REJECTED

I’M RIGHT HERE

After getting out of the bath, Madeline went ahead and slept on her bed. According to the instructions given to Emily regarding her job, it was only acceptable for her to leave after Madeline had slept.

Emily, therefore, sat beside her, waiting for her to fall asleep.

Fortunately, it didn't take Madeline long to doze off. Meanwhile while gazing at her peerless face, Emily wondered, "Why am I so worried for her? I feel like a pest, bothering her. It's like she doesn't even care about what we have between us. Furthermore, all these emotions raging in my mind makes it harder to focus. What's happening to me? It has only been two days, and I have managed to get tangled in everyone's business."

Just when Emily quieted down, she began observing the charming alpha again.

"Look at her. She looks really cute when she's sleeping," commented Emily.

With her guard down, Madeline slept without a care in the world. From looking ferocious in the day to pleasant in the night, she rarely fails to catch Emily’s fancy. While she slept, her dark locks fell on her face and her fingers curled inwards like an infant.

Emily tried to look away, but she just couldn't.

Instead of listening to her rational self, she gradually kept moving closer until her face was right next to Madeline's.

With her lips puckered out, Emily tried to kiss the sleeping temptress. Things, however, took a bizarre turn when Madeline suddenly spoke, "No, you can't."

Scared of being exposed, Emily withdrew while apologising desperately, "Sorry, It wasn’t intentional. I don't know what happened to me."

It was only then that she realised that Madeline wasn't awake. She was sleep talking.

With tears appearing in her eyes, Madeline mumbled, "Please don't kill my mother! She has nothing to do with this."

As tears streamed down Madeline's cheeks, Emily froze. The hurt evident on Madeline’s face made her sympathetic towards her pain. While evaluating her own tendencies towards Madeline, Emily was shocked to witness her cathartic responses. She felt strange emotions that pushed her towards Madeline, the woman that she had just met. She wanted to embrace her and whisper into her ear that she would be alright. However, it wasn't her place to do such things to the alpha.

To stop herself from indulging in anything undesirable, she decided to call it a day and headed back to the servants' quarter.

The next day, Emily woke up to find Lillian sitting on her bed. With a frown, the girl spoke, "I've got news for you."

"I'm not sure if it's going to be a good one," responded Emily while rubbing her tired eyes.

Lillian peered at her tired face and asked the yawning young woman, "Haven't you slept the previous night?"

"No, it's not that. I’m just homesick," lied Emily and then tried to dodge the topic. "So, what's the news that you've got for me?"

With a sigh, Lillian spoke, "Alpha's grandfather has officially declared that he doesn't wish to see you walking on the property. He argued that he wouldn't hesitate from decapitating you if he sees you again."

"Don't you think he is immature and baseless in his argument? I just stood my ground when I thought he was acting irrationally. He's truly horrible," declared Emily. She, thereupon, asked, "What am I going to do? Where am I going to stay?"

With a chuckle, Lillian spoke, "You look so awkward when you're scared. It's cracking me up."

Emily squinted her eyes as she spoke, "This isn't funny! You aren't even the least bit worried for me. How can you call yourself a friend?"

Lillian stopped laughing as she clarified, "Though the guy doesn't want to see you here, you're allowed to live in the servant quarter until you find a suitable place to dwell."

Agreeing to the conditions put forth by the grandfather, Emily asked, "Did alpha Madeline want me to leave as well?"

Since Lillian wasn't sure of it, she couldn't respond.

"I need to know if Madeline wants me out of here as well or not," spoke Emily as she went into the bathroom to freshen up. "Until I get my answer from the alpha, I'm not leaving."

Just when she came out, Lillian tried to stop her, "Why are you so irrational at times? I thought you were a learned woman. Aren't you afraid of getting your head hacked off?"

With a smug, Emily responded hastily, "I need to know if Madeline wants me out as well or not, and nothing's going to stop me from knowing that. Her verdict matters. She was the one who employed me."

After getting dressed while following the code of conduct, Emily headed towards Madeline's chamber. Unsure if she could enter her room, Emily stared at the shut door from the outside.

"Should I knock first? What if she was still resting? It's only five in the morning," argued Emily while glaring hopelessly at the door.

At that instant, Madeline, who was coming back into her room, spotted Emily from behind and asked her about her reason for roaming around her room, "Why are you here?"

"Umm, I wanted to talk," responded Emily while trying to look away. Since Emily wasn't habitual of approaching uncomfortable topics, she was a little hesitant.

As they entered, Emily couldn't help but examine the new collection of her freshly stacked books.

"That's a great collection you have here," spoke Emily.

While maintaining a similar pessimism, Madeline asked, "Did you come here only to gawk at my book collection?"

She was brisk to deny it and further affirmed, "I was just admiring the wide collection on the subject. That's not what I'm here for."

As Madeline placed her sword on the side of her bed, she glared at the keychain of her room’s keys. It was a raven with red eyes. Emily observed that the key chain seemed to be affecting her in some way.

Precisely when Madeline realised that Emily was peering at her, she communicated her unwillingness to discuss anything by saying, "If that's all, then feel free to leave."

"Umm, sorry-- But, are you sure that you don't want me here working for you?" Emily asked while gathering her leftover courage.

While facing the huge window from which the sunlight shone on her beautiful skin, Madeline deduced, "So, that's what you came here to say. I think Lillian gave you an answer just a few moments ago. My choice certainly doesn't matter after grandfather has already instructed me to kick you out."

Not willing to succumb, Emily asked, "Okay, then tell me one thing. Before I leave, I want to clarify something. Why do you appear so upset all the time?"

Madeline didn't choose to utter a word, so Emily continued, “Like the day when I told you about the truth of your in-laws. You always have that same expression on your face."

