The cold water slam on my face making me jerk up from the floor, my thin blanket drenched. I opened my eyes to see a human slave like me, Andrea standing with a smirk on her lips and a bucket in her hand. I shivered from the cold.
"Get up weakling," she sneered. She stood tall and with a stink in her hand.
"Who do you think you are sleeping by this time. The floors won't clean itself, get up and get scrubbing" she yelled.
"It's not dawn yet" I said quietly. Her hand landed hot on my cheek making me step back.
"You'll learn not to talk back at me, filth. It's almost time for training and you know how the wolves feel when the floor is not scrubbed"
My stomach knotted, I knew what would happen if the floors were not cleaned. Last week, a slave had missed one bloody spot and she was whipped until she died from the bleeding.
I pushed myself as my thin cloth, clung to my wet body. This was the way I had been living since forever. My mother was a slave too. I took a wooden bucket,dipped the brush into the water and stepped into the corridor. I moved silently over the cold floor on my bare foot, I didn't want to make a sound so I won't be punished.
Every muscle in my body ached from the work of the previous day but I scrubbed anyway, my fingers and palm was red from the vigorous scrubbing.
"Faster" one of the guards muttered as he passed, his command made me scrub faster.
"You humans are too slow, you are better compared with a sloth" he spat disgustingly. I kept my head down because it was punishable to look a wolf in the eye.
My wrist burned as I scrubbed the floors, the mark which was inscribed on my hand was yet to heal, it was a small mark shaped like a moon, others mocked me because mine had not healed. They called me weak and a cursed child but I never let their insults bother me. I had learned to live with the insults.
"Don't forget you are to clean east wing" another slave girl said, I didn't know her name but she was fond of always giving me her work. I dare not tell her I wouldn't do her work because I would pay for it and I couldn't report to our heads.
The East wing. I swallowed. I dreaded that place and always avoided it. That was the Alpha King's wing. Everyone becomes alert when that place is mentioned and now I was sent to clean it. I couldn't disobey. Not if I wanted to live.
I poured out the dirty water and filled my bucket again and carried it through the narrow passage as I made my way to east wing. I was careful not to walk in the way so I won't bump into a high rank wolf. I walked in the sidelines. Then the sound of claws scraping against the marble made my heart thump faster.
The wolves were returning from their morning hunt, their scent strong. I pressed myself to the wall, my rag trembling in my hand. The warriors passed, my head remained bowed and I hoped none of them noticed me. One paused bedside me and I thought my heart would jump out of my mouth. I could hear his breathing too close to me as he sniffed the air.
"You stink human" he said with a low chuckle.
"She reeks of fear, leave her before she piss on her body" another said and the others laughed.
He growled and stood up and he whispered, "Pathetic creature"
I knew he meant for me to hear it but I was happy that he had backed off from me. When their footsteps faded, I could finally breathe again. I couldn't imagine what he might have done to me. I've heard of how the warriors took slaves roughly and without asking. I didn't want that to happen to me.
Hours passed before the palace stirred with light, I had scrubbed the entire floor making sure I didn't miss any spot. By then, my knees were bleeding and my hands shook with exhaustion. I squeeze out the last dirty water as I drag myself back to the servants quarters.
In the corridor, I caught sight of Lina, the only human I spoke to. She works in the kitchen and shared the scraps of food that were left with me. Her soft gaze darted nervously towards the guards before she whispered.
"You look like you would soon pass out" I tried to smile.
"I've been scrubbing the east wing" her eyes bulge in shock.
"I made sure the warriors had gone before I started" she let out a breath. I know she was scared for me, Lina was part of the people the wolves had treated roughly, passing her around like she was a toy. Lina moved closer to me.
"The sacred mating ritual is coming" her voice was low.
"Sacred mating ritual?" I asked quietly. I've never heard of that.
"The wolves grow restless when it draws near and their desire grows too so you need to be more careful"
"What is this ritual about?" I asked curiously.
"It happens once in every decade. Alphas from all territories gather.....and it is the said the goddess bless the chosen pairs and makes their bond stronger" her voice even dropped lower.
"They say humans are not allowed near there unless you want to die"
I didn't believe in the goddess or what she could do. The only thing in my mind was how not to be around where the sacred ritual would be taking place because I feared for my life.
That night, I collapsed onto my straw bed, my thin blanket covering nothing, the cold bit into my bones making me shiver. The mark on my wrist throbbed faintly as sleep finally consumed me.