Claim of the Wolf

Chapter Three: Back to Work

Faith sighed as she tidied her hair up and out of her eyes, she’d had no choice but to return to work two weeks after Oliver’s birth; she was wearing a burgundy housekeeping double breasted lapel dress paired with nude ballet flats.

Faith closed her locker and walked out of the locker room, she knew better than to attract attention to herself; the other maids wouldn’t hesitate to pick a fight with her knowing that they would get away with it.

“Okay, Valera… you are working on the seventh floor,” the head butler said making Faith nod her head before she moved to collect everything that she needed to clean; she kept her head down as she ignored some of the whispers about her before she hurried to get her work done.

Making her way up to the seventh floor, Faith’s thoughts turned to her son that she had left with a friend while she was at work; she was lucky that her friend worked a different shift from her so that someone could watch Oliver while she was at work.

Stepping out onto the floor where she would be working, she knew that it would be better to get on with her work quickly; the sooner she was done the sooner she could hurry home to Oliver.

Faith begun her shift by moving around the rooms on the floor and tidying things away then making the beds, she would save the hovering until last since there was less chance of her making more of a mess.

“I can see where your padre is coming from Iker,” a voice said making Faith pause for a moment before she ducked her head down and continued to tidy around; she knew better than to make herself known unless it was necessary.

Carmen Casillas walked into the room where Faith was working; she ignored the brunette as she turned to face her eldest son who had come to see her to complain about the council turning down his request.

“We worry that if you marry Sara, you will be risking a relationship with your mate,” Carmen said as she sat down and looked at her son as Faith continued to work around the two knowing that she had to make herself invisible; she would be in trouble if they reported her, she needed her job to pay the bills.

“Madre, I’m thirty-one, I don’t know how much longer I’m willing to wait for her,” Iker said softly knowing that his parents were worried about him, Carmen sighed as she ran a hand through her hair; she pursed her lips for a moment before she smiled at her son as an idea formed in her mind.

“How about this, we will host a couple of balls for all the eligible female members of the clan so that you can met them; that way, there’s a greater chance of you finding her,” Carmen said making Iker sigh knowing how his mother got with her parents.

Faith ignored the talk as she continued to clean the room without attracting any attention to herself; she paused as she heard Carmen snap her fingers at her. Getting to her feet, Faith kept her blue eyes on the floor as she faced the two higher ranking members of the clan.

“Go and fetch Lionel for me,” Carmen ordered before she turned her attention back to her eldest son, knowing that this was the best way for them to find her son’s mate.

***

“So I heard that you were in the same room as the clan alpha,” Natalia Gomez said as she walked towards Faith as she slowly opened her locker; everyone in the locker room looked at the brunette as she paused.

Brushing some hair from her face, Faith glanced at the blonde who was staring at her disgusted that someone like her had been able to get close to one of the elite.

“You know… I’m surprised that they allowed you to keep your job, your nothing but dirt at the bottom of everyone’s shoes now,” Natalia said smugly as Faith ignored her, she wasn’t going to get drawn into a fight with the blonde; she knew that it wasn’t worth it.

Natalia had always disliked Faith because Damien had taken an interest in her; however the blonde had never known that she was the lucky one in being ignored by the higher ranking member.

“How is that bastard of yours? I’m surprised if it’s still alive,” Natalia continued to push hoping to get Faith to snap and lash out at her; however the sound of the locker room door opening made Natalia pale as Faith closed her eyes.

Lionel Villa stepped into the locker room and looked at Natalia in disapproval, he knew what she was trying to do and he was sick of warning her; all of the other maids seemed to have it in for Faith.

“Listen up, Lady Casillas has decided to throw two masquerade balls in hopes of helping her eldest son in finding his mate; there will be a ball for the gentry to attend and one for the lower class,” Lionel said making a couple of women squeal and look smugly at Faith; she ignored the looks knowing why she was receiving them.

Since she had now been downgraded to an untouchable, Faith knew that she wouldn’t be welcome at either of the balls and she knew with her luck that she would be forced to work behind the scenes and to hide away from the higher up members of the clan.

“I can’t wait to choose out my dress, what a shame Faith won’t be joining us,” Gina Torres teased as she fluffed her red hair as she looked at the brunette while Natalia grinned as she realised that her friend was right; collecting her things Faith walked out of the locker room without looking back.

***

Stepping into her home with Oliver in her arms, Faith smiled weakly as she cuddled her son as she leant against the door as she tried to fight back the tears; she hadn't really thought about the fact that she would never be bonded to anyone.

Shaking her head, Faith blinked back tears as she took a calming breath before she moved to settle Oliver down for his nap so that she could start dinner; staring at the little boy, she knew that he was the only child that she would ever have.

“I promise… you’ll have everything that you will ever want,” Faith vowed softly as she smiled down sadly at a sleeping Oliver before she closed the door over and moved to make her father and brother their dinner.

Faith tried to keep herself occupied and her thoughts away from the dark places in her mind, but slowly they crept up on her forcing the brunette to slide to the floor clutching at her stomach.

Damien had destroyed her life when he had raped her, he had taken her away from the life that she was meant to live and now she was stuck with no way of escape; Oliver was now both a blessing and a curse of this.

Taking deep breathes as she tried to gather her wits, Faith slowly got to her feet and steadied herself; she knew that she had to hold herself together as she moved to continue making dinner.

Preparing dinner, Faith kept her head down as her father returned from the pub; she bit her lip as she made sure that everything was right, knowing that right now messing up wasn’t an option.

David was already talking about moving her and Oliver out of the bedroom and into one of the cupboards downstairs, Devon was a growing boy and he was going to need his space sooner or later.