Chapter 6

Aurora's POV:

The next day, I had just finished scrubbing the kitchen floors when a maid approached me. Her face was unfamiliar, sharp cheekbones, eyes like faded embers, and a tight-lipped smile that didn’t quite reach them.

“I am here to deliver the Alpha's orders.” She began, her voice was low and devoid of warmth. “He wants Stallion washed up before his hunt.”

“Stallion?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“His horse.” She replied.

I nodded, not questioning it. Why would I? I was, after all, his personal maid. His demands, no matter how tedious, were my burden to bear. I wiped my hands on the ragged apron wrapped around my waist and set off.

In the storage room, I grabbed a bucket, a worn-out sponge, and a half-empty bottle of soap. I trudged to the well, the bucket scraping against stone as I filled it.

Jason. The same man who had once torn my heart—literally—out of my chest, now had me washing his horse. The universe had a twisted sense of humor.

When I was done getting water from the well, I rushed to the barn and made my way through the rows of stalls. The barn keeper barely looked up from his whittling as I approached.

“Where’s Stallion?” I asked.

“Fifth stall, last row.” He jerked his head in the direction.

I stepped in, then I found Stallion’s stall and reached for the latch.

Suddenly, I felt something hard against my head.

Pain exploded at the back of my head. White-hot, searing pain. My knees buckled, and I stumbled forward, bracing against the wooden frame to keep myself from collapsing.

“What—” I gasped, the words stuck in my throat.

I turned. And through the haze, I saw the maid who had sent me on an errand. With two other maids beside her.

“Look at you.” She sneered. “The Alpha’s pet. Did you really think you could walk around here without consequence?”

I tried to respond, to force my tongue to work, but then something sandy was blown into my face. My eyes burned, and I blinked rapidly.

The first kick landed on my side and I wheezed, crumpling to the ground.

The blows came from every angle. A fist to my jaw, a knee to my ribs. I curled into myself, trying to shield my vitals, but it was useless. They were relentless.

A plank crashed against my leg, and I felt something snap. I coughed, and a thick, metallic taste flooded my mouth. Blood.

“You think you’re special?” The maid hissed, grabbing a fistful of my hair and slamming my head against the floor. “You think he cares about you?”

I couldn’t answer. Couldn’t breathe.

“You think you're better than us?” The lead maid spat. “Strutting around the Packhouse as if the Alpha’s gaze makes you special.”

Another maid, smaller but with a vicious gleam in her eyes, leaned down and grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back until my neck strained. “Did you really think he cares for you?” She let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You’re nothing but a plaything. A passing fancy.”

The third maid swung the plank again, the thud reverberating through my bones. “You were warned.” She said, wiping a smear of my blood off her cheek. “You were told to stay away from him. But no—little Melissa had to keep fluttering around him, didn’t she?”

They circled me. “He’ll toss you aside when he’s done. Just like the others.”

“You should’ve left when you had the chance.”

“And now? You’ll learn.” She lunged forward once more, but suddenly paused.

When one the maid's voice rang out. ““Enough?” One of them muttered, but the strikes didn’t stop. Not until I could no longer distinguish the barn floor from the sky.

And then, nothing.

When consciousness found me again, it came slowly, it was dark outside, and I was still on the cold floor, the smell of manure and blood thick around me.

I stood up slowly and made my way outside. And then… I heard voices outside.

“Check the east wing.”

“Should we look in the barn?”

“She has to be somewhere.”

My body protested, but I forced myself up. Every joint groaned, and my skin felt too tight.

I pushed through

Guards. At least a dozen of them. One of them saw me, his eyes widening as he ran forward. “Over here!” He shouted.

He didn’t ask questions. He simply lifted me, tossing me over his shoulder, and carried me into the Packhouse. My head lolled, and through half-closed eyes, I saw him—Jason.

He was pacing back and forth at the center of the sitting room. And when he saw me, he ran forward, snatching me from the guard’s arms.

“Get the physician.” He barked. “Now!”

He carried me through the halls, straight to his room. Then he laid me on his bed, his hands brushing the hair from my face.

“I looked everywhere.” He murmured. “I thought… I thought I’d lost you.”

Lost me? He killed me once.

If I didn’t know the truth, his words might have swayed me.

“Where were you?” He asked, snapping me out of my daze.

“At the barn.” I managed, my voice a rasp.

“Why? Why the hell were you at the barn?”

“You sent me there.”

His brows knitted. “And why would I do that?”

“I received your order to wash up Stallion for your hunt.”

His jaw tightened. “I haven’t gone on a hunt in months and I don't plan to anytime soon.” He replied. “So, if I didn't give the order, then who did?”

Of course, he didn't. I had known that the moment the maids attacked. Lydia’s handiwork, no doubt. It was her own way of trying to break me.

But I had learned to play the fool.

“That… a maid told me you wanted me to.”

“What maid?” He shot up.

I reached for him, a fake smile on my lips. “Stay with me.” He hesitated, then sat back down, his fingers wrapping around mine.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and the Royal Physician swept in. His hands were gentle as he applied a muddy paste to my wounds, feeding me bitter herbs that scraped my throat.

When he finished, he pulled Jason aside, his voice low but not low enough. “She’s malnourished, stressed beyond measure. She needs utmost care.”

My lips curled into a bitter smile. This body was weak, fragile. I missed my old self—the Vampire Queen who wouldn’t have crumbled beneath a few cowardly blows.

Jason returned, his face hard. “Tell me their names. The ones who did this.”

I studied him, weighing the truth against the lie. “I… I don't know their names.”

“Did you see their faces?” He questioned, further.

And I nodded. “I can only identify one though.” I began. “I saw her once… With your mistress Lydia.”