Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 20

Betrayed by Blood~

The basket in my hands felt heavier than usual, but maybe that was just me. My shoulders ached, and my legs felt like they’d given up on the concept of rest days ago. I made my way towards the pack house when I heard the reverberating sound of an engine.

I looked up to see a sleek black car parking in front of the house. I could tell the car was expensive, and the thought of it made my stomach sink. Whoever was inside, they were important—too important for me to risk even being in their line of sight.

The door opened, and a pair of high-heeled shoes hit the ground. My eyes traveled upward, reluctantly taking in the figure of a slender, tall woman who looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. Her hair was styled perfectly, her lips glossy with red lip gloss.

"You," she barked, her gaze snapping to me, and I froze.

"Don’t just stand there. My bags aren’t going to carry themselves," she snapped, gesturing impatiently toward the trunk.

I hesitated for a second and then slowly dropped the basket to the side. I bowed at her and walked towards the trunk, pulling out the ten suitcases. I glanced at the woman who was on a call, snapping at whoever was on the line angrily. I sighed internally, wondering who she was. If she brought ten bags into the pack, she had to be important.

I grabbed two of the suitcases, moving them to her, only for her to pause, snapping her head at me, her eyes sharp. "What do you think you’re doing?" she asked.

I blinked, confused as to what she meant. "I- don’t—"

"Carry them properly. Are you trying to get them scratched? Do you have any idea how much they cost? You’re a dimwit," she hissed out irritably.

Ah, all of them had the same nasty attitude. I could tell this was certainly one of them.

As I struggled with the last two suitcases, her sharp voice cut through the air again.

"Wait."

I froze mid-step, clutching the handles tightly. She sniffed the air, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She looked at me as though I’d committed a crime. "Why do you have Cain’s scent all over you?" she demanded.

I froze again, my eyes widening. His scent? All over me? How was that even possible?

"Are you deaf? Speak!" she snarled, and I flinched.

"I don’t have Alpha Cain’s scent on me," I refuted.

"Are you saying I’m lying? Tell me, who are you? You’re new, I haven’t seen you, so who are you?" she demanded again.

I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. Before I could reply, another voice cut through the air.

"Avery!"

The head maid appeared out of nowhere, rushing frantically towards me, two other maids behind her. She grabbed my arm and yanked me back. "What do you think you’re doing?" she hissed under her breath, her nails digging into my skin. "Stay out of the way."

I stumbled back, the woman’s gaze still on me. The woman then looked at the head maid, "Who is she?" she asked.

The head maid’s smile faltered for a second. "She’s no one," the head maid replied quickly, her voice trembling slightly. "Just a...stray Alpha Cain has taken in temporarily. She doesn’t matter."

The words stung more than they should have, but I kept my face blank, staring at the ground as the head maid continued to fawn over the woman.

I didn’t know you’d be arriving today, Lady Kellen. Let me show you inside," the head maid said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"Finally," the woman—Lady Samara, snapped.

"Where is Kendra? She couldn’t bother to welcome me?" The woman asked, and the head maid shook her head. "No ma’am, she’s been busy with Alpha Cain," the head maid replied. I watched as the smile on the woman’s face grew, her shoulders popped up, proudly. "Hmm...She’s finally doing something right," she muttered under her breath, but I heard.

She didn’t spare me another glance as she strode toward the packhouse, her heels clicking sharply against the ground. The head maid paused to look at me, a scowl on her face. "Bring everything inside," she ordered and then scrambled to follow the woman in, the two other maids running after her, leaving me standing alone with the suitcases.

I exhaled shakily, Martha’s words ringing in my head. Kendra was with Cain? I know I shouldn’t feel hurt about it, but still, I did. I dragged my hand over my face, blaming this cursed bond for making me feel this way.

Hours later-

I sat on the edge of the bed, absently tracing the faded patterns on the blanket with my fingers. My shoulders still ached, and my palms stung from dragging those heavy suitcases up the stairs.

The quiet was soothing until it wasn’t...

The door flew open with a bang, making me jump. I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding as Martha stormed in, dragging a frail, sickly-looking girl behind her by the arm.

"You’ve got company," Martha spat, shoving the girl forward. She stumbled, nearly falling face-first onto the floor before catching herself.

"What—" I began, but Martha cut me off with a glare.

"Don’t ask questions. She’s your problem now. You two can keep each other company, a perfect pairing of outcasts," she sneered.

The girl didn’t say a word. She stood there trembling. Her clothes were tattered, barely hanging onto her thin frame, and her arms were covered in bruises and faint scars.

"Why—"

"She’s a runt," Martha spat out, her voice thick with disgust. Runts were heavily, and I mean heavily, looked down on. Their status was even lower than an omega. "Lowest of the low, even beneath you, Avery. I thought it’d be fitting for her to share your quarters."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, glancing at the girl again. She looked so frail, so vulnerable.

"She’ll sleep on the floor. I don’t care what you do, just keep her out of my sight," Martha continued, turning on her heel and slamming the door shut behind her.

I looked at the girl. I didn’t know what to say, or if I should say anything at all.

"Are... are you okay?" I asked softly, stepping towards her.

She flinched, backing away like a frightened animal. Her matted hair fell into her face.

"I’m not going to hurt you," I said gently, keeping my voice low.

The girl hesitated, her eyes meeting mine briefly before looking away. She hugged herself tightly, as if trying to make herself smaller, and nodded once.

"What’s your name?" I asked quietly.

She didn’t respond.

I waited for a second, then continued, "I’m Avery. You don’t have to tell me your name if you don’t want to."

Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. After a moment, she sank to the floor in the corner of the room, curling up into herself.

I stepped back, giving her space. I wondered what and where exactly they brought her from. I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t... How could I, when I couldn’t even help myself?