Sold To Alpha Kael

Chapter 4

"You! You will be in charge of the Alpha's room since you have no use in the kitchen and you're obviously a mess here." Soraya raised her voice, pointing a finger at me.

We had all woken up early and lined up in the kitchen in front of Soraya. I looked around, unsure if she was talking to me, then pointed to myself and asked, "Me?" Soraya's face twisted with anger at my innocent question.

She grabbed a bowl of cold water from the counter and dumped it over my head, drenching me completely.

"You fool!" she yelled as I fell to the ground, the other girls laughing at my humiliation. "Do you think anyone here is as useless and clumsy as you? You can't even handle a single tray of dishes!"

Gina was the only one who didn't laugh. Instead, she rushed to my side.

"Kaida, are you okay?" Gina asked, concern evident in her voice.

Soraya snapped, "Leave her alone unless you want to clean the toilet for the whole week!"

I looked up at Gina, not wanting her to be punished because of me. I sniffled and said, "It's okay, I'm... I'm fine." Gina reluctantly stood up, knowing it was unwise to defy Soraya.

"Now get up!" Soraya barked at me. "Pick those sheets and go tidy up the Alpha's room this minute! You'll be in charge of Alpha Kael's room until his mating ceremony with his Luna. If you mess it up, you'll be cleaning the toilets since that seems to suit you." The other girls laughed as Soraya mocked me.

Shivering from the cold water, I quickly stood up, picked up the sheets and a brush, and headed to Alpha Kael's room, even though it was the last place I wanted to be.

I took a deep breath and knocked. After knocking twice with no answer, I assumed he wasn't inside.

I slowly opened the door and walked in, water still dripping from my hair. Soraya hadn't given me time to dry off. I walked to the bed to lay the sheets when a voice startled me.

"Kaida!"

I turned instantly to see Alpha Kael standing in front of me, a towel wrapped around his waist. His body was chiseled, every muscle defined, his skin glistening from the shower. His eyes bore into me, and I felt my face flush with heat.

"Al... Alpha Kael," I stammered.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice firm yet curious.

"I was assigned to clean your room, Alpha," I said, my head lowered.

"Why are you dripping with so much water?" he asked, concern lacing his words.

"I... I..." I started, but he cut me off, picking up a towel from his shelf and tossing it to me.

"Here, wipe yourself before you catch a cold. You should have dried off before coming to tidy up my room. I'm not in a hurry," he said.

"No, it was Soraya who..." I began, but he interrupted again.

"Soraya?" he asked, his tone sharp. I nodded slowly.

"It was because I messed up the dining the last time, Alpha. She was punishing me," I explained.

Alpha Kael's face darkened with anger. "You could have caught a cold! Why would she do that? Come with me."

He grabbed my hand, and my eyes widened in surprise as he led me to the kitchen. No one had ever stood up for me before.

Soraya rushed over, thinking I had messed up again. "Alpha Kael, did she do something again?" she asked, her voice filled with worry and irritation.

Alpha Kael's voice was a roar. "Why would you pour water on her, knowing she could catch a cold?" Soraya looked stunned, as did I. No one had ever defended me before nor stood up for me.

"I was only punishing her, Al..." Soraya began, but Alpha Kael cut her off.

"From now on, I will punish any slave myself. Is that clear?" His tone was final, leaving no room for argument.

Soraya nodded, bowing her head in shame. "Understood, Alpha Kael," she said.

Alpha Kael still held my hand as we were about to leave when Alpha Caden walked in. His eyes darted from Kael to our joined hands.

Soraya bowed and quickly tried to explain, “Alpha Caden, I only disciplined a slave because—”

Kael turned around to cut her off angrily, “I don’t care! My order stands!”

Alpha Caden’s gaze hardened. “Soraya has every right to punish any slave.”

Kael turned to face his father, his grip on my hand tightening. “Not anymore.” Still holding me, he led us out of the kitchen.

I was dumbfounded, embarrassed, and strangely touched. Everyone’s eyes were on us as we walked away. He took me back to his room, handing me the towel again.

“Here you go, wipe yourself properly so you don’t catch a cold,” he said.

“I… I… I’m fine, Alpha Kael,” I stuttered.

Ignoring me, he took the towel and gently wiped my face, his eyes soft and concerned. But our moment was interrupted when Alpha Caden stormed into the room.

“What the hell did you display out there, Kael?!” he roared. I rose from the bed instantly and bowed to greet him.

“Hey, you! Get the hell out of here,” Alpha Caden barked at me. I hurried out, but could still hear their argument.

“You are an Alpha, for crying out loud, and you step out holding the hand of a slave? What the hell is wrong with you?” Alpha Caden yelled.

“I can do whatever I want, Father,” Kael retorted.

“You can’t be seen defending a slave like that. She is a slave for a reason! They should always know their place!” Alpha Caden insisted.

“That doesn’t mean they should be maltreated!” Kael shouted back.

“That isn’t your business!” Alpha Caden yelled.

“Of course it is!” Kael fired back.

“She is just a slave!” Alpha Caden shouted.

“No, she isn’t just a slave, Father. She is my mate!”

Kael declared, his voice echoing in the hallway.