Chapter EIGHT

To say Bella was aggrieved was an understatement. She was demoralized.

How could Alpha Achilles have chosen Louisa of all the girls who were present at that ball?

Louisa was the most ballistic person in the entire world and giving her such powers of a Luna is such a bad thing to do.

Ever since they got back home, Louisa had been screaming and bragging about the issue every now and then.

Bella had been sad. Not that she had expected Achilles to choose her for she knew he would never chose a slave girl like her as his Luna, but she just wished he had chosen someone other than Louisa.

"Snap it out Bella, it's none of your business" She tried to console herself, but she knew that wouldn't work because that was her business. She was born to serve Louisa and she knew that even when Louisa would get married to the Alpha, she would still ask her to go with her to the castle to keep serving her.

She was stuck with Louisa for the rest of her life.

"How do I look?" Louisa's voice interrupted Bella's thoughts.

Bella was awed at how pretty Louisa looked in the fitting gown she had on. Louisa was no doubt a very gorgeous lady.

Ever since she was born, she had been getting the princess treatment. She had innumerable skin care routines that kept her skin glowing and her very rigorous diet contributed to her awesome curves.

She was quite a beauty on the outside, but on the inside, she was nothing but a grotesque parody of herself.

The last thing Louisa had was good manners and she was not accommodating at all. To Bella, Louisa was the most repulsive girl on the planet earth.

"Bella!" Louisa shouted, inducing Bella to jump in fright. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous, Ma Lady" Bella responded as she gulped arduously, hoping that a slap doesn't follow.

"Don't I?" Louisa asked proudly with a wide smile bandaged on her face. A smile that made Bella nauseous.

"Yes, you do. It's like this dress was made specially for you. You look totally ravishing in it" Bella further flattered and that only made Louisa smile more.

"Of course it was. Father just mindlinked me, Alpha Achilles is here. Let's go meet him"

"Sure"

With Louisa leading the way, both girls vacated the bedroom and took the long hallway that led to the flight of stairs.

Bella peeped down and indeed, she saw Achilles sitting in the living room. He was engaged in a quiet conversation with Louisa's father.

As they both descended the staircase, the sound of their footsteps interrupted the conversation the two men were holding and they revolved to look at them.

The moment Achilles set eyes on Bella, he unexpectedly stood up from the sofa he was sitting on and looked at her intensely. His heart began palpating hard in his chest and the fact that he didn't choose her last night slashed his heart like a million blades. He further intensified the eye contact and his heart leaped when he saw Bella trip on the staircase and fall on her butt. A little scream evaded her lips as she fell to the floor and he was tempted to smile.

His heart sank into his abdomen when the sound of a smack echoed throughout the living room. He just watched Louisa give Bella a dirty slap across her left cheek.

"You inept fool. Now rise up and head back into my bedroom. I will deal with you later!" Achilles heard Louisa instruct and immediately, Bella rose to her feet and scampered back upstairs. The moment she was out of sight, he looked at Louisa and quizzically furrowed his brows as a scowl expanded across his countenance.

Could it be that what his sister said about her last night was true?

"Alpha Achilles, I present to you my daughter, Louisa Donovan" Mr Donovan proudly introduced.

"The preamble was unwarranted, Mr. Donovan. Your daughter already introduced herself last night." He explained as he walked over to Louisa who extended her hand to him as she made a slight bow.

Not that he wanted to, but out of respect, he took her hand and planted a delicate kiss on the back of her palm and she smiled.

"Nice to meet you again, Miss Donovan"

"The pleasure is all mine, Alpha Achilles' ' Louisa responded with an exaggerated smile and Achilles took a step backwards as his eyes wandered to the staircase once more.

He could only visualize Bella bawling her eyes out at a corner right now. He had really looked forward to greeting her too.

He staved off his gaze back to Louisa standing before him. She was a charm and Achilles couldn't deny it. She was full-figured in all the right places. Her hands, and neck were adorned with expensive jewelries and the way she was dressed proved that she had an excellent taste in fashion.

Any man would be smitten at first sight.

She was the definition of gorgeous.

However, none of that seemed to move him especially after seeing what she was capable of doing.

