Claimed By The Rival Alpha

Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Selena

The moment the headmaid disappeared through the doorway, silence lingered in the abandoned storeroom like smoke after a fire as every conversation died instantly.

Nobody dared to move and nobody even breathed loudly. I stood where I was, my heart pounding so violently that I could hear it echoing in my ears.

The lantern hanging from the ceiling creaked softly as if it, too, had frozen with us. Then someone cursed under his breath, another servant stumbled backward, and the entire room erupted into chaos.

"Hide the papers!"

"We’re done for!"

"I knew this would happen!"

Excuses collided with one another until I could barely separate one voice from the next. I wanted to tell everyone to stay calm, but the words never made it past my lips.

The headmaid stepped inside and snapped. "Enough!"

Her voice wasn’t loud, yet it sliced through the panic with frightening ease and every murmur vanished. "What is going on here?"

The moment she asked the question, every eye in the room turned to my direction.

Her gaze moved slowly across the room, following their gazes before settling on me.

The disappointment on her face hardened into something colder. "You again? I’ve warned you about your charades before!"

"This is just a welfare group to help one another in the castle." I tried to divert the narrative.

"So you think I would believe that? Anyways, I’ve marked everyone’s face in this room and I promise you, I’m withholding four weeks of your payments for improper gatherings." She threatened and stormed out of the storeroom.

Then everything exploded as chaos broke. "What are we going to do now?"

"My wages!"

"Four weeks? She can’t do that!"

"We’re finished."

Voices overlapped until they became impossible to separate. Some servants blamed themselves for attending. Others blamed whoever had first suggested gathering. A few openly blamed me.

I didn’t interrupt them immediately. I let them speak because they deserved that much. After all, they had taken a risk because they believed me.

Eventually I stepped onto one of the old wooden crates. "Everyone." I said but nobody listened as they continued with the arguments.

"SILENCE!" My voice cracked across the room harder than I intended.

Every face turned toward me and I swallowed hard before speaking again. "I know you’re angry." No one answered as I continued. "I know you’re scared."

A woman folded her arms before saying. "You should be."

Several people exchanged uncertain looks. "The headmaid knows who we are now. She knows our faces. She has punished every single one of us."

Someone muttered bitterly. "And because of who?"

I heard it but I pretended I didn’t. I looked around slowly then proceeded. "If you want someone to blame..." I drew in a deep breath. "...then blame me. I gathered you here."

I continued steadily. "I invited every one of you. I spoke, I convinced you and If anyone deserves punishment, it’s me."

Silence settled again.

"But..." I straightened my shoulders. "I will find a way to fix this."

A servant frowned. "How?"

"I don’t know yet." I said truthfully and more murmurs spread.

"I won’t lie to you." I shook my head. "I don’t have an answer today but I will think. I will find one and until then..."

I looked at every single face. "Do not abandon what brought you here."

Their expressions softened slightly. "You didn’t come because of me. You came because every one of you carries a wound."

I pointed gently toward the parchment each person still held. "You came because of those stories. You came because you lost someone. You came because you were tired."

I nodded slowly. "And that reason hasn’t changed."

The room remained quiet. "So continue with this week’s mission."

Several people looked confused as I reminded them. "Bring two trustworthy people. There should be no careless choices, no loud mouths and no people who enjoy gossip. Only people you would trust with your own life."

Someone finally nodded then others followed as hope slowly returned to their faces.

"We meet again after everyone completes their task."

Sally folded her arms and added. "You heard her." Her firm voice carried authority. "If you’re afraid, nobody’s forcing you but don’t betray the rest of us."

That warning landed heavily as nobody objected. Gradually they slipped out of the storeroom in twos and threes until only Sally and I remained.

Neither of us spoke immediately as we simply walked out of the storeroom. The corridors were dark and unusually quiet.

After several minutes Sally finally broke the silence. "So."

I glanced sideways. "So?" freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"How exactly are you planning to convince the headmaid to remove our punishment?"

I sighed before speaking. "I’ll think of something."

She stopped walking as she turned around and stared at me. "’I’ll’?" She asked with creased brows.

"What?" I asked not to get what she meant. "’I said I’ll think of something.’"

She shook her head. "No."

I frowned. "No?"

"It should be We! We’ll think of something." She continued walking before I answered. "We started this together, I argued with you, I doubted you, I questioned you."

She looked straight ahead. "But I joined. So if this falls apart..." She shrugged. "...it falls apart on all of us."

Something warm settled inside my chest. For the first time in days, I smiled genuinely. "You’ve changed."

She snorted. "Don’t get used to it."

I laughed softly.

After another stretch of silence she spoke again. "About before...I owe you an apology."

That surprised me as I’ve come to notice she wasn’t someone who apologized easily.

