The Mark of a Queen

Chapter 5

Alena's POV

Working on the last of the guest rooms, peacefully humming away, I do not notice the door opening wide behind me. I do not notice until I am roughly pulled by my elbow away from the sheets, and looking into the eyes of Melantha, Jamie's soon to be mate. 

Melantha and Jamie are chosen mates. Chosen mates are really rare and hard to come by. Typically chosen mates are seen when someone has not found their mate, and they are at the age where they are unlikely to find their mates. Since one typically is able to find their mates when they are 18, most wolves wait until they turn 25 to find a chosen.

This gets really complicated when someone ends up finding their true mate later on. Its a lot harder to break a bond that has been completed, and its extremely difficult on a true mate to find their other half has not waited for them. The only other time a chosen mate is made is due to their mate dying. 

Mates dying is the most painful of events, and typically turn the wolf rabid. Most of the time they do not survive without their Goddess given mate, but if they do, they are free to make a new connection. Most of the time mates are not chosen in the case of separation by death, as no other bond can possibly replace the one you can have with a true mate. 

Snapping out of my trance I notice Melantha's hand is still forcing my arm away from the bed, purple and blue bruises already forming on my skin. I wince in pain, unsure of what is happening, but unwilling to deal with the consequences of speaking out of turn. I keep my eyes trained to the floor and follow her lead hoping to make the situation worse.

Without any recollection of what just happened, we stopped in front of the door leading to the cells. Melantha turned and looked directly at me, with my eyes trained towards the ground. She was teasing me. Asking me to look up so she could punish me for it. Melantha was brutal. Worse than Jamie could ever be. Part of me always believed that she was the reason everything happened to me. The reason why all the hell started.

She started a rumor in grade school that I had a 'thing' for Jamie. That I had a big crush on him. That of course was not true. I was always avoiding him for the same reason I avoided her. Fear of punishment and repercussions. 

She started to speak, spit trickling on her face as she was fuming. "What the fuck are you doing? Why are you still up here? You have been cleaning all day and you should have finished HOURS ago! I don't want to have to see your face, and I sure as hell do not want our guests knowing you exist. DO. I. MAKE. MYSELF. CLEAR." 

Having enough of her constant ridicule, I violate rule number 1 of the omega code. '1. Never directly look into anyone's eyes. Especially one of the ranked wolves' I pull out whatever fight I can muster, unsure where the sudden urge of confidence and courage came from. "I. UNDERSTAND. YOU." I repeat to her slowly, talking as if she is the scorned child in this situation.

Backhanding me across the face, my head whips to the side, my eyes widden. It is too late to go back, I have to escape. I have to escape now or I will be dead by morning. My fight or flight response kicks in. Holding my chin she gazes into my eyes.

"Do not go there Omega. You are pushing my patients. Respond. Properly."

She is now digging her eyes into my soul. Because I still do not have my wolf, any command given by a ranked wolf does not work, so I spit in her face.

"Listen to my words Melantha, and listen closely, I am tired of your bullshit, and your fucking ridicule. You are a self centered whore. FUCK. YOU. BITCH!!" I shout out as I sweep my legs under hers, forcing her to collapse onto the floor, and I sprint towards the door.

I am almost there.

15 more steps.

10 more steps.

5 more steps.