ARIELLE
"You seem to have forgotten your place," I scowled down at her, my voice unusually steady and commanding. "And I don't want to make it my job to teach you how to behave in front of your masters."
Hanna hissed again, though I could see that her arrogance was quickly fading. She didn't expect me to be so bold from the get-go, but I had had enough of her antics in my past life. This time around, I needed to show her that she could no longer treat me like garbage.
"You!" She wheezed, scrambling back to her feet. "I will let our Luna know about this! She will show you your place, you filthy rogue!"
"Get the fuck out of here," I said coldly, smiling as I watched her dash out of my room like it was on fire.
I knew she would go and complain to Angela – but it was better this way. I couldn't have that arrogant piece of trash as my personal maid. This gave me the perfect chance to get my own servant instead.
"Arielle!"
Just as I thought, Angela appeared at my door right away as if she had been waiting for me to slip up so quickly and cause trouble.
"What is this that I'm hearing?" She yelled, her face turning red with anger. "How dare you punish the maids when they don't even work for you personally?"
I wasn't as good an actress as Serena, but I could force a believable pout just as well.
"Mother, you have no idea what this insolent wench was saying about you!" I cried out, pointing my steady finger at Hanna, who was hiding behind Luna's back.
"Not only did she insult me, the daughter of the Alpha of this pack, but she also threw shade at you and your children!"
"What?!" Angela scowled, turning around to face Hanna. "Is this true?"
The maid was about to defend herself, but I jumped right in, preventing her from uttering a single word.
"She compared me, the Alpha's daughter, to someone who is even lower in status than her, and even more – she said that if she were to give birth to Father's children, then her offspring would be just the same! She bears no respect for her Alpha, and by extension – for you, too, Mother."
"How dare you, you... dirty bitch!" Angela fumed, grabbing Hanna by her hair, her claws extending as the Luna wolf was scratching its way forward. "How dare you even think about something like that?!"
While the maid shrieked and tried to shield herself from Angela's attacks, I leaned against the wall, grinning triumphantly as I watched the scene progress.
Although Angela didn't care much about what others had to say about me, she sure as hell cared a lot about what others had to say about her. And there was no way she would let some lowly omega talk shit about her behind her back, marring her reputation or devaluing her status.
"Take her out to the backyard and whip her back with thirty lashes!" I suddenly heard Angela scream at the two male omegas who were just passing by my room. "Tie her to the pole and let her stay there until next morning!"
That's a bit harsh, I sighed, even though deep down I knew that Hanna deserved a lot more for everything she had done to me in the past. But I had to pretend to be affected, especially since her punishment was kind of my fault.
"Arielle," the Luna breathed out, brushing her messy hair away from her face and pushing back her claws. I could still see a few strands of Hanna's hair sticking to them. "Although I appreciate you stepping up for your family's reputation, I'd still prefer it if you reported such issues to me first. After all, I am the Luna of this pack – I am the one who needs to take care of these matters."
"I'm sorry, Mother," I bowed to her, though I wanted to laugh at how easily everything was working out in my favour. "I will remember to do that from now on. But I agree that I've made a horrible mistake by going against your authority, and for that, I'd like to request a punishment of my own."
"What?" She was stunned by my words. "A punishment?"
"Yes," I nodded, meeting her wide eyes with mine. "Whatever you wish – I deserve that."
"But, well––" she couldn't finish her thought as Serena suddenly walked inside, her pouty lips stretched into a wicked smile.
"I agree, Arielle did cross the line!" She chimed in, hugging her mother's arm. "After all, Hanna is my maid – and now I have none!"
"Serena, you can get a new––"
"The rogue shelter!" Serena interrupted her again, snapping her eyes back to me. "It's our pack's turn to volunteer there, and I was about to go, but now that I need to take care of other things, I think it's best that we send Arielle instead."
"Well," Angela began rather awkwardly, offering me a guilty look. I smiled, even though underneath my light exterior was a storm of hidden emotions.
Overseeing rogue settlements and shelters was a job of the royal pack alliance, and although it was indeed a job far below their status, the alpha families were obliged to volunteer at least one a year.
Serena, always set to maintain the appearance of a Goddess-sent angel, was always first in line to volunteer, even though in reality, she had never set foot in any of those settlements even once, always sending someone else in her stead.
The idea of going to one of the shelters to do her a favour rather than receive my punishment was sickening, but it was also a blessing in disguise. So, despite what the two of them were expecting, I agreed without hesitation.
"I'll do it," I said calmly, a light smile on my lips. "I'll go to the rogue shelter and stay there as long as needed."
"That's perfect!" Serena clasped her hands, her wicked grin becoming even wider.
And I agreed. It was perfect.