Chapter 8 The Alpha's Harem
Rue felt slightly better after the cold shower she had. Under Yolanda's sharp instructions, she changed into a pretty white dress and matching slippers.
"Come with me." Yolanda said, taking her hand and pulling her out of her bedroom. "You need to get settled in. This is your new home now, so any thought you have of escaping, let it go. For your own good."
Rue followed without a word, but she made a silent vow. Thane would never put his hands on her. She would fight him if she had to.
She knew she was no match for him. A wolfless shifter against a powerful lycan king? It was a death sentence. But she would rather take her own life that let him use her to quench his sexual desires.
As she followed behind Yolanda, she suddenly had the feeling of being watched. She looked up at the castle and there he was. Alpha Thane.
For some strange reason, his intense stare both unnerved and excited her at the same time. Those ruby eyes awakened something wild within her.
Goosebumps suddenly rose from her skin and she looked away, wondering what her problem was. A moment ago, she swore he wouldn't touch her, yet here she was, drawn to him with a single glance.
She quickened her steps, feeling his gaze on her until she turned the corner.
"What a perv." She whispered to herself.
Yolanda turned and narrowed her eyes at her. "What did you say?" She asked.
Rue quickly shook her head. "Nothing."
They arrived at the harem and Rue was mind blown. She had envisioned a small wooden hut, old and unkempt.
What she didn't expect to see was the magnificent white building before her. It had two storeys, and she caught a glimpse of several girls through the window.
Her heart thudded hard as Yolanda opened the door and stepped in. The interior smelled of flowers and shampoo.
Plush sofas were arranged in a semicircle around the sitting area, and several stairs led to the bedrooms at the top floor.
"This is the Alpha's harem, where his consorts are kept." Yolanda said beside her. "No one has access to it, except Alpha Thane, and me of course. This is where you will stay. The rest of your life will be dedicated to pleasing your new Alpha, until he discards you. Do you understand, Rue?"
Rue had never felt so insulted. So this was her new life? Pleasing Thane sexually and otherwise until he grew tired and discarded her? Over her dead body!
"I understand." She murmured with a straight face.
"Like I said," Yolanda continued. "If you're good, you might just replace Katherine. I advise you not to try escaping. You will be caught, and Alpha Thane will end you. Are we clear on that?"
Rue opened her mouth to answer, but she couldn't stop the question that bubbled up her throat.
"Has anyone else tried to escape recently?"
Yolanda narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Several. And they all ended up with the same fate. Dead!"
She wagged her finger at Rue's face. "I smell trouble with you. Whatever it is you're planning to do, don't do it! I warned you."
Then she pressed a button on the wall, and a soft ding echoed through the house. Seconds later, a red haired girl wearing the same white dress hurried down the stairs.
"Madame Yolanda, you called." She said with a bow.
"Yes, Aurora. Please show Rue to her room. And explain to her how things are done here. She's the newest maiden."
"Of course, madame." Aurora nodded.
With a last warning glance at Rue, Yolanda turned and walked out of the building.
Rue watched her go, then she turned around to find Aurora staring intently at her.
"You're very pretty." She said suddenly. "I'm Aurora."
Rue gulped before answering. "Thanks. I'm Rue."
Aurora tilted her head. "That's an odd name. Come on, I'll show you to your room."
Rue followed her up the stairs, discreetly glancing around. She noticed that none of the other girls had shown their faces since she stepped in.
"Where are the others?" She asked.
"Locked in their rooms." Aurora explained. "We follow the Alpha's rules to avoid getting punished. At noon, every maiden takes a rest and prepares herself in case Alpha Thane sends for her."
"So you just sit around waiting to be called on?" Rue couldn't keep the disbelief out of her voice.
Aurora noticed and chuckled. "It's been like that for a few years, and we are all used to it. Some of us had hard lives until we were sold to Alpha Thane, like me. Being here is much better than living out there."
She stopped in front of a room and turned the lock. "This room was prepared for you last night. Orders from Alpha Thane."
Rue stepped into the room and gasped. She hated to admit it, but it was beautiful, two times larger than her bedroom back at Bloodhound pack.
The curtains were a cherry shade of red, along with the bedsheets and blankets. A separate door led to her personal bathroom.
"That's the closet, and everything you need will be brought in for you." Aurora pointed to another door across the room. "We might just be concubines, but the Alpha takes good care of us."
"I see why some of you would want to stay here." Rue commended drily.
"You don't have to like it." Aurora retorted. "But don't judge us for liking it. You have no idea the kind of life I lived before I was sold to Alpha Thane. I would choose this lifestyle over again."
Rue realized her words made Aurora upset. She sighed and gestured helplessly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I just can't settle for a life like this. I had a better life."
Aurora arched her brows. "As an omega? Aren't omegas the least of the shifter ranks? And I heard you're wolfless. How can you prefer your previous life?"
Rue remembered that these people didn't know she was an Alpha princess in her pack. All they knew were the lies Helsing spread about her.
"At least I had freedom." She murmured.
Aurora seemed to understand and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll grow to love it here."
Rue lowered to the bed and looked around, already mapping out the easiest way to slip out without getting seen. The window seemed perfect.
"How old are you?" Aurora asked suddenly.
Rue looked up and frowned. "Twenty-five."
"Wow. Not only are you the most beautiful, you're the youngest."
Rue's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"
"I was the last maiden before Katherine was brought. Katherine is the..."
"I know who she is." Rue cut in. "Yolanda told me."
"Oh. Then you know she is the Alpha's favourite. She was brought after me, and she's twenty-eight. I'm thirty. You're prettier and younger than her. I'm sure she..."
The door burst open suddenly, startling both of them.
Katherine stood at the entrance, her emerald eyes pinned on Rue.
"Get out, Aurora. I want to have a talk with Rue."