CHAPTER 37: YOU WANT HIM TOO?

Iris’s POV

A shock of icy water splashed across my face, jerking me awake from the cold hard floor where I’d fallen asleep last night, my face injury still aching from the salt of my dried tears. My eyes snapped open, blurry at first due to the sun filtering in, as I gasped and scrambled to sit up. The chill from the cold water seeped into my bones. Blinking rapidly, I focused on the maid standing in front of me, her face twisted into a sneer, clutching a small tin bucket still dripping with water.

"What’s wrong with you, sleeping like the dead?" she snapped. "What, are you pregnant or something?" Her lips curled as she tilted her head, eyes glinting with rudeness. "Oh, and I hear your maid duties have been upgraded. Personal maid to Luna Liora now, huh?" She let out a harsh laugh. "She’s waiting for you to clean Kael’s room, so you’d better move now. You know how she can be."

I pushed myself up, my limbs stiff from the night spent on the floor. "You don’t have to be so rude," I said.

She scoffed, tossing her braid over her shoulder. "Be grateful it wasn’t hot water." With that, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the small room I’d been relegated to.

The sudden hatred from the maids was heartbreaking. It hadn’t always been this way. In my past life, I could remember this very maid, Lena, had been kind to me. Back when I was still the Alpha’s daughter, before the lies about my parents’ deaths had branded me a pariah. I could picture her clearly as she fed me while I was a kid.

"Be a good girl and eat your meal," she’d said with a smile but now, that smile and kindness was gone, replaced by a coldness. I didn’t blame her, not really. The pack believed what they’d been told, that I’d killed my parents. The lie had spread uncontrollably and I was too broken to fight it.

I dragged myself to my feet as my eyes fell on the mirror propped against the wall as it revealed a mess of my tangled hair, my eyes puffy and swollen red. I considered a quick shower, maybe just a moment to brush my teeth and feel human again, but Liora’s impatience was something I wasn’t ready to face. It was too early to face her troubles. Instead, I shuffled to the small basin in the corner, splashed water into my mouth, and rinsed it out.

With a sigh, I stretched my muscles and headed to the store room where I took the cleaning items I’ll be needing. I made my way to Kael’s room. Reaching there, I knocked on the door but no answer. Kael was probably out already, playing hockey with his friends on the ice fields of Black Bane, as he did every morning. Assuming the room was empty, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

My eyes landed on Liora first, lounging on a plush velvet couch near the window, her legs crossed elegantly. She was naked except for a black G-string she was on, her skin glowing in the soft morning light and in one hand, she held a glass of orange juice as she raised it to her lips. But the moment she saw me, she paused, the glass hovering halfway to her mouth. And then a slow smirk curled out her lips, eyes narrowing as they locked onto mine.

My gaze flicked suddenly to the bed, where I saw Kael, still asleep. The sheets were covered around his waist, leaving his broad chest and one leg visible. His member was partially visible too, the sight making my cheeks burn as I quickly averted my eyes as Liora’s voice snapped me back.

"Oh my..." Liora’s voice cut through the silence. She flared her nostrils dramatically, her face twisting in disgust. "You smell so bad, Iris. "And why are you staring at him? You wanna have some?" She gestured lazily toward Kael, her fingers flicking in his direction as if offering me a piece of him.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "I’m here to clean the room," I said. "But I can come back later."

She unfolded her legs and stood as she approached, stopping just in front of me, close enough. Her eyes flicked over me, taking in my disheveled appearance with a look of disdain. Then she pointed to the floor near the bed. "Clean that," she said commandingly.

My gaze followed her finger to a small puddle of milky liquid on the floor, partially dried. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to look messy. My stomach churned as I realized what it was. I’d read enough r18 novels in my past life, back when I was still the Alpha’s daughter, having free access to the library of Black Bane as I assume this semen. Kael’s, most likely. The thought made my skin prickle with unease, but I pushed it down. Liora had spent the night here; it wasn’t like he’d been alone.

"Last night..." Liora began, her voice dripping with smug. "Kael and I... it was so amazing."

I ignored her, kneeling beside the bed and dipping the mop into the bucket. The water sloshed as I soaked the mop head and squeezed as I began to scrub the floor. The liquid was sticky, resisting the mop at first, and I had to press harder to clean it. My cheeks burned in fury from the humiliation of it all. This was what a man’s release looked like? The novels had described it in flowery terms, but the reality was... messy.

Unpleasant. I tried to focus on the cleaning, but my gaze caught on something else, a smooth, flesh-colored object lying near the bed. It was about seven inches long, slightly curved, with a tapered tip and a wider base. As I realized what it was. A dildo? And I quickly looked away as Liora’s voice broke through again.

"Hurry up and leave," she snapped, covering her nose with one hand, her face contorted in exaggerated disgust. "You really stink so bad." She paused. "I hope you don’t spoil my mating day with this odour of yours."