Chapter 8: Slow Down Little Mate

"These are all you're going to need," The elderly looking maid said to me, pointing to the basket of cleaning supplies laid out in the hallway. "Hm. Okay," I muttered, clenching my fists at my sides. She gave me a weird look, as if trying to decipher my expression. I had worked on that years ago. It would be impossible to tell. "My name's Avery, by the way. If you need anything, I'm always in the kitchen," She added. Her tone was strangely polite, so I leveraged it. "Are you the chef?" I asked. "Ah, yes, darling. The best in the kingdom. And don't worry, our alphas aren't as harsh as they seem. Especially Nyxion. Varek can be a tough nut to crack. Aero, so far, is the easiest to flow with. Give them time, you'll warm up," She continued, her grey eyes lost in her thoughts as she spoke. I nodded softly and thanked her. I stared down at the supplies and fought the urge to shake my head. The only reason I had been so quiet about it earlier was that I didn't want to go back down there. Anything else was better than nothing, but did I rent another phase of being a maid? I exhaled, grabbed the supplies, and decided to start my job for the day. That was when I saw them. Nyxion, an incredibly beautiful woman, was making out in the hall. He hauled her up against the wall, her legs around his waist, his hands under her skirt, and his lips on her chest. I felt my heart—or what was supposed to be left of it—clench painfully as she lolled her head backward and moaned. Who was she? I remembered the disdainful look she shot me when Nyxion gave his orders, not to mention she was on his lap. Was she the reason he kept backing away from me, even when I could feel his wolf call out to mine? Was she his mistress? Then, his eyes skidded to mine, and the world stopped. I kept my expressionless mask on, hoping to the goddess he didn't see the flicker of pain threatening me behind my eyes. His own flashed with guilt at first, then cruel indifference. I took that as my cue to leave without uttering a word. He wasn't going to acknowledge it; my delusions were just delusions. It was forbidden. I should just try to survive here and ignore the three hottest Alphas in all seven kingdoms, who were my fated mates. But that was going to be a lot harder than I would imagine. Maybe the Moon Goddess did curse me. I grabbed the bucket and went straight to what I thought was the council hall, oblivious to the voice I heard inside. My mind was too preoccupied. Only when I bumped into a wall of muscle while trying to Positioning the mop on the floor, I realized there was someone else in the room. I scrunched my nose and rubbed it as I shifted backwards to look at them. He was tall, with innocent blue eyes and long lashes. His hair was thick,k bla,ck d wavy, with a small scar running down his temple. He looked regular. "O pardon me, my bad," He said, his voice smooth like silk sheets fresh out of the loom. "No no, it's my fault," I shook my head, bowing until my knees hurt. He held me by the shoulder, urging me to stop and look back at him. "You're...Naeris, aren't you? Alpha Nyxion just briefed me on your presence in the palace today. My name is Draven, I'm the Bet." He stretched out his hand. I stared at it for a while before taking it. They weren't calloused or rough like the brothers. "Yes. Yes I'm Naeris." "Well, you must have entered the wrong room. The council hall, which I suppose you were looking for, is on the opposite side of this hallway," He pointed to the large mahogany doors with inscriptions written at the entrance. Just looking at it made me understand that it was a place where powerful people spoke, and life-changing decisions were made. "Thank you," I muttered, turning to walk away. "Wait," he called, and I froze. "This might be inappropriate, but I am rather curious," he said. My brows furrowed. "And what are you talking about?" He straightened, as if he were about to pitch a brilliant idea. Sarcasm intended. There was something oddly comforting about him, but with an edge I didn't like. He seemed like the type of person to order executions while eating British biscuits and petting horses. "What exactly gave the Alpha's interest in a worthless servant like you? Enough to withhold a war that would forever change the course of history?" He asked, and I almost snorted. There it was. The edge. I scoffed, my tongue preparing to unleash itself. But I played along. "Do tell, what do you mean by worthless?" He let out a heart laugh. "I just mean, well," he sized me with his eyes, and I felt disgust pool in my tummy. "You do not look worthy enough for their attention. You must have used some sort of voodoo or charm for them to bring you here, and you are nothing but a spy." "I think we can tell between the two of us who's more' less worthy looking'. Except I have dignity, and you're just a dog seeking validation from the Alpha," I spat, my grip on the mop tightening. "Next time, if you want to ruin someone's pride, look in the mirror and confirm if you even can speak to someone who has what you won't ever get." He stood there with his mouth open, stunned, and I turned to grab the supplies to leave before he said anything else. I couldn't guarantee that I would be as lenient as I was with my tongue. Fuming, I tried to control myself as I walked into the hall. My breathing was labored as cold rage coursed through my veins. Worthless? I'll show him worthless. "Slow down, little mate, what's got you so worked up?" I heard a voice call out to me.