Their Forbidden Bonds

Chapter 7

Damien's Pov

Two days passed with no news about the job I had been waiting for. On the other hand, I was avoiding Victor, who was curious about how my job search was going. He would likely be disappointed if he knew I was trying to get a job with the royals.

On the third day, while I was in the market, I came across the advertisement on the second page of Seredentia Times, which was always reserved for important news.

Support Staff needed for Seredentia Palace

Requirements:

Male

Age 22-28

High school diploma

Hospitality experience preferred

Competitive compensation

Interviews are to be in person on June 6th, starting at 6am.

There was already a lot of buzz about the job, with everyone discussing how they would try out. I was lucky to have my diploma, which most people in the slums didn’t. Everything else was perfectly aligned with my experience.

Before leaving, I bought an extra shirt and a new pair of sneakers for the interview which cost me a small fortune and I was set.

I decided to tell my family about my prospects that night. My sisters wished me the best, but as usual, they wondered why I wouldn’t just use my Pandia status to my advantage. It was enough to give me status, find omegas who would be throwing themselves at my feet, and most of all, a better job.

But I didn’t want that. I wanted people to take me for who I was without the advantages my wolf had. Omegas to love me not for my genetic composition, but just for who I was, Damien.

But my fate would not be that if I was found out. I could see the apprehension in my mother’s eyes when I told her the news.

“Are you tempting fate, Damien?” she asked worriedly.

Apart from my lying about my status, I was also a wanted man, something we never spoke about.

“I’ll be careful,” I promised.

Getting a job at the palace was risky, but the chances of a Pandia alpha hiding as a Musaeus were not even imaginable. And even looking for a lowly job, once in a blue moon.

“I’ll make you more of the herbal tea,” she promised before heading to sleep.

So, are you not going to tell her it’s not working? Arcanis huffed in annoyance.

“It is, just not to shut you up,” I grumbled in response.

It had been days since I could feel and communicate with him. Apart from that, my healing and mobility skills still remained average at best, something I had confirmed more than once.

The tea had worked perfectly for years, something my mother said an old friend had taught her to brew. It didn’t compare to modern suppressants, but it still got the job done.

So, we’re doing this? Arcanis asked.

“Yes, I’m doing this,” I replied rolling my eyes.

I had terribly missed him, but I was worried his presence would blow my cover at some point after many years of getting used to being close to wolfless.

*

*

The day of the interviews would see me leave home at 3am to make the commute to the city and the palace. The buses were jam-packed with all the males who qualified for the position, all wanting to try their luck. The money was the biggest motivator for all of them.

By the time I got to the palace, there was already a long line weaving into the palace with guards searching through us before we were let in.

At 6am, the gates were closed and those of us who were lucky enough to be inside were congratulated for making it through the first phase of the interview.

A large guard with a booming voice that was enough to address the crowd hushed us before he delivered the next set of instructions.

“Divide yourselves into three. Pandia wolves to the right, Menai in the middle, and finally Musaeus on the left.”

As expected, there was no one on the right. In the middle, the line was sizable, but our line was almost twice as long as that of the Menai wolves.

“Those in the middle kindly follow that guard,” he ordered, and we were left wondering what had happened. Were we all dismissed? I wondered as everyone exchanged curious glances.

“Next, divide yourselves into your ages starting from 22 to 28 in that order. Please have your birth certificate on display.”

The guards began inspecting the line, with some muttering curses about how someone could have a diploma and still not able to count as they pulled people from the line.

I watched as one after another, people were pulled out of line and dismissed in droves.

There also seemed to be guards sniffing out potential hirees whose scents were unpleasant. I found this rather fascinating, and I couldn’t help but wonder if my lack of scent would be a blessing or not. The way the line dwindled was nothing short of extraordinary.

The lines next to us had less than five people remaining. The guard was getting closer and closer to me as I had situated myself at the very back. In front of me, the guard’s nostrils flared, and he muttered in disgust, “You stink.”

The person in front of me looked shocked and confused. “What? No, please!” he pleaded. But the guard didn’t listen. He just waved the person away.

At least today you had a bath, Arcanis snickered, but the knot of fear in my stomach made it impossible for me to respond.

Did I smell okay? Would I be next? I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

After the small confrontation, it was eventually my turn to be sniffed by the guard. I held my breath as the guard’s nostrils flared. After a few seconds, the guard nodded in approval.

“You’re good,” he said before heading to the next person, not bothering with my certificate.

I let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward.

The few of us who remained were finally escorted inside the palace, which I assumed was an extension of the main building but was still very elegant. The floors were black terrazzo, which contrasted with the white walls and the chandeliered ceilings.

Everyone’s eyes looked around in amazement, taking in the paintings on the wall of the royal family to date. There was a noticeably empty section at the end where the princess and her new prince would be mounted.

“Please have all the necessary documents on your hands for registration.” The order rang through the corridor, echoing off the walls.

One by one, people registered as they were ushered through a black door signed “Interviews Ongoing.”

“Next, please,” the omega at the door called as I moved forward, handing her my documents.

“Says here you are an immigrant from the Kingdom Verendetia, is that correct?”

I nodded, hoping that would be the end of the questioning about my origins.

“Go ahead,” she gestured as the door was finally opened and I got to see what was happening.

“Follow me, please,” a different omega requested as she escorted me to a lone workstation in the middle.

The room had been divided into small workstations with a kitchen area, laundry area, dining area, and a vanity area with a mannequin with the most tangled hair I had ever seen.

I looked around as the palace guards slowly paced back and forth, eyes narrowed as they gauged the room in the company of a sizable number of omegas, all holding clipboards.

I pressed my palms into my thighs and rubbed slowly, trying to get rid of the jitters as we waited for final instructions.

“Attention,” the alpha with the booming voice announced, capturing everyone in the room.

“The instructions are simple. You are a housekeeper, and your station is your house. Partake in all the necessary activities you would do on a normal day. You have one hour. Start.”

Looking around, I gauged everything. The kitchen area had some ingredients, so that meant cooking. Next was folding the laundry, setting the table, and finally taming that mannequin’s hair. I thanked the Moon Goddess for my sisters because I knew my way around that bird’s nest.

What kind of job interview is this? For a housewife? That was Arcanis, still giving his unwanted commentary.

I was so engrossed in my activities that I didn’t notice the two omegas who were watching me until they asked for my name.

Time quickly ran out, and a bell rang throughout the room. We were finally called to the front.

“We request the following alphas to remain in the room while the others leave: Jasper, Will, and Damien.”

I couldn’t believe that I had made it this far.

“Congratulations on making it to the last phase of the interviews. We will escort you to the next room for your interviews,” we were told before the large entourage left, leaving three guards in our presence.

Jasper was called in first, and approximately three minutes later, he was out, followed by Will.

It was finally my turn, and a guard held open the door, and I ducked in.

“Hello, my name is Damien,” I introduced myself before bowing politely and taking the seat in front of the panel of two alphas and two omegas.

“We are looking for a new male support staff member,” one alpha stated. “What are your expectations for this position?”

“None. I just need a job and income to support my family, which is my sisters and my mother,” I replied as honestly as possible.

The panelists exchanged glances before I continued.

“Seeing as you have enough experience and most closely fit the profile of what the king wanted, you have the job,” he finished off, and I raised my eyes in surprise. That was all?

“Seriously? Thank you so much. I will not disappoint you,” I replied.

“The pay will be five gold coins per month,” he continued, and that surprised me even more. Not even my savings came close to that.

“The position needs to be filled urgently, so report to the palace on Monday at six o’clock sharp. Congratulations, and welcome to Serendetia Palace, Damien.”