Chapter SEVEN

I was glad to have brought the few bathing essentials I owned. I left the room to the bathroom admiring the exquisite bathtub and shower head. There was a cabinet on the wall and a mirror. I looked at my pale face, sunken tired eyes and bony cheekbones.

What would Lucian's parents think of me? I wondered before scoffing and taking off my clothes. Why did it matter, I hated him and I couldn't care less about his parents.

I hummed a familiar poem and I scrubbed off the sweat from the ride and brushed my teeth. I left the bathroom in a white towel I found in the cabinet.

As I ransacked through my clothes, I thought of what to wear. Probably jeans and blouse. A tiny voice in my head rebuked and urged me to wear my favourite gown because no matter how hard I tried, I didn't want to think of Lucian's parents. I still did.

I took out the floral gown that fell past my knee and put it on, I noticed a piece of thread loosen and I tucked it under my arm. I walked to the mirror and brushed my hair, using an old hair clip to hold it against my scalp.

When I finished, I sat on my bed and waited for further instructions from whosoever Henrietta sent to me.

I jerked in surprise at the sound of a knock on my door and the voices from behind it. I took a deep breath, standing and arranging my bed to keep myself busy. Because nothing screamed as desperate as sitting still waiting to meet your mate's parents.

"Come in." I said and the door opened to reveal a young lady with short black hair in a blue gown and apron tied around her waist.

"Hi" I said, dropping the bedsheet to walk towards her.

"Good evening Luna, I have been instructed to take you to dinner." She said with a smile. I ignored the part she called me Luna and nodded at her.

"Thank you." I said and she nodded before leading me out of the room. I followed her through the hallway and down the stairs, noticing his silence as the pack house had become.

I admired the paintings on the wall and an expensive looking vase that sat at both ends of the staircase. The lady led me to a huge door before she stopped and turned to me.

"The alpha and his family are already seated." She said, nodding before leaving me. I wiped my sweaty palm on my dress before taking in a deep breath and pulling the door open.

There was a discussion going on but when I walked in silence followed, my cheeks stained red at the attention.

"Good evening" I greeted, bowing slightly in respect.

"Glad to have you here Raina. Have your seat." I heard Henrietta beckon me over and I sigh in relief. Thank goodness she said something, the other people in the room were quiet and I didn't have the nerve to look up at them including Lucian.

"Thank you. I'm glad I was invited." She told her to take the empty seat that was available beside Henrietta, at the other side was an older woman who was the splitting image of Henrietta. I bowed in respect

"I didn't want to invite you here anyways and your dress is the first reason." A blonde beautiful lady that day opposite Henrietta spoke first, twirling a glass of wine in her hand.

"What's wrong with my dress? I really did put in some effort here." I exclaimed, more hurt that my best dress was terrible in her eyes.

The blonde laughed and the rest followed. I looked around to see none of them were in casual clothing. Instead they wore PJs.

"Who dresses up for dinner anyways?" I look down at my clothes then at the others in the room. None of them were dressed up. A few of them were in PJs and I saw the blonde girl smirk at me. I suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed that I had dressed to impress them when they had clearly not done the same for me.

"I just wanted to make an effort to impress you. But I guess the action wasn't reciprocated, while I was excited to see you all, you must have thought you were meeting another slave and hadn't bothered to show your welcome." I said, then turned to Lucian who sat at the head of the table.

"I don't think I'm hungry anymore." I said looking into Lucian's eyes before I moved my chair backwards, rising to my feet.

"You're weak!" I yelled before running out of the dining room, slamming the door shut behind me and resting my back against the wall as I let out the breath I had been holding.

I had overstepped! Why did I say all of that? I just made everything worse. I ran my hand through my hair and headed for my room shutting the door behind me.

I reached for my zip with shaky hands when I heard a knock on the door, I turned as Henrietta pushed it open.

"Let me help you." She offered, and I nodded at her.

"You can't do that from outside the room, can you?" I asked as she laughed and stepped in, closing the door gently, I turned my back to her.

"I love your dress Rain. You look beautiful in it." She said, pulling my zip further down to my waist.

"Really?" I ask, turning to her sadly and she nodded, giving me a soft smile.

"Yes. You are beautiful." She reached for my head, tucking it behind my ear.

"Thank you. I felt so stupid when the blonde girl pointed it out that I was dressed up." I confessed, suddenly feeling I could talk to Henrietta about anything, there was this sisterly vibes that radiated off her.

"I admire your strength, Rain. Although my brother is being stupid you are still trying and for that I want to say thank you." She said honestly and I smirked.

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Yes you do." She said, not sensing my humour and I frowned.

"I doubt that. Your brother bought me and I belong to him. Slaves don't have choices, we have orders." I answered truthfully watching the turmoil in Henrietta's eyes.

"I guess but he doesn't see it that way. He only used that as an excuse to get you to come with him." She said sadly, her head bowing a little.

A part of me suddenly sparked with anger and I clenched my fist.

"I see because he doesn't want anyone knowing who I am, right? I'm an embarrassment so he just couldn't come like a normal person and talk to my alpha who's been friends with him for a long time." I said, a little too loudly and the sadness that filled Henrietta's eyes suddenly made me feel like shit.

"I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to snap." I apologise, feeling the last pang of anger dissolve within.

"It's fine. We can train in the morning so you can let out some energy." She said, tapping me gently in the shoulder as she offered a reassuring smile.

"I'd like that."

"Good. I am happy you are here and I'm sure the rest of the family is too." I scoffed at that, heading to my bed.

"Who was she?" I asked, remembering the blonde girl from the dinning.

"Who? Lucy?"

"Is she the blonde one?" I asked, sitting on my bed and playing with the Hem of the blankets. I heard Henrietta sigh before coming to sit beside me.

"That's Lucy. She is the Beta female." Henrietta said, and just as I was about to speak, I heard footsteps outside my door and waited until the person knocked.

"Who is it?" I asked as we waited for the person to respond.

"May I come in?" A voice asked, and I recognized it as Lucian's, I rolled my eyes.

"No. I'm about to sleep." I answered sharply, turning to Henrietta who had a huge smile on her face before she pecked my cheeks.

"Goodnight. I'll be leaving now." She said and I gasped in shock as she winked at me before leaving the room.

I heard their hushed voices outside the door before it swung open to reveal Lucian.

"I didn't say you could come in." I said, standing up from my bed and walking to my closet.

"We need to talk." He said seriously and I rolled my eyes.

"I need to rest. It's not everyday an opportunity to rest comes up." I stated as a matter of fact.

"I wasn't asking so sit down and let's talk." He said sternly and I sighed, turning to him. A part of me wanted to argue and run into the bathroom to hide from him. But the other part of me reminded me that I was a slave to him, not a mate.

"Five minutes."

“Let’s talk.”