Three days.
It took her three days and she felt like she wanted to throw in the towel. She sighs as she slumps onto the bed, fatigue has taken over her system.
She is so tired that she hasn't changed wolf forms for days. Normally, she shifts forms to strengthen her limbs but now, even just placing the books on her head as she balances them with her kneeling position for hours, tires her out.
She is debating whether to take a stroll in her wolf form at night but what if she accidentally meets one of the royal guards speculating her of escape or worse, the king himself?
But then again, the king rarely comes in this area but who knows if her luck has run out.
She places her forearm to her forehead as she absent-mindedly stares at the ceiling before her.
Just two more days and she will get her results and she'll bid this place goodbye. She has no time to spend time with Dimitri as her schedule is tight with her lessons to become the "ideal" concubine for the king. And he is more focused on being her secretary instead, reminding her about the things she has to do every hour.
Madame Ping did say it will be an intensive course and that she has to compete with other concubines since she arrives late.
She sighs again and tosses her aching body to the side.
"Just two more days…" she mutters, feeling determined now. "Two days and I'm out of the palace."
A gentle sound of a knock on her bedroom door and not long after, Dimitri calls for her name.
"Miss Silverfang? Are you awake?"
She lifts her head, curious what Dimitri wants from this godly hour and she replies. "Yes, I am. You may come inside."
The young Greymound enters her bedroom chamber and is still in his dark suit. Maridawn thinks for a moment of realization that not once she has seen Dimitri anything but his formal dark suit and since it's already past midnight, she wonders if he has ever fallen asleep even once.
"What brings you here, all suit up?" She asks.
"I haven't returned back to my bed chambers, Miss Silverfang. Who knows if you need me for anything."
He just gives her a smile, a cryptic one and Maridawn feels a bit of disappointment that for these few days, there isn't any progress in their relationship after the massage scene. Perhaps the intensive course of making her the ideal concubine is putting a huge toll on Dimitri as well.
Yet, he hasn't shown an ounce of weariness or any complaints during her time here.
When Dimitri goes closer to his concubine, he realizes a moment too late what Maridawn has been wearing.
A sexy satin blue night dress that freely flows on her perfect curves down to her hips. Black lace is woven nicely around her breasts in a shape of a ribbon-like design but what makes her sexier is the see-through of her night dress, revealing the color of her black lacy underwear.
He wonders why she doesn't feel embarrassed showing off more skin than usual in front of him but perhaps her confidence really shows how proud she is of herself as a member of the Silverfang Family.
"I suppose you're here for your alpha attendant duties?" She crosses her arms below her breasts and from the distance where he is, he can see her breasts cuddled by her arms, giving a nicer view of her cleavage.
He turns a darker shade of red as he looks away.
Maridawn raises her brow and she gives him an inquisitive look, unaware of the reason for her alpha attendant's sudden shyness.
"Well?" She asks, showing off her impatience.
Dimitri coughs a bit, regaining his composure as he stares at her straight to her eyes and definitely not below there. God knows if he should be more concerned:
That he, Dimitri Greymound gets an arousal just a simple stare at a woman whose body is similar to those gravure magazines (but probably much, MUCH better than those digital photoshopped ones) or that his years of training are utterly pointless when he first caught sight of Maridawn's beauty.
Luckily, she hasn't released her pheromones until now.
"Well, Miss Silverfang, I'm just here to check you out…well, these few days you were strangely…well-behaved."
"Isn't that what you've always wanted, Mister Greymound?" Oddly enough, she reverts back to formalities, and seeing Dimitri's eyes widen a bit before giving her a stern look, she knows that Dimitri won't just let it go until he gets what he wants from her.
"It is under the wish of Madame Ping for you to become the ideal Concubine for His Majesty." He then shakes his head. "Frankly, I still haven't come to a realization of what makes an "ideal" concubine seeing Orga Blackwell in person. But something makes you act like this, is there?"
Maridawn remains hesitant before she walks back to her bed and she sits at the edge. Dimitri knows his position so he remains where he is.
"Feel free to speak, Miss Silverfang. The only ones here in this room are just us. And I assure you any of your concerns or worries won't be in anyone's ears but mine."
"I'm pleased to hear that," she says before sighing. Yet, her silver eyes continue to observe his every move. "Well, it's not a secret, seeing that you've mentioned it before and I thought you were humoring me with some kind of royal drama from a stupid soap opera." She sighs again. "But what you've said was right all along."
He looks at her a bit confused and a thought dawns on his mind. "About the alpha king, Miss Silverfang?"
"Yes," she says as she sways her hands. "It felt like a joke when you said that he's like the Queen of Heart but it was serious."
Now, finally getting the gist of her statement, he grimaces. "Ah, I thought that was already a good warning. I apologize for not giving many details."
She frowns. "So it's true, isn't it? About the king and his tyranny?"
Dimitri hesitates for a while. "As much as I want to be open to you about the situation here in the Palace, I'm not even sure if these things you've been hearing are true or not. But the fact that these concubines and maids disappear remains a fact and thus, the cause of these rumors about the king."
"Then I shouldn't be here!" She stands up. "I should be at home at the Silverfang manor, helping the family business. I should be there instead of wasting my time here!"
"But you are an omega and it is the law to—"
"As I've said this plenty of times, I'M A PROUD ALPHA OF THE SILVERFANG FAMILY!" She bellows, glaring at Dimitri. "Just you wait! After two days and I show it to the presses, to Madame Ping, to you, and to that wretched murderous king that I'm no omega!"
Yet, Dimitri doesn't say anything as she continues to glare at him. The intensity of her glare and the calm, composed stare of Dimitri's makes her eyes soften.
"You believe me, right?" she asks, this time softer and for the first time, Dimitri shows a side of Maridawn that he hasn't seen before: vulnerability.
He knows bringing up the results will be a terrible idea now. He sighs. As he approaches her, he places his hand on her head, giving her a light pat.
Confused, Maridawn stares at her alpha attendant but thanks to that, she finally relaxes a bit.
"If I may be allowed to intervene in your personal affairs, I do have a question for you, Miss Silverfang—uh, wait before that, do you mind if I sit next to you?"
She just nods without a word and he is still hesitant to sit next to her.
Slowly, Maridawn turns to him as he asks a question that bothers him till now.
"Why do you continue to insist on coming back to your family who won't welcome you back?"