Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha
Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Chapter 84

Betrayed by Blood

"There’s a lot of work to do and not too many hands to go around. The new servants who have joined will follow the leads of those who have been here longer. Your tasks will be shared with you daily, so make sure to complete your chores for the day. Failure to complete them will result in punishment decided by me," the deep voice of the head maid echoed through the hall.

"Well, get to work already! We don’t have all day," she screeched, and like everyone else, they immediately spread out. Avery grabbed her brush and bucket, moving to a corner and knelt down, getting to work. The pack had new people, and they were being distributed to their various positions, which was why the place was much more crowded than usual. She paused, looking around for Millie, but she couldn’t find the other there. She wondered if Millie’s chore for today included cleaning in the pack house or the warriors’ den, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and focused on her work, wanting to be done as soon as possible and leave.

The faint scent of lavender soap filled the air as the maids bustled around the pack house, their hands busy dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing. Thirty minutes had gone by already, and they were nowhere near done with their chores. Avery sighed, wiping her sweat-filled forehead. The sun seemed to shine even brighter today, almost as if it was showing off on purpose.

Avery kept her head down, wiping the wooden railing of the staircase, her ears tuned to every sound around her. The heavy clack of heels echoed through the hall, and Avery didn’t need to look up to know who had arrived.

Martha walked into the room, her sharp eyes scanning every corner. She marched over to a new servant who stood by the window, cleaning it. Her face scrunched into a distasteful sneer. "What is this?" she barked, pointing at a barely noticeable smudge on one of the windows. "Is this what you call clean? Do it again! All of you, stop dragging your feet and do your jobs properly!"

Avery glanced at the girl she was barking at, the young girl already with tears filling her eyes. "I-forgive me, my lady," the girl stammered fearfully.

The smirk that stretched on Martha’s lips sent a cold shudder down Avery’s spine. It was like she enjoyed preying on young, naive servants. It was the same thing she did to Avery back when she’d just arrived at the pack. It was like a power trip for her; she thrived off of it.

"And you? How long will you wipe one surface?" she snapped at another maid.

A new maid next to Avery paused what she was doing, her fist clenched around the rag she held. "If only she was cleaning just like everyone else," she muttered under her breath, loud enough for Martha to hear.

Martha froze in her steps, her eyes narrowed dangerously. She turned around fully, her gaze settling on the maid who had spoken. Her eyebrows cocked up, a nasty scowl on her face. "What did you just say?" she asked, stepping closer, towering over the maid.

"Want to repeat that for me?" she asked, her voice cold as ice, almost daring. Her gaze intense on the maid, intentionally out to intimidate her.

Selena straightened, meeting Martha’s glare without a hint of fear. "I said, maybe if you helped instead of just barking orders, this place would get cleaned faster."

Gasps rippled through the room at the maid’s words. Avery froze, her rag hovering over the railing as she watched the confrontation unfold.

Martha stalked toward Selena, her lips curled into a mocking smile. "Do you know who you’re talking to?" she hissed, stopping mere inches from Selena’s face. "Do you even know who I am? I’ve been running this place long before you probably learned to walk. I’m the head maid of this pack—"

"Former head maid," the girl shot back, and for a second, Avery enjoyed the look of fury that flashed in Martha’s gaze. She looked absolutely appalled at the girl’s audacity. "Yeah, I know exactly who you are. Someone clinging to past glory. You’re not the head maid anymore, so stop acting like you are. No one cares. You are just like the rest of us. A maid, so instead of blaming us for not working fast enough or clean enough for you, why don’t you get a bucket and a rag and get cleaning."

Martha’s face twisted in rage, her hands trembling as she clenched them into fists. "How dare you—"

Before anyone could react, Martha’s hand shot up, ready to hit the girl, but just as her palm was about to touch her, the door flew open, and the new head maid stepped in, her eyes wide.

"What is going on here?" the head maid demanded, her eyes darting back and forth between Martha and the girl.

Martha glared hard at the girl, her jaw clenched hard. "Nothing," she gritted out tightly. If there was one person she hated more than Avery and Lydia, who exposed her, it was Julie, the new head maid. Julie worked under Martha until she was ousted, and she latched onto Martha’s position, and now she didn’t even want to leave the position anymore.

"Well, get back to work! We don’t have all day!" the head maid snapped, and just like that, everyone was back cleaning.

Martha stood still for some seconds more, glaring at the girl before turning to leave. She didn’t make it far as the head maid called out to her again.

"Martha," the woman called out her name, making her halt in her steps.

Martha turned around, her expression tight. "Yes?"

"Where do you think you are going?"

Martha furrowed her eyebrows, clearly confused. "Surely you’re not insinuating that I clean."

The head maid scoffed, taking a step closer to Martha. "I’m not insinuating anything, Martha. I’m ordering you to get a bucket and a rag and get cleaning. Or would you like me to inform Alpha Cain that you’re too big to do your job as a maid?"

Martha froze, her face flushing with embarrassment and anger. The room was silent once more, all eyes flickering toward her. Avery watched from her corner, hiding her smile as she resumed scrubbing the banister.

The head maid stood tall, her arms crossed over her chest, radiating authority. "Well?" she prodded.

Martha opened her mouth, then closed it again, her jaw tightening visibly. "Of course not, I’ll clean," she muttered through clenched teeth, not even the bitterness in her tone could be hidden.

The head maid’s eyes flickered around once again. "Everyone, back to work. Now."

The new girl leaned closer to Avery, a small smile on her face. "What’s her problem?" she whispered, rolling her eyes. "Walking around like she owns the place."

At first, Avery was surprised that she was talking to her, but she couldn’t help the smile that tugged on her lips. "You really don’t hold back, do you?"

The girl grinned. "Why should I? People like her only have power if you let them." She extended a hand. "I’m Selena, by the way."

Avery hesitated for a moment before taking her hand. "Avery Jae."