Chapter 6

Kimble

My owner was a psycho.

As he threw the chain away, he gave off vibes as if he was being considerate. Which was bullshit, because all I could think was that I’d dodged a bullet. I needed to think—and think carefully—if I wanted to escape this total bastard.

Just then the door opened, and the woman who accompanied him to his bedroom walked in wearing a robe.

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at us: with his hand wrapped around my waist and the other holding my leash.

A momentary flare of anger passed through her when her eyes went to where Talon had grabbed me. He immediately removed his hand.

“Aria,” he said, stepping back and releasing my leash. “What are you doing here?”

She walked to him while I rushed to the door and stood there, my limbs trembling and my thoughts in disarray. I wrapped my arms around myself for comfort.

Aria went to him and cupped his cheeks with her hands. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him lazily. His eyes snapped toward me when she kissed him, and I found myself watching him. Breath caught like a stone in my throat.

Aria pulled away and curled her arms around his neck. “Alpha Talon, I missed you. Come back to bed.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. He looked at her. “I’ll be back soon. I needed to teach this mortal a lesson.”

Mortal? What was going on?

She turned to face me, her hand resting on his shoulder while her other hand pressed against his chest, clearly showing that she owned him. “I know you don’t like humans, Alpha Talon. I’ll talk to her, okay?”

Humans? Okay. These guys were in some sort of cult. Shit.

“Look, I don’t know what cult you all belong to,” I said in a raspy voice. “If there’s a way to let me out, I’ll leave. And I won’t even report you to the police. I swear!”

Aria suppressed a laugh. Without turning her gaze to Talon, she said, “Kimble, we aren’t a cult. But—”

“You don’t have to explain!” Talon growled, cutting her off. Pointing at me, he hissed, “And you—you’re going to work as my personal servant from now on!”

Shock splashed through me. My eyes widened. “A servant? Serve you?”

“Yes. Starting from now.” He placed his hand on the small of Aria’s back and walked out of the room. “Mason!” he hollered.

The guy who brought me here came rushing in. “Yes, Alpha?”

“Take her to Shirley so she can put this girl in uniform. Make sure Shirley teaches her how to take care of all my belongings.”

“Yes, Alpha!”

Talon walked away with Aria, after shooting a glare at me as I watched them, stunned with fear and anger warring inside me. When they were out of earshot, I muttered, “That man is insane! Who the fuck has servants in this day and age?” I turned my eyes to Mason. “Do you guys belong to some sort of cult? I mean, would you put me on the dinner table after some ritual?”

Mason chuckled, shaking his head. “First, we aren’t a cult. Second, come with me to Shirley. She’s the housekeeper and would be happy to have some assistance. If the Alpha’s asked you to be his personal servant, you have to be. There’s no way out.”

I didn’t mind housework at all but—“Will he pay me?”

Mason jerked his head back in amusement. “You’re given shelter, and your food and clothes are free. What else do you want?”

“The heck! I’m not bonded labor.” I had to run fast to keep pace with him.

He tilted his head as he peered at me. “No, but you’ve been bought for three million dollars. How are you going to repay that?”

“By getting paid for my services,” I pointed out. Right?

His lips curled up in a sad smile. “You’re so na?ve, Kimble. You’re asking him to pay you after he already bought you?”

And realization slammed inside my chest like a heavy wave dashing every castle I had built in my mind. “Then how will I get free?”

“This isn’t hell, Kimble,” he said as he walked out of the room. “You’ll start liking it. Just stay under the Alpha and Aria’s radar. He’s going to select her in the Moonlit Choosing Ritual. Once he chooses her, he’ll marry her. After they’re married, our Alpha will be more… settled emotionally.” He sighed, shaking his head slightly.

I followed him, feeling helpless and desperate. There had to be some way of getting out of here. These people had strange customs and traditions. Yep, definitely a cult.

Shirley was an experienced, no-nonsense housekeeper, who looked to be as old as my mom. But she had sharp green eyes and a commanding presence. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun.

