Chapter Seven

Lillian

Throughout the night, I’m filled with racing thoughts, which makes it difficult for me to sleep. The two thoughts that seem to plague me most are the ones concerning Alana and the pair of red eyes that stared at me from the bushes in the woods.

There’s just something about them, like they are calling out to me, but I don’t know what I’m going to do about it. Can anything be done?

I roll to the other side of the bed as I pull the covers up with one quick flick of the wrist and sit up. The morning light is just streaming in through the windows, but it makes me anxious.

Corbin asked me on the note to join him this morning at the edge of the woods, yet I can’t stop thinking about whether I should go or not. My gaze travels around the room until I eventually spot the trash can where the note still is.

It’s crumpled on the top, just waiting for me.

I stare at it a moment longer before deciding I really should go meet him. “Fine, I’ll go see the idiot and find out what he wants.”

Throwing the covers off me, I get up and stretch for a moment before making my way toward the other room where Grandmother keeps my clothes. I look through the various outfits and decide on a simple skirt and blouse. They’re honestly some of the plainest clothes I have and are a shade of tan and dull brown with stains dotted on the skirt from cleaning. I carefully slide them on after shrugging out of the others.

My heart rate starts rising and beads of sweat form on my forehead as I think about what I’m going to do.

“I hate this with all my being and I don’t want to do this.”

If he does something, we can take him.

I scoff in disbelief at my wolf’s words. "And then his father will probably end my life. Smart, real smart. I can’t even shift, so what makes you think I can actually take him when he does?”

I’m met with silence as she accepts the truth.

Quickly, I straighten my skirt and run to the living area to grab my red cloak from the coat rack. I wrap the ties around my neck before darting out of the house. As I make my way out the front door, I survey the surroundings. My gaze moves to the exact spot he said he’d meet me at and there he is, standing there with his hands shoved in his pant pockets.

He’s about ten feet away from the woods and keeps glancing over his shoulder toward them as if something might jump out and eat him. It’s hilarious that he chose a spot in such a location where he fears for his life, yet there he stands. If he is that fearful of the beast lurking in the woods, then he truly picked the wrong spot to meet at.

I close the distance between us as I make my way off the porch and head toward him. Once I’m within a few feet of him, I stop and glare at him. “Well, what do you need, Corbin? I’m here as you requested in the note.”

“You know, I knew that you were an alpha born, but I never realized you were actually an alpha in waiting. You have never shown any signs and remain meek. Do you have any idea of what you have done?” He looks down his nose at me with a disdainful expression on his face, as if he is silently judging me for hiding my abilities.

“I only revealed myself to save your mother. You should be thanking me because you could be attending a funeral today instead. Trust me when I say this, but I won’t make that mistake again. None of you deserve me because clearly none appreciate what I have done.”

He eyes me from the bottom of my long skirt to my throat. It makes me wonder what he has planned for me now that he knows my secret.

“My father won’t let this go and even if he does, I won’t. It won’t be long until I’m the alpha of this pack. Honestly, it makes it all that much sweeter having you serve me on your hands and knees. I’m going to enjoy ruining you, little alpha.”

I chuckle softly under my breath and look at the woods. “What makes you think you’re going to ruin me?”

When I turn to look at him, I cock my head to the side as I study him. His demeanor screams confidence, but there is something else there.

Corbin saunters toward me and stops once his face is a few inches from mine. As I glare into his eyes, I notice orange flecks there. It’s not that he isn’t handsome. It’s quite the opposite. He has a strong jawline, with high cheekbones. Everything about him says he’s handsome and strong. It’s his personality that is ugly and one that is like rough paper against my backside.

His fingers slip under my chin when I start to look away from him. I watch as his lips pull into a smirk and he bites his lower lip. When his gaze drops to my lips, I know he’s holding back from what he really wants to do.

“It will be my pleasure and greatest accomplishment to break you completely. I will watch you fall to pieces as we make the next alpha of this pack. There will be nothing in this world that you wouldn’t do for me.” He pauses as he exhales with a sigh. “I can see the fight in your gaze now, but here is the best part of all this. I love a challenge, so keep fighting me and see where it leads. One day, you will beg me to not stop.”

I yank my chin from his grasp and take a step to put some distance between us. “What about your darling Ophelia? Isn’t she expecting you to mate with her? You shouldn't even be talking to me like this when you have her.”

He looks away toward the lines of houses and then toward the alpha house. She’s probably waiting for him now.

