Chapter 18 You didn't do it alone
Lyra's POV.
Mom stared at me as I spoke the words and she took a deep breath after.
“That's the problem with you, Lyra,” she scolded. “Don't see all those things as punishments, see it as an opportunity’’
“This is your life at stake here” she said. I knew she still had more to say but I didn't let her finish before I cut her off.
“Please!” I snapped at her, my voice getting raised. “Don't talk like you care about me!”
“What life is at stake?” I asked, enraged. “Nothing in this entire world is wrong with me!”
“You and grandmother are just making a fuss over nothing” I cried. “Why do I have to hide scents? Why do I have to take this darn pouch everywhere?”
“Why do you have to come to the estate?” I continued and my emotions were taking over me.
“Why do you want me to get elevated so badly?”
“So they won't say you have a daughter who works at the estate as a maid when you are the Luna?”
“Please!” I cried and swallowed hard. “Stop trying to ruin my life so badly anymore!”
“I'm fine being a maid, I'm fine working my ass off even if it feels unfair” I paused. “I'm not going to act as Seraphina or anybody's loyal dog just to get them to like me or elevate my status”
“It's never happening!” I added.
“And this dress, I don't need it” I spat. “Why act luxurious if there's no luxury anywhere?”
I turned to leave but she grabbed my arm and turned me towards her. She landed a slap on my face before I could process things.
I lifted my face back up but there was no hint of disbelief on my face. I expected that much after everything I've just said.
She didn't stop there as she landed another slap on my other cheeks. When I brought my face back up again, she slapped me again.
I was starting to blink my eyes, starting to part my lips in disbelief. That was the third time but my mother wasn't done, she landed another slap on my face again then massaged her wrists.
“That should wake you up,” she muttered.
“You'll pick this bag, Lyra!” She said authoritatively. “And tonight, you'll wear it to the dinner the alpha asked you to attend”
She walked out of the laundry room and left me all alone in there.
I crouched down to the floor and all I did was cry.
I held my chest and squeezed my dress then cried my eyes out while trying so hard not to get loud.
When I was finally able to get myself together, I picked the bag up and headed back to where I had been reconstructing the lines.
After a few minutes of trying to do the lines, I only got three of them done and there were a lot.
“I'll help you” a voice said behind me.
I recognized the voice and wouldn't bother to turn if it was no one, but it was lord Elias.
I got off from the stool where I was standing and bowed slightly to him.
“Please be on your way. I'll get this done alone”
“Look at me” he commanded and I did as he said.
“Are you sure you can even see the lines well with your heavy and teary eyes?” He asked.
I touched my face, wondering if it was obvious that I had cried.
I had made sure to clean my tears and look okay before I came out of the laundry room.
He moved towards the lines before I could stop him and he held it over to the next line.
“Here, hold this,” he said.
I couldn't decline his help as I knew it would take eternity to get all these done.
I was nervous as I kept looking everywhere to see whether maids stood and watched or if they passed by but I didn't see any.
It was awkward and it worried me a lot that someone would see him doing this but I knew I needed his help. And since he offered it, I couldn't decline.
We did it together and in a few minutes time, he was able to get them back to their places.
“Thank you. I really appreciate your help, lord Elias” I said and bowed slightly.
“Call me Elias” he said and that made me lift my gaze immediately.
My eyes blinked. “What?”
“And stop bowing to me when we are alone together. I'm human just like you, ranks aren't supposed to matter that much” he said.
My breath hitched and at that moment, he felt like a god to me. Finally someone who understood how this world should work.
Why differentiate an Omega from the rest of the wolves? Why cast most of them aside because they are wolfless?
“I need to go now,” he said. “Take care”
He walked for a bit before he stopped to face me again.
“Ah” he exclaimed. “I will be looking forward to see that dress from your mother on you”
“It looks like she badly wants to see you wear it” he paused. “And you should apply some ice on your face, it looks so red”
He left while I processed everything he had just said. As I watched his back, I realized he had heard the discussion between my mother and I again. Worse, he heard her slapping me over and over again.
I went back to Gina. “I'm done with the task”
She looked at me with a suspicious gaze. “That's impossible”
She didn't believe me even when I told her over and over again, so she had someone go take a look.
The person came back with the confirmation that I was really done with it.
She moved closer to me and lifted my chin with her hands. Our eyes locked and I tried so hard not to be nervous.
“You didn't do it alone,” she said.
It didn't sound like a question, it sounded more like she was so damn sure about it.