The commotion started like a spark but in the Beta's mansion, even the faintest spark could set fire to a life already barely hanging on by threads.
Olivia was still crouched low, wiping the sticky semen remnants off the marble floor, her hands trembled from both the betrayal and shame that clung to her skin like an oily film.
She didn't hear the first shout. But she heard the second.
"Who are you?!" the voice had shouted, sharp and rigid like a thunder wrapped in silk.
Upon listening to the familiar voice, she found out that it was the Beta—Sheryl's father.
Olivia's spine stiffened. And upstairs in the guest room where Sheryl had tuned into her escapades getaways. Something was wrong.
"I said—who are you? And what are you doing in my house and fixing your belts?!" the Beta's voice came again.
Olivia turned her face toward the open door to see Sheryl walking back into the room. She had gone before after wrapping herself with the silk robe.
Without a word, her palm cracked across Olivia's cheek.
Slap! She landed.
Olivia's head jerked sideways as pain flared in her cheek. Her jaw buzzed and her fingers flew to her face instinctively, but she didn't rise from the floor.
"You disgusting little wretch," Sheryl hissed under her breath. "You brought him here, didn't you? Trying to sleep your way up the pack, you filthy little omega."
Olivia blinked in confusion not knowing what she was talking about or trying to drive.
"He's your friend, isn't he?" she accused again. "You brought him around! What? To fulfill your wild fantasies? Or were you trying to set me up, you jealous little wretch?!"
Footsteps thundered toward the visitors' room. Guards and housemaids, and then three tall figures in dark leather and expensive clothes entered.
The Alpha's sons.
Knox, Kade and Zenon.
Olivia's blood ran cold. Colder when she saw the beta walking in as well.
Their eyes scanned the room like predators and Olivia instinctively lowered her gaze.
"What's going on here?" Knox asked in his voice sharp, eyes fixated on Sheryl while he ignored Olivia and her presence in the room.
Sheryl flicked her hair over her shoulder and straightened her robe like nothing had happened.
"This little slut," she said sweetly while pointing at Olivia "was caught sneaking a man into the house."
Olivia's mouth dropped open.
"What?! No, I....." she tried to defend herself before she was cut short.
"Is that... semen on the floor?" one of the female servants asked aloud with disgust, as her eyes scanned the wipe in Olivia's hand. "And she's the one cleaning it."
Sheryl's eyes gleamed like fire.
"So you were cleaning the evidence," Sheryl continued, gesturing to the damp wipe in Olivia's trembling hand and the small pool of white fluid still staining the floor.
"You know the rules," Knox added, staring hard at Olivia. "No unmated she-wolves are allowed to bring males into a house. Not even servants! How dare you disobey?!"
"But I didn't!" Olivia cried. "I swear I didn't bring anyone....."
Sheryl raised her voice, cutting her off. "She's lying. She's been hanging around Connor for months! Everyone knows that it's no surprise she's a slut, after all her mother was one too." she accused.
Gasps rose around the room.
Olivia was dumbfounded at what was currently happening. What? Sheryl was trying to pass the blame on her. To make her take the fall for who brought the man into the betas mansion. Why?
The second of the Alpha's sons, Kade, stared at Olivia with thinly veiled contempt.
"She's the omega bastard, isn't she?" he asked quietly.
"She is," Sheryl answered too quickly. "And she probably sleeps her way with men outside this house too."
The words sliced like glass across Olivia's skin. Her ears rang and her vision blurred with silent tears she wouldn't let fall. She wanted to scream but even the strength to do so eluded her.
The omega bastard? Was that all they saw her as? Even the Beta said nothing. He just stood and watched. And Sheryl accusing her of all these when she knew very well she spent her days in the rooms mopping and scrubbing at them? Just what was she up to?!
But before anyone else could say another word, someone was dragged into the room. It was Connor.
His head was slightly bowed, but his shoulders were squared. His brown eyes swept the room and landed on Olivia. His expression was unreadable.
The Beta turned to him furiously, smacking him across the face. "You wretched boy! Who were you here to see? What business do you have here in my house?"
Connor's jaw flexed and then he responded slowly, avoiding Sheryl's hard gazes at him.
"I was here to see Olivia. She brought me here through the back of the servants' quarters" he lied.
Everyone's heads turned sharply toward her.
Olivia's mouth parted in alarm. "He's lying! Tell them the truth Connor, you came here for her and not me!!" she stood up, waking towards him and staring him squarely in the eye as she shouted, regretting the words that came out of her mouth. But she needed to defend herself. As an unwanted servant, and an omega, if she were to be branded a slut by the pack members, then it would do no good to her.
"I was with her," Connor continued. "Don't deny it any further, Olivia. You brought me here. You said the Beta wouldn't be home until evening. You said you needed help with your heat as the moon goddess hasn't provided you with a mate yet."
There was a momentarily silence that swept over the room. Connor couldn't speak against Sheryl, especially not in front of her father. So it was better to frame her, rather than exposing before others that she wasn't the innocent and untouched lady she passed herself to be.
The Beta's mouth dropped slightly open and his hand flew to Olivia's cheeks in the next second.
Just then, a servant burst into the room, her eyes wide with alarm as she pointed behind her.
"Beta, sir! You need to see this. It's in the omega servant"s room. Olivia's room!"
The room stilled.
Olivia's breath hitched. Just what again was it now?