Chapter 4. Dismissed

People looked at me as I walked inside the Office Building where I was assigned.

Two days had passed since the Offering and people in the Vamos pack were still adjusting to our presence. Well, MY presence. The Remain.

Apparently, it was true that for years since the tradition of the Offering was made, this was the first time in a couple of decades that someone was not picked to be taken.

So, those girls may have been right to say that, but still wrong at the same time. I wasn’t the very first one! I was just the first one after many years of not having a Remain.

Insecure brats. They didn’t even realize it was more pitiful to be taken by someone like an object like that than to be left alone like me.

‘We found our mate. That’s why we weren’t taken.’ Lia, my wolf, suddenly intruded my train of thoughts.

I frowned, hating how she has the power to do that. Also hating the fact that I was also somehow considering the reason she was saying to be the cause of this—not that I wanted to be picked.

But who am I kidding? That bastard couldn’t have possibly told that man who was already pining on me to get away because I was his mate.

He even threatened me in my face to never tell a soul about it.

I’ve realized after staying here for two days, that that encounter with those brats wouldn’t be the first and last; because since their Omegas are far more stronger than any of us, normal werewolves from the Offering, we were still at the deepest part of the hierarchy. The lowest.

We’re slaves, basically. So it really didn't come as a shock to me when something went flying over my head as soon as I stepped inside the building with a mop in my hand. "Hey, weakling. Get this done for me," said the Warrior lycan that lounged inside the Office Building where I was assigned to clean. The first floor of the building, where I was specifically assigned, was dedicated for the Warriors' use for relaxation.

Lycans were also known for their strong soldiers and warriors, so it’s not a shock that this bastard has a feeling of entitlement to treat me or any of us like crap.

Shocker. Even those girls who weren’t lycans tried bullying us, how much more these manically stronger bastards?

I didn’t look at the man that threw his disassembled weapons at me. They’ve been training for assembling firearms since the other day. I started mopping the floor where the other bastards he was with stepped on with wet mud on their shoes. The scumbags have been doing it since yesterday even when they could see me mopping the floor over and over again.

“Hey, b*tch. I’m talking to you.” I wanted to roll my eyes at him. He’s been insistent at making me slave for him since he saw me here yesterday. This jackass is more buff than some, and has cropped short hair. Wearing their black warrior uniform, he looked like he could tackle anyone in his way. And as usual, he’s tall—the usual lycan height. Noticing a black pin on his chest, I realized then he must be someone of rank in their unit.

“I’m tired and need assistance. Assemble that for me,” he continued insisting like a lazy bastard sitting on the couch. I saw in my peripheral vision that he started stretching his leg, ready to kick me when I didn’t move. And before I knew it, I almost stumbled on my feet, if not for the mop I was holding, I could have face-planted on the floor.

I gritted my teeth. “Do the hell what I say, you loser. Or you’re gonna get kicked harder the next time.”

Standing up properly, I slowly turned towards the weapons on the floor. I felt my head boil.

“What? You think you can defy me?” He said as I looked at his face, containing my anger.

I put my mop down and slowly walked towards the weapons he wanted me to assemble for him. The bastard immediately smirked when he saw he was having his way.

I started assembling the gun on the floor. Putting the things everywhere that I thought would fit. I stood up, finished the last piece and handed the jackass his gun. It was small and stealth. I knew it was especially made to kill Rogues in one shot with its silver bullets. I remember it being introduced to the entirety of Vamos years back.

“Good girl.” I wanted to smack his head when he tapped my hair like a child. He stood up from his seat and towered over my figure. “Too bad I was in a Rogue chase during the ceremony. You wouldn’t have been a Remain. I would have picked you.” He suddenly inched closer, his breath now beside my neck. “But it isn’t too late, is it?”

“Get off me,” I gritted out when his hand immediately snaked to the lower side of my breast. He chuckled beside my ear, making goosebumps rise on my neck in disgust.

“Get off!—“ I struggled against him, but his other arm constrained my waist when he pulled me towards him closely. I gasped at his strength, my breath literally caught in my throat. “Now, be a good girl and give me just a little taste.” I shook my head forcibly when he took my chin with his fingers. His head moved towards my lips and his other hand started caressing my chest on top of my clothes. Disgust rippled all around my body.

“Bastard! Get away! N-No—uhmm!” I bit both of my lips so his lips wouldn’t touch mine. When he pulled back for a while, I spat at him. He immediately stepped back, shocked at what I did. I coughed, feeling my breath come back without his gripping presence.

“YOU BI—“ The ferocious anger in his face, and the slight brightening of his eyes was what greeted me when I looked back at him. But before he could attack me, the door suddenly opened, taking our attention. People wearing suits and formal attire went inside the building. The sight of them made the bastard beside me step back and stand properly. I also stood properly and straightened my crumpled shirt. Relief washed over me at the interruption that was done. Thank the heavens they came. Or I could have been dead after murdering somebody first.

I inhaled deeply in relief, but I immediately noticed the strong presence inside the hall, and I knew the people that came in were somewhere higher in the hierarchy. They’re from the High Council.

