The Alpha's Forbidden Omega

The pull

Chapter Fifteen

Caleb’s POV

As I walked out of Hunter’s chambers with him, the morning sun was already high unlike before I had gone in to see him. There was a little unease in my chest.

I couldn’t point out why, perhaps it was because of the message from the neighboring pack, or maybe I just felt bad about Hunter’s indifference to it and to other people.

“Like the poor girl,” I thought.

I still had the image of that servant girl fleeing from his room in tears not too long ago. I’d seen her again just now, bent over her work, scrubbing the floor like she was trying to sink into it.

The way Hunter had looked at her, the cruelty in his eyes, it was all too familiar. I had known him long enough to recognize when he was enjoying someone’s suffering.

I couldn’t shake the unease. The confrontation I had just witnessed between Hunter and the girl stuck in my mind. There was something about the way she looked at him… with fear. I’d seen that look too many times before.

Hunter didn’t seem to notice my silence as we walked down the corridor. He was lost in his own thoughts, his usual confident self unaffected by what had just occurred.

But I couldn’t let it go. That girl… she had run from his room in tears earlier, and now he had cornered her again, sneering at her as if her suffering was just another form of entertainment to him.

“Hunter,” I started, but he cut me off with a sharp glance, knowing immediately what was in my mind and what I was about to say.

“Don’t start now, Caleb,” he said, his tone ending any argument before it even began. “She’s just a servant. They’re here to do what they’re told, man.”

I clenched my jaw, holding back the annoyance that threatened to escape. I knew better than to push him when he was like this. But damn it, how much longer could I keep standing by and watching him tear people down just because he could?

We reached the entrance of the estate, where Hunter’s horse was waiting. He mounted it without another word, his expression cold and arrogant. I watched him ride off, disappearing into the trees that surrounded the estate.

Returning towards the dining hall I thought, “this girl… she seemed different.” Even after everything Hunter had put her through, she still carried herself with a kind of quiet dignity. I couldn’t just walk away. Not after what I’d seen.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked over to where the girl was working. She didn’t recognize me at first, too scared for what next might happen to her.

I cleared my throat softly, and her eyes lifted up to meet mine. There was definitely a trace of fear in them, like she was expecting the worst yet to happen.

But there was something else there, something that made my chest tighten, a softness that she was trying so hard to hide.

“I wanted to apologize for… for what you just went through,” I said, feeling my words were not enough. “Hunter… he can be harsh, but you didn’t deserve that. No one does.”

The girl blinked, clearly taken aback by my apology. For a moment, she just stared at me, as if trying to decide if this was some kind of trick. Then, she shook her head, lowering her gaze back to the floor.

“It’s nothing, my lord,” she said quietly. “I’m here to serve my Alpha.”

Her voice was calm, but I could hear the strain in it, the effort it took to keep her composure. I noticed how pale she looked, her skin almost white, and I realized she had probably cried herself out before I’d even arrived.

And yet, she was still trying to be strong, still trying to fulfill her duties despite everything. “What’s your name?” I then asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

She hesitated, her hands trembling as she set down the brush she’d been using. “Faelen,” she said finally.

“Faelen,” I repeated, letting the name roll off my tongue. “That’s a beautiful name.”

She glanced up at me, her eyes filled with confusion. “Thank you, my lord,” she murmured, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

She had this look of curiosity too, perhaps, or maybe it was just the confusion about why I was even talking to her. I found myself wanting to know more about her, to understand the mystery that surrounded this girl.

“Where’s it from? The name, I mean.” I said, disrupting the brief silence.

Faelen seemed even more nervous now, like she was afraid of saying something wrong. “I’m… I’m from the southern forest packs,” she explained, her voice shaking. “But… I don’t know what the name means. My parents died when I was young. They never told me.”

My heart almost stopped at her words. There was a sadness in her tone and in her eyes that I hadn’t expected, a depth of pain that seem to be deep. And yet, she was standing before me, strong despite everything.

“I’m sorry,” I said, meaning it. “About your parents, and… everything else.”

She nodded, still avoiding my eyes. I could see she was trying to keep her emotions in check, trying not to show just how much she was hurting. But it was all there, in the way she held herself, in the tension that ran through her body.

I realized I was staring too much and quickly looked away, feeling a strange sense of shame. What was I doing? She was just a servant, after all.

And yet, there was something about her that I couldn’t ignore. Something that drew me to her, made me want to help her.

“I’m Caleb, by the way,” I said, suddenly feeling awkward, like I was some young lad meeting a girl for the first time. “Uhm… if you ever need anything… well, don’t hesitate to ask me.” I said to her before thinking.

She looked at me then, really looked at me now, and I saw a hint of shock in her eyes. Maybe she hadn’t expected me to introduce myself, or maybe she just didn’t know how to react to my being there all together.

Either way, she quickly shifted her gaze again, nodding slightly as if unsure of how to respond to me. “Thank you, my lord,” she ended up saying.

I knew I shouldn’t press her any further. She was clearly uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable than she already was. So, I nodded, trying to give her a reassuring smile, even though I wasn’t sure it would help.

“Well… I should let you get back to your work,” I said, taking a step back.

She bowed slightly, showing the same respect she had for Hunter just minutes ago even with his cruelness, but this time it sent a strange thrill through me.

There was something about this girl that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Something that made me want to know more, to understand her situation better.

As I turned to leave, I couldn’t help but glance back at her one last time. She was already back to her task, her long red hair mopping the floor along with the brush in her hand.

Her movements though, were slower, more deliberate, like she was lost in thought about our discussion. And I found myself wondering just what those thoughts were, and why I felt such sympathy to her.

I walked away, my mind racing with questions and thoughts I couldn’t quite shake off. Hunter might see her as just another servant, just another girl to torment. But I… I saw something more.

…

As I walked back to my chambers, my thoughts kept shifting to Faelen. I had tried to shake it off, telling myself she was just another servant, just another face in the endless sea of people I had to deal with everyday.

When I reached my door, I paused, staring at it as if it held all the answers to my questions. I felt a little confused. On one hand, I knew she was a maid in the palace, a mere servant in the estate.

I had always kept a certain distance from the staff, from everyone outside my immediate circle. It was safer that way. But as I replayed my conversation with her, her timid voice, the pain in her eyes, it ate at me.

I had seen the way Hunter treated her. I knew she didn’t deserve it, and I found myself wishing I could do more. But what could I possibly do? I was just the Beta. I had responsibilities, expectations. I couldn’t afford to be too attached to someone as low as her.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. It was foolish to get involved, to let my feelings cloud my judgment. I reminded myself of my place in the pack hierarchy. I had a role to play, a duty to uphold.

Friendships with servants were not part of the plan, especially not with someone Hunter had made it his mission to torment. I had to be concerned with making decisions.

But even as I told myself this, I couldn’t ignore the pull I felt. Faelen was different. She was strong despite her situation… it was impressive. I wanted to believe that maybe I could make a difference in her life.

But, even I knew that it was ridiculous to think that I could just walk in and befriend her. I was the Beta, the second in command. How could I even begin to form a friendship with someone like her, especially under the current circumstances?

I knew Faelen wouldn’t even trust me right away. After all, I was part of the same system that had allowed Hunter to treat her so horribly. Still, I couldn’t shake the idea off my mind.

Maybe talking to her occasionally, being a friendly face she faced every day, could help. It might give her some comfort, some hope that not everyone in this pack was as cruel as its Alpha.