I took her in as Mason explained to her what I was supposed to do. She nodded curtly at him. After Mason left, she said, “Precision and discretion are key. This isn’t just any household. This is Alpha Talon’s house, you understand?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now there are a few rules you have to follow. First, never enter when Alpha is in his room. Clean his room when he isn’t there. Second, if you hear howling, stay indoors.”

My eyes widened. “Howling?”

Shirley turned to pick up some sheets from the table. “This pack—I mean this town—has a lot of wolves nearby in the forest. For your safety, you better remain indoors.”

This place was becoming stranger than fiction.

Shirley handed me the sheets. “Your tasks will vary depending on what Alpha needs. Everything must be flawless. Lucky for you, today, I’ve already done all the work.”

I nodded as I took the sheets from her. “Shirley, if you don’t mind me asking, have you worked here long?”

A hint of a smile came over her lips. “Over thirty years. I worked for Alpha Talon’s father, but this is the first time I’ve seen a recruit like you.” She pursed her lips. “Look, this is a demanding household, but if you serve the Alpha well, you’ll find your place.” She stopped at a large ornate door. “This is where you’ll find the cleaning supplies, in the closet to the left.” She turned to me. “Remember, attention to detail. The Alpha has keen eyes.”

“I have one more question.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “What?”

“Is there any place where I can work a few more hours in this town? I mean, how long will I be serving Talon?” I chuckled nervously. If I wasn’t going to be paid by Talon, I might as well work outside.

“Address him as Alpha Talon!” she immediately corrected me, with a hint of fear in her eyes.

“Yes. Yes, of course!”

“My sister, Megan, has a bar where she constantly needs help. Her daughter, Jackie, helps her off and on. I’ll ask her. How old are you?” she asked, tapping her chin.

“I’ll be eighteen in a month,” I replied, excitedly.

“Oh! That could be a problem.”

Oh no. No, no, no. “Please, Shirley. Please, please. I really need an extra job!”

“Okay…” she drawled. “I’ll ask her.”

“Thank you!”

“That’s okay,” she said. Just as she was leaving, she turned her head. “I’ll ask Jackie to give you a phone. And you can fetch food for yourself from the kitchen. No one’s going to help you with that.”

And at that my stomach grumbled with the intensity of a restless lion. The kitchen was… fucking luxurious. A symphony of opulence, there were marble countertops. The gleaming appliances sang in perfect harmony. Two young chefs looked at me with amusement. As if understanding me, one with curly hair pointed at the fridge. “You’ll find bacon and cheese there. If you like, I can grill you some tuna.”

“Ah, no, thanks.” I grinned. “I’ll help myself.”

“Great!” He smiled. “I’m Harry, and this is Kirk.”

“Hi!” I greeted them and turned to get some food.

Since there was nothing to do, I went back to my room. On my way, the staff in the manor looked at me with wonder or animosity in their eyes, like I was a museum specimen. Well, I stared back at them and walked out with my chin up. I may have been reduced to being a servant, but I wasn’t going to lose what few shreds of dignity I had left.

Thankfully, the previous occupant had left some clothes in the cupboard. They were loose on me, but beggars can’t be choosers. Feeling tired, I crashed on the bed, wrapped up in the stillness of the room. My mind was in turmoil. Sleep hit me like a ship loosed from its anchor by a maelstrom.

I was jolted awake by a pounding on the door, as if a thunderstorm had crashed through my dreams. To my surprise, I saw it was already dark. How long had I slept?

When I opened the door, I was greeted by a pretty girl with a heart-shaped face and straight ebony hair cascading down her back. She was slightly taller than me. “Hi, I’m Jackie!” she said with a heart-stopping smile that reached her dark brown eyes.

“Hi?”

She chuckled. “I’m in one of the patrol parties of Umbra pack—I mean this town. Shirley asked me to give you this phone. I’ve already saved three numbers in it—Alpha Talon’s, Shirley’s and mine.”

I blinked at her for a few moments as the haze in my mind cleared. “Thanks,” I said, taking the cell phone she’d taken out of her purse.

“Would it be too much to ask for coffee?” she added, wrinkling her nose.

“No!” I said, surprised by her forwardness. “Not at all. Please come in!” She sounded so friendly, and, God, could I use a friend to ask about this place. Jackie seemed just about the right girl.