Chapter 25 You don’t get to dictate my conditions anymore
Haven’s POV
The sun felt vengeful. Five hours had already gone by waiting for Rue, and by the time it ended, my skin was cracked and dry.
The butler’s attitude had changed the moment he learned we were from Half Moon Pack. He was polite before that; but he got frosty the instant the word left our mouths.
“Five hours,” Veronica flapped her hand at the sky, theatrically. “Do you know what this sun has done to my skin? I look like a tomato. A very distinguished tomato.”
I tried not to smile. Mostly because my face actually hurt from the heat. And also, I didn’t very much feel like it after waiting that long.
“Why does meeting a servant take this long?” I asked. It baffled me. A mere maid – for goodness’ sake – and we had to stand under the sun for five hours like charity beggars.
Veronica’s eyes narrowed “She’s become arrogant since she started working for Alpha Cyrus. Mark my words. She’ll be strutting with that confidence after she gets her hands on that medicine. We’ll make her pay.”
I snorted under my breath, though I kept the expression even. “Or she slept her way into the household,” I said, a little louder than I’d meant.
It was the obvious answer. How else could that useless woman have sneaked her way into such a position?
Veronica’s nostrils flared. “Exactly. Who else would take her in? A woman like Rue? It must have been-” She tapped her chin for effect. “- her other assets. Shameful.”
Inside, my teeth clenched. I’d worked so hard to get where I was- the social season, the contacts, the circles – and here Rue was, probably grinning having done nothing, prideful as if she’d won a prize.
Finally, the butler came back, eyes never quite meeting ours, hands held behind his back. He stopped, cleared his throat and announced, “Miss Rue will be arriving shortly.”
Miss Rue? I scoffed inwardly
When Rue stepped out, my eyes couldn’t believe it. She had dressed like she’d been born of royalty. Not the shabby, rough look I’d expected.
She’d clearly taken care: hair soft, a touch of color on her lips, a dress that clung in the right places without whispering desperation. She looked…good. Dangerous good. I hated it.
She never wore makeup, used to be down to earth and “humble,”. But now, she looked like she was on a whole different level that made beautiful ladies look average.
I smoothed the front of my skirt and started “Rue,” I said, voice plain, unwilling to show my frustration of waiting. “Finally here after you…”
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-kept you waiting?” she finished, her voice light and mellow. Her gaze skimmed Veronica, then me. Her chin lifted with a kind of lazy challenge. “I was seeing to a certain important pack issue.
Veronica’s lips worked with suppressed anger. “You put us out to wait under this scorching sun. For five hours. It’s rude.”
Rue tilted her head. “Five hours?” Her smile was slow. “Have you forgotten the time you made me kneel in the
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snow for two days because I broke your water cup? Two days. Ninety-six hours. And all because of a cup.”
Veronica’s face drained. My heart gave a tiny, traitorous lurch as I recalled the memory. Veronica opened her mouth to deny, then closed it. She’d always been awful at holding the victim’s face.
I cleared my throat, switching to business. “Aiden is unconscious. You knew he’d faint, so come help him.”
Rue’s calm held. “$697,500,” she said plainly. No stutter or hesitation. “That’s my f*e.”
My mouth actually dropped. $697,500. I pictured a number in my mind. For a second I didn’t know if she was joking, or just testing us.
“Are you insane?” Veronica exploded. “That’s robbery!”
Rue shrugged, her face collected “You can call it whatever you want. But consider: a man’s life, the life of an Alpha … is worth more than a number to you. We should be grateful I came to even discuss it.”
“Grateful?” Veronica sputtered. “We stood in the sun for five hours. You can’t just ask for nearly seven hundred thousand dollars and expect-”
“I’m expecting it, actually,” Rue corrected, the ghost of a smile.
“And no, you don’t get to dictate my conditions anymore. You were the one who pushed me in front of debt collectors so they could beat me when you didn’t want to face your own creditors and pay your gambling debts”
Veronica clenched her hands into fists. Something flashed in her eyes, guilt.
“Lies,” she spat. “Pure lies. You want money because you always wanted it.”
“It’s not about the money,” Rue said calmly. “You want help? Show me you deserve it. Say please. Say thank you. Don’t act like someone owes it to you.’
Veronica’s nostrils flared with indignation and something that looked like wounded pride. I loved that part. She had her pride, and it was always a fragile one.
“I’m not going to beg,” Veronica spat. ” Or pay you a cent.”
“Seems like you don’t really value your son’s life, suit yourself” Rue said, then turned and walked away. Her head held high.
“Leave, you worthless example of a maid. They will use and dump you, and you’ll come back to us.” Veronica spat “And we won’t accept you.”
I turned to Veronica, frustrated by Rue’s proud demeanor “We can’t expect to get help from trash anyway. What should we do now?”
Veronica straightened up. “I’ll get Blood Claw’s Shaman. If I have to, I’ll drag him here and make him treat Aiden for free. We will talk to him first.”
I hesitated. “Veronica, the shaman is quite popular. He’s moody, difficult to see, and-frankly-he hates to be rushed by people, or anyone. He only listens to his students or Alpha Cyrus. He’d probably tell us to stand in line.”
“We’ll see about that.” She mentioned.
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