Camelia's smile began to fade as she heard those words. She gently pulled her hands away from his Dart.
"I can't do what you're asking. I need that job. Without it, my mother and I will starve," she replied.
Dart shook his head.
"You don't understand," he said, worry in his voice. "This is all part of the Luna's plan. She means to kill you. She sent you to work there so you would get killed. I heard her this morning, talking about it with Sophie."
Camelia fell silent for a moment, contemplating his words.
So the Luna wanted her dead. It did come as a surprise to her, because all this while, no matter how much she was beaten and punished, she was always taken to the healer to be treated, courtesy of Alpha Caden.
It was almost as if they wanted to keep her alive and make her suffer.
"I can't quit the job now, since I already accepted it. And even if I considered quitting, no one else would offer me any work. You don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself," she said, flashing him a reassuring smile.
Dart's face fell, and he looked at Camelia with a mixture of worry and frustration.
He was frustrated by his inability to help her find another job. Even though he had some influence in the pack, he couldn't openly challenge his father about Camelia's mistreatment.
How could he come here and ask her to quit the only job she could get, when he had no alternative to offer her?
"Okay. I know I can't make you quit, but please be cautious, especially around the one they call Ian. He's more dangerous than the others," he said, his expression dead serious.
She wanted to ask him why he was telling her to be extra cautious around Ian, but she didn't.
She nodded. "Okay."
Dart sighed. "I really wish I could be of some help to you."
"There is something you could do for me," Camelia said, piquing Dart's interest as he waited to hear her request.
"My mom is missing. The last time I saw her was yesterday morning. It is very unusual for her not to sleep at home and I–I'm starting to get worried," she said, her voice breaking at the end.
"I'll conduct a search to find her," Dart said.
"Thank you," Camelia beamed.
Checking the time on her watch, she realized that she would be running late any minute now.
"I'm going to be late. I have to go," she said, locking her door.
"Okay, I'll give you a lift," Dart offered, walking over to the road where his truck was parked.
"No, it's fine," Camelia said.
"Get in the car, Camelia. I won't take no for an answer," he said with a stern face, already opening the passenger seat for her to enter.
Camelia giggled at his expression before jogging over to the car and hopping in.
They talked about trivial matters during the entire ride till they reached the Draven residence.
When the car pulled up in front of the entrance of the compond, Camelia got down and thanked Dart for the ride before running in.
She met the butler by the door, his expression stern as he glanced at her, then at his watch.
"You're late by ten minutes," he commented, his voice dripping with disapproval. "We strictly abide by timelines here. This is your first and last warning. Don't be late again."
"It won't happen again, sir," Camelia said.
The butler scoffed as he turned and walked into the house, expecting her to follow, and she did so.
When they entered, Thomas and Lucas, who were engaged in a conversation, paused, their eyes falling on Camelia.
On noticing them, Camelia bowed slightly in greeting, but neither of them reacted. They simply ignored her and continued with their conversation.
Greta had told her the names of all the members of the family in order for her to properly get accustomed to the job.
Camelia did not mind their behavior, but she noticed the way Thomas's eyes lingered on her longer, and it unnerved her.
"Go clean the masters' rooms, then get to the laundry after that," he instructed.
"Yes, sir," Camelia nodded, and swiftly left to get her work done.
~~~~~
The afternoon sun was blazing hot in the sky. Camelia entered the kitchen, her steps sluggish like that of a zombie. She plopped down onto one of the high stools tiredly.
She had been working nonstop without rest, on an empty stomach, all day. The butler informed her that Greta and the other maid had gone out on an assignment for Thomas.
With the absence of the other women, Camelia was left to do all the chores alone, giving her no time to even eat.
Her attention shifted to the plate of sandwich lying on the table. There were three sandwiches in the plate. She had no idea who made it, but she hurriedly picked one up without a second thought, biting into it like a hungry lioness.
"Mmmh," she moaned as she chewed, savoring the taste and feeling of food in her mouth.
It was the most delicious sandwich she had ever tasted.
"Who could have made something this good," she muttered to herself, her eyes glittering with joy as she licked her fingers and grabbed another sandwich, devouring it without delay.
But she wasn't satisfied yet. She reached to take another one when someone who had been watching her from the door spoke.
"At the rate you're gobbling them down, I'm afraid there'll be nothing left for me to eat."
Camelia turned towards the door and immediately stood up when she saw who it was.
"Good afternoon, Master Ian," she greeted, bowing her head slightly in respect and embarrassment.
Ian raised a brow at the formality in her voice.
"Gone back to the honorifics," he commented. "I thought we were past that."
"Well, I can't call you by just your name while I'm on duty."
Ian wanted to tease Camelia, to see the spark of defiance in her eyes, but he restrained himself. There was no need to make her more comfortable around him. Besides, he had no intention of claiming her as his own.
The thought was absurd, really, a vampire mated to a werewolf? It was unheard of, and his family would never accept it.
It was best if she never realized they were mates. It was for the best, he told himself. His family would kill her instantly if they ever found out, his father in particular.
"I can remake the two I ate," Camelia suggested when she started to get uncomfortable with the way Ian had been intently staring at her.
Snapping out of his reverie, Ian shook his head.
"Don't bother," he declined, his gaze falling on the last remaining sandwich as his stomach grumbled silently. "I'm not that hungry."
"Okay," Camelia said, eyes shining with glee as she took the last sandwich, biting into it.
"I thought vampires don't eat food?" Camelia asked, her words coming out jumbled with her mouth full.
"We don't, unless on special occasions but it's a different story for him," Thomas answered from behind Ian.
Dropping the food back on the plate, Camelia immediately stood up, greeting him. "Good day, Master Thomas."
Thomas flashed her a bright smile, throwing an arm over Ian's shoulder.
"My brother here has a unique feeding condition," he stated. "He needs food as much as he needs blood. It's strange, right?" he said, still smiling as his eyes raked over Camelia with conspicuous curiosity and a tenuous, almost mischievous interest.
An expression that made her heart tighten with inexplicable unease.