Claimed By The Rival Alpha

Chapter 99: Chapter 99

Selena

I did not agree to leave the castle that night.

That was the first thing that kept running through my mind as the carriage carried me away from Blackbourne Castle.

I had barely been given time to process Beta Bastian’s decision before the Hawthorne headmaid had begun arranging everything.

There had been no opportunity to find Niamh, Sally, or any of the others. I couldn’t even properly explain to anyone where I was going or why I had suddenly been sent away.

And that bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

I sat stiffly inside the carriage, my fingers intertwined tightly over my lap as I stared through the small window.

The streets of Blackbourne passed outside in long shadows. Most of the shops were already closed, and the few people still walking hurried along the roads with their cloaks wrapped tightly around their bodies.

I watched them disappear behind us.

For weeks, I had believed that nothing could frighten me anymore.

I had faced vampires. I had infiltrated a noble house. I had stood before Lady Hawthorne and openly told her that I was a rebel.

I had even jumped through a window to escape her. Yet sitting inside this carriage, I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that I had made a mistake.

Not by going to House Hawthorne. Instead, in trusting and believing that everyone would play by the same rules.

Beta Bastian had told me the pack laws protected me. He had assured me that Lady Hawthorne couldn’t simply decide to kill or imprison me.

But what if she tried? What if she didn’t care about the laws?

I glanced at the Hawthorne headmaid sitting opposite me. She had barely spoken since we left the castle.

Her expression remained unreadable as she watched the road ahead through the opposite window.

I finally broke the silence. "How long until we arrive?"

"Not much longer." I nodded, then silence returned.

My mind kept returning to the young girl. The girl pretending to be Lady Sophia Hawthorne.

I still remembered the way she had sat there while Henry lectured her. She had looked beautiful, dressed like a noblewoman, but there had been nothing noble about the sadness in her eyes.

She was trapped and now I was walking straight back into the house that had trapped her.

Perhaps that was the only thing keeping me from turning around.

I needed answers. I needed to know who she really was, where the real Lady Sophia was, and what House Hawthorne planned to do with the girl.

The carriage suddenly slowed and I straightened. Through the window, I saw the enormous gates of House Hawthorne.

My stomach tightened as the gates opened slowly, and the carriage passed through.

I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

The moment the carriage stopped, the Hawthorne headmaid stepped down while I followed reluctantly.

Cold air brushed against my face while the manor looked exactly as I remembered it. Beautiful, expensive and somehow threatening.

I stared at the enormous structure for a moment before following the headmaid inside.

The moment I entered, several servants looked at me and I recognized some of them.

They were the same maids I had worked beside during my first visit.

Their eyes widened. One of them whispered something to another then the second maid immediately glanced at me.

I lowered my gaze and continued walking. They were probably wondering why the strange new maid who had arrived only days ago had become so popular in the manor.

I wondered the same thing.

We climbed the stairs with my heart beating harder with every step.

I tried to calm myself... I have been here before. I had survived it before.

I could do it again but this time, I wasn’t sneaking in. Instead, I was brought here.

That difference mattered.

When we reached the upper floor, I expected to be taken somewhere else. Instead, the headmaid led me toward the great hall.

I stopped briefly when I saw Lady Hawthorne. She was sitting comfortably, with her son Henry beside her.

To my surprise, she had her arms wrapped around him. Her hand moved slowly through his hair while he leaned against her.

It was such an intimate display of affection that I almost looked away.

This was the same Henry who had ordered me to kneel. The same Henry who had threatened me.

Seeing him being treated like a child by his mother was strange.

Lady Hawthorne noticed me and her eyes immediately met mine.

A slow smile appeared on her face. "Selena."

I swallowed before muttering, "My lady."

"Come closer." She said but I hesitated.

The Hawthorne headmaid stepped forward. "My lady, I have brought her as you requested."

Lady Hawthorne nodded. "Leave us."

The headmaid bowed. "Yes, my lady."

She turned and walked away. I watched her go while I gulped down nothing.

Then Lady Hawthorne spoke again. "Come here."

I forced my feet to move then I stopped a few steps away from her.

She looked me over carefully... Then she raised her hand and I instinctively stiffened when her fingers touched my cheek.

Her eyes narrowed as she examined my face. "You don’t look like a peasant."

I gave a small weird smile. "I’ve been told that before."

"You look refined."

