
"Are we going to be there yet?"
"Soon, ma'am."
Ma'am? I was no ma'am.
"Could you please stick to calling me my by name?"
"And what is your name?"
"Katherina."
"Okay, Katherina."
I followed her round a corner and we proceeded onto a long flight of stairs, by the time we reached last flight, my body reminded me of the stress I'd put them through before during the trek out of my previous pack and the stress they were undergoing now. Why did the house have to be so big? And why did my room have to be so almost out of reach?
"We're here, Katherina."
Melissa announced curtly. She opened the door to the room that was allocated to me. I stepped in and my eyes grew saucer-wide at what I saw. This was my room? It was as big as the whole of our old house back in Moon Rock.
"This is my room?"
"Yes."
Her response was bland.
"Is anything the matter, Melissa?"
"Who do you think might be the matter, Your Highness?"
Her tone was mocking.
"What did I do to you? I mean, we just met few minutes ago."
"I never said you did anything to me."
"Uhmm, it's fine if you don't want to be my personal maid. You can go, you're free."
"And what do I tell the Alpha then? That I disobeyed him and stop being your personal maid?"
"I don't know. You clearly did not like being assigned to me. I don't want you stuck caring for someone you don't want to."
"Anything else you want?"
"Nothing."
She ignored me and proceeded to go into my bathroom.
"What are you doing, Melissa?"
I calmly asked her.
"Drawing you a bath."
"You don't have to. I can draw myself a bath."
I felt quite small and insignificant talking to her. I had no idea how things like this go. She seemed to not like me or being assigned to me which I think are the same. I never want to make anyone do what they have no pleasure doing. I would not want her to keep being my maid if she did not like it. Moreover, I did not see the need for one but if my stepfather had made it a necessity for me, then I had no choice but certainly not the one who hated me from onset.
"Hm."
Was the only sound that came from her and she went to draw the bath.
I sighed. I pulled my clothes and wrapped myself in a towel that was neatly folded on the bed. My bags were nowhere in sight but there was a closet and maybe it was there. My jaw dropped at the sight of clothes. More than I could count. Of different colors, fabrics, styles and designs. My closet looked like that of a runway fashion model.
"The bath is ready."
She informed me.
"Thank you."
There was no response from her.
The bathroom was another beauty to behold. I stepped into the lustrous gold bathtub. This was heaven. I pulled off my bracelet and took my time to have my bath even though I had one before I came here.
There was another towel in the bathroom and I wrapped it around my wet hair. I wore my bracelet back. With my towel safely wrapped around me, I made my way to my room.
The sight that greeted me as I stepped my feet into my room made me yelp in shock.