Locked Up ?

No!

She definitely heard wrongly, or maybe, maybe he was referring to the lady beside him whose hands he was holding unto … wait! Number 28 allows her eyes to wander to the person standing next to this male for the first time since she looked up. A she. A beautifully well blessed lady by the goddess. Who was she and why was she standing with this male who she still had no idea who even he was. She was still swirling thoughts around her head when she felt a whip on her back, followed by her being pushed to her knees on the floor, her head once again lowered. The murmuring around her increased.

“A Doulo never raises its head, have you forgotten, you worthless piece of shit!” came the words accompanied by a whip to her back from the controller of the Doulos. “How dare you look up –

“That’s enough!” came the voice from the man in front of Number 28, his hand stretched out. He had a beautiful voice, Number 28 thought to herself despite the pain burning on her back from the strike of the whip.

“Oh Chan, you should let the controller show the Doulo her place.” Came a feminine voice, the one next to the man in front of Number 28. Her left hand finding his chest as she begins to caress it, “They will never learn, except you teach them.” She says with a smile.

Pushing down her hand from him, and letting go of even the one he had been holding unto. “And risk causing a scene at my mother’s party?” he looks her way, “Everyone is watching Isabella.” He hisses with an edge to his voice as though angry. He wasn’t going to be angry, he was angry, his wolf at the edge of his mind waiting for any chance he could take to show forth and tear everyone apart starting from the Controller who had dare to lay his whip on his … his mate.

Chan could not believe his eyes. His mate! His mate was a … a Doulo, a slave to slaves. Mother Goddess! He exclaims mentally. He knew something was not right since last night when he had become restless when the rain had begun. He had barely been able to get any sleep, his wolf on edge, having him search the entire palace for what he could not quite tell. Sarton has never been as restless as he had been last night, and even after taking him for a long run in the forest, he still would not calm down. He had had him searching the entire palace, greeting every visitor, checking every room … well, every room except the part which belonged to the slaves or Doulos.

He had not even known what exactly he was searching for when he had begun searching. So, the restlessness, it was his mate, his mate calling out to him, at last, after many years have passed. And now, she was … a Doulo.

From behind Chan, his friend nods at the controller to take the Doulo and get out of the hall. He didn’t know why, but for some reason his friend Chan was on edge, his wolf almost barring to the surface, he could tell that from how tensed his shoulder were at the moment. Ever since the night before, his friend has been on edge and acting out of character, but right now, it seemed even he was fighting Sarton for control over his body.

But just as the controller laid hands on the Doulo on the floor, about to drag her out, he saw Chan snap at the Controller, his wolf barring its teeth an inch away from sinking his teeth into the Controller and drawing blood from the controller’s face. Everyone around shrieks at his sudden outburst, the ladies squealing in fear, including Isabella who had been standing next to him.

Out of fear, the Controller had let go of Number 28, falling back to the floor from the shock of the sudden attack, his eyes widened in fear, his head lowered. “I apologize, Your Highness.” He speaks.

“How dare –

“That’s enough, Chan.” Came a voice from behind them, a voice filled with so much power it even made Number 28 shiver in fear. The Alpha. And that voice, it had enough power to help Sarton calm a bit. Gulping down an empty throat and trying his best to fight Sarton back for control, he takes a step backwards, trying his best to put on a smile. “Be gone, all of you.” The Alpha says to both Number 28 and the controller.

Standing back up on her feet, her tray still in her hand, her head still bowed, Number 28 begins to exit the hall, but not before she glanced one more look at the man she had bumped into, and their eyes meet again, briefly yes, but enough to cause a smile to climb up to her eyes, and enough for him to look into her eyes.

And as she retreated from the hall, she knew that was not the last time she will be seeing this man, not when somehow, the Mother Goddess has made him hers. She could hear the Alpha addressing the people back in the hall, and drawing laughter from them. The Alpha, it was the first time she had been in such close space as him, a man she has only heard about from other Doulos or slaves. And he, the Alpha, he had called that man Chan. Chan! It sounded like a name she has heard before.

“Chan?” Number 39 repeats her brows furrowed. “I have heard that name somewhere before.” She says as they were heading back to their basement that evening.

“Right?” Number 28 questions coming to stand in front of Number 39. “I feel like I have heard that name somewhere before too, but I cannot remember where.” She says with a sigh.

“And you say he was in that hall today?”

Number 28 nods. “I think our Alpha may know him, maybe he is a soldier? Or perhaps a –

“The Alpha Prince.” Number 39 cuts in her eyes beaming. “Now I remember how it is the name sounds familiar, it is our Alpha Prince, heir of our Alpha Reuben. He goes by the name Alpha Prince Chan.”

“What?” Number 28 exclaims, her eyes filled with doubt. She scoffs, “He possibly cannot be the –

“Did he not have blonde hair, pitch black eyes, a chiseled –

“I never looked long enough to confirm all these features, but yes, he did have blonde hair. And by the way how is it that you know all these features when we are never allowed to look up for a second at anyone?”

Number 39 smiles, her eyes the only thing to tell anyone that she was smiling. “I am not one to stick to the laws every time. Of course I look up whenever I get the chance or I’ll have a hunchback like Number 7 before anyone knows it.”

“Number 39!”

“I know it is dangerous, and I know I should never take such risk, but a girl is a curious creature of Mother Goddess, I, particularly curious all the time. Besides, how exactly would I have found Jacob your cousin who is my mate if I hadn’t been looking up.” She smiles again. “I am careful Number 28, no one will ever catch me looking up.”

Number 28 nods in acceptance.

“Talking about being careful, I heard there was a bit of chaos in the hall few minutes after I had left, and you were the cause of that chaos.” Eyes on Number 28, “What happened? The other Doulos are whispering about it but they won’t tell me what really happened.”

Sighing, “I bumped into that Chan which if you are correct which I doubt you are, is the Alpha Prince.”

Number 39 gasps her eyes widening in fright. “You did what!” the rest of whatever she may have had to say, lose its way as she sees the guards approach them. Gulping an empty throat, she clears her throat and nods Number 28 behind her. Number 28 turns around just in time to see the guards stop in front of them. They immediately lower their head.

“Number 28.” The one in charge calls out. “You are under arrest for breaking some laws a Doulo should never do while serving.”