Alpha's Servant: The Finale

SKYLER

“It will be all right.”

I looked over at Cyrus who was driving us to court. He looked over at me briefly and offered what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but I wasn’t convinced.

“You don’t know that,” I said. My voice was low and soft.

He didn’t say anything for a while, so I turned my head to look out the window at the passing scenery. I still couldn’t believe Ares had sent me away. I had thought that conversation with him had been part of my imagination, or maybe even a dream.

I should have realized it had really happened after I discovered I had actually seen Primrose’s ghost. If that hadn’t been a dream, then the rest of it probably wasn’t.

He had said he wouldn’t let them keep me, but how would he prevent it? I’d heard all kinds of horror stories about Werewolf Court. Of course, those had been from the other slaves, but that didn’t mean they weren’t true.

Those wolves were even more arrogant and bossy than the ones at the pack house, from what I’d been told.

They were considered nobility and they surrounded themselves with whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, yelling and ordering slaves to do all their work.

I shivered and rubbed my hands up and down my arms.

“Are you cold?” Cyrus asked, reaching toward the heater controls.

I shook my head. “Just not looking forward to this. I don’t understand why Ares had to send me away.”

“It’s for your protection,” he insisted.

“Couldn’t he protect me at the pack house? How is he supposed to protect me when he won’t even be there?”

“With the vampires in residence, this was the best choice.” He shot me a glance. “You should know how dangerous they are. And now that they know you’re mated to the alpha, they will be even more determined to cause you harm, or take you to court themselves.”

We didn’t talk again until Cyrus pulled onto a long, paved road that wound around trees lining the drive. I sat up straighter even as my heart rose into my throat and sat there like a cold brick of fear.

After about another three minutes of driving, the court finally came into view. It was huge, as I expected, three stories tall and painted an off-white with black trim.

Several windows faced the drive, and as we got closer, I could have sworn I saw someone looking out of one of them.

A man came out of the building as we pulled to a stop. Instantly, I felt a dislike for him, probably because he was scowling at me through the car window.

I opened the door and slowly got out even though everything in me was urging me to run away as fast as I could.

“Frederick, this is the alpha’s mate, Skyler,” Cyrus said as he walked up to the man. “Skyler, this is Frederick, one of the nobles at court.”

“Pleased to meet you,” I lied to his face.

Fredrick snorted but didn’t offer any greeting to me. “Follow me,” he said as he turned on his heel, and started walking into the building.

I couldn’t help gawking at the interior as we entered. The high ceiling had a shiny chandelier hanging from it while two winding marble staircases flanked the huge room on either side.

I didn’t get much of a chance to look, though, since Frederick was in a hurry to get us wherever we were going.

I caught a glimpse of a large dining area with two long tables to the right and another door through there that probably went to the kitchen.

He took us around back, through another hallway I hadn’t noticed, that led to a dark stairway with wooden stairs. So much for getting to climb the beautiful marble staircase, I thought irritably.

Our footsteps were surprisingly quiet with each step as we climbed to the second floor. When Frederick opened the door, a stream of bright light made me blink rapidly, but he didn’t pause.

He led us down a beautifully carpeted hallway, past several doors before he stopped and dug a key out of his pocket, which he handed to Cyrus.

“This is your room,” he said. “And per Alpha Ares’s instructions, his slave will be just a couple of doors down from you. We didn’t have two empty ones next to each other.”

“Mate,” Cyrus said. “Not slave.”

Frederick scowled but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll catch up with you later after you’ve had a chance to get settled in,” Cyrus told me as he put the key in the lock to open his door.

Frederick continued walking down the hall, so I had to hurry to catch up with him, practically running. We passed two more rooms before he stopped and glared at me.

“This is where you’ll be staying,” he said, his voice stiff. His mouth was pulled down into a disapproving frown as he fit the key in the lock and opened the door.

With my bag over my shoulder, I started to go inside, but he stopped me with a hand on my arm. “I don’t like you,” he growled. “Humans don’t belong here except as slaves.”

“I don’t particularly want to be here either,” I told him, matching his scowl.

“Watch your tongue. Remember you are at court and have no rights but those that we give you. Your alpha isn’t here to protect you, so don’t expect any special treatment.”

I watched him walk stiffly away, then went inside my new quarters. I was too upset to pay any attention to the room and just wanted to get away for a bit.

I set my bag on my bed, then listened at the door to make sure Frederick was gone before leaving my room, making sure to tuck the key into the front pocket of my jeans.

I used the back stairs, the way we had come up, and thankfully didn’t run into anyone. At least not until I reached the main hall. Then I saw and felt hostile eyes follow me as I quickly made my way outside.

It was dark now, but I didn’t care. I felt suffocated and my heart was heavy that Ares would abandon me like this.

Off to the side of the property I had noticed a forest when we’d arrived, and that’s where I headed. I just needed a few minutes of space and fresh air to gather my strength and courage.

I wouldn’t stray far, though, since I was unfamiliar with the area. As it turned out, I’d barely made it into the cover of the trees before I heard a twig snap and I spun around in fear.

A tall wolf had followed me and now stood staring at me, a snarl pulling at his lips. I took a step backward and he took two toward me, his snarl spreading across his face.

“I’m under the protection of Alpha Ares,” I told him. My heart started beating like a drum inside my chest and my breath came in short, panicked gasps.

“You’re just a human slave, meaning you’re free game,” the man said.

An instant later, he pounced on me, knocking me to the ground so hard my breath escaped my lungs in a painful whoosh.

And then his hands were on me, tearing at my clothes.