"Your father and I have been talking about the matrimony preparations and I would love for it to commence with immediate effect. I hope you don't mind that I'm rushing things"

"No… of course not, Alpha Achilles."

"Good. Before the end of the week, I will send my men to come get you. So, make sure to prepare yourself. The wedding takes place on the night of the next full moon, which is one month from now. I hope…" Looks from father to daughter and back to father. "I hope that will be convenient"

"That would be perfect" Mr. Donovan confirmed and he nodded his head.

"Before I go, there is one thing I would love to do."

"What could that be, Alpha?" Louisa asked still smiling.

"I would like to greet the girl you sent away a while ago. Go and fetch her for me, will you?" He asked politely and the smile on Louisa's face was instantly replaced with a frown.

"I… oh… ok. I will do just that" She stammered as she turned around and took the flight of stairs.

Achilles stood there and waited patiently for both girls to come down. He had come to that house purposefully to see Bella, not even Lousia and he was not going to leave without talking to her.

He could see from both Mr Donovan and Louisa's face that they were not happy about his intentions and that further substantiated that they both treated Bella like shit in that house.

"Alpha Achilles, why don't you take a seat while waiting for the girls to come down?" Mr. Donovan offered respectfully.

"No, thank you. I will just leave after I have talked with Bella. There is no need for me to sit down."

Just then, footsteps echoed from the staircase and when Alpha Achilles looked up, his heart did a series of somersaults when he saw the two girls descending the staircase. As they did, he didn't wait for them to walk over to him, he inched closer to the edge of the staircase and when the girls were on the last step on it, he stretched his hand forward and Louisa hastily put her hand in it with a smile plastered on her face.

"This gesture was meant for Bella" He said with a polite smile and Louisa's face reddened in embarrassment. She quickly took her hand off his and stepped aside. She stood behind Alpha Achilles and casted Bella a scornful look that caused her to bow down her head in fear.

"Will you be so cruel to keep a poor gentleman's hand hanging in the air, Bella?" Achilles spoke out and Bella raised her head up with a startled look on. All Achilles could see was fear in her eyes and he couldn't help but wonder what exactly they were doing to her in that house that made her so frightened to respond to his gestures in their presence.

The Bella he met in the woods was different from the Bella he was seeing at the moment. At least back there, she could express herself, she could actually smile, but right now, she looked like someone who had not smiled since she was born.

She looked miserable.

"Please Bella, don't leave me hanging" He implored and at that instant, Bella reluctantly stretched her right hand forward and placed it into his big palms. He gently turned the pack of her soft delicate palms and planted a gracious kiss on it that lasted a whole lot of seconds.

Louisa who was watching the scene was just a few seconds away from erupting.

The moment Achilles let go of Bella's hand, she hastily hid it behind her back and that made Achilles smile.

"It was nice meeting you Bella. I hope to see you soon again." He turned to Louisa. "And for you, it would give me great pleasure if you keep your hands off Bella. She's just a servant, not a punching bag. Find other ways to punish her whenever she does something wrong, although I'm certain she hardly does anything wrong. Try to be more humane with her, both of you" He said as he looked from father to daughter and back to daughter. "Can you do that for me?"

"Of course we can Alpha Achilles. We won't hit her anymore" Louisa lied.

"Good, and that should start now. Do not lay a finger on her as I step out. That is a warning." He said looking at Bella who had a gloomy look on her face.

He wanted to take her away.

He wanted to choosel her instead.

He wanted to make her life better.

But he couldn't. And he had his reasons why he couldn't.

"We have heard you, Alpha"

"Good. That said, I will take my leave now. See you in a few days, Louisa" He said and makestically strolled out of the living room with his guards following closely behind.

Bella just stood fixed to the spot as she waited for them to start raining beatings on her, but they didn't.

"You won't get away with this. I promise you!" Louisa coerced as she took the flight of stairs and her father closely followed.

Bella was still trying to process all what had just unfolded before her.

Alpha Achilles's actions did nothing but stun her and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

Well, she was just about to be surprised, because something drastic was about to happen.

Something that would alter her life forever!