Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 188 Not an Omega Anymore
The morning seemed to roll around quicker than she had anticipated, and Ann didn’t feel like she had slept at all. She must have fallen asleep at some point in the early hours though, listening to the rhythmic soft snoring of Adam as his chest rose and fell predictably under her hand.
When she opened her eyes Adam was nowhere to be seen and Coral was in the process of laying out breakfast on the table by the window.
Ann stretched reluctantly and sat up in bed, blinking the sleep from her eyes and before he could open her mouth to ask anything, Coral spoke.
“Good morning your highness.” She said softly with a little bow, “The Queens Consort said to tell you that he’s gone to call Allen, and not to forget that Eva will be here shortly. He thought it prudent to have breakfast in your chambers so as to save a little time.”
Ann opened her mouth to object and then closed it again, as a smile played at the edges of her mouth. “It makes sense. Thank you, Coral. Give me a few moments to shower and dress and then I’ll come and eat with you.”
Coral’s eyes were wide in horror and Ann chuckled.
“Coral, you are not an Omega anymore, you’ll be my personal a*s*sistant very soon. Besides, even if you were an Omega, there is nothing wrong with me eating with you at the same table. You and I are no different, other than the status of our birth, and of our wolves.”
Coral’s eyes flickered with doubt as she watched Ann collect her clothes and disappear into the bathroom. The whole situation seemed almost too good to be true.
A lowly Omega since birth, and a weak one with no particular talents at that, she had always been on the receiving end of whatever s**t the rest of the staff chose to throw at her. She had taken it on the chin and simply accepted it as her lot in life, but now, all of that seemed to be changing.
Even when she had been forced to entertain Linus, she bore the pain with a dignity that she felt sure her parents would have been proud of. An Omega’s job was to be seen and not heard, to attend to the higher-ranking wolves’ needs, whatever they may be.
She had always been grateful that she hadn’t been selected as a breeding partner because she felt that living like that was possibly a fate worse than death for her. Condemned to never have the chance to meet your fated… it was beyond cruel.
Not that many tales of the Omega’s who met their mates ever ended well, especially if they were mated above their stations. More often than not, they were little more than concubines to the masters above them that had claimed them as their own. They might be a mate in name, but they most definitely were not in status. It was sheer luck that had placed her as Ann’s personal maid, and she questioned the decision every day. There had been uproar in the Omega’s quarters when her name was suddenly announced for the position. Yet now, here she was. On the precipice of a terrifying increase in her status. She dreaded to think how the Elders would react when they found out…apart from Bartholomew of course. He had always been kind to her… to all of them.
The sound of the bathroom door opening pulled her from her thoughts suddenly and she shifted awkwardly on the spot, not knowing where to place herself.
Should she sit? Should she let Ann choose her place first? Should she be serving her or offering help? “Please, sit down Coral. Your anxiousness is making me nervous as well.” Ann chuckled as she moved past her and took a seat at the table in front of the delicious spread that Coral had so painstakingly laid out in front of her. Coral took a seat opposite her and swallowed nervously, unsure of how to act.
Ann sighed lightly and passed her a plate with a smile. “You’ll have to get used to this Coral, I usually took my breakfasts in the office with Eva so that we could discuss any issues that might have arisen and go over the schedule for the day. Relax. We don’t bite.” Coral forced a smile and bobbed her head as she took the plate carefully and placed a few items on it, nibbling carefully at the edges of them.
A knock at the door rang through the room and Coral jumped despite herself, but Ann didn’t even bat an eye. “Who is it?”
“Eva is here to see you, your highness.” the guard’s voice sounded from outside the door. “Okay, let her in,” Ann called out as she shoved a few slices of prosciutto ham onto a thick slice of buttered bread and topped it with some soft cheese.
Ann shoved a huge wadge of bread into her mouth at the exact moment that Eva entered and grinned at her with her cheeks puffed out as she chewed.
“Nice to see that the title of Alpha Queen hasn’t changed your appalling table manners.” Eva laughed as she made her way over and plonked herself down heavily on the chair next to them before running her eyes over Coral appraisingly, “This is Coral, I a*s*sume?”
Coral nodded shyly as she forced herself to look at Eva directly.
“Nice to meet you sugar, I’m Eva. I’ll be your all-inclusive guide to the ins and outs of keeping the boss here on track for things that she would forget about in a heartbeat if it wasn’t for us support staff.” She beamed widely as Coral tried not to show her confusion at the familiar way that they had of speaking with each other.
“I’m Coral. I’m looking forward to the experience.” She answered nervously as Ann chuckled lightly. “Excellent. I hate to be the one to rush you both, but can I get you to sign these quickly Ann? It’s the sign-offs on purchase orders for the remaining materials for the completion of the Gorgon’s build.”
“Ah! No problem,” Ann nodded eagerly as she wiped her hands and reached for the papers. “Coral, whenever you’ve finished eating, if you want to gather your things up and go with Eva, I’m sure she’ll stop by somewhere to get you little something more substantial.”
Coral nodded and quickly stood from the table to go and collect her things. If truth be told, she really wasn’t that hungry. She was far too nervous to eat.
As she peeked back through the c***k in her door and saw the interaction between the Alpha Queen Ann and her former a*s*sistant Eva, Coral suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that everything was going to be alright. Things were finally about to change for the better.