Back to the Alpha's Arms

“You’re a vampire, while I am a werewolf. We can’t be together when our kinds are sworn enemies. If you bear children, they will die. The curse is still ongoing,” he said in my dreams as he touched my face. “When the time comes, I will do anything to get to you and love you forever.” 

“Until death?” 

“Until death tears us apart.” His face was blurry as he reached for my face. Before our lips could meet, I felt sprinkles of hot water on my body that made me widen my eyes in reality and rousted off the bed. 

“Wake up, Madeline!” 

“Aaahhhh!” 

I stopped myself from glaring at my stepmother who is holding a mug that must surely contain hot water. Her other hand is on her left hip while raising her almost-invisible eyebrow. 

“Where is your brain that you did not even think of washing Ariana's clothes? She is going to meet with the duke’s son, and here you are, lying down on your filthy bed like a pig!” she preached. 

Argh, here we go again. I don’t like being awakened like this when I just came from a hangover. 

I sighed but did not show that I am pissed. I slowly stood up from the bed and faced her. Her eyebrows furrowed more while looking at me even though I am definitely not glaring at her. People say that I have a pair of pitch-black eyes that feel like they are being hypnotized. 

Every time I look in the mirror, I am not feeling what I am supposed to feel in my eyes. Or maybe they are just trying to tell me a joke, right? 

“I’m going to wash the clothes now. I have extra dresses that she can borrow from my wardrobe,” I said boredly and walked past her. 

“Don’t give me that look, Madeline. You are acting lazy!” I hissed secretly and before I closed the door.

I exclaimed, “I am not!” 

My stepmother is the only guardian I have now. Both of my parents are gone --- my father died as one of the royal soldiers fighting a bloody war when I was a child while protecting the kingdom where I am living, and my mother is nowhere to be found. They said that when I was born, she was abducted by pirates and I was left in the seashore. While my mother was gone, my father met my stepmother together with her daughter from a random man. After my father died, I was transferred to my stepmother’s house. 

And yes, just like Cinderella in a fairytale story, I ended up serving as a housemaid. Well, I am just content that I have a house where I can sleep and eat. I just disregard the fact that my stepmother and my stepsister would always insult me when they are bored with their lives. 

“Get that stain out of that dress! The duke’s son must not see my daughter funny and dirty!” my stepmother demanded as she watched me wash the clothes of her beloved daughter. 

Thank goodness that I am turning my back on her, or she will see me rolling my eyes. 

“Yes, mom,” I said, enthusiastic as possible. “I understand.” 

“Mom!” 

I rolled my eyes the second time when my sister’s overreacting voice engulfed the whole house. She was crying hysterically, which is my favorite sound all the time. Of course, I heard my stepmother approaching her in the living area, while I stayed at the back of the house to continue washing the dress.

 “Mom! Leo rejected me. He said he just wants us to be friends, and that I am not suitable to be his future wife!” 

I heard Ariana say while sobbing. 

Well, maybe the duke’s son saw your bad personality behind your beauty and the elegant dress your mother borrowed from one of the prominent dressers in the town. Oh, how fortunate the duke’s son could be, not to end up with a devil-like her. 

“Oh, it’s okay, my beautiful daughter,” her mother comforted her and must have been hugging her now. “He has brothers, right? I can try persuading the duke’s wife to introduce you to them.” 

“But what if they don’t like me again?” 

“That would be impossible. You are the most beautiful lady in town!” 

I gagged and laughed at myself. Yeah. You can be beautiful but have a filthy attitude? No, thanks. 

“What about the princes?” Ariana exclaimed, her tone is hopeful. “Can I meet them, too?” 

Oh, my goodness. Why is every lady in this town so obsessed with the idea of marrying princes and other royalties when they can be friends with them? But if they are looking at the riches and bearing children with them, their lives would also feel like royalty. I understand them, but I could never tolerate myself being the same as them when I can have the good life I want just by working hard and achieving my dreams. 

While I kept hearing the two from the living area, I hummed while soaking the white dress under the clean water. When I was done with it, I stood up from a small chair and went to the rope where I could dangle it to be dried by the sun. 

“Hmmmm…” I sang as I fixed the dress on the rope. 

The wind blew and it flew to the edges of the dress. It sprinkled drops of water so I wiped it away using the back of my hand. While listening to the whistle of the wind, my eyes accidentally caught a figure from afar. I furrowed my eyebrows as I watched a man standing. He was wearing black clothes underneath a black cloak, half of his face was covered, and he was under a tree so he could not be reached by the rays of the scorching sun.

 Who is that?