Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 21

Betrayed by Blood~

Kendra paced endlessly around the room, her fingertip bitten raw from how hard she had been biting it. She paused for a second and glanced at the door. It was past noon, and her mother still hadn’t arrived. She sighed, anger coursing through her veins. She had already heard the rumors. Avery had gotten Xander in trouble with Cain. Although the pack members knew nothing, Kendra did. Her hands trembled, not from fear, but from anger, pure anger burning through her veins. If only Avery had died.

"That wretched girl," she hissed under her breath, her nails digging into her palms just as the door burst open, her mother’s cinnamon scent immediately wafting through her nostrils. Carol Williams walked into the room, and Kendra stiffened, her mother’s gaze falling on her.

"Mother," she greeted, forcing her voice to be calm.

"Spare me the pleasantries," her mother snarked out, her gaze flickering around the room irritably. "You couldn’t be bothered enough to welcome your mother into the pack, could you?"

Kendra’s eyes widened slightly with panic. "No, Moth-" she didn’t get to complete her words.

Carol cut her off with a dismissive wave. "I heard about the mess. How could you let things spiral like this, Kendra Williams?"

Kendra winced but kept her voice steady. "I have everything under control," Kendra replied. From the corner of her eye, she saw Maris putting the suitcases into the room, and her stomach twisted in knots.

A sharp mocking laughter from Carol had her jolting back to reality. "If you had control, Kendra, that girl wouldn’t still be breathing."

Kendra clenched her hands tight. "I’m doing everything I can, mother. I have total control over this. Cain is the-"

"Oh, shut up. Total control? If you did, he would’ve never found his mate, you fool," her mother hissed out, walking over to the chair and sat down. She pulled off her shades to look at Kendra properly. "Tell me, who is she?" she asked.

"Avery, Avery Jae. She’s the new maid in the pack. Cain made her-" Carol didn’t listen again, her mind flashing back to when she’d arrived. The maid who served her, the same one that had Cain’s scent all over her. Avery Jae. That was her.

"She’s a maid..." Carol said, but it sounded like a question.

Kendra nodded. "Yes, mother."

"You’re telling me you’re having all of this issue because of a maid? A maid, Kendra!" she snapped irritably.

Kendra flinched. "I’m working it out, Mother. Cain’s just—" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"Cain, yes, Cain. You were always too soft when it came to him. Obsessed, desperate to please. I taught you better than this."

"I’m not soft!" Kendra snapped, her voice rising despite herself.

Carol raised her eyebrows. "No, you’re just weak. You’ve always been a weakling, but you can’t even solve this? She spat out.

Kendra bristled at this. She swallowed hard, trying to stay calm. "It’s more complicated than that. Cain—"

Her mother’s lips curled into a smirk. "Yes, of course. Everything always circles back to him, doesn’t it? Tell me, darling, does he even look at you with anything other than indifference?"

Kendra lowered her eyes, her cheeks burning in shame. "Cain respects me. He—"

Carol laughed, mocking and demeaning. "Respect? Oh, Kendra, You call that little attention he gives you after you’ve salivated and chased after him like a damn dog, Respect? Love, desire, fear—those are the currencies of power. And if Cain feels none of those for you, then you’ve already failed."

Kendra clenched her fists at her sides, but her voice came out small. "I haven’t failed. Avery is—"

"She’s still here. She’s been here from the beginning. That tells me all I need to know. No daughter of mine should allow a mere maid, one that hasn’t even shifted, to challenge her position."

Kendra flinched as her mother stood up, stepping closer to her. "You’ve embarrassed me, Kendra. Letting this girl remain a problem in your side, It’s pathetic," Carol sneered.

Kendra dropped her gaze, hating how small she felt. "I’ll handle it," she whispered.

"No, you won’t," Carol said, caressing Kendra’s cheek with her bony fingers. "I’ll handle it all just like I’ve always done. Alright, darling."

Kendra’s eyes blurred with tears. She flung herself at Carol, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, mommy."

~~~~~~

Martha rushed into the room, her gaze on the two women who had called for her. She lowered her head in respect. "Yes, ma’am."

Without a word, Carol reached for the gold pouch sitting on the table next to her, grabbed it, and threw it at Martha. The head maid’s eyes widened the second she caught it, the weight of the pouch made Martha’s fingers tremble when she caught it. The pouch felt like it was filled with more than just gold. "Take this," Carol said, reaching for the wad of cash beside her and threw it at the woman again. "I want it done tonight."

The head maid’s eyes widened with greediness as she held the money in her hands before quickly slipping it into her pockets. "I’ll take care of it, Madam Carol," Martha replied.

Martha bowed again and stepped out of the room. Carol glanced at her daughter and smirked, standing up and took the two glasses of wine she had poured. She walked to Kendra, who stood by the window, arms crossed over her chest.

"Take this," she said.

Kendra looked at her mother and took the glass of wine from her. Kendra’s fingers brushed against the glass for a moment, but she did not lift it immediately. Instead, her gaze lingered outside the window, where the pack’s activities were visible, the wolves in training, patrols moving through the grounds. Her hands curled around the glass, it was cold against her skin.

She stared at her mother for a couple of seconds before a sigh escaped her lips. "Mother, do you really think this would work?" she asked, and Carol chuckled.

"Do I think? No, darling. I don’t think it would work. I know it will. Avery is out of our lives from this very minute," she replied with a grin.