Serena's POV
“What in the goddess's name happened to you, Serena?” Cassie froze mid-stride, a plate in her hand, her wide eyes locked on the nasty swelling on the side of my face as Lily and I entered the kitchen.
All the maids stood transfixed, watching me with curious expressions. I couldn’t blame them, to be honest. The swelling and marks were impossible to miss. Safe to say, Lily did her job—way too well.
Lily stood beside me, her expression a perfect portrait of guilt. Her lips parted, but no sound came out as her hands fidgeted nervously.
I straightened my posture, ignoring the throbbing pain in my cheek. “I tripped,” I said flatly, already dreading the questions that would follow.
Cassie’s jaw dropped. “You tripped?” she echoed in disbelief, taking a step closer to inspect the swollen, reddened side of my face. “You expect me to believe you tripped into someone’s fist?”
*I’m so sorry,* Lily’s voice broke through my mind, her mindlink filled with regret. *I didn’t mean to hit you that hard. I swear it just… slipped out.*
I shot her a sideways glare, keeping my face as neutral as possible for Cassie’s benefit. *Oh, really? Because that slap felt like you were trying to knock me into next week.*
*You told me to use my wolf, *Lily retorted. *You literally said, ‘Don’t be a pussy.’*
*Yeah, use your wolf, not turn feral and aim for the moon!* I fired back.
Her eyebrows knitted together in frustration, and her cheeks tinged with a hint of crimson. *You said, ‘Hit me like you mean it,’ so I did!*
*I didn’t mean to break my face, Lily! Honestly, are you secretly working for Liana?*
Before Lily could respond with what was probably another feeble excuse, Cassie’s voice cut through the mindlink chatter like a whip.
“Serena!” she snapped, waving a hand in front of my face. “Are you even listening to me? What happened?”
I blinked, realizing I’d zoned out completely. “Uh…” I stalled, my brain scrambling for an excuse.
Cassie crossed her arms, her no-nonsense glare fixed on me. “Spill it. Now. This isn’t something you can brush off.”
I hesitated, glancing at Lily, who avoided eye contact like her life depended on it. It wasn’t like I could just blurt out the truth—Oh, nothing much, just asked Lily to slap me for science, and she went beserk. That wouldn’t go over well.
“I…” I started, my voice faltering under Cassie’s penetrating stare. My mind raced. Think, Serena, think.
Cassie raised a brow, clearly running out of patience. “I’m waiting.”
Lily shifted uncomfortably beside me, her guilt practically radiating off her. If she didn’t stop fidgeting, she was going to give us both away.
“I wasn’t paying attention,” I blurted, the first thing that came to mind. “Ran into the corner of a cabinet door. Stupid mistake.”
Cassie didn’t look convinced. “The corner of a cabinet door did that?” She gestured toward my swollen cheek, her skepticism palpable.
“It was a really sharp corner,” I said quickly, forcing a sheepish grin. “Guess I’m just lucky I didn’t break something.”
Cassie narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it but deciding, for whatever reason, not to push further. “Fine,” she said, throwing her hands up. “But if you’re lying to me, I’ll be giving you extra duties for the whole week!”
I swallowed hard, nodding. “Got it. No drama.”
Cassie gave me one last hard look before turning and barking orders at the other staff. As she walked away, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
*Nice save,* Lily mindlinked, sighing in relief *For the record, I really didn’t mean to—*
*Oh, shut up,* I cut her off, pinching the bridge of my nose. *Next time I ask for help, remind me to avoid involving you.*
Her mental laugh was soft *Next time, try not to be so dramatic.*
I scoffed, wondering how on earth did the quiet, soft-spoken Lily that I knew suddenly developed a sharp tongue. I guess she's now comfortable with me, hence the change. It was a good thing regardless, I had already started seeing her as a friend.
I turned, walking deeper into the kitchen to prepare the Alpha’s meal when the door to the kitchen swung open.
Liana strolled in, clutching a stack of papers against her hip. She barely spared anyone a glance until her eyes landed on mine. Her brows furrowed at the sight of my swollen cheek, and I could almost hear her confused thoughts, questioning whether she had even hit me that hard.
I glared back at her, tightening my fists as I fought to control my temper. Lily helped by placing a hand on my shoulder and giving it a tight squeeze.
“Liana! Over here! I need your help with these inventory lists,” Cassie called.
Liana hesitated. Whatever comment she had brewing was swallowed up as she sighed dramatically and turned on her heel to join Cassie.
I exhaled through my nose, trying to will away the bubbling anger in my chest. It didn’t help. This isn’t over, I thought bitterly as I walked toward the counter, my hands gripping its edge so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
Lily’s voice filtered into my mind through our link. Serena, don’t you think you should reconsider?
Oh, I’m doing it, I snapped back, my frustration pouring through the link. It’s time for payback.
Lily groaned, the sound echoing faintly in my head. You’ll get a week of extra duties. Do you really want that on top of everything else?
To put this bitch in her place? I shot back, already moving toward t
he counter where the ingredients were neatly laid out. Absolutely worth it.