I take a look over my shoulder and find her heading there now, but she hasn’t noticed that he’s standing here with me. When I look at his face and follow his gaze, he’s still watching her.

“Ophelia is a mere toy that I busy myself with,” he says, as he finally shifts his glowing orange gaze toward me. “You, on the other hand, are something else entirely and I can’t wait to get my hands on you.”

I shudder at the direct eye content. This is not what I want at all. The last thing I ever want is attention from him. I’d rather fling myself into the woods and let the monster kill me than have this discussion.

Before I can utter a single word, Corbin walks off toward the alpha house.

“Lillian, you will be late!” His father’s voice booms from the porch in the background.

As if my day can’t get any worse, now I have him yelling at me. With my eyes locked onto the ground, I slowly turn around and start heading for the alpha house.

Alpha Nigel is standing there on the last step with his eyes on me. I don’t have to look up to know that a disgruntled look is on his face.

I keep my eyes on his freshly polished boots instead.

“Today, you will clean the bathroom and kitchen. Make sure you scrub them well or else you will have to do it again until it is to my liking.”

“Yes, Alpha,” I reply without looking up.

I ease up onto the first step where he stands and try to avoid bumping into him, but then he reaches out and snags my arm right above the elbow.

“You will never speak of what happened last night again. Do you understand? If you wish to keep your life and keep your grandmother safe, then you will do as I have asked.”

I shiver at his words, but try to squash the nervousness as quickly as it arises. “Yes, alpha.”

“Good girl. Now go clean up the house,” he says as he lets go of my arm.

I walk through the open front door and the first thing I smell is that same stench as before. It almost takes my breath away. The closest thing I can think of that smells like it is a wolf who hasn’t bathed in days and their body odor fills the room. Most never get that bad.

I quickly turn to the left to take off my cloak and once it hangs up on the little knob, I look at the living room floors and nearly faint. They were so clean yesterday, but they’re not now. They’re once again messed up with splotches of stuff everywhere. Then there is that smell in the room, which is worse than yesterday.

I can’t help but scrunch my nose in disgust as I try not to throw up on the floors and make it worse.

Why doesn’t he want me to clean the living room? It’s horrible.

Before I decide to run away from it all and throw myself into the woods, I turn and pick up the bucket to head to the bathroom. I reluctantly make my way toward it, down the hallway behind the stairs. When I push the door open to see the state it is in, I nearly faint from the smell alone.

I can’t believe the foul odors coming from within or the messes that are left behind. In just a week, they have completely ruined the bathroom. They have splattered unknown substances against the wall that are now caked up. The toilet lid is up with things smeared on it. I’m afraid to even pull back the shower curtain.

The bucket falls from my hand and lands on the wooden floor with a loud thud.

Corbin leans forward over my shoulder and laughs, which startles me. “Oh, have fun cleaning that, little alpha. Be thankful dad left you a mop today.”

I look down at the bucket, but the mop isn’t there. “Where is the mop?”

Corbin scoffs. “Near the door. I guess you are so used to scrubbing on your hands and knees with that little brush you have forgotten what a mop looks like.”

He continues to laugh as he walks down the hallway, tossing something in his hands. A moment later, I hear him going up the stairs and sigh in relief. Maybe he’ll stay up in his room today, away from me.

But then I look down into the bucket and realize why he was laughing. He has the gloves from the bucket that I wear when I clean if it gets too bad.

I head to the living room and find the mop where he said it is, but sadly, there aren’t any extra gloves lying around. As I head to the bathroom, nausea rolls around my stomach at the thought of scrubbing everything bare handed.

I enter the bathroom and lean the mop handle against the wall. With nothing but a rag to clean with, I snatch it out of the bucket and prepare everything. Once the bucket is full, I take the rag out and use it to clean the sink first since it’s the one thing in the bathroom that isn’t a complete mess.

I wipe down the cabinets next and try to prolong what I know is to come. When I’m finally content with how they look, my eyes dart to the side of the next project.

The toilet.

Swallowing hard, I suck up my pride and drop to my knees beside it as I scrub the outside of the bowl. It doesn’t take too long to finish the outside, but the inside and the lid is what I fear.

I scrub until I feel like my fingers might fall off. There are so many encrusted bits on the seat that I gag each time one comes off. “This is disgusting.”

Oddly, they are like clear or cream in color, so I’m not sure what it is.

We are an alpha. Why are you letting him do this to you? Why let any of them? You are the heir to the pack.

