*****CHAPTER 16

MAE'S POV

I gulped tearfully as I read the letter. While I blushed that he thought me beautiful, I felt jealous that he had met up with another friend that wasn't me. A 'her'.  The thought that there was another girl in his life whom he cherished too makes me feel inferior, and I fear that I might truly lose him forever if I leave to work at the castle. What would become of me when that happened?
 
As I produced a pen and a plain sheet of paper from my pocket, my brain went blank, and I couldn't think of any appropriate response to his letter. What was to be said? Congratulate him for meeting up with his precious friend? Tell him I got caught stealing by the Alpha himself, and now, I might have to start serving in the castle for an entire year of my life?
 
I returned my pen and paper to my pocket again and did not reply to his letter this time. It was the first time that I had left his letter unanswered.
 
As I had brunch with my family, I continued to eye the wall clock. There were just ten minutes left till noon, and more than ever, I felt nervous and uncertain of what was in store for me. I prayed to the gods again that they would let the Alpha forget completely about me. He was a busy man, and I should not be of any importance to him. He was probably engaged with other important activities when he remembered a poor dirty thief he had encountered at the market yesterday.
 
But my body still didn't relax at the thought. It felt like I was only lying and trying to deceive myself.
 
"Did you hear that, Mae?" "Mother thinks my shoes are the prettiest." Pearl's excited voice jerked me back to reality, and I faked a smile and looked in her direction. My eyes traveled to her feet, which were adorned with a pair of heeled shoes. I had sneaked and returned to the market to purchase another pair of the shoes I had first set my eyes on, using the gold coins the Alpha had thrown at me. I knew it was shameless for me to accept the coins and make use of them, but I wished I had a choice. Seeing that I could possibly end up getting punished for trying to steal from the Alpha, I figured it was best to at least, be deserving of my punishment.
 
It was a total of three gold coins, the equivalent of three thousand bronze coins. On other days, it would excite me, and I wouldn't stop making plans with the money in my head. But this time, I did not really care about the money, save for purchasing Pearl's new shoes. My worry was for my own life right now.
 
"I am glad you like me." I replied to Pearl, and she smiled broadly at me. She looked so happy that I convinced myself that every punishment I was going to receive for my crime was worth it.
 
"I really do love it. "Thank you, Mae."
 
"How did you get such money to buy an expensive shoe of that sort?" My father eyed me and asked.
 
"How else?" Snow chipped in and laughed as she ate her chicken wings. I eyed her.
 
"Whichever way you do it, you are an accomplice since you share the benefits of the earnings."
 
"Huh." Snow scoffed at me.
 
"Girls…" My mother tried to talk, but a sudden knock came upon the door and everyone went silent instantly. I noticed how my family eyed each other in puzzles. We never have guests at our house. The last time we had a guest, it was almost a year ago. We were practically the loneliest family members in the village. My heart beat accelerated as the knock came again, heavily on our door. I prayed it wasn't who I was expecting it to be.
 
"Who could that be?" Snow whispered to no one in particular, and the rest shrugged ignorantly.
 
The knock came upon the door again, this time impatiently and as if threatening to bring down the door if we did not open on time.
 
"Open this door, by the orders of the Alpha and Lycan kings; Alpha, Alcot, and Elord! "We have been ordered to fetch your second daughter; Mae Barrow, to the castle right this moment."
 
Everyone's eyes were locked on me this time. There were both surprises and suspicions written all over their faces. With my body now shaking with fear like a leaf, my eyes moved to the wall clock again, and my eyes grew teary as reality dawned on me.
 
12:00pm.
 
It was noon on the dot. The Alpha never played a trick on me. He had stuck to his words and sent the palace guards to come fetch me to the palace. My life was about to change right from this very moment.

The door was kicked open as none of us attended to it. My sisters jerked in fright, and even my cowardly father backed off and hid behind one of the chairs. I was the only one left on the table, staring at the faces of the guards that stormed into our house. The leader stopped as soon as he set foot inside our house, his eyes glued in recognition at me. I mirrored his expression.
 
"Mae?" Oliver's eyes sized me up as if he could not believe the sight in front of him. I looked back at him in surprise. Don't tell me he was one of the guards the Alpha had sent to come fetch me.
 
"Oliver?" I rose from my seat, and my father's scared voice asked from behind me.
 
"D–do you know him?"
 
Ignoring my father's question, I refocused my attention back to Oliver.
 
"You were sent from the castle to fetch me." Weren't you?" I asked him, my eyes trying their best to avoid the hard glares of the guards that stood behind him, waiting patiently to carry out the Alpha's order.
 
"What did you do, Mae?" Why did the Alphas send us to you? "Are these your family?" His eyes took in the sight of my sisters and parents behind me. Even though Oliver and I had been friends for several years, I had never invited him to visit my parents' house before or introduced him to any of my family members. I was too ashamed of them already to go around, announcing that I had close blood ties with any of them. Well, except for Pearl.
 
"I thought he was making empty threats." I replied instead, and Oliver returned his eyes to me. His eyes hold both curiosity and uncertainty.
 
"The Alpha is a man of his words." He never makes empty promises. I ask again, Mae: "Why did the Alpha ask us to come fetch you?"
 
I heard Snow gasp behind us.
 
"The Alpha asked for you?" What did you do, Mae? "What have you done this time again?" Her tone was accusing and harsh. Wait till she hears what it is I have to say next.
 
I hoped she doesn't die when she finds out.