"Open this door right away, will you!"
A bang on my bedroom door and the sound of the commanding voice from outside my room jerked me out from my sleep.

I opened my eyes, initially confused about where I was at that moment. There was a loud banging going on in my head that seems like it was wiping my memory away. As I sat confused in bed, trying to recall what happened and where I was, the bang came again.

gbiii! gbii!! gbii!!! gbiii!!! gbiii!!!

"Naomi, open this door this minute or you will have me to contend with this night!"
My mother's voice at the other end of the door brought me back to real life. And I sprang up from my bed, and out of my confused state, and ran to the door and opened it.

"How dare you this ungrateful girl? How dare you leave the party when the party was not over yet?!" My mother yelled at me.

My mother's way of expressing anger and disappointment at someone or something was by yelling, and my late father had taught me to always be quiet, and calm whenever my mother was in that mood; she would come around when nobody was counter yelling or exchanging words with her, my father had said.

And so I kept quiet, just watching my mother shout and just prayed silently in my heart that she would just stop yelling for the sake of the banging that was still wreaking havoc in my head.

"Now can you tell me why you disobeyed me, and the Alpha's order by leaving the party half way? Don't you want to get married?!" My mother asked, now a little bit calmer, but I could still hear the residual anger in her voice.

"The party was not organized for me to get married, mom, it was solely for the daughters of the Alpha-King".

"The party was for every female member of this family.”

"Which I am not one of them mom, I am just an orphan to them all!" I said firmly, almost yelling at this point.

"How dare you call yourself an orphan when I, your mother, is standing right before you? Have you lost your mind young lady?!" My mother said, with her eyes narrowed as she searched my face for to find the possible reason why I could use such word on myself.

"One of the guests from the Night-Shade City called me that. In his words, the Alpha-King took me into his palace out of pity!" I said that last phrase with a loud voice, more like a yell, as tears streamed down my cheeks.

I stormed off to my bed, and flung myself into the bed and sobbed.

My mother was shocked, and for some seconds she stood frozen at that spot, and most likely wondered why someone could call me that.

Slowly, she walked up to me on the bed crying, and with an arm, held me by the shoulder and strokes my back softly.
"It's okay my baby, stop crying. You are not an orphan and you know it.”

"But that is what they think of me, I was not supposed to be here in the first place.” I sobbed.
"Nobody dares think such about you here Naomi, the Alpha loves you just the way he loves his daughters".

"Even Lucas thinks so mom, the other day he told me there is a secret hanging over my existence in this palace. Don't you think that could be what he meant by that?" I asked, now fully turned and looking at my mother for a full explanation.

Maybe there was an agreement between my mother and the Alpha before he could allow my mother bring me in to the palace as a member of the family, instead of a maidservant like every other captives becomes.

Maybe my mother agreed with the Alpha, 9 years ago, that I be brought in in the guise of an orphan in need of a shelter, just so she can have me live close to her, and have the opportunity of raising me herself.

Maybe there was indeed, a secret hanging over my existence in the Royal Palace of Alpha-King Magnus.