Chapter 4: Never Break the Pack Laws
Millicent's POV
I had just taken out the dirty laundry and proceeded to separate them into the different washing basins when I heard my name.
'Millicent', the voice was really close and I swung round to see who the caller was, I hadn't known that someone else was behind the courtyard, with me. The courtyard was where I liked washing.
It was a voice that commanded respect and brooked no disobedience. Before I even saw his face, I already knew it was Alpha Sylvester.
'Yes?' I answered.
'Is that any way to speak to your Alpha?' he asked, his voice thunderous. 'Add Alpha to your utterance whenever you address me!'
'Yes, Alpha!' I said, not really showing much remorse.
I will not call you Alpha if I can get away with it, despite your maltreatment of me because I know you do not deserve that title. You have not earned it as far as I am concerned, I thought to myself.
You are the cause of my predicament - you orchastred my loss - and hence do not deserve any respect or reverence from me. I was secretly rebellious. I, had at first shown my rebellion, not being afraid of what he might do to me. I wanted him to end my torture so that I could be with my family wherever they were in the afterlife but as time went on, I grew wiser, feeling that my parents' deaths could not go unavenged. I therefore, adopted a servile attitude and it made the Alpha happy but sometimes, I forget myself and would not call him by his title.
'Immediately after doing the laundry, report in throne room for an important instruction', he said and without waiting for my response, he left.
'Immediately after doing the laundry, report in the throne room for instructions!' I mimicked him, eyeing him with the deep loathing I feel for him.
It gave me great satisfaction to defy him in some way, even if it was only in secret. I took my time with the laundry but I could not postpone going to him for the instructions forever.
I went in to see the Alpha as instructed but met him in a hot embrace with Cathania. They were kissing brazenly and Sylvester's hand was inside her dress. I stood there waiting. Disgusted with the scene before me. I stared fixedly at the wall, wondering if he had called me here for the express reason to make me watch how he made out with his girlfriend. I could not endure the repulsive scene before me any longer and produced a little cough to alert them of my presence when they seemed to be so absorbed in each other that they couldn't sense or smell my presence.
'Jeez', Cathania swore as she jerked away from her lover, straightening her dress. Sylvester had had his hands deep inside her, and her moans had prevented them from hearing me approach. 'Can you not knock?'
'I did but you were obviously too busy to hear', I retorted, my disgust evident in my voice and face.
'You will mind how you speak to me', she shouted at me.
Ignoring her, 'You asked me to see you', I said facing Alpha Sylvester.
' You asked me to see you, Alpha. Add Alpha', Cathania corrected furiously, looking from the indifferent expression on my face to Sylvester, and wondering why he put up with my insolence.
I kept looking at the Alpha as his eyes darkened in anger. I cared less. I was tired and not ready to care if my attitude annoyed anyone or not, definitely not the spoilt daughter of a warrior.
'Millicent, I will not remind you to address me properly in future', he said in a deadly voice. 'If I do, then, that will be the last time you use your ears, because I shall cut them off!'
Be careful, Millicent! I advised myself.
'I'm sorry, Alpha Sylvester, I did not mean to antagonize you', I said meekly. 'You sent for me. You intimated that it was very urgent'.
'I am throwing a party to announce my engagement to Cathania in a week', he said. 'I have told your Omega Lilian about it. She will intimate you on what your tasks will be'. He waved her off dismissively.
I nodded and bowing, left his presence, but not before seeing the smug look Cathania gave me. Did she think I was jealous of her engagement to Sylvester? Or was she trying to make me realise that my fate would worsen once she became Luna?
Omega Lilian was the head Omega. She took her position too seriously and though she was fair to me, the other Omegas were not. They took advantage of my fragile look and bullied me. I had accepted that before now because I had nobody in the world and did not feel like continuing in this world but my attitude changed over time but by then they were already used to my docile acceptance of their bullying.
I walked from the throne room to the Omega's quarters, and located Lilian speaking to a group of Omegas and waited at a respectable distance, waiting for her to finish addressing them, so I could approach her for instructions concerning the damn engagement party.
'What are you doing listening in on us?', Shannon, one of the bully omegas asked eyeing me. 'Were you not taught by your parents that eavesdropping on your elders is bad manners?'
I could feel my anger growing. How dare the pig, mention my parents. I had just come from the throne room where Cathania had irked me and here was this fool adding salt to my injury.
I looked at Shannon angrily, but kept quiet.
'Why are you starring at me like that?' she demanded. 'You have started growing wings. You are just the maid of the Alpha but recently, you have started behaving as though you are his mate. He will never bring himself so low as to make you his bedmate, if that is what you are trying for'.
I wondered why she would think that. But I did not dwell too much on that as I could no longer control the anger I had been repressing, and leapt from where I was standing, onto her, pushing her to the ground. I gave her a punch on the face and kept hitting her anywhere my hand connected with.
The others were shocked, I heard their gasp, they had never seen me behave in such a violent and aggressive manner. They had always taken me for granted, bullying me into doing their chores and I had not complained and they had thought it was out of my fear of them. They could see now, hopefully, that was obviously, not the case. That submission and compliance did not necessarily depict weakness.
It was Lilian who recovered first. 'Millicent! Stop it, this instant!' she bellowed but I was past caring and continued hitting and clawing Shannon till hands pulled me away from the coward bully who was whimpering on the ground.
Slap! On my cheek, it was from Lilian.
'You know it is against the pack laws to fight without cause in this quarters. Why did you break the rule?'
I rubbed her cheek with my hand, it stung but I didn't mind the pain because I was still seething. I looked around to see that a little crowd that gathered to watch the entertainment. Some of the men had were smiling at me with a kind of grudging admiration as we're some of the women, while others were looking daggers at me like they wanted to beat me to death. The men walked away as soon as the fight ended but the Omegas continued whispering among themselves.
'She asked for it', I replied. 'She's had it coming for a long time now'.
'Stop that and tell me why you fought her, or I will not only punish you severely, but Alpha Sylvester will hear of it and I need not tell you how angry he would be'.
'He sent me to you for instructions concerning his forthcoming engagement', I explained. 'You were addressing them when I got here, I stood here waiting for you to be through so I could be told what my duties were to be on that day, when she started picking on me. As if that wasn't enough, she had to mention my parents as well. You teach us respect here in the quarters. Are my parents not worthy of being shown some respect by her?' I heaved, still visibly vexed by the slight I perceived had been thrown on my late parents.
Lilian knew I was right. 'But that was no way to show your displeasure', she scolded me. 'Shannon, you did wrong, disrespecting her parents', she told her. 'I do not want a repeat of this occurrence. Is that clear?' she asked, looking at the both of us.
'Yes ma'am, we both said simultaneously.
'Else, the both of you will be severally punished', Lilian continued as though we had not spoken.. 'Even now, I shall give you some task as a form of punishment to serve as a deterrent to others!'
Shannon eyed me as she stood from the ground and was dusting herself. 'You will regret raising your hand to me!' she threatened, and I merely wrinkled my nose at her, already walking away with Lilian as I received instructions on what my duties were before and on the engagement day. Shannon was already out of my mind- she was the least of my problems.