Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1317 - 72 : Increasing Uncertainty
*Zara*
I cried myself into a dreamless sleep before a knock on the door woke me up. I was still alone in Noah’s bedroom. As I got out of bed, my eyes scanned the same lavish decor that was spread out throughout the mansion, paintings with gorgeous celestial motifs.
As I opened the door, I noticed that there was something large and foreboding about the room that reminded me of the aggressive, bad-boy persona that he had been trying to portray when we first met.
I opened the door to see a handful of maids waiting like soldiers. They greeted me politely.
“Welcome, Lady Zara,” said the older woman in the center. She stepped forward. “My name is Tallula. I am the head maid of the Drogomor mansion. I hope that you will be very comfortable here in your new home. Please do let me know if you need anything at all.”
I nodded politely and momentarily averted my gaze from the older woman’s eyes, which were decidedly cold and thin as icicles. She looked like the kind of woman who would slap your hand with a ruler for even the slightest mistake.
I forced myself to meet her eyes again and lifted my chin slightly, reminding myself that as far as they knew, I was going to be the future Luna of this pack and therefore, should be respected. I needn’t show fear there.
And yet, I was getting the powerful impression that this woman, who knew nothing about me and was meeting me for the first time, was so loyal to the Alpha and Luna that she was angry at me as well for possibly trying to run away.
I nodded at the group of maids and butlers who were all watching me with a look of slight suspicion and forced politeness. “Thank you so much for the welcome.”
I didn’t know what else to say. They were servants meant to help make me comfortable, but I couldn’t help but feel surrounded. “I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you.”
“Welcome, my lady,” they chorused as one, making me slightly uncomfortable.
A couple of the younger female maids, who looked no older than I was, glanced at Tallula nervously, and I was beginning to wonder if the stern woman really did rap their knuckles.
I straightened when Tallula suddenly walked around me, looking me over carefully as if I was going to be auctioned off somewhere. She turned toward a couple of the younger girls. “See to it that Ms. Zara is bathed thoroughly.” Then, she tilted her chin up and glowered slightly at me as if I actually smelled bad.
I gritted my teeth but forced a polite smile onto my face. “Oh, I am more than capable of bathing myself.”
I didn’t miss the shocked looks that the servants shot my way. I didn’t understand why until I saw the dark look that passed over Tallula’s entire countenance. “Forgive me, my lady,” she said in a hard, no-nonsense voice. “But we have been given strict orders to ensure that you are prepared to begin your life as Drogomor’s future Luna. I must implore you to allow us to do so our way.”
I pressed my lips together. “Very well,” I said, trying to keep my voice strong. But deep down, I was practically shaking with resentment toward this whole situation.
By the time I was led into the luxurious bathroom with sky-blue tiles and gold fixtures, I was getting the feeling that these women intended to ensure themselves that I was going to bathe myself thoroughly. I knew it wasn’t uncommon for women of higher status to be bathed, but I still wasn’t looking forward to it considering it would be done by these particular ladies.
I had to sink my teeth into my lower lip to keep from crying out as every inch of my skin was scrubbed vigorously. I couldn’t deny that I felt clean afterward, but my entire body also felt raw from all of the rubbing. I could tell that the women my age felt sorry for me, but Tallula’s stern supervision caused them to be quite rough as they cleaned me.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Tallula had the girls measure me so that I could be fitted for a whole new wardrobe. The old woman scoffed at the plain, floral dress I was wearing and roughly braided my long blonde tresses for me, tugging several times, muttering something about my hair being stubborn.
I had been left alone in Noah’s bedroom for a few blissful minutes when a firm knock sounded on the door and Tallula burst in before I could even open my mouth to ask who was on the other side. I blinked and stepped back when an emerald-green nightgown was practically shoved in my face. It was clearly expensive with lace and gold-colored embroidery running down the sides.
“Put this on, Lady Zara,” Tallula ordered as her two assistants held the gown out to me.
I flinched but took another step back. “Thank you, but I really can’t accept this. It’s much too extravagant for my taste.”
Tallula shook her head with clear disapproval. “Lady Zara, I must once again insist that you heed our advice for the good of our pack community. Now that you are to be the future Luna, you must maintain your image at all times.”
I blanched at that, my jaw dropping. “Even in the privacy of my own bedroom?” I couldn’t help but demand in disbelief.
