My mother glanced at me briefly, gesturing with her hands for me to step aside, but I couldn’t move. I needed shelter, a roof over my head.
A tall man in black sunglasses and a sleek black suit emerged from the car. His towering presence, probably over 6 feet 6 inches, made me instinctively step aside. His veiny hands sported an expensive watch, and one of his broad fingers bore a blue ring and a tattoo of a sword in the storm on the back of his left hand.
“My son, Norman!” my mother exclaimed, faking a smile as she hurried over to greet him. She didn’t even welcome her own child with such enthusiasm, yet here she was, eager to please her mate’s son.
“How many times do I have to remind you not to call me your son?” His voice was so deep it sent chills down my spine.
“I’m sorry, I must’ve forgotten. Seeing you excites me so much,” she replied, trying desperately to win his favor. All I needed was one smile from her, and I would have fallen to my knees in gratitude.
“Who’s this?” Norman asked, barely giving me a glance. His cologne was sweet and mysterious.
“I am-” I barely got the words out before my mother silenced me with her harsh response.
“She’s here for a maid’s position,” she said, and my heart shattered, the words cutting deeper than any blade. My own mother was ashamed to call me her daughter?
“We don’t need any more maids. Dismiss her and send her on her way,” Norman waved his hand dismissively before stepping into his car and driving up the long driveway.
My mother quickly grabbed my arm, shaking me as she hissed, “You heard him. Now go away!”
She covered my mouth with her hand, muffling any response I might have had. Without another word, she spun on her heel and hurried after her ‘son.’
I stared down at the spot where she had touched me, my arm still tingling from the roughness of her grip. A flood of tears escaped my eyes. What had happened to her touch? It used to be so gentle, so full of love.
Even after she disappeared, I stood frozen, unsure of where to go. I had no place to return to, nowhere to seek refuge.
“HONK!”
Startled, my body jolted, and I turned to see another car pulling up behind me. This time, an older man stepped out. He removed his sunglasses, studying me intently.
“What are you doing just standing there? Bow before the rogue king!” a guard hissed at me from behind the older man.
I quickly lowered my head in respect, clasping my hands nervously in front of me.
“Who are you?” the man asked, his voice calm but commanding.
“I’m your mate’s daughter, but don’t worry, I’ll be leaving now,” I replied, ready to turn and go when he surprised me with his response.
“You don’t need to leave.”
Helanie:
“You don’t need to go anywhere. It’s getting dark, and the wilderness is not a place for a helpless werewolf,” I noticed how comforting his voice was. He didn’t appear threatening or angry, even though he stood as tall as a six-foot guy.
“Mom said I’m not welcome,” I admitted, knowing I was practically begging to stay here, but it was my only chance to stay alive.
The minute Alpha Diaz discovered I had escaped, he would deploy his warriors to capture me and punish me for all the ‘sins’ I had committed, including fleeing from my punishment.
“My door is open for any helpless creature. And you are not just anyone; you’re my mate’s daughter. So come inside and stay for the night.” He patted my head like a father would, and tears once again welled up in the corners of my eyes. I knew I was heavily emotional in the moment.
I hadn’t even processed what I had endured over the past few days. With my weakened state, I followed him. His mansion was grand with many staircases leading upstairs and to different floors.
“Sophia! Where is Ursula?” Lord McQuoid called for the maid in a white apron and blue dress. They had a uniform for maids, and there were so many of them.
My mother must not have to work a single day anymore, yet she couldn’t bring herself to soften up for me. I thought all these luxuries and comforts might have changed her resentment toward me, but I guess I was wrong.
“Dad! Why did you bring this maid inside?” The guy from earlier, Norman, appeared, walking downstairs. He wasn’t wearing the glasses that had hidden his eyes.
“She is not a maid,” Lord McQuoid corrected his son, who frowned and tilted his head. His eyes briefly landed on me before he turned back to his father. “She is Ursula’s daughter from her fated mate.”
That was all it took for Lord McQuoid to change the look on Norman’s face.
“And Helanie, this is my eldest son, Norman A. McQuoid. He is not only the finest trainer at my academy but also manages my business.” The pride in his voice made me think about my own parents. I never made them proud like this. In fact, one wanted to kill me while the other refused to acknowledge me as her child.
However, I was jolted back to reality when Norman scoffed at me.
“Why is her daughter here?” His tone was stern and harsh, clearly unwelcoming. He was now looking me deep in my eyes while unbuttoning his coat.
“Because, just like you stay here with your father, she can visit her mother,” Lord McQuoid tried to reason, but the tall man seemed unmoved.
“She visited; now she can leave,” Norman stood his ground, his eyes harshly examining. I felt under attack but maintained my composure to avoid showing discomfort under his gaze.
“You will not make that decision, young man. Besides, the mansion has many rooms; she can sleep in any of them for the night-,” His words were interrupted by the arrival of my mother.
“Didn’t I tell you to leave?” Her voice was quite loud this time as she glared at me.
“Easy! Don’t you see, she is pretty shaken up. I think we should let her stay for the night,” Lord McQuoid interjected and I wondered if he was the only one who could see the pain on my face. I must admit, it did intrigue me to wonder how it must feel to have a father like him.
“No! She will not stay here. If it’s about safety, I can ask my driver to drop her back home. But she will not stay here. I will not allow this woman to bring her family and take over. We let you bring in this woman at one promise that you won’t expect more from us, but now her daughter is here too,” Norman yelled, causing me to step back and away from everyone. He kept glaring at me, taking off his coat and casually stretching his arm to the side to hand it over to the maid.
“Norman, you’re scaring the little girl,” Lord McQuiod attempted to step between us as Norman slowly lost his composure. The amount of hatred from someone I had just met surprised me.
“I think Norman is right. She should be dropped off,” my mother agreed with her stepson, just to please him.
“I won’t go back home,” I said firmly. I knew I couldn’t return there. There was no home for me. Despite being disrespected here, I knew this would be the safest place for me.
The silence thickened the air. While the Rogue King seemed genuinely concerned, my mother covered her mouth, hiding her shock at my statement.
But it was Norman McQuoid who lost his temper and came directly at me. “You are not staying here. This is not your home,” he yelled, pointing his finger in my face. “I am not working hard so people like you can take advantage of the luxuries I provide. You need to leave.”
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