Fall out!

Lydia's POV 

I pondered for a while, searching for the right words to console her.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," I said, feeling the weight of her grief. A sudden thought struck me what if my mother and sister were dead too? Losing my father had already been unbearable; could I endure more loss? I wiped away the tear that slid down my cheek.

"You have to be strong, Felisha," I told her gently. She was sobbing, so I asked her to come down from the bunk. She hesitated before finally climbing down, and I pulled her into an embrace, holding her until her sobs subsided.

"What about your mother and sister?" she asked softly.

My heart clenched at her words. "I don't know where they are," I admitted truthfully, though deep inside, an ache spread through my chest.

Sensing my distress, Felisha held my hand. "Don't worry, Lydia. I'm sure they're alive and well. I hope you find them soon," she reassured me, easing my tense mind just a little.

"Lydia… you're the only family I have now. Since my family is gone, I'll stick with you and stay by your side forever," Felisha said, her voice filled with sincerity.

I nodded and hugged her one more time before she climbed back onto her bunk.

"You girls are so noisy," came a sleepy voice from another bunk. I didn't bother responding and simply closed my eyes, hoping to get some rest.

But before I could drift off, the same voice spoke again. "In three days, the Full Moon Festival will begin. The Alpha King is returning to celebrate it."

I was taken aback by her words. The Full Moon Festival?

I knew it was an important celebration among werewolves, but I had never paid much attention to it before. Now, however, it suddenly mattered because I was one of them. The thought made me chuckle bitterly. Me, a werewolf? The other girls in the room began chatting excitedly about the festival, but I drifted into sleep, exhaustion taking over.

The Next Morning

A loud clanging of metal jolted me awake, followed by a sharp voice.

"Fall out! Get your lazy asses up!"

I immediately jumped down from the bed and saw the girls rushing toward a particular room.

"Good morning, Lydia. You need to bathe and start working," Felisha mumbled sleepily.

I nodded in response and followed her into the wide communal bathroom, where all the girls were bathing together. The lack of privacy made me feel uncomfortable. How can they be so casual about this? Unable to bring myself to join them, I stepped outside and waited until they were done before using the bathroom.

When I returned to the room, everyone was already gone. They must have started working. I quickly applied the general-use body cream to my skin and began changing into my work gown.

Just then, the matron stormed in, her face twisted in anger.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice unforgiving.

"I'm preparing to join them," I replied quickly.

She glared at me. "Do you think you can do things at your own will here? This is not your home, where you move at your own comfort. You follow the rules here. Understood?"

I nodded obediently, but her expression darkened even more. She raised her hand as if to strike me, but the moment our eyes met, she froze. Shock flickered across her face before she quickly looked away, retracting her hand as if trying to mask her reaction.

Then, without warning, she grabbed my clothes and pulled me closer.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.

I blinked in surprise. "Obryn Lydia," I answered cautiously.

Her lips twitched. "Not that title!" she snapped. "Are you a spy?"

Confusion washed over me. "No, I'm not. I'm Lydia from Vireth Park," I said firmly, but her expression remained unreadable.

She hesitated, then muttered, "Your wolf…" before quickly masking whatever thought had crossed her mind.

Her serious expression returned. "Get ready and go back to work," she ordered before storming out of the room.

I placed a hand on my rapidly beating chest, trying to understand why she thought I was a spy.

"Delia… what's wrong with me?" I asked, hoping for answers.

"Now you want to talk to me? Only when you need something," Delia scolded, her voice filled with playful reproach.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Can you answer me now?"

She went silent for a moment before responding. "There's nothing wrong with you. The thing is… we are special."

Her words sent a wave of realization through me, and I smiled. Special?

"Thank you," I murmured, quickly slipping on my shoes before hurrying back to work.

Back in the kitchen, I worked tirelessly until evening. Then, I received a task that made my stomach tighten ,I was to serve dinner to the Alpha's mother.

At first, nerves threatened to overwhelm me, but I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. You can do this.

With careful steps, I approached her chamber and knocked gently.

"Come in," came her calm, soothing voice.

I pushed the door open slowly, stepping inside with measured grace. Carefully, I placed the tray on the dining table and lowered my head.

"Dinner is served," I announced in a low voice, trying my best not to provoke her.

I turned to leave, but her voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Her gaze bore into me, sharp and assessing. She was sizing me up, her eyes scanning every inch of my presence. A chill ran down my spine.

"O-Obryn Lydia," I stammered, my heart pounding.

To my surprise, she smiled.

Confusion swirled inside me. Why is she smiling?

I asked myself being surprised at it all

 " you'll be in charge of serving me meals from now on " she declared and I bow in response. 

" Lydia.... You're different " came her calm and soothing voice.