Mute

Chapter 17

Aria’s POV

As I stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair with brisk strokes, the loud banging on my door shattered the stillness of the morning.

I cursed under my breath, irritation bubbling up within me at the rude interruption.

If only I had a voice, I would have yelled out, demanding to know who had the audacity to disturb me at this ungodly hour. But alas, my silence condemned me to suffer in silence.

Before I could even take a step towards the door, it swung open with a forceful push, and in strode an Omega maid, her expression twisted into a scowl that matched my own sour mood.

It was clear from the disdain in her eyes that whispers had been circulating through the castle since Caspian brought me back to the pack, carried like some damsel in distress on his shoulder.

The jealousy and resentment practically oozed from her pores, a stark contrast to the adoration that the other maids harbored for our Alpha.

“You’re running late for work,” she spat out, her voice dripping with venom. “Lady Agatha asked me to fetch you.”

I met her hateful gaze with a cool stare of my own, refusing to be intimidated by her hatred.

It was evident that she envied me, resentful of the attention that Caspian had bestowed upon me, even if it was in the form of carrying me back to the pack against my will.

Unlike the other maids who harbored secret crushes on our Alpha, I held no such illusions about him. My disdain for Caspian ran deep, rooted in the indignities I had suffered at his hands.

The girl’s voice sliced through the tense atmosphere, yanking me back to reality. “Hurry, get dressed and come out for inspection,” she commanded, her tone dripping with disdain.

I gave her a firm nod in response, refusing to let her hate and jealousy affect me. But as she shot me one last hateful glance before turning on her heel and storming out, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of bitterness gnaw at my insides.

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As I read

settled

With ea

1 for my maid’s dress hanging in the wardrobe, a heavy sense of worry

me like a suffocating blanket.

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movement that I made, I was reminded of my fate, of the life I was destined to lead once again within the confines of the LightShadow pack.

Slipping into the dress, a sigh escaped my lips, carrying with it the weight of my despair.

Here I was, back in the very place I had fought so hard to escape, condemned to continue my existence as a mere servant.

The memories of the elderly couple who had taken me in flooded my mind, their faces etched with kindness and warmth. If only they had not been ripped away from me so brutally, I could still be living in their embrace, free from the shackles of servitude.

But fate had other plans, and now I found myself back in the pack, resigned to my role as a maid. The dull ache in my chest grew stronger with each passing moment, a constant reminder of the life I had lost and the one I was forced to return to. With a heavy heart, I finished dressing.

As I stood before the mirror, the reflection staring back at me was a stark reminder of the choices I had been denied, the life that I was forced to live.

As I left my room and made my way to the dining hall, a sense of unease settled over me like a dark cloud. The ambience was already filled with tension, and I could hear the distant echoes of Lady Agatha’s sharp voice, berating the maids.

Entering the hall, I found myself in a scene of chaos and oppression.

Lady Agatha stood at the front, her imposing body was like a shadow over the trembling maids before her.

Her eyes bore into each girl with disdain and contempt, as if they were nothing more than mere insects to be crushed beneath her heel.

“You there!” she barked, pointing a gnarled finger at a young maid who cowered before her. “Your uniform is wrinkled! Have you no pride in your appearance?”

The poor girl stammered an apology, but before she could finish, Lady Agatha delivered a sharp blow with her stick, causing the maid to yelp in pain.

“And you!” she snapped, turning her attention to another maid. “Your hair is a mess! Do you think you’re here to lounge around like a lazy sloth?”

The maid trembled under the weight of Lady Agatha’s words, her eyes brimming with

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tears as

ggled to maintain her composure.

As Lady Atha’s gaze locked onto mine, a chill ran down my spine, but I refused to cower under her scrutiny. Instead, I met her wicked glare with a steely resolve, bracing myself for the storm that was about to come.

With heavy steps, Lady Agatha abandoned her previous target and closed in on me, her face contorted with malice. “So, you think you’re someone special now, do you?” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “Because Alpha Caspian deigned to bring you back into the pack?”

held her gaze unwaveringly, refusing to show any sign of weakness in the face of her aggression. Lady Agatha’s words cut through me like a knife, each one a reminder of the pain and suffering she had inflicted upon me in the past.

“How dare you try to leave again?” she continued, her voice rising to a crescendo of fury. “Don’t you understand your place? You were brought here to serve, to work as a maid for as long as I see fit!”

But I remained silent, refusing to dignify her words with a response. Lady Agatha was nothing but a bully, a cruel tyrant who had made my life a living hell since the moment I set foot in the pack.

I remembered all too well the punishments she had inflicted upon me, the endless abuse and torment she had subjected me to. From forcing me to endure the cold rain at night to hitting me mercilessly simply because I couldn’t speak, Lady Agatha had reveled in my suffering, delighting in every moment of my pain.

And then there was the incident with the tea, where she had tried to force me to speak by drowning me in cups of scalding liquid. I had endured hours of agony, my throat burning with each swallow, until finally succumbing to the torment of a raging stomach.

But worst of all was the day she had thrown me into the lake, a cruel test of my survival skills that had nearly cost me my life. I had struggled against the icy waters, my lungs burning for air as I fought to stay afloat, until finally emerging from the depths gasping for breath.

Now, as Lady Agatha stood before me, brandishing her stick like a weapon, I felt no fear, only a burning anger that simmered within me. She was nothing but a bully, a petty tyrant who thrived on the suffering of others.

With a defiant glare, I met her gaze head-on, refusing to back down in the face of her aggression. No longer would I allow myself to be intimidated by her cruelty, for I was not the same anymore.

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Agatha’s voice cut through the tension like a whip cracking in the air. “How dare you stare at me like that?” she demanded, her tone laced with disbelief and indignation. But I remained unfazed, refusing to lower my gaze or show any sign of submission.

Instead, I folded my arms across my chest and met her glare head-on, a silent challenge burning in my eyes. Lady Agatha seemed taken aback by my defiance, her expression shifting from anger to bewilderment as she struggled to comprehend my audacity.

“How dare you behave this way?” she asked, her voice rising with each word. But still, I refused to budge, standing my ground with unwavering determination.

Suddenly, Lady Agatha raised her stick, a menacing glint in her eyes as she prepared to strike. But before she could follow through with her threat, I acted on instinct, grabbing hold of the ugly stick and halting its descent with a firm grip.

The room fell into stunned silence, the air thick with tension as Lady Agatha and the other maids looked on in disbelief. Lady Agatha’s eyes widened in astonishment, her mouth agape as she struggled to process what had just transpired.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re starting to grow wings, Aria,” she remarked, her tone tinged with begrudging admiration. “Simply because you’ve been the talk of this castle in the past few days.” But I paid her words no heed, my grip on the stick tightening with each passing moment. The memories of Lady Agatha’s past cruelty flooded my mind, igniting a firestorm of anger and resentment within me.

With a clenched jaw, I stared into Lady Agatha’s eyes, my expression hardened with determination. No longer would I allow myself to be a victim of her tyranny, for I had found the strength to fight back, to stand up for myself against all odds.

As Lady Agatha’s stick hovered menacingly in the air, the other maids around us began to murmur among themselves, their voices a hushed symphony of admiration and astonishment.

“She’s so brave,” one of them whispered, casting a furtive glance in my direction.

“I can’t believe she’s standing up to Lady Agatha like that,” another added, her eyes wide with awe.

I felt a flicker of pride swell within me at their words, ready withstand whatever punishment Lady Agatha had in store for me.

To my surprise, Lady Agatha finally relented, pulling the stick away with a begrudging scowl. “You want to challenge me, huh?” she sneered, her voice laced with venomous