Louisa's POV
"OK," Alpha Zackery, who had been silenced since the very beginning, finally made a shallow cough and spoke, "Before this whole breakfast thing turns really weird, I'd like to invite Miss Louisa to join me here on my side and enjoy a quiet and undisturbed breakfast with me. Lucian, would you do me a favor to help Miss Louisa get to my seat? She seems extremely upset sitting on the cold floor like that."
"Yes, Alpha," Lucian replied and pulled me up.
As soon as I got back on my feet, I felt my head boiling with anger. I pushed Lucian away and tried to jump at Lucas.
Several soldiers came forward and stopped me.
I kicked my legs in the air and shouted, "Let go of me! Leave Darren alone! Stop treating him like your subject! He's a human being, not your pet!"
The soldiers tried to pin me on the ground, but I became much stronger than I used to be. I managed to push myself up despite their efforts.
As soon as I lifted my head, I saw Josephine standing right in front of my face.
"You filthy shameless redneck servant girl, how dare you to talk to Alpha Lucas like this in front of His Excellency?! Your mother didn't you anything about manners when she was still alive? It doesn't matter. I'll discipline you on her behalf!"
Then, she lifted her hand and slapped me across my cheek.
I spat blood at her and roared, "I'm not a servant girl and you don't deserve to mention my mother to me! She used to be the Princess of the Blade Ridge Pack..."
I didn't finish my words before Josephine slapped me again. This time it was even harder.
She wiped the blood from her face and exclaimed in a screech, "What an outrageous joke! You're even talking nonsense without the influence of alcohol! Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror? Daughter of a princess? Are you kidding me? Do me a favor, take a good look at yourself in a mirror and take a good look at yourself. You're nothing more than a daughter of a whore!"
"Shut up!" I pushed the soldiers away and knocked Josephine down. She fell to the ground with a heavy thud and started to cry.
The soldiers, including her personal guards, all jumped at me and pressed me to the ground.
"Lift her up!" I heard the scream coming from Josephine.
The soldiers followed her instruction.
Josephine took up a butter knife from the table and said, "You want to make things look bad? I'll let things look really bad. I'll slash the word 'bitch' on your forehead, so everybody knows who you really are! You ugly inferior daughter of a whor..."
Just as the tip of the knife was about to touch my skin, Josephine's hand was grabbed by someone.
Then, almost instantly, the knife dropped to the floor.
I lifted my head and saw Alpha Zackery standing in front of me.
"Miss Josephine," He smiled and said, "a true lady uses her beauty and wisdom as lethal weapons instead of using knives. Why don't you be a doll and go back to your tent right now? Alpha Lucas and I are going to talk about some matters of sensitive diplomatic nature. I think it's rude to bother such a sweet lady like you with such boring details. So why don't you return to your own tent right now?"
Josephine stared at Alpha Zackery in anger, but she immediately pulled out a fake smile, "Of course, Your Excellency. I'm not some stupid rustic girl who doesn't know any class and style. If you could excuse me."
Then, she turned back, gave Lucas a dark look, and walked away, accompanied by her personal guards and maids.
"Phew, that was intense." Alpha Zackery wiped the invisible sweat on his forehead and said, "Talking about having a champagne breakfast to kick your day start."
Lucian waved and the soldiers immediately released me.
I ran towards Darren and tried to pull him up.
"Stand up, Darren. Come with me. Let's get out of this place." I said.
Darren didn't move, still lowering his head.
"Miss Louisa..." He said without looking up at me. "I can't leave without the permission of my Master."
I looked up at Lucas and said, "You ask him to stand up right now and come with me!"
Lucas leered and said, "This is just the beginning. I'm not done with him. I'm going to work him really hard for today."
I clenched my teeth and said, "You're so pathetic to hurt someone so innocent and vulnerable. You're nothing but a bully."
Lucas pulled up Darren's hair and forced him to look at me.
Tears were zigzagging all over his bruised face.
"Innocent? Are you fucking blind? He's a fucking male whore! He has literally given you a fucking hand job last night and you're calling him innocent?!" Lucas roared in hysterical laughter.
Then, I heard Darren's trembling voice -
"Miss Louisa... Please go back to your seat and enjoy your breakfast."
I wiped the tears from my face and said, "But Darren..."
"Please, I'm begging you," he whispered.
I looked at him in disbelief while stepping back.
Then, I fell right into Alpha Zackery's arms.
He carried me back to his seat and sat next to me, adding some juice to a crystal goblet and passing it to me.
"Have some, little girl. It helps you to stay calm." He smiled at me and said. "And if I were you, I would drop the knife in your nice tiny little hands. So these gentlemen could relax for a little bit and have some scrambled eggs to start the day. You see, they've got work to do."
I lowered my head and saw that I was holding a butter knife in my hands. I didn't even remember when I picked it up in the first place.
Then, I turned my head and saw that all the soldiers in the tent were holding their weapons and pointing them at me.
I instantly dropped the knife. Alpha Zackery caught it in his hand and placed it gracefully on the table. Then, he waved his hands at those soldiers to make them at ease.
Then, he leaned towards me, stroked some of my hair behind my ear, and said, "So, you've grown taller and stronger overnight. It's amazing. Tell me about it. How does it feel to become undead?"