But another scent and presence caught my attention, almost making me forget that I had just struggled away from an attack not even a second ago. It was so strong and compelling it made each person in the room let him walk through first without him uttering a single word. And his smell…

‘Mate. He’s here. Talk to him,’ Lia spoke when she felt the intensity of the mate bond in our soul. Delicious sensations rippled through me as his manly and fragrant scent filled my nostrils. The king smelled as captivating as he looked.

I couldn’t make out what he was wearing the last time I saw him, but he wore a dark suit today, as dark as his hair, which accentuated his sharp features. It brought out the golden streaks of his hazel eyes and sharpened his structured features. He appeared taller than most with the way he held himself, and the way he was looking at me as I stared back at him made my body tingle in anticipation. He looked like he was carved out like a statue.

‘Go to him. Greet him. Talk nicely to him this time.’ I couldn’t even talk back to Lia as I literally felt his gazes on my skin. His eyes traveled from my feet to my stomach, to my chest, neck until they met my eyes again. I could almost feel him surveying me like he did the first time we talked, as if checking me. I no longer had any of the wraps in my wound, completely healing from it—and I have no idea how I was able to heal that quickly when I normally heal two or three days, and that’s already the fastest. The king looked monotonous, despite how good he looked, but as soon as his eyes landed on my arm, those hazel eyes of his went dark.

I looked down on it and saw red marks from how the Warrior grabbed me earlier.

“You are a squadron leader,” the king said, his tone monotonous as he directed his gazes at the man beside me. But no one could mistake the menace lingering in it.

“Y-Your Majesty? Y-yes… Yes! Your Majesty,” the man stuttered like a nervous wreck.

The Warrior started sweating beside me. And as much as I wanted to laugh or snigger at how cowardly he sounded and looked right now, I couldn’t.

Even I felt like I was being questioned with how the Lycan King’s eyes penetrated at the man beside me.

“Does your work include slacking off with a woman in the lounge area?”

It seemed like those sarcastic words made me visible to everyone who didn’t even notice my presence with them. All eyes went to me at the mention of 'woman'.

Even the Warrior looked at me. But instead of seeing the lustful eyes he had earlier, I could see shock and nervousness in them. “Uhmm, n-no, Your Highness,” he started nervously and looked at the latter again. “I was taking a break from training when I saw her. I just thought of befriending—“

I was going to glare at the lying, twisted bastard when the king interrupted him with a cold voice.

“You do not meddle with just any of the new people. Just because you are unmated, doesn’t mean she is.”

But the glare I was about to throw went away, completely taken aback by the king’s gritted out words to the Warrior who looked terrified beside me.

I stared at the king. Didn’t he just tell me to keep our matebond a secret? And now he’s doing this?

What is wrong with him?

“My Liege, do you have any business with this werewolf lady?” That question uttered by an old Councilman seemed to have snapped the king away from his outburst.

Our eyes met and I saw the surprise in his eyes from the way he acted, as if it was all instinct that made him utter those words. But when he blinked, the expression quickly went away.

“May I know your name, Miss?”

My attention went to the man who was beside to the king. He looked at me with wonder in his eyes.

The man had blonde hair and blue eyes that sparkled with both confusion and amusement as they moved between the king and I. I started fidgeting. Not knowing how to handle the situation.

‘Tell them you’re his mate. Tell them!’ Lia screamed in my head, overly excited at how this situation was trapping us to recognize each other’s connection. But I kept my mouth shut.

“Miss?” The blue-eyed guy insisted. “S-Sabrina,” I cleared my throat. “Sabrina Ringwood.”

“Are you one of the Offered?” He asked once again. I started tensing.

I usually didn’t mind talks and conversations, but I couldn’t handle being questioned right here, right now, with all of these people around. But I still answered. “Yes.” The blue-eyed, charmingly boyish guy nodded. He had this subtle dimple even when he wasn’t smiling.

“Then you must be the Remain,” he concluded with wonder in his eyes.

“Ye—” I was about to speak again, compelled by their dominating presence despite my discomfort, but the king suddenly interrupted.

“Let’s go,” he said. The blue-eyed man looked at him. He had this stronger presence than most people in the room, except the king.

If I were to assume, he might be the Alpha King’s Beta.

“Let’s not waste our time over this,” the king said and glanced at me. “Do you know her?” The latter asked him. I stared at the king, the twang of discomfort from his rather cold and confusing attitude making its way to my chest.

“No.”

The blue-eyed man stared at him. And even when I couldn’t directly see what his expression looked like, I knew confusion and the same wonder was in his eyes like I saw earlier.

And even when I tried to fight it, the king’s answer made something fall in the pit of my stomach. I heard Lia whimper in my head. The hurt she was feeling was twice as much as mine. “He really didn’t want to acknowledge us. Why? He’s our mate.” She whimpered. I didn’t answer her, feeling something stuck in my throat. I could feel her pain as well. I don’t like that I’m getting hurt because of this.

This is stupid, and unfair.

He looked away from me and walked out. The Councilmen including the blonde, blue-eyed guy were left standing when the king just strutted away.

But quickly, they all started moving again, following their king that had already vanished towards the other floor of the building where the meeting rooms were located. But before they could vanish from my sight, those blue eyes went to me again, as if he had just found out something about me.