I quickly searched for an explanation. "That’s because I spend most of my wages on my skin care."

Her eyebrows lifted. "Oh really?"

"Yes, my lady."

"What do you use?" She suddenly asked, taking me aback.

I blinked. I hadn’t expected that question but I quickly thought of something. "I use herbs..."

"What herbs?"

I swallowed. "A few different ones."

"Which ones?!" She insisted obviously not ready to back down.

I could feel Henry watching me now but I tried to remain calm.

"Aloe leaves. Lavender. Rose petals sometimes." I uttered using my little knowledge of herbs used for skin care.

Lady Hawthorne seemed genuinely interested. "How do you prepare them?"

I cursed silently. I knew some of these herbs, but I wasn’t an expert.

"I crush them and mix them with oil." I lied smoothly.

"What kind of oil?"

"Flower oil."

Her expression changed. "Which flower?"

"Rose." She stared at me while I gave her a nervous smile. "I only use what I can afford."

"That isn’t what I asked." She uttered and for some reason, she laughed.

It wasn’t a warm laugh. It was the sort of laugh someone gave when they found another person’s nervousness entertaining.

"You are interesting." I didn’t answer.

She slowly withdrew her hand from my face. "You certainly don’t behave like an ordinary maid."

I forced myself to smile. "I worked in the castle."

"I know." My stomach tightened as she leaned back. "Which is why I find your name so interesting."

I remained silent.

"Selena..."She suddenly mentioned my name, making my heart stop for half a second.

I forced myself to breathe normally. "Yes, my lady."

"You know, Alpha William’s daughter has the same name."

I gave a nervous laugh. "That is quite a coincidence."

"A remarkable one."She pointed out.

"Names repeat all the time." I tried to make it sound like a normal thing.

She stared at me while I stared back but neither of us spoke.

The silence became uncomfortable. I could feel Henry watching me from the side while Lady Hawthorne’s eyes moved across my face as though she were trying to pull the truth out of me without asking directly.

I kept my expression as calm as possible. Finally, she looked away. "It is late."’I nearly sighed in relief. "You should rest." She added.

"Thank you." I quickly muttered.

She turned toward a nearby guard. "Take her to where she would be sleeping."

The guard bowed. "Yes, my lady."

I didn’t think twice before following him. For the first few moments, relief washed over me as I had survived the conversation.

Now I can think!

I needed to find out more about the girl. Perhaps the servants knew something.

Perhaps I could get close enough to her again and I could also discover where the real Lady Sophia was.

I followed the guard down the corridor then I noticed something. We weren’t heading toward the servants’ quarters.

I frowned before asking. "Where are we going?" The guard didn’t answer as he continued walking.

The corridor became narrower. The warm lights from the upper floors slowly disappeared while cold air brushed against my skin.

I immediately stopped walking. "Wait." I said but the guard still kept walking.

"Isn’t the servants’ quarters upstairs?" I asked but got no response. My heartbeat instantly quickened.

I followed him for another few steps then I saw the corridor ahead.

There were metal bars and cells. My entire body instantly went cold.

"No." I turned around ready to run but the guard moved faster than I expected.

His hand clamped around my arm. "Let go of me."I screamed at the top of my voice but his grip only tightened.

"What are you doing?" He dragged me forward. "This wasn’t the agreement with Beta Bastian!"

He said nothing while I continued screaming. "Beta Bastian said I was supposed to work here. He never said anything about a cell."

I struggled against him. "Let me go!"

He suddenly twisted my arms and I felt something touch my wrists then pain exploded through my body.

I screamed. "Ah!!!"

A chain had been wrapped around my wrists and it was burning hot. The metal sizzled against my skin while I struggled violently.

The guard pushed me forward while the smell of my burning flesh filled my nose.

Pain shot through my arms. "You can’t do this!"

He opened one of the cells while I fought harder. "No!"

He shoved me inside, I stumbled and fell against the stone floor.

The chain remained around my wrists, burning into my skin.

I gritted my teeth as tears sprang into my eyes. "This wasn’t our agreement!"

The guard closed the cell while I crawled toward the bars. "Beta Bastian said I wasn’t supposed to be imprisoned!"

The guard turned away. "Wait!" I screamed but he kept walking.

His footsteps slowly disappeared into the dark corridor. I stared after him, breathing heavily as pain and rage surged through me as the hot chain kept burning off my flesh.

"You can’t lock me up!"

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