Page 11 of Claimed By the King's Gamma

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The drive to the castle was long, and I fell asleep along the way, only to be awoken by Ivy as we pull up.She shakes my arm, jostling me awake to find we have stopped.The castle is something out of fairy tales, and for a few moments, I forget about the man who had gotten in the car with us after the king became annoyed and pulled over.It is the man I saw smoking earlier.He is quiet and doesn’t say much, but it gives me a chance to peek at him.

He has dark hair and equally dark eyes, or maybe that is just because of the dim lighting with the tinted windows.He is built big and has sharp features.His lips are full and seem to sit in a permanent frown.I wonder briefly if he ever smiles—if this cold stony face is his usual demeanor, and if it suits his personality.One thing is certain—he is a man of few words.

He didn’t speak at all during the drive, just stared off.His job was clearly to watch us, not tell us where we were going.However, neither of us was willing to ask either.Ivy, I knew, had been focused on her breathing as she searched for a comfortable position to sit in without ripping apart her wounds more.I offered her my shoulder so she could press hers against it, so she didn’t have to lean back against the hard leather seat, though every movement she made, he watched, scrutinizing her every move or twitch.

His scent had filled the space, though it didn’t creep me out the way the butcher’s did.His scent is rich, yet the smell of cigarette smoke hung heavily in the air along with a smoother fragrance underlying it; kind of how the forest smells after it rains.He remained so silent, and a few times I was startled when he moved, having forgotten he was sitting across from us, which is ridiculous because the man is huge.Still, he just stared.

Once we had been driving for a few hours, and I realized he wasn’t going to murder us, I dozed off until Ivy woke me.It was the first time he had spoken.He asked which of us was injured, though I had a funny feeling he already knew.But when Ivy hissed in pain, he seemed to become angry that she had denied it.

Neither of us knew how to answer, so used to the punishments Mrs.Daley would give us, we didn’t know how to respond.

However, once we get out of the car, he quickly speaks to the king, who says he will handle it.Ivy glances at me just as unsure as I about what to expect.I kind of expect the king to dump us on the side of the road.So why did he bring us to his home?Either that or kill and dispose of us along the way.Either I would have been okay with.Anything is better than the unknown.

Following the king, we are introduced to the head woman in charge of the servants.I peek at Ivy, unsure of what is happening.Clarice seems nice, but most people do until you get to know them—know their intentions.One thing I have learned over the years is no one’s intentions are ever pure in nature.

The king proves that when he forces Ivy to change in front of him.I half expect him to order me to be killed when I beg for her.Though it shocked me when he tended to her wounds, I could tell Ivy did not know how to react, and neither did I.Seeing him care for a rogue’s wounds, who he made a servant look absolutely bizarre, yet if it helped her, I wasn’t going to question.When we are separated, however, I question Clarice.

"Can't I stay with Ivy?"I ask, watching as Ivy walks in a different direction after retrieving a mop bucket from the closet on the bottom floor.She was in such a rush she didn't even notice me.

"No, the king asked for her specifically," Clarice explains.

"Why?"I blurt before I have a chance to stop myself.Clarice doesn't answer, so I sigh and drop my gaze, knowing better than to question my superiors.Clarice shows me to the other side of the castle.This place is huge, like a maze.One could easily get lost by taking a wrong turn, and I wonder how long it will take me to memorize the layout.

Most of my morning is spent in the kitchen while Clarice shows Ivy where she is being placed.Now I am being led to new quarters, though I instantly become nervous when I find out it’s for the Beta.

I want to stay with the other female servants.Learning only the Beta and the king's private guard reside on this side of the castle makes me nervous.I don't like the idea of being surrounded by so many men.

Clarice has explained to me it is the closest quarters to Ivy, yet it feels farther away than the servants' quarters.We climb the stairs to what appears to be some sort of loft area, which actually opens up to a vast space.

"This is Beta Damian's room.You won't have to do much.Beta Damian is quite clean and hardly stays here, mostly changes and leaves," she tells me.

The room is quite nice, with a bathroom and wardrobe, yet the Beta doesn’t seem to have much in the way of belongings besides his clothes.Everything is clean, and the bed looks like it hasn’t been slept in.Heavy dark blue drapes hang from the windows, and a huge white rug lay on the floor, not a speck of dust in sight.Am I expected to keep it this clean, or is Clarice right that he hardly comes in here?The place doesn’t look lived in; in fact, it looks empty.

Clarice leads me to a set of doors and stops, turning toward me.“And finally, his little library, which has been turned into a gym that all the men use," Clarice tells me.I peer inside to find heaps of gym equipment.

"Now, the floor below you will be in charge of cleaning, too, but stay out of everyone's rooms, especially the two far rooms," Clarice explains, leading me back downstairs and showing me around the quaint room that separates the two sides in the middle of the guard's quarters.

Then she shows me around this floor.There are twelve doors lining the walls before a separate area with a small sitting room containing three armchairs, a TV, and some artwork comes into view.There are two more doors at the end.

"Now, the other rooms you can clean except these two."She points at them.I glance at them and then at her wondering why they're off-limits."Don't enter into these two rooms unless asked to do so, and maybe stay away from that one completely.Liam can be somewhat unhinged at the best of times," she tells me, and I chew my lip.

"Liam?"I ask nervously.

"Oh, you won't see much of him.The man is as silent as night, but this one," she points to the other door."Gannon likes his privacy.You met him in the car earlier," Clarice says, and I nod.So his name is Gannon.I hadn't paid much attention to names other than Clarice's since she is in charge of us.

"Gannon is moody and temperamental, so steer clear and don't speak unless spoken to," Clarice says.Well, I have no intention of conversing with anyone of the opposite sex, so that is okay with me.

"So, how many people stay in these quarters?"

"Just the King's Guard, so Beta Damian and the king's Gammas,"

"Shouldn't there only be one Gamma?"I ask her, trying to remember how the pack hierarchy works.

"All the king's guards are Gammas, but they still have rank.Gannon is third in charge, while Dustin and Liam lead as fourth together.It depends on the trials; those I mentioned are the highest ranking in the Royal Guard.Trey is a bit touchy, so try to avoid him, too.The rest come and go depending on their shifts, but yes, they are all Gammas.You only need to worry about Beta Damian, Gannon, and Dustin.They will probably be the main ones you run into while staying here."

"So basically, I should avoid all of them."Clarice nods.Great, not only am I the only female, but all the men on this floor appear unapproachable and anti-social.Great!

"So everything is understood?I need to get back to the kitchen," Clarice asks, and I nod.

"Okay, well, dinner is at 6 PM for the servants, so make sure to head down then, and your room is this one," she says, wandering down the hall.She points to the door we didn't enter, which I assume is a cleaning closet, so I have to clean this floor and share it with the men here.I would have preferred the bunked servants' quarters.

Clarice cups my cheek in her hand."You'll do very well.They are a friendly bunch.Just stay out of their way," she says before turning.Yeah, they sound super friendly after telling me not to go near pretty much all of them!

"Wait, when can I see Ivy?"I ask, and Clarice stops.

"When the king allows it," Clarice says, and I furrow my brows.Wait, what is the king doing with her?

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