"I kept pushing into your personal business." She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "I thought if we were working together, I deserved to know everything."

She sighed. "Whether you have something with the Alpha..." She paused. "...or whether you don’t... It isn’t my concern unless you decide to make it our concern."

I studied her face and noticed she meant every word.

"I was harsh." She gave a humorless smile. "And I’m sorry."

I smiled. "I forgive you."

She looked relieved though she’d never admit it. "I just need to know one thing."

"What?"

"When everything becomes difficult..." She looked directly at me. "...whose side are you on?"

I answered without hesitation. "I’ll always be beside everyone. The servants, the people everyone ignores and my place is beside you."

For the first time, Sally smiled without sarcasm. It suited her.

Together we reached our chamber as the door creaked open and Marqee stepped inside at almost the same moment.

She avoided looking at either of us. Without saying goodnight... Without asking where we’d been... Without even changing her expression... She climbed into bed, pulled the blanket over herself and turned toward the wall.

I stared at her for several seconds. Sally noticed too but neither of us spoke about it because there was nothing to say.

The room suddenly felt much colder than before. I climbed into my own bed as questions filled my mind.

Was she angry? Scared? Did she regret joining us? Or... Did she regret becoming my friend?

Sleep eventually claimed me before I found an answer.

Morning arrived with the familiar clatter of pots, shouting cooks and the smell of freshly baked bread.

I threw myself into work immediately as the kitchen storeroom needed reorganizing.

Large sacks of flour were stacked against one wall. Bundles of dried herbs hung from the rafters. Crates of vegetables waited to be sorted before breakfast preparations began.

Keeping busy helped distract me. At least until I noticed someone. She’s Sera, the headmaid’s assistant.

She quietly carried a basket of linens through the kitchen. Like always, she moved almost unnoticed and that puzzled me.

Everyone knew she was the assistant yet, the headmaid still insisted on doing almost everything herself.

People often whispered that Sera had the easiest position in the castle.

I watched her leave through the back corridor as an idea slowly formed in my head.

If I couldn’t convince the headmaid to lift the punishment off my group members directly... Perhaps I could reach her through another way.

Father once said something during one of his lessons. "If you want someone to abandon what they believe is right, don’t attack their belief."

"Instead,show them another perspective that feels even more right."

At the time I’d barely listened or knew what he meant by that. But now...Those words returned with perfect clarity.

Maybe... Just maybe... The headmaid herself wasn’t beyond reaching.

Earlier that morning I’d already quietly informed two guards stationed near the old storeroom about another small task that needed to be done later.

One more piece in the growing puzzle. Now all I needed was an opening.

When she left the kitchen carrying another basket, I followed.

She turned into a quieter corridor near the laundry rooms. "Sera?" I called out and she stopped and turned around.

"Oh." Her smile was gentle. "Selena."

"I hope I’m not interrupting." I asked with a small smile.

"Not at all." She assured me and I walked closer to her.

"I just wanted to ask how you’ve been." I uttered.

She looked mildly surprised. "I’m well."

"And work?" I asked again.

She laughed softly. "Busy, as always."

"I’ve always wondered what it’s like working beside the headmaid." I started by making small conversations.

She smiled politely before saying. "It’s demanding."

"I imagine so." I hesitated just enough to appear genuine. "She can be... intimidating."

A tiny laugh escaped Sera. "Only when necessary."

"I don’t know." I scratched my neck. "She always seems angry. Especially lately."

Something flickered in Sera’s eyes only for a second. "People tend to misunderstand her. She carries many burdens."

I nodded thoughtfully. "I heard a rumour..."

"What rumor?" Sera asked.

"I heard that her daughter was kidnapped."

Sera immediately shook her head. "No, she wasn’t kidnapped."

I frowned as I feigned surprise. "No?"

Her smile disappeared. "She was sold." The words were painfully quiet. "To the vampires."

I widened my eyes, allowing genuine horror to show. "I... I didn’t know." I said even though I already knew this before now.

Sera nodded once. "Most people don’t."

For a long moment neither of us spoke. Finally I said quietly, "I hate what they’ve done to our people."

She looked at me without saying anything .

"I wish..." I continued again while choosing my words carefully. "...I wish more werewolves believed we didn’t have to accept it forever."

Sera didn’t answer but something changed in her expression and I knew I had struck a chord.

I smiled politely. "I should get back to work."

She nodded slowly. "It was nice talking to you."

"You too." As I returned toward the kitchen, I couldn’t help feeling hopeful.

I’d planted the first seed. Whether it grew... Only time would tell.

I had barely stepped back inside the kitchen when a castle guard appeared beside the doorway.

He looked around before lowering his voice. "Selena, the Alpha has summoned you."