The Alpha in Heat novel Chapter Seven

Alexander had offered me the first hearty meal that I’ve ever had. It felt uncomfortable to delight myself with some dishes that he usually eats himself so I have opted for a simple porridge instead. Well, he called it ‘simple’, but for my deprived stomach, it was way more than enough.

The fact that a fellow human was forced to wake up at 4 am to cook for me was a situation that I couldn’t imagine walking away from guilt-free. I even ate in her presence. Even though I have been officially stripped off of my slave title, I know that I shouldn’t be taking advantage of being at Alexander’s mercy by sharing the meal that I was given with the other slaves.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed yet again.

“Good morning, Miss”, a slave greeted me once I stepped out of the bedroom. She looked like she had been standing guard for a few hours now in wait for me as she was subtly hopping off from one foot to another out of discomfort. My heart throbbed at the sight. “There’s breakfast at the dining hall”

That would mean that I would have to eat while the slaves watch me again. I wasn’t anticipating that one bit.

“Thank you”, I replied softly with a hesitant smile. The slave bowed in acknowledgment once before running to the direction of the kitchen. Then, an idea lit up. “Uhh hey!”

She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned back around to face me. “M-Miss?”

I don’t feel like eating anyway. My stomach got used to eating a meal a week, after all, if you would call what I have been eating a meal, that is. With a sly smirk, I walked towards her before standing on my tippy toes to whisper in her ear, “On second thought… can you eat my meal for me? I’m still full so I don’t think I can”

She jerked away from me, her eyes wide. Then, she hastily waved her arms in front of her in denial. But the way she licked her lips, I knew that she wanted to give in and just accept the offer immediately. Of course, I knew why she was hesitating, so I understood her reaction.

“M-Miss! I don’t think t-that’s a good idea!”

I gently grabbed her wrists to stop her from flinging her arms around too much, chuckling at her behavior. Then, I gave her the best reassuring smile that I could muster.

“It’s okay”, I told her in a low voice. “Share the meal with the other servants, too. Alexander’s not around after all”

“Thank you so much!” she exclaimed happily after another moment of hesitance.

I headed towards the dining hall while the girl skipped towards the opposite wing of the manor to call for the rest of the slaves. When I got there, true enough, a full breakfast spread was on the table, positioned on the right-hand side of the seat where Alexander usually sat. It was too much for a single person to consume in one meal.

“M-Miss?”

I craned my neck towards the door and saw at least a dozen slaves in matching white shirts and collars spilling into the room. There were a few who looked my age while the eldest seemed to be in his late thirties. All of them threw cautious glances my way as they shuffled towards one side of the wall, lining up into a rehearsed formation.

“Please, just call me Sofia”, I stated, beaming at them to make them feel comfortable. “I’m just a human like you. So I don’t feel at ease being treated like a she-wolf”

They nodded in unison. Then, the girl that I talked to earlier took a small step forward. “Umm, thank you, Sofia”

“It’s nothing”

My chest felt heavy. I’ve always been aware of the injustice between how different werewolves and humans were treated just because they have capabilities that the latter don’t, however, looking at their faces lighting up with too much gratefulness just because I offered my meal to them was a painful reminder.

When Alexander freed me from being a slave, it felt like I became a nobody, but I now claim a different role for myself. I’m probably not going to make that much of a difference, but at least for the humans in this household, I could.

Dining in the table seemed like too huge of a step so we crouched contentedly on the floor as I divided the food that was served as equally as I could amongst them. They gradually opened up to me, fortunately, and we exchanged stories. After being the only slave in the manor for a few months, it was pleasantly strange to have other people to talk to.

Alexander came home hours later than usual that night.

I wanted to wait for him before sleeping to welcome him home since I thought that I should at least do as much, but I unknowingly doze off after a rushed dinner with the slaves and would’ve stayed asleep until the next morning if it wasn’t for his heavy steps.