"You all change out of those stinky dresses! Don’t suffocate the Alpha with your smell — or you know what will happen," a woman who looked to be in her early forties said, wrinkling her nose like we were some sort of filth.
"Here, change into this after bathing. You have thirty minutes," she said, handing each of us a very short uniform.
"Who is she?" I whispered to Joan.
"She’s Elizabeth, the Alpha’s sister. She and the Alpha’s mother are the only women in Alpha Zach’s life he hasn’t killed."
"Oh, so this is the famous Elizabeth, the Alpha’s aunt? Who loves him so much, but sadly she died in the novel. Does that mean he’s killed every other woman in his life? According to the book I was reading last night, Alpha Zach doesn’t have a mate. He hates women getting close to him. He thinks any woman that gets close to him wants to seduce him and he wasted no time killing them. The only women allowed close to him are Elizabeth and his mother, the Luna."
"Hey Elie, let’s go," Joan said, dragging me into the bathroom to bathe and change with the others.
Elizabeth stood at the bathroom entrance. "Make sure you all scrub the dirt off your bodies and use the perfumes too."
After ten minutes of intense bathing and scrubbing, we changed into the clothes Elizabeth brought us.
"Elie and Rosella will be in charge of the Alpha’s food. You two will stand close to him. Joan, Annabel, and Mitchell will stand at the door with the pack guards. In case these two," she said, pointing at Rosella and me, "try anything... Never mind. Just do as I say."
Oh Lord. I just arrived in this strange place, in a strange body and now you’re sending me to my death?
"Elie, let’s go," Rosella said, and I hurried after her.
"Good morning, Alpha," Rosella and I said in unison, bowing our heads. Alpha Zach gave a slight nod. Elizabeth came in almost immediately.
"Zach, these two will be your new omegas."
"Hmm," Alpha Zach grunted. He was holding an invitation. It looked like it came from a neighboring pack, and suddenly his face became red with anger
"Fools!!" Alpha Zach suddenly roared, and everyone in the room dropped to the floor instantly. "Who the hell received this invitation on my behalf?" he asked, his eyes glowing dangerously.
I tried to peeking at his face. Woah. So this is how wolves’ eyes glow when they are angry?"
"Stop peeking or he will kill you Rosella whispered to me.
"Are you all deaf? Or do you want me to kill every last one of you?" he growled.
God, please. I don’t want to die! Save me from this place! I prayed silently
"Alpha, I did—" one of the guards began, shaking with fear. Before he could finish his sentence, blood splattered everywhere, and his body hit the ground with a thud. His head separated from his body. He was dead. Alpha Zach had killed him. Just like that?! Just for receiving an invitation on his behalf? I trembled and I wanted to scream as his blood splashed on me, but I clamped my hand over my mouth. One sound and I’d be next.
"Take this dirt away and clean everywhere," the Beta said, motioning toward the corpse.
Oh my God. The psycho Alpha just murdered someone — and they’re calling the body dirt?!
"Go and clean the bloodstain on the Alpha’s body," Elizabeth ordered. Signaling to me.
Oh God, accept my soul in advance, I prayed. I reached for a towel to wipe the blood from the Alpha’s cheek, but Rosella snatched it from me and shoved me aside.
"Alpha, I want to—" She didn’t even finish her sentence. Alpha Zach slit her throat with his claws. Rosella collapsed, lifeless. I need to run. I need to get out of here right now — or I’m next. I bolted for the door, not caring if anyone chased me. Halfway there, something warm and wet dripped down my face. Blood. Fresh and warm... oh no.
I woke up in a room — I guessed it was the omega quarters.
"Where am I? What happened?" I asked, confused.
"Elie, you fainted inside the Alpha’s office," Joan said.
"I fainted?" I asked surprised
"Yes, Elie."
"But why? I remember trying to run after the psycho Alpha killed Rosella... then everything went black."
"You fainted from shock."
"I’m not going back to his office. That man is a psycho! He killed a guard for accepting an invitation, and he killed Rosella for trying to clean blood off his face! I’m not going back — or I’ll be next!" I shouted.
"You don’t have a choice, Elie," Joan replied. "If you refuse to serve him, the Alpha will tie you to a pole, rub salt all over your body, and leave you there until you die. Or worse — he’ll have the guards tie your hands and feet, take you to a river, and throw you in."
"No!" I screamed.
"Then you have to serve him," Joan said. "At least if he kills you, it’ll be quick and less painful." Oh no. I’m too young to die. I’m just 21! How did I end up inside this novel?! And how do I get back to my real life — before this psycho maniac Alpha kills me?
"Elie, you’re awake," Elizabeth said from the doorway.
How did she get in without a sound? Damn wolves.
"It’s time to get back to work. Since Rosella is dead, Annabel, you’ll take her place. Now, back to work."
God must really want me dead. What if I fake a faint again? Or pretend I’m dead? Maybe Elizabeth will pick someone else instead. That could work... I’ll just hold my breath for ten minutes— wait, what if I actually die holding my breath?! Oh Lord, come to my aid. I’ll just try to avoid the psycho Alpha. We arrived at the Alpha’s office. The guard at the door warned us.
"The Alpha is asleep. Be careful not to wake him — or you know what the consequences will be." He opened the door, and we tiptoed in. Annabel was already shaking at the sight of the sleeping Alpha. Lord, accept my soul, I prayed, glancing up at the ceiling. I moved closer to where the Alpha was sleeping in his chair. He looks... so handsome. So innocent. How can someone this good-looking be a psycho?
"These ugly omegas are here again?"
What? Who said that?! I looked around — it was just Annabel, me, and the supposedly sleeping Alpha.
"Did you hear that?" I asked Annabel.
"No. I didn’t hear anything."
"I hate these stinky omegas. How dare they try to seduce me?"
There it is again! Wait... am I hearing the Alpha’s thoughts?! Oh God! Not only am I stuck inside a novel, now I’m hearing a psycho Alpha’s inner voice?!
"They don’t know I’m awake, but I’ll pretend I’m still sleeping. I want to see which one dares to wake me then I’ll separate her head from her body. Hehe. No... I won’t do it right away. Maybe I’ll grab her by the neck and slam her head into the wall. Again and again until her brain splatters. Yes, that will be fun."
No, no, no! He’s not sleeping, he’s pretending! He wants to kill us! I grabbed Annabel’s hand and bolted out of the office.
"Why did you drag me out like that?" she asked, confused. I couldn’t tell her I was hearing the Alpha’s thoughts she will think I was crazy.
"I didn’t want us to disturb the Alpha. He looked peaceful," I lied. That was close. But now I know if I can hear this psycho’s thoughts, I’ll use it to stay alive. One thing’s for sure: I’m not going back in there until he picks his next victim. Not me. We will have to wait outside.