Four
CARLA’S POV.
Everything was ready and in preparation. It was finally the big day. The time for the inauguration of a new King. Housekeeper Ann dished out the orders for everyone of us and walked away to go attend to other things. She was in charge of the kitchen as well, foods and drinks to be served at the party. Blood of different animals.
Soon everywhere was looking good and things were ready to commence. I had rounded up my work so I headed out in search for Smith. He had told me that he would be part of the wiring team.
“ Hi handsome!.” I teased and watched him turn around to look at me. He was dressed in a Brown sackcloth, that was the cloth he used mostly to attend to works like that. He had on Green boots, very thick ones.
“ Hi. I never thought you would come early.” He responded and stepped closer to me.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“ Had to come check on my best friend.” I responded with a bright smile curling up my lips.
“ Oh!.” He exclaimed then added. “ How did you find me?.” He asked.
I shrugged.
“ I figured it out, I guess.” I responded, my eyes on the wire hanging above our heads.
We were in the basement. It was where the whole connection was to come from.
“ Hmm!.” He hummed, nodded his head and walked towards the table, he had set his tools on.
“ Are you the only one doing this?.” I asked curiously, walking behind him.
“ Nope! Henry fell ill and the others had to go attend to the other rooms.” He explained.
“ For a house with about 40 rooms, I totally get the division of labor.” I said, my eyes accessing the room. “ The basement, isn’t it creepy?.” I asked then looked back at him.
I had grown up hearing weird stories about things happening in the basement. Ghosts and creepy things and I had made me really desist coming down here.
“ Nope!.” He replied. “ Nothing scares me anymore.” He added.
“ Always brave, that’s the Smith I know.” I said warmly.
I watched him let out a laugh and drag it for long.
I knew something was up. That laugh was super suspicious.
“ What?.” I asked, my eye brows raised.
“ Remember the day you had saw a cockroach and you wouldn’t stop screaming the whole house down because you had thought it would bit you and it would sting hard.” He said, his eyes now off the tools to look at me.
“ Huh huh!. I was eight, Smith. I was too young to understand that.” I responded and laughed softly.
The memories of that day running thro ki ugh my mind. I had screamed so loud that the Housekeeper Ann was forced to come over to check and in the end, I had gotten punished.
“ You are going to get punished for disturbing the peace of the Master.” She had said, with the fold above her eyes getting thicker.
I had feared that I would get beaten and broke into tears. She was about to hit the cane on me when Smith walked in front of it.
“ Beat me instead.” He had said and silently took the cane for me.
That had been one of the most heartwarming things I had seen and after that our friendship level had doubled.
“ For years, I kept wondering why you actually did that.” I said, wanting to know.
“ Did what?.” He asked and I inhaled a breathe.
“ You stood up for me. Let Housekeeper Ann beat you instead of myself.” I explained further.
He chuckled softly.
“ Do I need to have a reason for that? Isn’t standing up for one another what friends do. Best friends especially.” He responded.
“ Is it but…I don’t know. I kind of felt bad since then that I had put you in trouble.” I confessed.
I had tended to the aftermath of his courage, attending to the wounds on the back of his legs. It had taken him weeks to get his walking posture back and watching him stagger most days had made me feel so bad. Guilty that I had caused my best friend this much pain.
“ Put me in trouble.” He related and laughed softly. He dropped the hammer in his palm and nail then turned to face me.
He stretched forth his right hand to place his fingers on my left cheek.
“ You never put me in trouble, Olivia. I did it because it was the best thing to do. I wanted to protect you. You were my best friend and always will be so I did the right thing I could do.” He said in a very low tone almost passing off as a mumble but it was audible enough for me to hear. He had a smile on, one so pure and beautiful. “ I couldn’t stand seeing you sad and helpless so I did it besides it’s been years now. Why let it eat you up?.” He added and pulled his hand away.
I shrugged my shoulders. I wanted to believe otherwise but the look he had in his eyes said he meant it.
“ I guess I just….I don’t know. I just wanted to know how you really felt.” I responded.
He laughed again.
“ Oh Olivia!.” Was all he could reply with. “ Pass me the long nail over there.” He said and I stretched forth my right hand to pick it up then stretched it back to him.
“ Thanks.” He said and took it from me.
I watched as he hit the nail with an hammer.
“ What’s that for?.” I asked curiously. “ It isn’t part of the wiring work.” I added, watching his arms move. It was sexy. Watching his body reflexes move like this looked so good.
“ The table. It’s loose and I can’t stand seeing it that way.” He responded.
“ Just the Smith I know. You haven’t changed.” I
said and he burst out laughing.
“ Do you want me to change?.” He asked jokingly and I chuckled.
Did I? Well I doubted that I did.
But regardless of how much change he would ever go through, he would always be my best friend.
“ Of course not.” I responded and he turned around to send me a smile.
“ Ouch!.” He let out and pulled his left hand backwards, waving it in the air.
I pulled his arm to stare at the finger he had just bruised. It was oozing some blood.
“ Sorry.” I whispered softly and bit my lower lip as I thought of what to do. We weren’t really given an access to a first aid kit. I pulled at the edge of my gown and tore out a small portion, one enough to wrap around his finger.
“ That should stop the blood.” I said and tied it loose. “ Is it too tight? I can loosen it.” I asked, bitting my lower lip. Seeing him hurt again made me angry, pissed that I couldn’t protect him.
“ No, it’s fine. It’s better now.” He said and pulled his hand back.
I heard the bell ring loudly. I knew what that meant. We both did.
“ You should go check on the others. Housekeeper Ann could be looking for you since the festival is about to start.” He advised and I nodded.
“ You’re right. I will be right back or we could meet out there.” I said.
“ Yes.” He responded with a nod and sent me a smile. “ Go.” He said softly and waved me off.
I sent him a smile and walked out.
I could see the visitors arriving and their cars parked out. The music was on going softly.
“ Where the hell have you been? I have been looking for you. Housekeeper Ann wants you in the kitchen.” Jane ran up to me and informed me while trying to catch her breathe.
I nodded and followed her peacefully.
“ You called for me.” I said softly to her.
“ Where were you?.” She asked with a frown on her face and her left eye squirted to add an effect to her hard glare.
I responded with nothing. I wasn’t ready to explain a thing to her.
She kept mute for some minutes, her eyes glued to mine.
“ Join the others and take the foods and drinks out.” She finally ordered.
“ Okay Housekeeper Ann.” I responded and walked to join the others without any hesitation. I just wanted to get this whole thing done with and retire back to my room so I can have a long sound sleep.
The things were a little bit too heavy but we were like three carrying each coolers. It was the third round I would go when a Wolf looking like he was in his thirties walked up to me.
“ The Alpha would love to see you in his room.” He informed.
“ Me!.” I asked, my eyes widened as I found it hard to believe that it could be me. I knew it had to be Joyce and I could feel her glaring eyes on me.
“ Yes. He wants you to come over right now.” He replied.
I? Why would he want to see me?.
I could feel the eyes of the other servants on me and it did feel too awkward for me.
“ Why?.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I knew.
“ That I do not know but please follow me.” He responded coldly and I turned to look at the others briefly before stepping in front of him.