*Abi POV*
I feel like screaming my lungs out the moment Omario leaves me, but my lungs feel like they have been punched really hard. I pant continuously to force the air into my lungs because I can’t breathe.
What did you expect Abi? He is the prince for heaven’s sake!
No amount of scolding myself makes the dull aching pain in my heart better.
A few days ago, Omario was a hot, kind and engaged prince, who was helping me. I did not even think of him as anything more, but that kiss and those videos he made me watch and commanded that I think of him like that, sent my mind to places I did not even know existed. Now being told that Terrence is my mate seems to have turned a screw in my head I can’t undo.
I am still bathing in self pity when I get summoned by Brenda. I drag myself out of the bed to her wing in the castle. Alpha Theo is laying lazily on the couch in the lounge when I arrive.
“My number one enemy,” he sneers and a slap lands on my left cheek. I turn to find Brenda glaring at me.
“I called for you five minutes ago, slave. When I call, you run!” Brenda yells. Alpha Theo laughs and blows her a kiss, clearly proud of her actions and she blushes.
I guess that’s the reason for the slap. I walked as fast as I could but I am still weak.
My hand touches my numb cheek, I should probably feel some pain, but my heart is already bleeding and I don’t even feel the physical pain she just inflicted on me.
“You are allocated to this wing from now on, I expect this place sparklingly clean every morning when I wake up,” Brenda continues.
She wakes up around five o’clock, I guess I need to wake up at least four hours before that to finish all my chores by then. That is going to be really tough at this time of the year. Not is it still dark by then, it’s also freezing, but I don’t get to complain about that.
I stand there waiting for her to finish yelling. Even though the slap was unexpected, I am used to this. This is how she communicates with us.
“Olivia will give you a list of things I want done ASAP. Go!”
I stand there wondering which way to go to find Olivia.
“Go, you idiot!”
I enter every door until I finally find Olivia’s bedroom. I freeze for a second when our eyes meet. I quickly break eye contact and my eyes land on her plastered leg.
“Good day, Ma’am. Beta Brenda said you will give me a list of things to do.”
She laughs, inspecting me from head to toe and I suddenly feel self conscious.
“You are so ugly and thin. What does he see in you?”
I swallow my saliva, my stupidity becoming apparent. Olivia is gorgeous and everything a man can want, why would Omario accept being my mate instead of her? Thinking about Omario awakens the pain I was starting to think was fading. This can’t be normal.
“The list, Ma’am.”
The sooner I get out of Olivia’s room, the better.
“Don’t give me attitude, slave!” she yells while grabbing the nearest vase and throwing it at me.
I am fully aware of the blood dripping from my forehead, where the vase landed before breaking into tiny pieces that lodged all over my body, but I am too shocked to react. This is not the Olivia, I and other servants liked. Why on earth did I ever think she was a good person? I even envied and wanted to be just like her.
“Don’t just stand there, clean this mess up and here’s the damn list!” she yells and throws me a paper with a long list of my chores for the day.
I swear she sounds exactly like her aunt when she yells. Maybe it’s the pain medication or its because she is angry about her fiancé claiming me. Whatever it is, I no longer want to be like her.
I quietly clean the floor up and leave the room. I work as fast as I can through the other chores, hoping to feel less and less of the pain to no avail.
“Get over it already!” I reprimand myself but I feel like I am suffocating every time my interaction with Omario’s plays in my head. I take a seat to catch my breath but unfortunately, Brenda walks in and another slap lands on my face causing me to bite my tongue.
“Don’t you have chores to do, slave?”
I don’t bother responding to her, blood from my injured tongue fills my mouth. I hate the taste of blood, I keep it in my mouth, waiting for the opportunity to spit it out.
Brenda continues ranting. She does not even know that I have done most of the work already and left with only one last thing or she does not care. I am pretty sure that my last chore is a way of getting rid of me, but why should I even care?
I stand up, gather my last energy and the dog pampering equipment. Not that I will get to use it. Every servant who got instructed to bath Brenda’s Pit-bulls in the past never came out alive. The six canines are the most aggressive in the kingdom and have killed over ten servants. A dog is weaker than a wolf, but six of them against one or the human form, are lethal. That’s why they are always locked away, but it’s no mistake that I have to bathe them today. A few hours ago I would be certain that this is Brenda’s idea, but I have seen a different side of Olivia and I am no longer sure which one of them came up with this master plan.
I think of Terrence as I approach the kennel gate. He will be crushed by my death but maybe he will finally be able to leave this miserable life behind. Maybe he will finally let the world see his amazing talents and the great person that he is. I am aware that he stays here and remains a slave because of me, he will finally be free.
Omario.. well, I push him off my mind. The dogs jump on their feet the moment I stand at the kennel gate. They really look healthy and well fed. They should be because they are fed better than us. I can see pure muscle bulk when they stride towards the gate. These are the most muscular dogs I have ever seen. No wonder they are capable of killing.
I take a deep breath, open the gate and they start barking and snarling. I wonder which part of my body they will bite first. I hope it’s a quick death. My consolation is that when I die, I take Alpha Theo and his gang with me. I don’t know how exactly and o don’t even care anymore. All I know is that my death will be his too, that’s the prophecy. With that in mind, I open the gate, walk in and close it behind me. My jaw trembles and I spit out the blood I have been keeping in my mouth. The dogs come running towards me. I drop everything on the floor, close my eyes shut and my whole body trembles. I thought I was ready for the end, even thought it might be better than the suffering I have endured ….I was wrong.
I still want to be mad at the prince who refuses to acknowledge the bond with a lowly slave. I still want to hurt, bleed and suffocate for the mate I believe is mine. I want to be kissed again.….too late, the canines are on me.