Claimed by the Vengeful Alpha

"You don’t know that I can’t read?" She asked with a chuckle.

"You can’t?" Maya asked with wide eyes. "I am sorry, I didn’t know."

"It’s fine," Winnie shrugged with an awkward smile as she handed the letter back to Maya. "Not a lot of people in Verlassen can."

"I should have remembered that. I only know how to read because the High Alpha made sure I—"

"Don’t worry about it. I am not completely illiterate but I fare better with the symbols for numbers. In the workshop, we have to keep track of the number of items we have and the number we have sold. Strings of words are difficult for me."

"I am sorry. I’ll read it." She took the letter out of the envelope.

"Would you stop apologizing?" Winnie said with a loud sigh. "I am just telling you the situation. I’m not angry about your insinuation."

"Okay," she replied with a steadier tone and began to read the letter.

Winnie stared seriously at her the entire time and didn’t start speaking until she stopped reading.

"What does that mean?" She asked with concern. "The part where he said he’d have his way and save you."

"I don’t know," Maya replied, then got out of bed. She placed the letter back in the drawer before returning to bed.

"Do you want to go back?" Winnie asked.

"Of course not. If I wanted to, I could have left when we were at the capital but I don’t want to go back there. His daughter never liked me and my relationship with the High Alpha is uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?"

"Yes, that’s how I can describe it. I am scared that he would try something. He knows I was in the same orphanage as Alpha Keenan and he never wanted this marriage. I went against him many times."

"Do you think the maid is here to spy on you?"

Maya glanced at the door. "I trust Margaret but she still works for the High Alpha. I’m worried he sent her in particular because he knows I trust her."

"Has she done anything to raise your suspicions since she arrived?"

"No, she’s still the Margaret I remember but she shouldn’t be here and that makes me worried."

"I don’t think you should be scared. Alpha Keenan wouldn’t let you be taken so easily."

"You don’t know that. He thinks I’m working with the High Alpha," she sighed. "He was angry when he saw the letter. I thought things were getting better."

"No negative thinking, Maya. Remember our promise?" She grinned. "There is no way he would still think you’re with the High Alpha if you tell him you’re Penelope. I am sure of that."

"I don’t have as much confidence as you do."

"I can see that, and that’s okay. You don’t have to think about it. All you need to worry about is keeping your end of the bargain with me. You know I’ll be there to support you every step of the way. If you want me to go speak with him with you, I’ll do that too."

"I couldn’t be more grateful, Winnie. When will you go to see Asher?"

"In two days. Will you come with me?"

"Really? So soon."

"It’s not soon enough. I am making excuses. I could go now—I know he is at the orphanage—but I can’t will myself to go there. Where would the conversation start? What would he say? I worry about all of that but knowing that I am holding you back gives me a little more courage. Will you come with me then?"

She stretched out her hand and Maya grabbed it almost immediately. It was warm. "You don’t even have to ask."

Maya found herself smiling despite her worries. It was so nice to know she wasn’t fighting alone. When was the last time she felt like this? When was the last time she had someone willing to make themselves uncomfortable on her behalf?

"Wonderful! Perhaps we should pick the same day?"

"I should tell Alpha Keenan in two days?!"

"I don’t see what the problem is. No reason to ruin the momentum."

"But you’ll have so many things to talk about with Asher, I wouldn’t want—" she stopped talking as she saw Winnie’s intense stare. She sighed. "Very well."

"Lovely," she grinned and looked down at Maya’s palms. "Your palms are always cold. At first, I was worried, but it seems that’s normal."

"Yeah," she said, hesitant.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell Winnie. If Winnie didn’t remember her, then she couldn’t remember but Alaina would. She frowned. This was the one proof she had that she was indeed Penelope. There was no way Keenan had forgotten about it.

However, there was a reason she was hesitant. She hadn’t used her powers since she left the orphanage. Father forbade her and she wanted to stay in the family, so she adhered to the rule. If she hadn’t used it in so long, did she still have it?

"Pretty cool," Winnie said with a grin.

"You think so?"

"Of course."

"I—" she paused as she pulled her hand away. "I wanted to ask about something."

"Go ahead."

"The matron of the orphanage," she mumbled. If her power didn’t work, then this was the only other proof she had—the woman who gave her away. "I’d like to see her."

"The matron?" Winnie asked with furrowed brows. "The old one or the new one?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the matron right now was only hired a few months ago, after Alpha Keenan returned."

"And the old one?"

"She died a long time ago. Alaina said it was one of the terrible periods we had in the orphanage. I think this might have been after you left. I don’t know—the timeline is unclear in my head—but a lot of us fell ill, there was barely enough food and we had no caretaker."

"Her death caused all that. I’m so sorry."

"I’m not sure and I barely remember, so I’m not as affected. I don’t know if her death played a role but whatever help we were getting stopped abruptly. Alaina had mentioned that she didn’t think the old matron’s death alone was enough to cause all that."

"Was that when you lost your memory then?"

Winnie’s eyes widened slightly. "You’re not wrong," she mumbled. "I don’t have any memory of the matron, just like I don’t have memories of young Asher. It must have been around that time."

"I see. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories."

"Hardly."

"Well, if I’m not being intrusive, there is something else that bothers me. How does Alaina know and why is it only her? The High Alpha was pretty secretive about my roots—even my maid Margaret doesn’t know, at least to my knowledge. Yet Alaina does."

"Unfortunately, that’s an answer I don’t have. Alaina can be very nosy. There are tons of things she has found out that I have no idea how she knows them."

"I am not concerned that she knows. I’m concerned about how long she’s known and how she found out."

"Are you worried she would try to do something to separate you from Alpha Keenan?"

"I am," she replied. "She didn’t hide her hatred from when we were kids, and as confident as I feel now, it’s impossible to shake the uneasy feeling with her close by."

She wrapped her arms around herself as she recalled her last encounter with Alaina. She had left feeling good, but it was impossible not to register the words Alaina had used.

You’ve grown wings, Penn. It will be my pleasure to clip them.

"That’s why you have to tell Alpha Keenan soon enough. She would be powerless then. Also, the reason I can come into the Alpha’s room as confidently as I did is because I was given orders to."

Maya nearly leaped from her seat. "What? He did that and told you not to tell me?"

"Well, not exactly. He found me after you woke up and asked if I had given the dresses to you. I told him yes, then he said you’re awake and in his room. He didn’t explicitly give me an order but it was clear enough that he wanted me to go see you."

"He did?"

"Yes and he brought you back to the main house after the accident all by himself. Alaina should be the least of your worries. She couldn’t sabotage things between you and Alpha Keenan even if she tried. That’s why you have to tell him as soon as possible."

"You’re right," Maya said with a nod.

"You’re smiling," she teased.

"Of course I am. He didn’t have to do that but it means a lot to me that he did and it gives me so much hope. I was really worried after the letter and Margaret arrived. His reaction was really cold, and he sent me away from his presence. I thought I’d have to start again but I don’t have to. I’ll build up the courage to tell him in two days."

"I’d say let’s go now."

"Shall we start with Beta Asher then?" Maya asked with a smirk.

"Touché."