Alpha's Servant: The Finale

SKYLER

Had I been dreaming? That couldn’t have possibly been Primrose.

I sat up in bed, my heart galloping in my throat. How could that be? Primrose was dead. There’s no way she could have been standing right behind Millena.

Maybe it had been a dream. My head still felt fuzzy, and I had a slight headache. How long had I been asleep? Had everything been a dream? Had Millena even been by to see me?

My teeth felt furry, and my tongue was swollen. I swallowed thickly, then went into the bathroom to take a shower and brush my teeth. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but I knew I had to get to my chores before I got in trouble.

My skin crawled as I went about my duties. It was as if a thousand tiny bugs decided to travel over my body. I jumped at every shadow, wondering if I’d see Primrose again.

Or another ghost.

“Oh Goddess, what’s wrong, child? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Scarlette’s words scared the crap out of me again. I jumped, dropping the mop I’d been holding, and spun to face her.

“I might have,” I gasped with my hand fluttering over my chest.

Scarlette’s eyes grew wide, and she quickly latched onto my arm. Her eyes darted around the area as she pulled me away.

We went down a hall and around another corner before she finally stopped and turned to look at me with a stern gaze.

“You need to watch what you say, Skyler. Don’t talk like that where others can hear you.”

Her words came out in a hiss as her eyes narrowed even more. She looked around cautiously again, still with her hand holding firmly onto my arm.

“I’m sorry, Scarlette. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Yes, well, you need to use that brain of yours and think before you speak,” she admonished.

Finally, she let go of my arm and took a step back. My hand automatically went to where her hand had just left, rubbing it absently.

She hadn’t been holding it all that hard, but I was so nervous and felt guilty for worrying her that I was fidgeting.

It was my turn to look around and make sure no one was within hearing distance before talking. “I think I might have seen a ghost. Primrose.”

Scarlette’s eyebrows shot up beneath her hairline. “Primrose?” she asked incredulously. “Why in the world would she be haunting you?”

I shrugged and chewed on my thumbnail for a minute. “I don’t know. Maybe it was all a dream.”

Scarlette nodded. “That sounds about right. You miss the girl and feel bad that she died, so she entered your dream.”

She didn’t wait for me to respond and seemed completely satisfied with that explanation. It made me feel a bit better too. “Now, hurry up and get back to your duties before we both get into trouble.”

I hugged her and scampered off. For the next few hours, I cleaned and weeded the garden. Although I still felt uneasy, the brief talk with Scarlette made me feel a little bit better. At least I wasn’t jumping at every sound I heard.

I was just standing up from pulling a row of weeds and dusting my hands against my pants when I caught sight of Millena walking toward me.

I waved and smiled, then walked to meet her halfway. We hugged briefly, and then a gust of wind sprang up and smacked a hank of her hair in my face.

I brushed it away with a laugh, and Millena laughed too. “What brings you here?” I asked after we stopped chuckling.

“I just wanted to come check on you. You seemed out of sorts yesterday when I stopped by.”

The blood in my veins ran cold, and a shiver shot down my spine. I stared at her with my mouth open and eyes wide.

“Then you were here yesterday,” I said, and it was part question, part statement because I was so confused I didn’t know what to think.

Scarlette had almost convinced me it had all been a dream, and I’d felt better after our talk for the rest of the day.

But now Millena sounded like she’d really shown up yesterday, and if that was true, then what about Primrose’s ghost?

“Of course I was,” Millena said with a frown that drew two crease marks between her eyes. “Don’t you remember?”

What was I supposed to say? Remembering Scarlette’s warnings from earlier today, I looked around to make sure no one was within earshot.

“Did you come by yourself?” I asked, then shook my head at the stupid question. “I mean, was anyone with you?”

“You asked me that yesterday, too,” she answered slowly. “I thought maybe you weren’t feeling well. That’s why I wanted to check on you today.”

“So, you didn’t see anyone else?” I repeated as a lump of fear formed in my throat.

She shook her head, and I swallowed thickly. Then that meant it wasn’t a dream and that I had really seen Primrose’s ghost.

My heart started racing in my chest, and I placed a palm over the afflicted area, trying to calm it down.

Millena looked at me with concern, but when she opened her mouth to speak, another voice intruded, cutting her off.

“Get over here, Skyler.” It was the headmaster, his face twisted in fury. “The alpha wants to see you in his chamber. Now!”

I winced and shot an apologetic glance at Millena before I ran off to follow the headmaster. He mumbled along the way, but I wisely kept quiet and followed him back into the house and up the servant’s stairs.

With each step, I felt dread licking at my nerves. What did Ares want with me now? Had he heard about me seeing ghosts? Was he going to yell at me for some other infraction he thought I had committed?

Or maybe he just wanted to talk. The last time we’d seen each other, he practically admitted he cared for me. Maybe this was just about him wanting to spend time with me.

That thought lifted my mood a bit so that by the time the headmaster opened the door and practically shoved me inside, I was smiling.

Ares stood in the center of the room. And he wasn’t smiling. In fact, he looked pissed. Thin, white lines radiated from the corners of his mouth.

“You wanted to see me, Alpha?” I said, the smile slipping a little from my face.

“Pack your things. You’re going to Werewolf Court.”

I couldn’t believe it. I stared at him and his ruthless expression then rushed out of the room and packed my things.

Cyrus was waiting for me at my door and escorted me downstairs. When I saw Ares standing by the front door, I looked up at him and asked, “You’re really sending me away?”

Ares’s jaw clenched, and he gave one stiff nod. Cyrus took my arm and gently pulled me outside and then helped me get into the car.

As we drove off, I looked out the back window with tears in my eyes as Ares stood there, unmoving, watching me leave.