Chapter 19
I had been ordered to scrub the dining hall floors. According to Eva and Annette, mopping wasn’t enough. They had to shine, and only scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees would do it.
With no warning, Eva stomped through the door and kicked the bucket of soapy water over. I stared up at her. She hadn’t done something so petty in a while.
“You missed a spot,” she smirked. “Start over.”
>>
I wanted to growl, but I didn’t dare. Not when I was on my knees and she was in a bad enough mood to kick me. I couldn’t risk harm to the pup in my belly.
I scrubbed, and scrubbed, while Eva stood over me with her arms crossed. The few times I dared to glance up I saw her face was drawn into a furious scowl. I didn’t understand why she was so angry. What had I done?
Eva continued to plague me the entire time I cleaned. She pointed out every minor flaw in my work and made me redo tasks until I trembled
with exhaustion.
Finally, I’d had more than I could take. I stood up
and faced her
Verything
you
asked me to! And you haven’t even done the one thing you said you’d
“I don’t know what you’re so mad about,” I said, “I did
do for me.”
1 lk by 1 11 7 i ff M
Eva
“What, give you a photo of your poor in fille
à asked, her tone
mocking.
“Yes.” I said, “You promised! You’re a Luna now, your
are supposed to mean something.”
Eva snorted, and pulled out her phone. My heart skipped a beat. Was she really going to give me the picture?
She turned on the phone and held it out in front of me. I reached, but she snatched it away.
“You really thought I was going to give you anything?” Eva sneered. “You’re pathetic.”
“But we had a deal!” I protested.
I don’t know why I was surprised. When had Eva ever kept her word? Ever since we were children she did whatever she wanted and got away
with it.
Eva shoved me back down. “Pathetic. Get your
work done or else.”
mom?”
“Or else what?” I demanded. “You’ll still not let me see even ap photo of my r
Eva aimed a kick at my side. I curled around to avoid it. I couldn’t risk the baby. The kick landed on my hip instead.
“Behave,” Eva said, “Don’t think that whelp will give you any privileges.”
I shuddered and stayed down. Eva flounced away, smug about winning yet another confrontation. I could never win against her what I said or did.
no matter
I channeled my rage into my work. I cleaned the floor until it sparkled. I dusted every surface and scrubbed every table and chair. The banquet hall gleamed when I was through.
As I set the last chair back in place, I realized something. Although I didn’t have a copy of the picture of my mother, I had gotten a good look at it. I’d seen her laying in a hospital bed, pale and thin. More than that, though, I had seen her surroundings. The room around her was distinctive. I would recognize it if I saw it again.
I wanted to drop everything and find a computer. I needed to find a hospital room that matched the one in the image before I forgot the details. My memory was good but I’d seen the picture for less than five seconds. I had to hurry.
But Eva was enraged and looking for an excuse to punish me. If she caught me slacking off, the moon only knew what she would do to me. I couldn’t risk a real beating.
I couldn’t get near a computer until after dark anyway. The only ones in the manor belonged to Alpha Arthur, Luna Annette, Eva, and the archives. I couldn’t get anywhere near the first three, but the archivists wouldn’t tell anyone if they caught me so long as I was subtle and only used them at night.
I just had to wait. Working was a good enough distraction. Even if I was exhausted already.
I had to hide a few times to rest. I knew several places where no one would look for me, least of all Eva. I couldn’t stay in any of them long or risk one of the higher ranked pack members finding me, though.
1/2
Chapter 10
+25 Bonus
I mopped all the corridors except for the one outside Leo’s rooms. I remembered his threats and the coldness in his eyes. I didn’t know what I’d done as myself to make him hate me so much. I wasn’t risking his anger again.
When I finally finished everything, I slumped against a wall in what I thought was an out of the way area. My plan was to rest just for a moment and then sneak into the manor library. It should be empty at that time of day.
I thought I was alone. But I was wrong. Someone had been watching me the entire time I was mopping.
I didn’t realize that until he approached me. I jumped to my feet and the world tilted around me.
“Are you all right?” Leo asked.
“Y–yes,” I stammered. “I was just finished. I’m not slacking off,” I insisted.
“I know. I watched you,” he said. “You’ve been acting strangely. I saw you stumble several times. Are you sick?”
I shook my head mutely.
He was watching me? Why was he watching me? What did he want with me?
I thought he didn’t want me anywhere near him. What had I done to draw his attention? What could I do to get away? I needed to get to the library.
“You don’t look well,” Leo said.
No, there couldn’t be. He thought I was a scheming maid out to do something
Was it my imagination, or was there concern in his voice? N
nefarious.
“I’m all right,” I insisted. “It’s just been a long day, that’s all.”
The
“Are you sure?” Leo’s voice was kind even though his face still held disdain.
I nodded. For the first time since I met him, I wished Leo would go away. I needed to get to the library. And something in his eyes
uncomfortable.
made me
I wasn’t used to anyone but Eva paying attention to me as a maid. And Eva’s attentions were always painful. It was a small wonder that I flinched from Leo’s presence.
I straightened up, trying to come up with a polite way to make my exit. Suddenly there was a strange sensation in my belly. It kind of felt like
life. popcorn popping, several sudden, tiny jolts deep inside my abdomen. I had never felt anything like it in my
I wrapped my arms around my belly, stunned. Was the pup moving? I couldn’t imagine what el
eit
Leo reached out and wrapped an arm over my shoulders.
t might be. But
wasn’t it too soon?
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
I would have been grateful for the support, except the tiny popcorn pops became stronger and faster the moment he touched me. It wasn’t a tiny flutter anymore. The baby was definitely kicking. How was that even possible?
Leo said something. His voice was full of concern but I couldn’t make out the words.
I curled over my belly and dragged myself out of his grip, even though all I wanted in the world at that moment was to be held.
What was happening to me?
P
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