Free Web NovelChapter 36: Chapter 36 The Alpha’s Room
Xue Yao stared at the leather clothes in her hands for a long while, her brows slowly knitting together. The short skirt barely looked long enough to cover her thighs, while the top only seemed capable of covering her chest and nothing more.
For a moment, she seriously wondered whether the Beast Realm had a deep hatred for fabric. Still, under the cold gazes of the two maids, she could only grit her teeth and put the clothes on. The leather was softer than she expected, but the moment she looked down at herself, her lips twitched. ’This is not clothing. It can barely cover anything!’ She let her long black hair fall freely behind her back, the damp strands cascading over her shoulders and waist like silk.
The brown-haired maid’s gaze fell on Xue Yao’s slender waist, and the jealousy that had been quietly sitting in her chest suddenly bubbled up again. The human’s waist was slim, her skin was white, and even these simple clothes made her look like someone who had stepped out of a painting.
The maid’s fingers tightened slightly before she walked toward a small clay bowl near the wooden shelf. She dipped two fingers into the dark ink inside, then returned to Xue Yao and calmly swiped her fingers across both sides of Xue Yao’s face.
Xue Yao froze. Her eyes slowly widened before she raised a hand to touch her cheek. "What did you just put on my face?" she asked, her tone filled with disbelief.
She immediately rushed to the bronze mirror and almost spat blood when she saw three dark marks on both sides of her face. ’What is this? Cat whiskers? Did they just turn me into a cat before sending me to a wolf?’ Her face darkened as she turned back to the two maids. "Are you two playing with me?"
"It is tradition," the brown-haired maid answered without changing her expression.
Xue Yao narrowed her eyes. "Tradition? What kind of tradition makes someone look like a catfish?"
The black-haired maid folded her arms. "All breeders must be marked with this clay before entering the Alpha’s chamber."
Xue Yao stared at them suspiciously, but the two maids looked too calm, too arrogant, and too confident for her to tell whether they were lying. ’Fine. I will remember this. If I find out this is fake, I’ll use my Chicken Drumstick to collect interest from both of your heads.’ She took a deep breath and forced herself to endure it. "By the way, what are your names? Since you’ve already touched my face without permission, I should at least know who to blame in the future."
The brown-haired maid glanced at her before replying, "Lan Shu."
The black-haired maid answered even colder, "Hei Yue."
Xue Yao silently repeated the names in her heart. ’Good. Lan Shu and Hei Yue. One day, when I become powerful, I’ll write both names on my revenge list. No, not revenge. Compensation list. That sounds more civilized.’
Before she could continue thinking nonsense, Hei Yue stepped behind her and picked up the front strands of her hair. Her fingers moved quickly, braiding the hair at both sides of Xue Yao’s forehead before securing it behind her head, leaving the rest of her hair loose down her back.
The room fell silent after that. Lan Shu looked at Xue Yao once more, and the bitterness in her chest became even harder to suppress. The black marks that were supposed to reduce the human’s beauty did not make her ugly at all. Instead, they made her look appealing, softer, and even more eye-catching.
Hei Yue also noticed this, and her expression became even colder. Neither of them wanted to admit that even after deliberately marking her face, this human still looked better than all the females in the clan. Even the well praised Ruo Shui, who was known for her beauty could not hold a candle to her.
After a long silence, Lan Shu finally opened the door. "It is time."
Xue Yao’s heart tightened at once. All the anger about being called ugly, all the complaints about the bath, and even the shame of having strange whisker-like marks on her face were suddenly pushed aside.
She followed behind the two maids as they led her deeper into the fortress. The hallways were wide and cold, built from dark stone, with wolf carvings lining the walls. The farther they walked, the quieter everything became, and Xue Yao could feel her nervousness growing with every step.
’Calm down. You have the Sticky Smelly Socks. You have the Shadow Escape Talisman. You still have your brain. Well... most of it.’
At the end of the hallway, they stopped in front of a huge brown door. Lan Shu pushed it open, and Hei Yue gestured for Xue Yao to enter.
The room inside was large and warm, with thick fur rugs on the floor, a wide bed covered in dark sheets, and shelves filled with strange ornaments, books, and weapons. The scent inside was faint but heavy, carrying the cold smell of snow and something wild that made Xue Yao’s shoulders stiffen.
Lan Shu stood by the door and said, "Wait here. The Alpha will come soon. Do not touch anything, do not wander around, do not sit on the bed unless ordered, and do not speak carelessly."
Hei Yue added, "If you want to please the Alpha, lower your head, answer when he asks, and do not act clever."
Xue Yao nodded obediently, but not a single word entered her ears. She was already thinking about where she could release her biohazard weapon for the greatest effect. ’If I throw the Sticky Smelly Socks near the door, he might block the exit. If I throw it near the bed, maybe the whole room will be destroyed. No, no, I have to be strategic. A mighty blow must be delivered with precision.’
The two maids left after giving their warning. The moment the door closed, Xue Yao’s obedient expression disappeared. She immediately looked around the room, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Don’t touch anything," she mimicked them, walking toward the nearest shelf. "Which means everything here is probably worth touching."
She picked up a small black stone, shook it, then quickly placed it back when nothing happened. After that, she touched a silver cup, a wooden box, and a strange wolf-shaped ornament before moving toward the wall.
"There is nothing interesting in here at all. Even the Alpha’s taste is so bad, the colour of the room is so dull that I might die from boredom." She carelessly kicked the the vase of the ground without bothering to raise it up.
"This is what you get from standing in my way." She poked her tongue.
She continued her little adventure, her fingers brushed over one of the carvings, and suddenly, there was a soft click.
Xue Yao froze in her spot.
A narrow part of the wall shifted slightly.
Her eyes widened. ’A secret compartment?’
Her fear immediately battled with curiosity, and unfortunately for common sense, curiosity won. She leaned closer, carefully pressing the carved wolf’s eye again. The hidden gap opened a little wider.
Just as she was about to reach inside, the door handle twisted.
Xue Yao’s whole body stiffened, she slowly glanced back at the door.
Then the door slowly pulled open.
