08: Ada's POV

I wasn’t quite sure of how much time had passed, but it had to have been months.

Somehow, I had gotten rather healthy. My body had filled out in ways that I didn’t even know were possible for me. The exquisite gown I was in fit snugly, hugging all of my newly supple curves. There was a crown atop my head, and when I looked in the mirror, there were rubies dripping down my forehead and hair that glimmered like fresh blood. My face had makeup on, and it looked beautiful. My thick lips weren’t chapped and dry, my eyebrows had filled back in, and I had color in my cheeks. I knew it was me, but I didn’t recognize me.

In the same way that I just *knew* it was, I knew where I needed to go. My feet carried me out the door on the left side of my room. There was a large balcony outside the door. The space held some metal furniture that had a tray of tea on it. I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at the tea. While I wasn’t certain of *why* I was on the balcony, I knew it wasn’t to drink tea. Actually, I couldn’t even remember someone bringing me tea.

A dense fog began to whisp up over the edge of the balcony, curling seductively around me. Something over the edge was whispering my name, sending goosebumps up my arms. I dragged my lead feet over to the balcony’s edge so I could peer over.

Three faceless figures were on the ground below, heads angled up to view the balcony. The fog swirled around their bodies. One of them cocked their head to the side and I gripped the concrete balcony edge tightly. My heart began to race. *Who are these men? Where are their faces?* Where their faces should be was just milky white nothingness. The air was chilled and that fog gave them such a ghostly feel that I couldn’t continue to look.

My name grew louder on the wind, beckoning me. I felt the pull in my stomach, similar to what I felt when I received a direct order from my alpha. Before I could process what I was doing, I was leaning far over the balcony. My body was tipping over, tumbling into a freefall toward the faceless figures. The scream that erupted from my mouth felt detached from me, like it was also traveling with the wind.

Just before my body smacked against the ground, hands shook me awake roughly. I jolted, shoving at the individual. A small woman in a maids uniform hit the floor beside my bed with a thud. She was pale with sweat dripping down her forehead. Her brown eyes were wide scanning my body for something. I was breathing rapidly, my chest heaving from the powerful intakes of cool air.

The maid climbed to her feet, furrowing her eyebrows, “Are you alright, ma’am?”

I gave a curt nod, swallowing. A sharp pain rang through my throat. My hand reached up and touched it. It was hot to the touch. I tossed my legs over the bed, “Was I screaming?”

“Yes ma’am,” she gave a small nod and clasped her hands behind her back.

“It’s Ada,” I said flatly, wiping sweat from my brow, “And you are?”

“Gwyneth,” she curtsied, “I’m your lady’s maid.”

I blinked. Was she serious? Was she really telling me that in under a week I’d gone from shoveling shit to having my own servants? Not that it mattered. If the three alphas were anything like the faceless men in my dream, I wasn’t making it through this. I sucked in another breath and held my hand out. It shook with great force. With another swallow, I tucked it close to me.

“Can I call you Gwyn?” I climbed to my feet as she nodded, “Great. I think I need another bath,” I fingered the sweat drenched dress, “Would that be okay?”

“I already have one drawn up,” she smiled sweetly, rolling her shoulders back.

As much as I tried to fight it, a small smile tugged at my lips. Gwyn was starting toward the bathroom, but I grabbed her elbow, “Do you have a few minutes?”

She cocked her head to the side, looking at my hand on her arm, “I have whatever you need me to. If that’s minutes, then that’s what I’ll give.”

I released her arm, “How long was I screaming?”

“I’d been trying to wake you for almost five minutes.”

Five minutes? I was screaming for five minutes? It hadn’t even felt like I’d been asleep for five minutes. I glanced out the large picture window, seeing the pitch black sky. My stomach grumbled loudly. Clearly I’d been out for awhile. If I focused, I could here the cacophony of cicadas outside. Gwyn was standing stock-still, blinking slowly as she watched my face.

“Can you tell me anything about the three Alphas?” my voice was small.

Gwyn shrugged, “Unfortunately not, but I can tell you any bit of the other hot gossip around the castle.”

“That’s okay,” I sighed, starting toward the bathroom.

She worked quickly once I stepped in the expansive room, undoing the corset ties and removing layers of the gown rapidly. When the final layer slid off my skin, she skittered out of the room. I stepped into the steamy bath and sat down. Almost immediately, I sank down to where the only things that remained above water were my nose and eyes. The warm water somewhat soothed the tense muscles in my body, but it did nothing to ease my racing heart or mind.

Mariah and Gwyn couldn’t tell me anything about the three Alphas, which meant they’d received orders. Whether that was from the alphas themselves or their father, the Alpha King, I couldn’t know. Either way, it was frustrating. I was thrown into this situation and by some miracle — though I wasn’t sure I would call it that— I was chosen as the Royal Surrogate. Now I was expected to just go along and be okay not knowing anything about the men I was supposed to let ruin me?

There was a shift in the doorway and I jolted, sending water flying. A flush crept up my cheeks as I took in Gwyn standing there with a towel. I wasn’t used to being naked in front of people, and I knew I already had been with Mariah but I had been so tired and in such a state of shock that I couldn’t really process that. This time, I was fully aware that there was a stranger in this room with me. Well, not really a stranger. A lady’s maid.

*Wait.* A lady’s maid. They acted as confidantes and… friends. They were friends in most courts. The way Gwyn smiled at me certainly was friendly. I eased back into the water, clearing my throat before I spoke, “I’d love to know some of the hot gossip of the castle, if you don’t mind.”

Gwyn didn’t hesitate to sit on the edge of the bath and start to fill me in on who was sleeping with who and who smacked who’s sister. While she spoke, I did my best to listen. But I couldn’t help the pit in my stomach that was growing with every passing moment that I was still unaware of what my ruiners — sorry, my *mating partners*— were like.