I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 8

Caught In A Web

    Silence.

    As I regained consciousness, I was surrounded by heavy, undisturbed silence.

    I sighed in contentment, snuggling deeper into the soft blankets as I basked in the peaceful moment. I couldn't remember the last time I had awoken to such quiet, without the chirping of birds outside my window or the sounds of my siblings moving around the house. Where could they be so early in the morning? I wondered, but instead of rising to investigate, I could only bury my face further into the pillow, breathing deeply in. Did we get a new detergent? The sheets smelled divine.

    I rolled onto my back and sighed again. I really should make it a habit to sleep in more often. Some small, whining voice in the back of my mind warned that there was a reason I didn't, but I couldn't for the life of me remember why. It danced teasingly on the edge of my consciousness, nearly there, but not quite.

    Work!

    My eyes snapped open in alarm, and I was met with an unfamiliar room. I frantically scanned my surroundings, shoving myself backwards into a sitting position, pressing my back firmly against the wooden headboard of the large bed I was on.

    The room was massive, easily four or five times the size of my own room back home, with grey stone walls. The tall windows set in the wall on either side of the bed were cloaked by thick, crimson curtains. There were a few bookshelves lining the walls, housing at least a hundred books apiece. A fluffy crimson rug lay in the center of the stone floors. Resting on that rug, and positioned against the wall, was the bed I was cowering on.

    The bed had to be triple the size of mine at home, with four dark bedposts jutting out from the corners, and lined in soft, black silk sheets. Clutching them tightly to my chest, I eyed the three doorways across the room, not daring to move to try the locks and peek at what was hidden behind them.

    I gasped as the events from the night before came flooding back into my mind. Tears sprang up in my eyes as I peered around the room and the reality of what had happened fully sank in. Of all of the women at the ball, why did it have to be me?

    I looked back at the doors. Are they locked? I had a feeling that was the case. Besides, did it really matter if they were anyway? If they were unlocked, what then? I had already tried running and I doubted I'd make it any farther on a second attempt.

    I would just have to stay put for the time being, and pray that the alpha wasn't in a murderous mood when he returned to his room.

    A new thought occurred to me. If this is his room, did he sleep next to me last night? My skin crawled at the thought of him being so near when I was in such a vulnerable state. And how did I get into this bed? My heart raced, he must have carried me after I fainted. I didn't like the thought of a monster touching me at all, let alone while I was unconscious.

    I propped a pillow behind my back and settled into the bed, determined not to allow myself to be caught sleeping again.

    My head snapped up as the handle to the middle door shook. Pressing my back more firmly against the headboard, I pulled the sheets up to my neck for safety.

    A sigh of relief slipped past my lips as the door opened, revealing a small servant girl, and not the alpha I had been expecting. With her eyes trained on the floor, she scurried over to the bedside table. Only after she had deposited her tray there, did she turn in my direction. Eyes still trained downward, she finally spoke, her voice a timid squeak, "Your breakfast, Luna."