His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 3

Ivy was led up the stairs by Luna Doris. She held onto the railings, noticing the smallest changes in the house she grew up in. She paused when Luna Doris didn't stop on the second floor.

The family members bedrooms were on the second floor. The first floor was the hall, kitchen and drawing room. The third floor was meant for guests.

Luna Doris looked back expecting her to ask about it. Ivy didn't dare because she already knew the answer in her heart. If her room was still available, Luna Doris wouldn't be showing her the way up.

"Emma wanted to live closer to us. You weren't here, so we gave her that room. I can understand if you're uncomfortable. I will ask her to shift upstairs." Luna Doris said cautiously.

Ivy shook her head, "I'm ok with it. Let's go."

Luna Doris sighed in relief, but her heart twisted at her compliance. Ivy was a bit spoiled growing up. She wouldn't eat if the food wasn't to her liking, and she didn't sleep on her bed if it wasn't made right. Even her best outfits were thrown out at the smallest defect. Seeing her agree to the arrangement so easily just showed their negligence.

She suppressed her guilt for the time being and led her to the new room.

It was a bright room with complete set of furniture. The bed was wide and soft, with a vanity table right next to it. The walk in closet was small but functional. For Ivy, it was already a luxury to sleep in such a room after living in the servant quarters.

"I have prepared some clothes for you. They were brought in a hurry, so it's not the best, but make do for now. We'll go shopping together to get you new ones." Luna Doris set down some neatly folded clothes on the bed and left.

Ivy collapsed as soon as the door shut. The calm facade crumbled once she was alone. Gasping, she struggled to hold a wall and lifted her foot. She practically ripped off the shoes out of her swollen foot. Poking the soft skin, she realised it was still manageable.

Ivy then carefully peeled off her clothes and hopped into the shower. The warm water almost brought her to tears.

Back in the palace, the servants received hot water for three hours in the morning to shower. No matter how early Ivy woke up for a shower, she was always the last one to go and all the hot water would be gone. Eventually, Ivy stopped trying.

The water turned a murky mix of brown and red at her feet. The smell of blood, grime and sweat washed away into the drain.

Ivy found some medicine in the cabinet to dress up her injuries. It took a couple of tries to get her back covered, then moved to her bad ankle. The compress bandages barely made her shoes fit.

It didn't have to be perfect. As long as the blood didn't stain her clothes, she could make do with a clumsy cover.

She picked up the fresh clothes off the bed and tried them on. The style was beautiful. Something Ivy would've preferred if her body weren't full of scars. Ivy carefully took off the dress, took out her spare servant uniform from her bag and wore that instead.

The dress was made with an off white, threadbare fabic. It hung loosely over her frame, allowing relief to her freshly bandaged wounds. She gathered her dark hair into a low bun at the base of her neck, the way she always did, then left the room to see Grandma Norma.

Grandma Norma lived in a separate wing behind the pack house. As she aged, the lady preferred peace and quiet that was not found in the bustling pack house.

Ivy decided to go by herself instead of troubling the luna. Her guilty eyes at every turn made her uncomfortable.

The wing was designed simply with a single bedroom, bathroom and a hall.

Ivy approached the bedroom only to run into Luke at the door. Luke immediately frowned upon seeing her maid's outfit. He stood between her and the door, preventing her from entering.

"Why the hell are you wearing this piece of crap again?!" He exclaimed, glaring at the stains that were years old. "Why aren't you wearing the clothes mom gave you?"

"They didn't fit me," Ivy answered calmly.

"Bullshit! Don't go making excuses. You just want to stir up s**t for no reason. What will grandma think when she sees you like this?! Won't she assume we are treating you badly?!"

"I told -"

Ivy didn't get to finish what she wanted to say. Luke extended his hand and pushed her shoulder away. He used less strength but vastly underestimated how weak Ivy had gotten. "Get back there and change into new clothes!"

Ivy lost her footing and fell on her side. An astronomical pain erupted through her body. Her forehead was immediately covered in sweat, and the metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth. She bit back a scream trying to push out of her throat.

Luna Doris arrived just in time to see the farce. She rushed to help Ivy back up on her feet and reprimanded Luke, "Luke! What is this behaviour!"

"It's her fault. She was about to meet grandma in these cheap clothes!" Luke defended himself.

Luna Doris noticed it too. Ivy was in too much pain to answer them. Under Luna's questioning gaze, she simply rolled up the long sleeves, revealing old and new marks permanently branded on her skin by the princess.

The overlapping scars left not an inch of her skin bare. They extended from her wrist all the way up her shoulder and back. Luna Doris covered her mouth and gasped. Even Luke was tonguetied at the horrifying sight.

"Those clothes didn't cover these scars," Ivy explained in a tiny whisper.

Emma, who had followed the sound of screaming, cried out in surprise. "Was it the princess? She's too much!"

She secretly cursed the princess for being so obviously cruel, allowing Ivy to gain sympathy through such tricks.

Ivy looked at Emma properly. Her acting fooled everyone in the family except her. Her heart was cold and her eyes even colder when she asked, "Are you feeling guilty because I took the punishment for you?"

"Ivy..." Emma choked. Her beautiful blue eyes reddened. "I-I am sorry. I was really scared. I didn't know you'd suffer this much..."

"If you knew, would you have admitted it back then?" Ivy asked.

Emma was left flustered by her sudden question. She broke into quiet sobs. Her pitiful face flushed with regret. "I'm sorry. I can do anything as long as you forgive me. I'll be your slave, and you can beat me too. I won't complain! Just forgive me this time -"

"That's enough, Emma!" Luke pulled his sister out of Ivy's line of sight, shielding her behind his broad frame. He faced Ivy head-on. The remorse from earlier had vanished. “Ivy, Emma doesn't have to apologize for something she did not do. Aren't you back now? Is it really necessary to make a scene?”