I TOUCHED THE PULSE BELOW my jawline, it was racing to a ridiculous extent. I felt the women's eyes on me and glanced over my shoulder. Their looks were not friendly.
Lucian left the room and they remained to finish washing themselves. One of the women whom I noticed staring at me for some time stepped forward. Her body is slim and shaped at her waist and her skin resembles milk, smooth and fair. Her slanted dark eyes stayed trained on me even as she tied her shoulder length blonde hair back.
This continued, she stared sternly at me and I stared back.
"And who might you be, dear?" She raised a brow in question and I could've told that she wasn't asking, her voice was constraining.
"Lydia." I answered simply, after all my first name wasn't any important information that should be hidden.
The woman scoffed," Informal. I didn't ask for your name, Lydia."
"You weren't specific." I said, "And I don't really believe in one-sided introductions?"
"So you want an introduction? Alright then," She shrugged and walked past me, over her shoulder she boasted, "I am Princess Phelicia Argon, Alpha Lucian's to be mate."
I blinked. She is his mate? But again, the way she clinged to him during the bath, it was obvious. However it did not make sense to me, though I know little about mating, who then is following women at his side? Why does he take baths with more than one woman?
The women that remained did not make much of an attempt to conceal the words they were whispering under their breaths or their criticizing faces toward me.
'Why must she bathe with us?'
'Do you think Alpha Lucian brought her in?'
'He wouldn't but either way she isn't bewitching enough, Alpha Lucian does not desire such a woman.'
A hand was placed on my shoulder and Hannah appeared behind me. She placed me aside when she spoke.
"Ladies the Alpha wants us all aptly attired to be arranged at the grand table for a feast." She then whispered, "That involves you as well. Follow after me, no argument if you may."
I followed behind her in silence, there was nothing needed to be said. My mind repeated the same things, 'Breathe, relax, pretend, leave.'
The action of leaving has to be as fast as possible.
I noticed that Hannah was holding back, what she was holding back from saying is not known to me but I knew she was from her constant glances at me.
[***]
"There's a lot of them." I decided to say.
"Yes, Alpha Lucian does indulge in multiple women, he believes he should not simply settle with one until he finds 'the one truest' as he explains but then again that may not happen."
She turned to face the front again but quickly recoiled when I asked. "Phelicia?"
"Princess Phelicia to you, remember you're under our roof, our territory. You should show respect. Phelicia and the Alpha are…it is not right of me to discuss their relationship nor do I have to make it known to you." She whispered the last part as though it was secret.
She made a left up the stairs and down the empty hallway, stopping at two wooden doors. "Here." She pushed them open and ushered me inside.
The inside was well lit unlike the gloomy locations I've seen previously. It was decorated with a woman's touch, aligned furniture, multi coloured fur carpet that held a table filled with knitting tools. More women flooded the room, some seated and knitting with laughter around them, others trying from the variety of clothing.
"Everyone, this is our new lady, Lydia." Hannah suddenly introduced, pushing me closer.
It was obvious that they weren't the least interested in the sudden introduction but they didn't let it be known as the women in the bath did.
But these women were definitely older and looked to be almost nearing their thirties.
The three women seated exchanged stares before they looked at Hannah again, disbelief on their faces. "We haven't welcomed in our pack for such a long time, why now will Alpha Lucian welcome her." She whispered as though I wasn't standing opposite to her. She had bright orange hair and similar coloured freckles on her nose, going perfectly with her olive skin tone.
She turned to me and smiled, standing from her seat to cup my face. "Such lovely skin." She moved my head around like a young girl would play with a doll, "Yes, yes, she's rather beautiful right, girls?"
Another stood and circled me, curly brown hair which she held back into a bun, light brown skin with circular glasses on her nose. "She does need a little meat on her bones though, she looks as though she's been starved." It was true, pertaining to my father's attitude lately, I've taken better care of him than I did for myself so much that a cup of coffee became both my breakfast and my lunch. He didn't bother about my weight or whether I ate.
"Rest the girl." The last woman with blonde cheek level hair and silver eyes rested her knitting progress against the table when she stood and crossed her arms behind her, "She's here for a dress, right?" She asked Hannah who nodded. "Yes."
"Green eyes, black hair, porcelain skin, I think I know which will do."
As the woman paced around the room, Hannah turned to me. "Lolah, Esmay, Sharlette. Remember them." She told me and I acknowledged. Lolah was the lady with orange hair and freckles, Esmay with the brown curly hair and lastly Sharlette with the short blonde cut.
"Trust me this green will go perfect with her eyes." Lolah said and smiled at me while Sharlette held the folded dress in her arms toward me.
I bowed my head, "Thank you." I took the dress and stared down at it.
"Don't worry it'll fit you like a glove."
"Thank you, everyone." Hannah placed a hand on my shoulder and led me out the door. "Listen here, Lydia, the wolves you are to meet at the table today are not to be tampered with, this should be a warning to keep your mouth shut." She ran a finger along her throat, "Do not blink such as a lash in their direction for too long."