Claimed By The Rival Alpha

Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Selena

It felt strange to realize how little of the world outside Blackbourne Castle I had actually seen.

For weeks, the castle had been my entire world. I woke there, worked there, ate there, slept there, and spent almost every waking moment surrounded by the same stone walls and familiar faces. Whenever I left, it was usually because I had been sent on some simple errand as a maid.

Today was finally different. Today, I wasn’t leaving as a servant sent to buy vegetables or deliver a message.

I was leaving on a mission.

I sat inside the fruit carriage, surrounded by baskets of apples, pears, berries, and several sacks of vegetables that had been carefully arranged around me. The headmaid had insisted that this was the safest way to get me out of the castle without attracting unnecessary attention.

I pulled out the folded list Niamh had given me and read it again.

House Longfang. I traced my finger beneath the name.

"House Longfang," I whispered.

I’d heard of them before. They were one of the noble houses within Blackbourne, although they weren’t nearly as influential as Kavanagh or Hawthorne. What caught my attention was that their current overseer was a young she-wolf.

And according to Niamh, she was one of the nobles who had shown interest in our cause after the ball.

That was the reason I was going there. I needed money but more importantly, I needed allies.

The vampires had changed everything. After everything that happened at the castle, I no longer believed we had the luxury of moving slowly. Alpha Kael was fighting them. The revolution I had secretly been building was no longer simply about servants and nobles dreaming of freedom.

It had obviously become something much bigger.

I folded the list and slipped it back into my dress quickly as the carriage suddenly slowed.

I grabbed the side of the wooden compartment as the wheels rolled to a stop.

"We’re here," the driver called. So I pushed aside the cloth covering the opening and climbed out.

The first thing I noticed was the manor. It was enormous. The stone walls stretched high above me, surrounding a property that looked more like a small fortress than a nobleman’s home.

Tall trees lined the path leading toward the main building, their branches trimmed with almost unnatural precision.

I stepped through the gates then I froze as my eyes widened.

A long, bright sash had been tied between two pillars near the entrance. An extravagant sigil was embroidered across it.

Beneath it were two words. HOUSE HAWTHORNE.

My stomach dropped as I read out the name. "House Hawthorne?"

I turned around immediately but the gates suddenly slammed shut behind me.

I stared at the gate in utmost shock. For one terrifying second, my heart almost stopped beating out of fright.

Had I been brought here intentionally? Has someone discovered who I was? Had the headmaid betrayed me? Or was I kidnapped?

My mind raced through every possible explanation of why those gates were suddenly locked.

House Hawthorne was one of the most elegant and powerful houses in Blackbourne, second only to Kavanagh in influence. And if I had learned anything recently, it was that powerful families often had lots of secrets.

Especially families connected to Kavanagh. After all, the House of Kavanagh hid those vampires in its manor.

I took a cautious step toward the gate but before I could reach it, footsteps sounded behind me.

I turned around and found an older woman approaching.

She was dressed simply, with a plain brown gown and a white apron tied around her waist. She looked like a headmaid, though there was nothing particularly intimidating about her.

She stopped in front of me and looked me over before finally asking, "Are you the new gardener?"

"No." I answered too quickly while shaking my head negatively.

Her eyebrows lifted. "Then what are you doing here?" She asked, giving me a suspicious look.

"I came to apply for a position as a maidservant."

She immediately waved her hand without hesitation. "We aren’t looking for one."

"Oh." I forced a smile. "Perhaps you could still hear me out?"

"There is nothing to hear." She snapped then turned to walk away.

I panicked knowing this was my only chance to do something. "Wait!" I immediately uttered.

She stopped and I didn’t waste time blurting out my next words. "I work at the castle."

The woman’s expression changed as she slowly turned around to face me. "You work at the Alpha’s castle?"

"Yes."

She studied me suspiciously. "Prove it."

I reached into my dress and pulled out the letter of recommendation the castle headmaid had given me.

The woman took it. Her eyes moved slowly across the page and when she finished reading, she looked at me again. "You really work there?"