“If I challenge Nigel, then I will lose and then who would look after grandmother? Someone has to take care of her.” I stop scrubbing the bowl and look at the shower. “If I can’t shift, then I don’t stand a chance. We can’t beat them like this.”

If only I could take her away from here and leave this place behind, but it’s impossible with the monster in the woods. It still strikes me as odd that Nigel came through without any issues, because so many others have lost their lives trying to leave.

I close my eyes and suck in a breath, but as my lungs fill with air, I nearly choke. It’s so horrible that I can taste it, so I begin gagging.

Laughter echoes through the rooms and down the hallway. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that they are laughing at me.

I roll my eyes as I get it under control and continue cleaning until it’s spotless.

As I stand a half hour later to stretch my legs, I lean over toward the shower and grab the edge of the curtain. When I yank it away, my lips droop into a frown.

How can these people be so messy?

Cleaning the shower doesn’t take as long as the toilet and, honestly, it goes by quickly. When I reach the bathroom upstairs that belongs to Corbin, well, it’s in worse shape than the one downstairs, which isn’t a surprise.

Look at who it belongs to. Of course, he’d make a mess and leave it like this just to punish me.

Once I finish with his bathroom, I make my way down the stairs and set the bucket down with the mop in the same spot it once sat. Oddly, there’s a second bucket there that wasn’t before. I check through the supplies and see it’s all for the kitchen.

I pick it up and head toward the kitchen through the opening in the wall in the living room. My gaze moves to the right, where the dining room lies. It’s in pristine condition, without a trace of anything anywhere. As for the kitchen, that’s an entirely different matter.

There are dishes piled everywhere on the counters while food is splattered on the walls. Their latest kill lies across the butcher board, but only bones and guts remain. It’s just waiting for me to take care of it.

I take a closer look and realize it’s a rabbit. “Well, at least it’s small. It must have hopped out of the woods and they plucked it right off the ground.”

“Do you see something you want?” Corbin asks as he walks into the doorway and leans against the frame.

“No, I do not want your leftovers,” I say as I glance over my shoulder at him.

With a knowing smirk, he smiles at me before slinking off to do who knows what.

I let out a deep sigh of relief and feel grateful for the moment of peace. As I take in the sight of the kitchen again, it’s clear to me that there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

It takes several hours to clean the kitchen and right as I’m putting the cleaning supplies into the bucket, I take a moment to wipe my sweaty forehead with the back of my arm. What was once an ugly disaster is now a beautiful kitchen where you could eat off the floor without worrying about what disgusting things had been there.

Honestly, in this house, I’d rather not even chance it even when I know I have cleaned it thoroughly.

I head toward the living room with the bucket in tow and place the bucket down next to the other bucket. The sound of it landing against the floor reverberates loudly.

My stomach chooses that moment to grumble almost as loudly. I haven’t eaten a single thing all day and I’m starving.

I reach up to grab my cloak and gently toss it around my back to tie it around my throat.

“Going somewhere?” Corbin asks as he stands at the top of the stairs.

“Yes, I’m going to grandmothers. I have finished everything your father asked for.”

My stomach growls again, which causes his gaze to narrow as he stares down at me. Right as he opens his mouth to say something, his father calls his name.

“Next time, little alpha.”

I want to fuss at him and tell him to stop calling me that, but I relent. With a swift motion, I turn and grasp the knob.

I stroll across the porch and down the steps of the porch, but can’t help rolling my eyes at the entire situation. “No, I won’t say a word. Nothing at all.”

Once I’m home, I throw open the door and take a step inside. One breath is all it takes to make me relieved to see home. It’s empty, but clean and doesn’t smell.

I reach back and quickly shut the door. My basket is in the cupboard where I left it last night. Grandmother will be waiting for me and she will be eager to hear all the details and gossip, though there are parts I’ll leave out.

In a matter of minutes, I have the basket packed with whatever I have left in the refrigerator since I haven’t had time to cook today. I quickly glance out the window to ensure what time it is and see the sun is already setting according to the way the shadows move across the ground.

Crud, I have to get there before dark.

I take one last glance around my home to ensure I have everything I need. Anxiety is already coursing through my veins at the thought of walking down that narrow path to her house.

With the basket in my arms, I quickly make my way out of my home and head for the path.

Even though the sun hasn’t fully set and there is some dim lighting, the pathway is already shadowed from the trees on both sides, making it even creepier than in the daylight. The birds and squirrels, or any little creature in the woods, are quiet as well. Normally, they are still playing at this time of day, but right now, there is not a sound that can be heard out of them.

