Maid for the Alpha

Chapter 19 (Part 1)

So I was almost done with this chapter when I realized there was a whole chunk missing and I practically had to rewrite a large part of it, which subsequently added length to the chapter too.  And to keep all of my lovely readers (yes, that's you) from having to wait any longer...I decided to break this chapter up into two parts.  This way as I edit part 2 you all may enjoy part 1.

HINT/WARNING!  Mature content up ahead.

And with that...enjoy ;-)

~Nikki Hudak~

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Why did the taxi bring her here? Trepidation sank heavily in her chest as she looked around. This was not what she had expected. She met the cabbie's gaze in the rearview mirror and before she could question his motives he spoke, "We're here."

But where was here? Deep down she knew what had happened but didn't want to admit it. She wasn't ready to face this cruel reality, didn't want to admit her fear. But the beads of sweat that formed upon her brow had given her away.

"Don't be afraid," the driver rasped.

Liz jumped in her seat, startled by this stranger's intensity. "Why did you bring me here?" Did her voice just tremble?

His eyes bore into her own, as if drilling down into her soul, leaving her raw, open and hurt. "You asked for it."

How? How did she ask for this? Why would she? It wasn't as if she sought ways to get hurt. Had she done something in a past life that deserved this kind of bad karma? Liz wondered at her misfortune and bad decisions as she once again looked out the window. The big question was: Did she really ask for this? Liz didn't remember, but then her thoughts have been so jumbled that she couldn't be sure. It was quite possible that her subconscious had brought her to this place. Sighing, she thanked the driver and exited. She needed to breathe, oh god did she need to breathe.

The mansion was more ominous than the last time she had seen it, but then perhaps it was her own emotions marring her vision. Was it only yesterday that she had first laid her eyes upon these bricks? It felt like a thousand years ago.

The breeze from the departing cab tickled her unmoving legs. A multitude of questions bombarded her thoughts and she struggled to make sense of any of it. Worst of all she couldn't understand what exactly she was feeling just then. She was supposed to be far away by now, and yet here she was, standing before Leland's mansion, and for what? After running off on him twice in one day, what could she possibly say to him that would make any sense? She thought she wanted to get as far away from this man as possible, but something kept pulling her back, over and over again. Maybe she shouldn't fight it anymore. Maybe she should explore these new feelings, allow herself this one exception to slide through her emotional barriers. But what if he didn't want her as much as she wanted him? He was still with that bitch Vanessa after all. This could all be in her imagination.

Well, there was only one way to find out. Finally regaining control over her legs, she walked to the side entrance that she had used barely twenty-four hours ago. After punching in the code she entered silently. It was dark inside, but oddly she could see well enough. Her fingertips skimmed the surface of the walls and her steps echoed musically as she walked down the hall to the familiar glass room. It was still as magnificent as before, only now it seemed to glow, much like the eyes of a certain werewolf that she found herself falling for.

A sense of peace washed over her, as if she finally found the one place where she could truly belong. Usually this would be the moment Liz would question everything, herself, her feelings, and this room. And yet she didn't feel the need to. It was as if her world just fell into place and for the first time in her life she felt...calm.