Samantha's POV:

I stepped into the noisy kitchen, and heavy whispers hurled at me.

“She slept in the Alpha’s chambers.”

“He kept her till morning.”

“She’s such a cheap whore.”

Their jealous stares burned hotter than the kitchen fire. I ignored them yet again, tightening my belt around my waist. I’d faced worse things than gossip.

The head cook, who had tried to humiliate me last night, stood near the stew pot, stirring aggressively and handing out orders with a loud, deliberate voice. “Keep that one busy.” She said, gesturing to me, “If she’s not working, she’s plotting.”

Muffled laughter and snickers followed.

I set my tray down and resumed washing. Before anyone could say anything again, Elder William appeared through the door, and his sharp eyes found me immediately. 

“Come with me,” he ordered. 

A few would think he was protecting me. But I knew better.

“You’ve been moving strangely,” he said quietly while we were away from the kitchen. “The Alpha’s walls have ears and eyes. I told you I'd be watching.”

My heart pounded in my chest. He had probably caught me while I was delivering messages.

“I was just getting familiar with my new environment,” I replied.

 “Slaves are not allowed to get familiar or wander off. And while you're at it, stay away from the East Wing if you must keep your head.”

The East wing…

I nodded in reply, knowing fully well within me I was soon going to break that command.

Elder William studied me for a short while. 

“I don't trust you,” he said, then turned back to the corridors.

I smiled within myself. 

He wouldn't know what befell him.

That afternoon, the head cook tossed a crate in my hands. “Deliver this to the East Wing stores,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

“The East Wing?” one of the younger maids whispered. “If you try to wander off there, I heard you wouldn't see another daybreak.”

I scoffed within me as I lifted the crate, setting it on a trolley. “As you wish, ma'am.”

The maids froze as I walked off in daring confidence, pushing the metal trolley along the tiled floors. 

The air around the marble corridors of the east wing was colder and heavier. The torches burned lower, and the walls seemed to give off an ominous energy.

I walked further down, past the store rooms where I was supposed to deliver the items. The further I walked, the more eerie the atmosphere became. My instincts became alert, as if giving me a warning. But I had learned not to be consumed by fear anymore.

I soon heard sounds, like low hums and chants, and I quietly followed the sound to a half-open door, keeping my steps light and cautious. I pressed my back to the wall and peeked through.

Alpha Ken was standing at the center of the room, surrounded by seven kneeling warriors. A red circle burned on the floor, a mixture of blood and ash. Alpha Ken's voice was thick as he chanted loudly.

I pinned my ears and listened carefully. The words sounded ancient; it was the same dialect Dracula had once used to bind souls. I recognized it instantly as my demon nature stirred inside of me.

This wasn't an ordinary ceremony; it was a ritual. A demonic ritual used to control human souls.

I stood confused for a while. Alpha Kelvin was a werewolf, and so is his family. Where could he have possibly learned dark magic?

The chanting paused, and I quickly tried to step back, but my foot kicked against a loose shard, and it clattered.

A guard suddenly shouted. “Someone’s there!”

I quickly made a run for the corridors, abandoning the trolley. But before I could make it to the exit, a hand grabbed my wrist and threw me to the ground. Sharp pain immediately coursed through my back.

I looked up at the person, and I cursed silently. 

“Well, well,” he sneered. “The kitchen girl has gone wandering again.”

“I'm here to deliver supplies,” I said to him as I brushed myself up.

“And delivering supplies includes running?” He asked with a smirk.

“Let me go,” I hissed.

“Of course. Only if you agree to cooperate,” he said, giving me a small wink as his eyes trailed down my body. “It shouldn't take long. I'm sure you'll taste so good.” 

I clenched my fists at his disgustful outburst and spat on his face, “Not in your dreams.”

He shoved me forward, visibly angry. “The Alpha will decide your fate!”

Three other guards came out of nowhere and chained my hands and feet, dragging me down the corridors until we were in the large ritual room. Then they made me kneel in front of the Alpha, and the other guards looked at me with open curiosity. 

“Why are you here?” Alpha Ken asked, his voice quiet but dangerous. I looked around and counted eight guards in total. I could easily take them all down if anything went wrong, I thought.

“The head cook sent me,” I replied bluntly. “Supplies for the stores.”

Alpha Ken’s eyes narrowed. “You lie without trembling. Very Impressive.”

“I don’t lie,” I said. “You just don’t like my truth.”

A murmur went through the room. One of the warriors lifted his sword as if to strike me, but Alpha Ken stopped him. He circled me once and stopped behind me. “You’re not just a maid, are you?” he asked, voice low. “Who sent you here?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I quickly replied.

He moved closer to me until his breath touched the side of my neck. “Your scent shifts when you lie.”

My pulse hammered, but I didn’t back down either. “Then maybe you should stop breathing so close.”

For a moment, he stood still, not saying anything. Then he let out a soft, dangerous chuckle.

“You’ve got fire,” he said. “And it will either keep you alive or burn you.”

“Maybe both,” I said quietly.

Our eyes met again, and the same strange, fierce, unwanted energy from before flared between us. His wolf stirred inside of him; I could sense it, raw and restless.

He tilted his head, studying me like a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. “You’ve seen too much. You really don't think I'd let you out of here alive, right?”

My eyes widened. “What—”

He turned toward the doorway, giving the bloody-looking guards a strict command.

“Beat her up until she can no longer move. If she's still alive, then burn her to death.”