Hayley
I didn't realize it until we reached Clover Kingdom. The man who I had just rode home with was none other than Alpha Damian, the infamous red knight. Everybody knew of him, but nobody expected him to be this graceful, it was no wonder Alpha Alexander was so cautious of him despite being ages older.
I felt my heartbeat escalate, and all I could do was stare into the clouds hoping that my life would be over this very moment. I knew it was too good to be true, nobody was ever this nice to an omega. He had only put up that façade to ensure that I came home with him. And now that I had fallen for the bait, there was no going back.
"We're here, Hayley." Ethan informed me, and I almost jumped out of my seat. Now that I was aware of who they truly were, I couldn't view them the same.
With a practiced smile, I stepped out of the vehicle and stood until Damian had stepped out as well. He had been on the phone with someone, and only came to realize that we had reached our destination when he saw Ethan and I standing outside the vehicle.
"We're here already?" He asked rhetorically before ending the phone call. With a smile, he turned towards me and gave me a nod of assurance. "This is your new home now, Hayley. I hope you like it."
"Y..yes." I stammered before mirroring the expression on his face. Why was he still keeping up with the pretense? I questioned myself as I followed Ethan keenly. I was already in the palm of his hands, there was no need for him to act so nicely towards me anymore. The quicker he revealed his true self to me, the better. I was already used to being treated like trash, and this probably wouldn't be the last.
"Have the maids prepare a room for our guest, and bring a warm meal for her immediately." Ethan ordered one of the guards who was on duty. With a light bow of the head, the man left to carry out the orders as he was told. Once he was gone, Damian gestured for Ethan to give us some space, and soon, Ethan was gone from my range of view.
The realization that I was alone with Alpha Damian made my heart sink into my stomach. What was he going to do to me now? Has the time come for him to reveal his true self to me?
"Why don't we have a seat," Damian suggested, and without hesitation, I complied. He seemed to notice how tense and obedient I was, and he immediately reached out to hold my hand.
I made to withdraw, but he tightened his grip just enough to not hurt me in the slightest of ways. His grip was soft, and his eyes were soft, nothing like the stories foretold.
"I don't want you to be scared of me, Hayley." He began, his voice soft and almost enchanting. "I know you must have heard things by now, and I'm not going to deny any of the things you've heard. But I want you to know that you'll be safe here. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again."
I stared at him for a moment, and when I realized that my stares had lingered for too long, I immediately turned away shyly.
"Thank you." I muttered under my breath. I turned to meet him smiling warmly at me, and only then did my tensed heart relax a little bit. Perhaps I was being paranoid for no reason. Maybe the stories were even false, no wonder he didn't bother with them.
As though he was a telepath, Ethan appeared and gestured that I follow him. I turned towards Damian, and he gave me a nod of approval to do as Ethan had said.
I stood from the sofa, and without saying another word, followed Ethan up the stairs to the room he said would be my own.
The room was enormous, almost too big to be real. I felt like I was stepping into a dream. The bed alone was larger than the entire space I used to sleep in, and it was covered in a plush, velvety spread. The headboard reached almost to the ceiling, intricately carved with patterns I couldn't begin to name.
I turned in a slow circle, taking in the high ceilings, the chandelier that sparkled even in the daylight. There was a fireplace on one wall, with a marble mantle. Soft, thick rugs covered the floor, their colors rich and inviting. I could feel the softness even through my shoes.
"This is my room?" I asked Ethan, my voice barely above a whisper. He nodded with a small, polite smile, but I still couldn't believe it.
I thought back to the times I slept on the cold, hard floor, grateful for even a thin mat when I was lucky enough to have one. This room was more than just a place to sleep—it was a palace in itself. I walked over to the bed and hesitantly touched the spread, feeling the fabric under my fingers. It was the softest thing I had ever felt. Everything felt surreal, so surreal that I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Ethan caught a glimpse of my childishness, and a soft laughter escaped his lips. "You're not dreaming, this is your room. You're the Alpha's mate, you deserve more than this."
"I'm the Alpha's mate.." those words danced on my tongue as I repeated them. Few hours ago I was nothing more than a common house girl, and now I was being treated like royalty. It felt like a dream, but the more I doubted it, the more reality proved itself.
I stole a glance at Ethan, and the question that had been troubling me resurfaced in my mind. He seemed like a close friend of Damian's, if anybody would know anything about Damian, it would probably be him. I had no idea how he would react to my question, but curiosity was getting the better of me. I needed answers, I wanted to know something about the man I was going to spend my life with. Were the rumors true? Was he really the devil's incarnate?
"About Alpha Damian, are the stories true?" I finally voiced out, my words barely a whisper, but Ethan was able to catch them perfectly. His smile broadened a bit, and for a second it almost seemed as though he was mocking me with his laughter.
"You're curious about Damian, it's only natural. You're going to be his bride soon." He commented before walking a bit closer to me. His voice dropped down to a hush, and in a whisper Ethan spoke. "Yes, the tales are true."
I felt my heart leap out of my mouth, and suddenly balls of perspiration were trickling down my face. My eyes darted around Ethan's face in search of a clue that he might be joking, but couldn't find one hint. He was dead serious, and that only fueled the fear that had blossomed within me.
Realizing that he had done nothing but terrify me, Ethan immediately tried to brighten the room with a smile. "You're overthinking it, Hayley. The Alpha is only cruel to his enemies, he would never hurt anybody for no reason." He clarified, but I wasn't quite convinced.
I've heard the tales, how he united three packs through bloodshed to form Clover Kingdom. Nobody knew where he came from, nobody could trace his origin. He had appeared out of the blue and had overthrown powerful rulers in just three days.
The stories said his footsteps caused earthquakes yet I had walked with him and the ground remained intact. It had been difficult to believe at first, but after hearing Ethan's words, I was almost certain that the tales were true.
"He's a kind man, Hayley, the best you'll ever know. The stories you've heard are true, but it's not wise to believe everything you hear, not without hearing from the horse's mouth." Ethan continued.
I arched a brow at his last sentence. Was he suggesting that I ask Damian about the stories? There was no way I was going to do that. I wanted to enjoy a little bit of the good life, and I had no intentions of spoiling it, especially not hours after I'd been rescued from hell.