Chapter 3 Back to Today

Cassie -

"Where did you just go? I was speaking to you!" Ace's harsh voice breaks through my thoughts as he takes hold of my wrist.

"I'm sorry, Ace," I whimper trying to pull my arm away as his grip tightens.

"Beta!"He snaps harshly, "I have decided you will only address me as Beta from this moment onwards, you do not deserve to call me by my given name." He punctuated his declaration with a sharp, jerking twist of my wrist.

"Yes, Beta," I say quickly, silently praying he releases his grip on me soon, he is likely to snap my wrist if he grips much harder, "h... how can I help, what can I do?" I pause, then continue, "Breakfast is almost ready I promise, I just need to stir the eggs one last time, and then I can begin serving."

"Hurry then, Cas, I'm hungry after training, and you have chores to complete. The warriors have just dropped off their workout gear for washing," His hisses, his hold on my wrist tightening beyond the point of pain, I can no longer feel my fingers.

"Yes Ac...Beta, 2 minutes," I stumble over his name before using his title.

"1 minute," he states harshly, then throwing my arm away from himself, he turns and stomps from the kitchen.

I release a breath of gratitude as I feel the blood return, in a rush, to my fingers. Then I turn around, shaking my hand slightly, testing for any fractures and start stirring the eggs again. I begin piling the bacon and sausages in the warmers onto the serving trolley, then the eggs go on last, and I roll the trolley into the dining room. Once all the food is served, I grab a plate and begin adding small portions of everything to it when suddenly, she strikes again.

"Ace, look, that fat thief is trying to eat a week's worth of food in one sitting," she shrieks.

Ace glances at my plate, then with a smirk says, "No time for that Cas, you have laundry to do, bring that plate here, Madeline can have it."

Madeline grins like the cat that got the cream as I deliver my plate in silence and scurry from the hall.

I start with the washing machines and then head into the kitchen to clean. Once the kitchen is restored, I return to the laundry room and transfer the clothes to the dryers before heading for the communal bathrooms. Our pack house has 5 floors, floors 1-3 have a communal bathroom each and floors 4 and 5 have 8 ensuites, one for each room. 2 for the Alpha suite, 2 for the Beta, the Gamma, and the Delta suites. Once the communal bathrooms are done, I quickly head to school, which as always passes smoothly and quietly. I love school, nobody is cruel to me at school, Ace isn't in school anymore and nor is Madeline, so I get a reprieve for those few short hours.

Back at the pack house after school, I unload the dryers, fold all the clothes and put another load on, then head to floors 4 and 5 to tackle the ensuites, while cleaning the Beta suites, my biggest worry is realised, Ace saunters in with Madeline on his arm, again. Ace shakes her off when he sees me, then walks into the master bath, leaving Madeline in his room, which I was so very close to finishing, I was gathering my cleaning supplies and preparing to leave when they entered. She sidesteps into my path with her finger pressed to her pouty lips, silently telling me to keep quiet, then proceeds to take slow measured steps in my direction forcing me to back up until my shoulders touch the wall furthest from the door, and my only hope of escape.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here" she breathes, pausing for dramatic effect, "The skank trying to seduce the Beta into kinder treatment?" she croons. "What other reason could you have for hanging around in a Beta's bedroom, waiting for a chance to pounce on him and snatch him away from me, are you, wh0re?"

"No, no, not at all, he is all yours, I don't want him, please just let me leave, I have more cleaning to do and the washing to fold for all the warriors." I plead in a whisper, hoping not to draw Ace's attention to myself. "I don't want to come between you two." I assure her. The last thing I need is for Ace to think I want him.

I rush towards Madeline, hoping to slide past her and out the door, but she grabs my hair stopping me in my tracks, as she says "Ace, babe, did you hear that, she doesn't want you, she is desperate to get away from here."

The blood drains from my face at the fear, coursing through my veins and my blood begins beating like drums in my ears so that I almost miss his reply.

"Madeline, are you trying to get the help into trouble? I love how bad you are, bring her here to me" he smirks, and she obliges, dragging me behind her as I clutch at my hair, hoping to ease the immense pressure.

She stops directly in front of him, next to the huge bed covered in the navy blue silk sheets I washed yesterday and gives a yank on her arm which brings me to my knees with watery eyes, she then drags my head backwards so that I can see the evil glint in Ace's eye as he places himself directly in front of me.

"Leave" he commands her, and she lets go of my hair and takes a step back.

"What do you mean leave, what are you going to do? I was going to help you punish the fat b!tch" she asks with what could be hesitation in her tone.

"I wish to be alone to issue punishment to her for disrespecting me, now LEAVE." he thunders at her, I have never heard him take that tone with anyone other than me, it is reassuring to know it isn't just me but terrifying to know he wants to be alone with me. I can't even begin to imagine the horror he has planned if he doesn't want any witnesses.

Madeline pouts and storms from the room, slamming the door hard enough to cr@ck the plaster around the light switch and silence descends on the room. When Madeline released my hair I let my head hang down and my hair created a curtain blocking my face from view and I couldn't find the courage to move a muscle, I was frozen in fear as my mind raced trying to guess what was coming. But I was determined, I would survive this as I have survived everything else, I would survive and I would leave this place forever as soon as I could.

Ace -

Perfection, that is all I can think as I look down upon her kneeling before me, the very sight of her may anger me most of the time, but seeing her here, her head lowered in submission to me, oh the things I'm going to do to her. It isn't often I see her in my room. I know she is here everyday, but no matter how hard I try, I never manage to catch her in here. So seeing her here, presented on her knees, before me is like a wet dream, one I intend to make the most of.

She doesn't waste any time in here, I know that, but I don't let many people in here, only Maddie, and she is never here often or even for very long, just enough for me to find my release but even that happens in my small office more than it does here, or in her room so I can leave quickly after. So the only scents to permeate my room are hers and my own. So her intoxicating scent always lingers, it is in the very air I have to breathe, I smell it everywhere I go, but here, in my room, it is the most concentrated. It drives me crazy with a mixture of lust and rage, how dare she entice me so.

Now, here she is, let's see if she can be a good girl for me.