Tallula’s stern expression was unwavering. “At all times,” she repeated flatly.
Tallula stood rigidly, her lips in a thin line as her helpers assisted me in putting on the luxurious piece of sleepwear. Finally, they all bid me good night and left the room.
I debated trying to go to sleep, but I was way too wired for that. After wandering over to the large bedroom window, I started to stew. The calm night outside did little to ease my frustration as I mulled over this whole situation. I was once again being held prisoner.
A much gentler knock on the bedroom door caused my head to whip around and I stood up from the plush chair next to the window just as Noah slowly pushed the door open and peeked inside, as if half expecting me to be asleep.
I couldn’t help but scoff a little. I was far from being asleep.
I felt my mouth turn down into a defined frown, but my eyebrows rose in confusion when Noah’s eyes went wide before traveling over my body, no doubt at my new nightgown.
He seemed to be struggling to form words for just a moment. “You look beautiful.”
Despite the festering frustration building up inside of me, I was caught off guard for a brief second as I met Noah’s deep blue eyes. I was stunned by the level of genuine admiration in them despite our serious circumstances. It caused my cheeks to burn, and I averted my eyes.
Now that I wasn’t distracted by his shimmering gaze, the anger returned full force and I whirled around so I could glower at him. “How could you lie to your parents about us being married?” I hissed between my teeth, only a little paranoid that Tallula could be lurking in the shadows somewhere.
Noah blinked at me. “What else was I supposed to do?” he asked calmly.
I threw my hands up. “I don’t know, maybe just not lie about something this huge. Now, the servants are treating me like I’m going to be Luna one day, Noah. They’re trying to groom me into it.”
His expression was unreadable, but his lips did tighten as he stared at me. “I had no choice,” he said flatly.
“No choice?” I repeated. I shook my head hard, the braid that Tallula tugged onto my head knocking into my shoulders. “You could have just tried to convince him not to confine me. They probably would have listened to you eventually.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed into thin slits. “Did you not see the look on my parents’ faces?” he asked rhetorically. He took a step toward me, suddenly looking fierce. “They were livid, Zara. I wouldn’t have put it past them to throw you in some dungeon, no matter what I said. Even if it was unlikely they would go to that level of extremes, they were still planning a much harsher confinement, and I wasn’t going to risk that.”
I stumbled back slightly at the level of seriousness that had entered Noah’s tone.
He took advantage of my momentary paralyzed state and closed the gap between us, his rough hand rising to cradle my cheek. I wanted to flinch away or bat his hand, but I was once again locked in place by those eyes that seemed to hold little flecks of moonlight in them.
“I won’t have you feeling like a prisoner while you’re in my home, Zara,” he said fiercely. “I want you happy and comfortable. To achieve that the best way I could, I decided they had to believe you were already bound to me in every way. I want you to have your freedom. You deserve that and so much more.”
And just like that, my resentment toward Noah for putting me in this mess completely dissipated. I felt my whole body relax at his touch and at his words.
I still had a tiny bit of frustration left to mutter. “You’ve done this before, you know.”
His thick eyebrows furrowed, and he pursed his lips. “Have I? I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”
My shoulders lifted as I drew in a long, tired breath but I smiled slightly and nodded. “Never mind. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m sorry,” he repeated but then his gaze swept downward as he looked at my nightgown. He smiled. “You really do look beautiful in this nightgown though. Tallula really has an eye for this kind of thing. It really matches your eyes.” He lifted his thumb from my cheek and traced the skin right below my eye.
My heart stuttered a bit, but I managed to scoff slightly. “Remind me to never get on that woman’s bad side.”
He chuckled, seeming to know just what I meant by that, which shouldn’t have been too surprising. She had probably been at the mansion since Noah was a baby.
Noah gently led me to the bed so we could go to sleep. I would have been lying if I’d said I wasn’t feeling a little bit better about the whole situation, but there was also a cold undercurrent of uncertainty that lingered as well.
Noah fell asleep almost immediately, but I stayed awake, staring up at the ceiling, unable to shake the thought that my fake husband’s lie could have been merely a strategy. On the other hand, it could have been borne of renewed devotion as well.
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, hoping with everything I had that it was the latter, but there was no way of knowing, which I should have been used to by then.
Our future felt increasingly unstable and unknown.
