HELIO’S POV
SALVADOR PACK
DAY OF ROSALIA’S ENGAGEMENT PARTY
“You got in a fight with the maids again?” I asked my younger half-sister Mara.
My ears listened for any sound coming from outside the room.
We were both supposed to be on our respective shifts and not lounging about in this sitting room.
I had her sit down on the couch.
“They keep making fun of you for being wolfless, and that we’re just bastard children to father,” she explained.
“I always tell you to ignore them.” I reminded her.
She was a complete mess; her fiery red hair was dishevelled, and her maid’s uniform was tattered and torn.
“No! I won’t let them talk badly about us!” She screamed out.
“Calm down. Someone passing by outside might hear us,” I reminded her.
I stood behind her and instinctively began to fix her hair.
“Was it Anne again?” I asked as I untangled the messed-up braid.
“Of course it was! That stupid bitch is always asking for a fight!” she whispered-shouted.
I would have reprimanded her language, but I would let it go for now since she’s upset.
My fingers expertly braided down her red hair as I listened.
“So after she insults you, I bring up the fact that her father left her mother. And that’s when she attacked me. But my wolf’s stronger than hers, so she found out I was the wrong one. But obviously her mother, who is the head maid, took her side and punished me. I have to do all the laundry by myself today. It’s not fair.”
Silence filled the room for a moment after she finished.
“I’m sorry. You want a banana? Or some water to make you feel better?” I offered whilst pointing to the fruit bowl with apples and bananas and the jug of water on the coffee table.
She chuckled in disbelief.
“You really suck at cheering people up,” She commented.
“And yet you always come to me whenever you’re upset,” I scoffed
“It’s because you’re so bad at it; it’s almost good,” she explained.
I finished the braid and tied the end with her hair tie.
“Is that so?” I laughed.”You’re all done, by the way.”
I had gotten so good.
It filled me with great pride that the countless internet videos Ihad watched on braiding had paid off.
She rolled her eyes and laughed as she wiped away the last of her tears.
She stood up, then hugged me tightly.
That caught me off guard as I stared down at her.
“Alright, now we’re still on shift; we might get caught if we stay here,” I tried to be strict with her.
*************************
The sound of whip making contact with my back brought me out of my thoughts.
It was my last conversation with Mara before everything changed.
What lashing number was this?
60?
I couldn’t tell, my back was numb at this point.
Once the lashing was over, I was thrown into a cold, dark cell beneath the Salvador mansion.
The cells were mainly used for torturing enemies of the pack.
How can I save her?
The question replayed in my mind, over and over again.
Three days later, having received no food or water, the first thing I did was go to where he was holding her.
On one of the upper-floor wings. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
It was heavily guarded.
“Until she’s sold off, you won’t be able to see her. She will be heavily guarded.” My half-brother’s words rang in my ears when I had confronted him.
I was about to enter the hallway when someone came and grabbed me from behind.
“Helio, what are you doing here?” A male voice whispered.
It was my best friend and co-worker, Nigel.
“I knew this would happen. You just got released. Are you trying to get in trouble?”
“No, I have to see her,” I refused.
“Helio, please, I know you’re angry, but there is nothing you can do. The Alpha will kill you, which doesn’t help Mara,” he told me as he pulled me.
I’m wolfless and a bastard.
I have no social power to stand up to Lorenzo.
Nigel was right.
I can’t save Mara like this.
I was willing to give it all up for Mara as I had nothing else to lose.
But what good is it if I die and her situation doesn’t change?
Suddenly the Sentinels bowed as they looked at something behind them.
Following their gaze, I saw my older half-brother coming out of the room Mara was being kept.
He was 28, three years older than me.
His tall, foreboding frame towered over the sentinels.
Behind him was a man in his late 40’s that boiled my blood at the sight of him.
Alpha Mendez, the man my 15-year-old sister was being sold off to.
My hands formed into fists, and I almost lunged toward Mendez.
Nigel held me down, though.
I was prepared to continue the confrontation we had in his office to call off the engagement.
“Let’s go, Helio,” Nigel said.
I begrudgingly left with him, and we went to the sentinel quarters.
Nigel had saved me some food from the kitchens.
He helped me bandage up my wounds from the whipping.
And then I returned to work.
I did my shift as a sentinel as if nothing was happening.
In the evening, Lorenzo was headed to the engagement party of Alpha Ramirez at his estate and I was a part of sentinels selected to go with him as his protection squad.
Upon arriving, Lorenzo went inside the mansion with one guard.
The rest of us stayed outside and waited for him until he finished.
“By the way, I forgot to mention Mara’s tutor came by yesterday. I told her to leave,” Nigel informed me.
“It’s fine. I’ll talk to her,” I simply replied.
I paid for Mara’s education because bastard children don’t get an education.
In three years she was supposed to go to university, and then we could finally leave the pack.
We were so close, and then Lorenzo had to suddenly do that.
“Want some crisps?” He offered the packet in his hand as we walked.
“No, it’ll mess with my scent,” I replied.
“Oh, I forgot about that,” he said and continued to eat on his own.
Wolf noses were sharp, and so I controlled my scent by watching what I ate, the deodorants I used, and soaps.
Nigel began rambling about something to distract me from thinking about Mara.
But there was no way I could focus on anything else.
In the distance, I saw a figure walking fast, heading towards the other side from where we were.
A slender woman with long brown hair.
She looked around suspiciously, as if hoping no one was following her.
My curiosity was piqued.
Nigel was going on about.
Once his guard was down, I slipped away.
He was going to kill me when I got back, though.
I approached slowly and quietly.
The woman sniffled and cried as she ran.
It was Rosalia Moncaro.
I’d seen her a couple of times from a distance but was sure it was her.
She sat on a bench and brought her hands to her face.
Had something happened at the party?
To my surprise, her hands began to glow a vibrant gold colour after a moment.
My eyes widened in shock.
She had an ability?
Wasn’t she supposed to be powerless, and her sister the one who had the mysterious legendary ability?
I watched as, after several moments, her hands stopped glowing.
What had just happened?
Suddenly, she looked in my direction in the bushes.
She stood up, and I wondered if my cover had been blown.
Just as she was about to come towards me, she got distracted by sounds coming from her left.
She turned away from me and went in that direction.
After a moment, I followed and found her stopping a fight among the Ramirez sentinels.
I did my best to listen to the conversation.
A twig snapped under my foot as I quietly tried to move closer.
The two looked my way.
Shit.
I quickly walked away and returned to Nigel and the other Salvador Sentinels.
I couldn’t stay any longer.
Why is Rosalia hiding her power?
I wondered.
Everyone says she’s powerless and has a reputation for being a failure.
Wouldn’t revealing it be advantageous?
I recalled how she was viewed as extremely valuable.
Even my father had wanted her to marry Lorenzo.
All four core alphas wanted her until they deemed her powerless.
Her power is rumoured to be able to bring prosperity to a pack.
Prosperity, as in good luck?
More importantly, is it a power that can help me save Mara?
Her wedding is in less than a week.
I will have to watch her to understand what she is doing.