I nodded. "Yes."

She handed the letter back. "Come with me."

I followed her through the manor. Every step I took made my curiosity grow.

House Hawthorne was beautiful, but there was something strangely quiet about the place. The servants moved quickly and avoided unnecessary conversation. Even the walls seemed to carry an atmosphere of secrecy.

The woman led me into the kitchen. "Sit."

I obeyed as she pulled out a chair opposite me and sat down. "What is your name?"

"Selena."

"Where are you from?"

My heart tightened. There it was. The question I had learned to answer without hesitation. "I’m from one of the outer villages."

"Which one?"

I named a village I knew existed far enough from the castle that nobody was likely to investigate too deeply.

She narrowed her eyes. "And your family?"

I hesitated only for a second before uttering. "I’m an orphan."

"Both parents are dead?"

"Yes. I’m an orphan."

Her expression became more suspicious. "You claim to be a castle servant."

"I am."

"Then you should know that most castle servants don’t simply walk into the castle and get positions. They are recommended. Some have connections to nobles. Others have relatives working within the castle."

"I was recommended."

"By whom?"

"The headmaid."

The woman leaned back. "You understand why I find your story unusual?"

I nodded negatively but before I could think of a lie, another maid hurried into the kitchen.

"Headmaid, there’s a problem with the work schedule."

The woman stood immediately. "Wait here."

She disappeared with the maid while I remained seated.

Minutes passed while I stared around the kitchen.

I could just run away. That thought came to me more than once but I didn’t leave.

Instead, another thought formed in my head. House Hawthorne. If Kavanagh had been responsible for helping vampires enter Blackbourne, perhaps Hawthorne knew something.

Maybe they were rivals. Maybe I could learn something useful here.

I was still thinking when a loud crash came from the adjoining kitchen followed by a loud scream. "Fire!"

I jumped to my feet as smoke immediately began pouring through the doorway.

I didn’t think much as I ran toward it. Three maids were screaming inside the kitchen while another desperately tried to smother the flames.

Half the cooking area was already covered in smoke.

"Move!" I yelled out but nobody listened.

"Get back!" I pushed past one of them.

"There’s fire underneath!"

"We can’t stop it!"

I looked around for any cloth but I saw nothing. My eyes suddenly fell on the lower shelf and I saw a sack of charcoal sitting there.

I rushed toward it, opened it and heat blasted against my face.

The charcoal was burning... it wasn’t simply warm but burning hot.

I didn’t have time to think as I shoved my hand inside it.

The three maids screamed. "What are you doing?"

I grabbed a handful of the burning charcoal and pulled it out. The flames stopped spreading immediately.

I stared at my hand and there wasn’t even a burn. One of the maids stared at me as though I’d suddenly grown another head.

"The charcoal..." she whispered.

"What about it?"

"It has been burning for half the day."

I frowned. "Half a day?"

"Yes." Another maid shook her head. "So It should be hotter than sizzling oil by now."

I looked at my perfectly unharmed hand then I shrugged. "I suppose I’m lucky."

I grabbed the massive metal pot cover nearby and with the flames no longer spreading, I dropped the cover over the burning area.

The fire struggled beneath it then slowly began to die.

The kitchen fell silent as I stepped back while three pairs of terrified eyes remained fixed on me.

"What?" I asked but nobody answered.

Then a familiar voice came from behind me. "That was impressive."

I turned and found the headmaid standing at the entrance. She stared at the extinguished fire, then at me. "You didn’t even hesitate."

"There wasn’t much time."

She smiled faintly. "No. There wasn’t."

Her gaze moved toward the youngest-looking maid among the three. "You."

The girl straightened. "Yes, ma’am?"

"Leave the manor immediately."

The girl’s face immediately drained of color. "What?"

"You heard me."

"But I..."

"Pack your things and leave." She snapped. The girl looked like she wanted to argue, but one glance from the headmaid silenced her.

Then the headmaid turned toward me with a rather calm expression. It was almost too calm.

"You will replace her."

I stared at her in disbelief. "Me?"

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