Finally, Madeline turned around, and that's when Emily further pestered her, "Do you let everyone see you when you're sad or is it just me? There was also the previous night. While you were sleeping yesterday, I heard you crying and calling out for your mother. I'm sorry for intervening so much. However, I am not doing this willingly. I am suffering as well. There's this dominating feeling in my head that pushes me to save you from all the hurt. That's what makes it hard for me to leave."

Madeline began arranging her stuff and thought Emily would go away if she wouldn't react. The girl, however, wouldn't stop as she continued to enunciate, "I don't know what's troubling you, but I want to help. Although I'm a lowly handmaiden, I can help if you'd want me to."

Now Madeline was beginning to get irritated. In order to make Emily stop talking, she intervened, "Shut up!"

Emily, regardless, continued to communicate her feelings further, "Look, there's always something that can happen. It doesn’t matter how bleak the situation seems. I can help--"

Before Emily could finish, Madeline charged at Emily aggressively. After pushing Emily roughly on the bed, Madeline got above her. Not being able to control her aggression, Madeline held the collars of Emily's dress and pulled them on the opposite sides to tear her shirt from the middle.

With the top of Emily's dress ripped open, her garment was visible. Emily tried to fight Madeline off by holding her hands, but she stopped when she felt Madeline's tears falling on her own cheeks.

She had never heard that alpha Madeline was capable of even shedding a tear. The bold lady was known all over the pack for her pitilessness. Watching her shedding tears of grief, Emily froze initially. Then, she struggled to sit after holding Madeline's arms and brought her face closer to her while explaining, "Don't be scared, Madeline. I'm here for you."

Finally succumbing to Emily, Madeline stopped moving.

Hearing the commotion made by the girls, Mister Wagner rushed into Madeline's chamber only to find Madeline sitting over Emily with her legs sideways, and Emily's shirt's buttons forcefully torn.

With his eyes reverting to dodge the atrocious site presented before him, he couldn’t separate them.

Though Madeline froze in fear and couldn't talk, Emily attempted to clarify the situation, "Wait, I can explain. It is not what it seems."

The old man smacked his head as he exclaimed, "I'm appalled by your behaviour, young girl! From the day you’ve set your foot in this house, you've done nothing but stir trouble for us. From this moment onwards, please don't let me see you. If I'd see you again, I'd use my connections and escort you to a faraway place with no return possible. Get out of my property!"

Emily stood and rushed behind the man to explain, "No, wait!"

With anger and disgust evident in his eyes, the man repeated himself, "Didn't you hear me? There's no place for deviance in my pack or my house."

The man then stormed out of the room, cursing the very day as it started by having him go through the pain of facing the miscreant.

Ashamed, Emily fixed her clothes and rushed back to the servants' quarters. There, she saw Lillian waiting for her in her room. Without saying anything to her, she entered the room with gradual steps. She was engaged in processing all that had transpired with Madeline.

'First, the alpha attacked me. Then, I was the one getting asked to leave the place. What's my life has come to?' pondered Emily while gazing out of the window.

Concerned about her long absence, Lillian asked the troubled handmaiden, "What's up with you today, girl? Come on, leaving this villa isn't the end of the world."

Exhausted by getting chided for even breathing, Emily complained to Lillian, "Well, it shouldn't have bothered me if I hadn't come from an insignificant town. I don't want to go back there. There's only one library with zero institutions. Going back would be saying goodbye to the opportunity for growth. But, I also don't appreciate this unruly behaviour from Nobles."

In a concerned tone, Lillian claimed, "Geez! I had no idea that your life was such a mess."

"What should I do?" asked Emily while resting her head on Lillian's shoulder.

"Did they inform Miss Gwen?" asked Lillian while stroking her head gently.

Emily sighed as she responded, "No, they haven't yet. I am only glad for that because I don't want her to be disappointed in me."

Lillian quietly listened to her rant while thinking of ways to provide for her friend.

Emily, on the other hand, continued to express her anguish, "I don't know why I get so bothered about her. I'm just a handmaiden. Worrying wouldn't do much for me since I can't even protect her."

"Yes, she's the alpha. She arguably doesn't need any protection," responded Lillian.

While seeping into depression, Emily tried to explain her anguish more clearly, "Yes, that is true. However, it is when she's alone that you can see her being sad. It is only then you can see her cry in solitude. That's what forces me to help. Things, however, take a wrong turn every time, and she gets more upset with me."

While holding Lillian's hand, Emily further confessed, "All I wanted to do was to make her happy by standing up for her, but I only ended up causing her pain. I'm a terrible handmaiden."

Pitying poor woman who was on the verge of a breakdown, Lillian spoke, "Oh no! Don't say that. The most important thing is that you did the best you could. Anybody but Alpha Madeline will appreciate having a handmaiden like you who cares about her so much."

No more words, but more sighs followed. Lillian further spoke to calm Emily's troubled mind, "Don't worry. I'm sure she'll understand how you feel someday."

While staring at Lillian's face, Emily asked herself, "How do I feel? I'm not quite sure myself regarding that as well."

Emily then inexplicably became quiet as she remembered all the intimate moments she shared with Madeline. Though Madeline seemed to be playing with her, Emily had caught feelings.

In an attempt to figure out her sentiments regarding the alpha, Emily enquired herself, "What have I been trying to say all this while? How do I feel for her?"

While feeling her lower lip with her finger, Emily spoke upon looking back at her kiss with the alpha, "I see now. The truth is that I've never felt like this before. That's why I'm beyond clueless about this feeling."

The tears soon followed her confession. The agony reflected on her face was the result of the realisation.

While shedding tears and holding on to her chest, Emily finally understood that she not only cared for Madeline but also loved her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

AUTHOR’S NOTE

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Show your love to the author by adding the book to your library.

Thank you, lovely readers!