(RHEA'S POV)
The children stood before me with puppy eyes and pouty lips. They did not need to speak, I knew what they wanted from me.
"I'm sorry but I can't stay okay?" I said to them genuinely feeling sorry.
It was the heartbreaking truth. I was not even supposed to be here in the first place. I had asked that the Alpha's team drop me here after the meeting instead of dropping me off at home.
Besides, it's only a few minutes walk from home and I had been too busy with chores at home that I had not seen the kids for some days now and I wanted to know how they were doing.
"But you promise to come by soon?" Cary, one of the children asked me.
"Why, yes of course. Besides how else am I going to plan my birthday party without your help?" I asked them as I put a playful grudge on my face.
They giggled and started hugging me.
"Bye Rhea. We love you. Bye." They chorused.
I hugged them together and then I hugged each of them seperately with a kiss before giving them one last bear hug.
"Now be good, okay?" I said to them and then lastly I hugged Jodie, the woman who took care of the kids.
"Take care Rhea. Thank you so much." Jodie started to say.
"Stop thanking me. You are the one who does all the work. You have a beautiful heart, Jodie. Bless your heart." I said to her and I gave her a kiss on her cheek.
Then I said goodbye and I began the stroll home feeling lighter. Seeing the younger ones always made me feel better.
They are children of the Moon shadow orphanage. Kids who have no parents or kids who have been regarded as outcasts in the pack due to sins their parents committed or some other distinguishable and unacceptable nature .
When I was a child , I started out living like a princess with my father giving me all I had. Even his remarriage to Lillith never changed anything. And then I lost him, and my world shattered in to pieces. I lost my freedom and I began living like a slave in my own late father's house. I remember living like an outcast and I remember how lonely and sad it felt.
Because I am a human, the pack members did not really care so much about me. I never want the kids to feel that way and so I always try to make out time to spend with them.
The sound of the gate being closed behind me was a reminder that I was now back home and it made me out and end to my thoughts of the children. I was now back to face my step mother and step sisters.
I knew that I was in trouble for the lies I had told if my step mother found out. I know that I should not have lied to her but the Beta had told me not to tell anyone about what we discussed and I was scared of going against them.
"Hey! You are being called to report to the main house immediately you are back. The Madame is in the balcony now with her daughters." One of the workers called me to in a loud voice making me jolt out of my thoughts.
Then he immediately carried on with what he was doing while I walked towards the main family mansion where I worked for my Step mother and Step sisters who lived in there.
I shakily let myself in to the house walking through the halls as I made my way to the balcony. I tried to steady my breath as I climbed the stairs telling myself that nothing wrong would happen.
"Look who it is." Hori my step sister said the moment she set her eyes on me as I got to the opened balcony door.
Hori had a look of disgust on her face which her sister, Hera now masked as she turned to look at me as well.
I walked further in to the balcony space and I was standing in the middle like someone who was subjected to some kind of judgment. I faced the direction of my step mother who was seated cross legged on a chair with her fingers grasped around a glass of wine.
"You." She said to me in her soft but icy cold voice.
I bowed my head down scared of how angry she might be with me.
"I know what this is about." She said to me as she now walked towards me slowly with a challenging look in her eyes.
"You dare lie to me that you don't know why you are getting visits from the Alpha but in all honesty, you do." She said to me.
My heart raced and hammered against my chest in a frantic manner.
"This is about some property of your father, is it not?" She asked me with her eyes digging in to mine.
My step mother was the one who was in charge of all my father's businesses, projects and plans. I had nothing to my name except my hard earned money that was stashed away.
I had no inheritance.
"I swear to you Lilith. This is not about that, I really don't know what it's about. The Alpha won't tell me. They just keep on asking me questions " I said quickly to her.
I was guilty at how fluently and smoothly the lies came but there was nothing more I could do.
I was under strict instructions to not tell anyone what the Alpha and the Beta had discussed with me.
"I hear that the darker times are coming. They probably need to offer sacrifices and they need your disgusting human flesh since it's such a waste." Hera said cackling and her sister laughed with her.
"I bet it's because they need people to be recruited for slaughter mission." Hori said still laughing deeply.
"It's when it's people like us, meeting with the Alpha. That is when we could assume something romantic out of it." Hori said in a dreamy look.
She was obviously picturing herself with the Alpha.
"Oh, I've told you. I'm the older one and so…" Hera started saying
"Oh there you go again with this ridiculous thing about who is older and who isn't." Hori spat at her sister.
They were about to start arguing but their mother snapped at them.
"Enough girls!" She commanded.
And then she turned to me with a cunning smile.
"You are right about one thing though, Someone like her can never be with the Alpha." Lillith said with evil eyes directed at me.
There was something strange about the way she looked at me. Again, I just had the feeling that she did not believe me.
Her words rang loud and clear in my head.
Someone like you can never be with the Alpha!