Chapter 10
Sienna
“Please, just let me take the bags up. Sienna begged as Mrs. Stone asked some of her servants to carry Jenna’s bags up the stairs. “It will be better
this way
“Oh, don’t worry, dear, Mrs. Stone said with a friendly smile on her face. “They don’t mind helping”
Sienna swallowed hard. It wasn’t the servants helping with the bags she was worried about. It was the girl waiting for her at the top of the stairs.
Picking up the biggest bag i was left, Sienna headed for the stairs just as Jenna shouted for her again. “Sienna Where the hell are you?”
to Jenna
“I’m coming. Miss Jenna,” she said, trying to keep the strain out of her voice. By the time she reached the room that had been appointed to all of the other bags were there. Sienna took the large suitcase in and set it down Jenna ignored the Light Sky staff members, not even thanking them, as if she couldn’t see them
Shir could see Sienna though
The door was open behind her as the two men and a woman filed out, Sienna set the bag near the others at the foot of the bed and waited. Keeping her head down, staring at her shoes, she braced herself for what was coming.
When the blow came, it was so hard it almost knocked her off of her feet. Sienna stumbled backward and fell to the ground. The entire side of her face was on fire
Jenna came at her again, bending over her as she pointed a finger. “Don’t you dare forget that you are my servant, you stupid b*tch! I didn’t bring you here for a freaking holiday! You do what I say when I say, and if other people keep helping you, well, there’s going to be hell to pay
Sienna Laid there knowing that if she got up, she’d just get knocked down again. For the first time ever, someone actually came to her deffense
“What in the world is going in!” Hannah Stone’s voice was already recognizable to Sienna even though she’d just met the woman. “Why Are you all night, dear!”
Sienna got to her feet quickly, keeping her red check turned away from the Luna. “Yes, Ma’am” she said. Tm fine. I just fell”
“You did not fall,” Hannah said, putting her hands on Sienna’s shoulders. She couldn’t remember the last time someone lovingly touched her. “I beard that smack halfway down the stairs! Well, I never!”
Sienna didn’t dare look at Jenna’s face, but she had to assume the other girl was fuming at being called out for her abusive ways. “I don’t think you understand the situation, Luna Hannah,” she said, her tone completely disrespectful. “Sienna is my servant. She does what I say
“And that gives you the right to knock her senseless? Just because you want to?”
Jenna’s mouth hung open, and she made a stuttering sound before she shouted, “Daddy!”
“What’s going on Sweetpea?” Mr. Burk asked, coming in the room. It seemed clear to Sienna that he’d already known there was a problem, or it would’ve taken him longer to get there.
“Luna Hannah doesn’t understand about Sienna, Daddy. Can you explain to her, please?” Jenna whined. Sienna glanced over at her beneath her veil of hair and saw Jenna’s arms folded. Her perfectly pedicured foot was toring the plush carpet.
“Of course, Buttercup,” Alpha Kent said. “Don’t worry yourself over this one, Hannah,” he said. His tone was both condescending and disrespectful to his hostess, who was also his elder. “She’s not worth your time?
“She is a human being and doesn’t deserve to be treated like a dog, Hannah said with her hand still resting on Sienna’s shoulder.
“Like a dog?” Kent repeated. “We would never treat our dog like that!” It was supposed to be a joke, she supposed, but Kent was the only one laughing. Not even Jenna found a way to push out a chuckle
“While you are guests in our home, we would appreciate it if you would please refrain from any surt of physical violence toward anyone. Please,” Hannahı said, in no uncertain terms..
“Jenna, honey, try not to hit Sienna until we get home,” Kent said as his way of compromise.
“Fine” Jenna said “Cans just get out of here then! I can’t stand the way she smells.”
n over and take a look at the ballroom, why don’t you? That was Veronica’s voice. Sienna hadn’t realized she was also standing there, mostly in the hallway. “We want to make sure that Jeru’s dress matches the decur perfectly.”
“Yes, Mrs. Burk” Sienna said, happy to be able to pull away from Mrs. Stone’s touch. Even though it was kind of the woman to try to comfort her, the wasn’t used to bring touched gently. Keeping her head down, she headed back down the stairs but stopped dead in her tracks when she almost collided with Kaden Stone coming back up. She wondered how he’d gotten back downstairs since she’ll seen him go up, but she figured he was a busy guy. She knew he was coming because of that distinct arnell
1/2
the forest, freedom
Chapter 10
Swallowing hard, she stood perfectly still and waited for him to go around her. He didn’t speak, and that was fine with her. Whether he noticed what was happening or not, she couldn’t say, but it was best if neither of them acknowledged it. It wasn’t as if he could possibly ever acknowledge that she was his fated match.
Once he was gone, Sienna darted down the remaining stairs and out the door, finally letting the tears that had filled her eyes when Jenna hit her trickle down her cheeks. She wiped them away. It was nice to have a few moments to herself, even if she was certain she’d be made to pay for Mrs. Stone’s kindness when she returned.
The crisp autumn air cooled her smarting cheek and lightened her load a little. She wasn’t sure which way to go, but she decided to head back toward the main part of the village, figuring she could find the ballroom from there
As she walked, she passed plenty of people on the streets who were having fun, chatting about the upcoming ball, playing around, laughing, and joking. Sienna wondered what it would be like to be a kid like that, to have friends to joke around with. She’d never known. The idea that she might know one day was fleeting, especially since she intended to leave as soon as she could.
Up ahead of her she saw a large building with the doors propped open and figured that had to be the ballroom. She’d go there and maybe find a way to help decorate if possible. She’d have to steer clear of those mean girls that she’d run into when she’d arrived at Kaden’s house though. She didn’t need to see them again.
She didn’t need to see Beta Alec again either. He was nice, but that was going to cause trouble.
Laughter and music came from inside the ballroom. She could hear it from a few blocks away. These people sure knew how to have fun. Their Luna was kind and loving. Maybe most of these people were too
She wondered how it was possible that she could be fated to marry Kaden. It just seemed so impossible! He was an Alpha, and she was no one. Granted, she’d heard rumors that her father had been a Beta at one time, but she didn’t know if it was true. The story of what had happened that fateful night, the night she was born, wasn’t clear to her. Most people said that her dad freaked out when his wife went into labor and ran away. Other people said he left his post to be there when Sienna was born. Either way, there was an attack that night, and many pack members were killed, including the Alpha’s first wife, Jenna’s mom. Sienna felt terrible about that, but she wished she knew what had really happened. It seemed strange that two girl who lost their moms the same night could be so different, one hating the other so very much
If her father really had been a Beta, it might make sense that she could be matched to Kaden. Otherwise, it was just a cruel joke by the Moon Goddess. Honestly, it didn’t matter. Sienna couldn’t possibly expect Kaden to accept her as his mate. Even if she wasn’t a ridiculed servant who was constantly knocked around, she was still her. A tiny, ugly, smelly girl with nothing special about her and no prospects.
There was no way in the world someone like Kaden would choose her even in the best of situations. As she walked into the ballroom and saw the beautiful, expensive decorations, she was sure there was no point in holding on to even the slightest possibility that her fated match might want to be with her.