Trembling, I step forward, but my eyes dart around in anticipation of what might happen.

Oddly, all that greets me is deafening silence.

No one bothers looking at me as they pass by on their way home, and before I know it, I’m standing at the entrance.

Here beasty, beasty, beasty.

“Hush, wolf. I don’t know what you are trying to do, but now is not the time to scare me like that.”

Grandmother’s house is thirty feet in. She tells me I have nothing to fear, but why am I scared out of my wits?

I can do this.

One step after another, I walk toward her house. It’s well within my sights and I just have to make it.

Twenty feet more.

Ten feet more.

Then the first branch breaks.

A loud yelp escapes my lips as I begin running, but sadly, the basket has other ideas. I only make it two feet before the basket slams against my thigh and I trip over my own two feet.

All because of a root I didn’t see.

“No!” I yell as I land on my knees.

Before I can move, hot breath blows across the back of my neck, causing me to shiver.

“Please no,” I mutter.

The monster’s wet nose slides up the tender flesh of my neck into my hair, leaving a trail of moisture on my skin. Sharp teeth suddenly clamp down around the sides of my throat right after his nose leaves my hair. He gently scrapes down my throat toward my shoulders, sending another shiver down my spine.

But it’s not out of fear.

No, it’s something more than that. It feels good.

His teeth leave the base of my neck and are quickly replaced by his nose as he drags it down my spine.

I whimper from his touch, wondering what in the world is happening to me.

I’m terrified, but I don’t want him to stop.

My wolf is enjoying it and seems to be completely content.

With a huff, I feel him slip away. Curiosity gets the better of me and I turn to see him. If I can actually catch sight of the beast, then I’ll know I’m not crazy. It’s not something Nigel made up, but an actual being.

He hasn’t killed me yet, so surely, I can look.

Before I can check both sides of the woods behind me, Grandmother opens the cottage door and lets it slam against the inside wall of the house.

“Lillian, what are you doing like that? I’m about to wither away and starve to death.”

I look at her as I sit on my heels.

“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Grandmother, you should be in the house where it’s safe. I don’t want you to see my death.” Though I haven’t locked eyes with the monster, I know he’s probably still lurking behind me, ready to strike.

“Your death? What are you even talking about?” She tilts her head to the side as she looks around behind me. Her lips curve into a frown. “Will you just get inside already? I can smell whatever you brought, and it smells delightful. I’d like to eat sometime today, dear.”

She turns and heads inside the house, leaving the door wide open for me.

I turn fully around, searching the area behind me just to make sure.

And there’s nothing there.

“Oh, you have to be joking. The monster was just here, right at my throat. Where did he go?”

After a second of feeling exasperated, I stand and straighten out my cloak. I head toward the door and finally get inside.

"What goodies did you bring me today?" She rubs her hands together greedily. “I cooked breakfast and lunch, but I enjoy it so much more when you cook it for me and bring it here.”

“I brought you the rest of the baked chicken, but this time it’s not in pasta. There are some vegetable side dishes as well. I know it’s not much, but I thought you might like it.”

I take the lid of the basket off, and she reaches in to get it out. Once it’s in her hand, she realizes it’s cold.

“You had to work all day again, didn’t you? Have you eaten?”

“No,” I say as my gaze drops to the table.

She busies herself, taking things out, and then she finds the dessert. I made enough the day before when I got to cook for two days. Hopefully, she enjoys everything.

“This is more than enough, my dear. What did you make this time?”

“Oh, that’s icebox pie, just like granddaddy made. Well, I never got to sample it, but I used mom’s recipe you gave me.”

She almost squeals with delight. “Oh, you know I love that. I can’t quite make it right, even with the recipe, but yours is just like his.”

It makes me smile knowing that I do something like him. I never got the chance to meet him, but according to the stories, I know he was quite the alpha and man.

“How about we discuss everything that happened today while we eat dinner? You look a little frail today.”

“You’re not going to like what I tell you.” Though I wish to hide what happened over the last day and night, I know I can’t hide it forever.

“Try me,” she says with a smile as she sets the pie down in the center of all the other food. But her gaze keeps locking onto the pie. She reaches out and drags her finger around the pie pan. “I’ll be back for you later.”

“Grandmother, I don’t know how to say this, but I’ll just say it.” I look up at the ceiling as I bite my lip. When I look down, our gazes lock. “My secret is out.”