Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 11

Betrayed by Blood~

"You have a sprained ankle, but you’ll heal soon. I can’t say to avoid heavy weight on that foot, but do try to take care," The pack doctor warned as he applied the last plaster on my face.

I nodded, looking down at my bandage-wrapped foot. I sighed internally as I thought of what I did to make those girls lash out on me. I’ve tried to keep my distance, I made sure not to cross paths with them. I made sure not to disrupt or even talk while they were there, and still... I swallowed hard, my lips already bitten raw from how hard I was thinking.

"There you go. You’re good to go now," the doctor said, helping me to my feet, wincing slightly at the pain. The doctor’s smile faltered slightly, almost like he was pitiful.

"Thank you," I muttered and dragged myself out of the room. A sigh escaped my lips, the cold air hitting my bones the moment I stepped out of the room. It was already very dark, and now I had to go back to the very same room where I was almost killed.

I turned to walk down the hallway, only to freeze, my eyes widening when I realized the person standing in front of me, his eyes on my feet. Did he stay here since? I wondered.

His gaze flickered back to my eyes, and I was able to see him properly. He wasn’t blurry, nor were there two of him like I had seen earlier. The man stood tall, his broad shoulders straining against the shirt he had on, his dark hair cropped short with bangs that spread across his forehead.

I lowered my head. "Tha-"

"Come with me," he said gruffly, cutting me off.

I looked up, blinking twice, but the man was already walking away. I quickly rushed after him, biting my lips harder with each step I took. The pain was excruciating, but I couldn’t complain, so I sucked it up, sweating hard like I had run a marathon. Eventually, we arrived at the maid quarters. The man led me to a room at the far end. He opened the door, and I looked at him, confused. "Sir, what-"

"Xander," I was once again cut off, but this time by the one familiar voice. I froze at the sound of her voice, cold sweat running down my back.

The man, Xander, turned to the sound of the voice. Kendra stood there with her eyebrows cocked up, arms crossed over her chest, with the head maid behind her. Kendra’s gaze flicked to me, and I shrunk back, images of her forcing me to kneel came flashing in my head again, not like they ever left.

"Martha told me," Kendra snarked out. "Why does she get her own room? What makes her special?"

"It’s not special. It’s necessary," he said curtly.

Kendra scoffed, shooting a death glare at me. "Necessary? She’s just another maid. Why waste resources to isolate her when she could be learning her place with the others?"

"She almost died learning her place," Xander interjected sharply.

"I don’t see why that’s our problem," she retorted. Her gaze flicked to me. "Besides, I think she’s perfectly fine. Aren’t you, darling?" She asked, her voice dripping with spite.

I froze, opening my mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"She’s fine because I intervened," Xander snapped. "And unless you want to explain to Cain why his maids are brawling like rogues, I suggest you let this go."

Kendra’s face hardened at Xander’s words, then suddenly she smiled. "Fine, let her have the room." She spat out then looked at me again. "One more mistake, and I’ll have you right back where you began. This time, you’ll be left struggling to breathe."

I watched her walk away, a new fear settling in my bones. Xander stepped in front of me, blocking my vision, and I looked up at him. He motioned for me to go in.

"Thank you," I murmured as I stepped into the room.

"Don’t," his sharp tone made me flinch. "I’m not doing this because I pity you. I can’t stand unnecessary noise or interruptions, and you seem to attract both."

I nodded again. "I’m sorry," I muttered quietly, then bowed. He stared at me for a second before shutting the door.

The room was small—smaller than where I was coming from. It was quiet too. A single flat bed sat against one wall, the mattress thin but clean. The single window was small, letting in only a sliver of moonlight that barely shone in the room. I sighed deeply and dragged myself to the bed, letting my tears fall freely.

~~~~~~~~~

The morning sunlight did little to ease the dull ache in my body. I had woken up at dawn to have my bath, and it was a struggle, fetching water with one leg and finally bathing while trying not to soak the bandage. It was hell.

Now, I’ve done five of my tasks, and it was still morning. I was beyond thirsty, but I didn’t dare ask for water until I was done for the day. I limped through the courtyard, balancing a tray of empty mugs from the guards’ breakfast. The noise and roughness of the pack training yard was unavoidable. The sounds of grunts, groans, and iron clanking against each other filled the air.

I kept my head down, careful to avoid drawing attention to myself, but it was impossible to ignore the man at the center of the field. I could feel the bond pulling me from deep inside, and I tried to suppress it, yet it seemed like even if I was at close proximity to him, the bond would go wild. My breath hitched as I caught sight of him, Cain. His gaze was heavy as he smoothly followed his opponent. The man sparring against him was skilled—more skilled than anyone I’d seen—but Cain didn’t break a sweat. A single, brutal swing sent the man’s weapon falling to the ground, and the man on his knees.

"Again," Cain ordered.

I hurried to slip past, hoping to make it back to the kitchen unnoticed. My sprained ankle throbbed with each step, yet I didn’t stop. I knew if I felt the bond tugging at me, he had to feel the same, right?

"Avery Jae."

I turned slowly, my eyes widening as I met Cain’s. He stood in the center of the field, his sword resting on his shoulder.

"You," he called, motioning me forward. "Come here."

I hesitated, gripping the tray tighter. My gaze flickered to the man behind him, Xander. He too was staring at me intently. I gulped hard, cursing myself internally for giving in to this stupid bond that made me stay for some seconds.

"Now," he snapped.

My legs felt like wood as I forced myself to step closer. The other warriors paused, their attention shifting to me. My cheeks burned under their stares, but Cain’s gaze was the heaviest of all.

"Put that down," he ordered, nodding to the tray in my hands.

I set it carefully on a nearby bench, my hands trembling as I straightened.

Cain’s eyes raked over me, stopping at my bandaged foot for a second before looking at me again, his eyes much colder than before.

"Stand there," he commanded, pointing to the center of the sparring field, right in front of the archery target. My heart dropped the second I realized what was about to happen. Cain handed his sword to one of the warriors and turned to the rack of weapons nearby, selecting a bow and a single arrow.

He glanced at me, and his face hardened seeing I hadn’t moved yet. "Now!" he growled at me, and I flinched, my legs shaking as I obeyed.

"Hold still," he instructed as he nocked the arrow, drawing the bowstring back with ease.

My chest tightened, my heart hammering in my ears.

"Alpha Cain-" One of the warriors tried to protest, but a single look from him silenced them.

My gaze landed on Xander, whose eyes were also on me, his face impassive. If he had any thoughts about what was happening, he didn’t show it.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly as the arrow whistled through the air, slicing past my cheek. I stumbled back, the sharp sting of pain making me cry out as blood trickled down my face.

The warriors broke out in yells at the victory, the arrow landed right on the bullseye.

I fell to my knees, trembling hard, clutching my cheek, tears blurring my vision.

Cain walked towards me. He crouched down, gripping my chin roughly and forcing me to look up at him. "Save your tears because I’m not buying them," he gritted out.

A tear fell to my cheeks again, and for a second, his eyes flickered with something I couldn’t recognize. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by cold indifference.

He released me roughly, his eyes filled with disdain, even more than before. I watched as he walked away while the warriors cheered for him.

I wiped my tears hard, my cheeks stinging. Bitterness clawed in my chest with each second. I cursed the person who led me here. Uncle Hugh. If it weren’t for him, I would never have met this absolute monster. Two more months, in two months, I will get my wolf and finally be rejected. I will be rid of this monster for the rest of my life.