Nanny and Her Four Alpha Bullies

Chapter 28 

Archer drags me behind the stage of the auditorium. His grip is strong and bruising on my bleep. He guides me into a chair next to a bunch of other seated people. 

“Stay here,” he barks. Despite the alpha way he says it, I roll my eyes. He narrows his own at me before darting off. Mia st in my lap. She reaches to my right and I turn my head. 

The row of people sitting next to me are all wearing stoic, serious expressions. Each of them has the crest of the house Hayes. Some wear it on their pants, others on their tops. Each item, however, is meticulously pressed. I look down at my own garb. It’s much fancier than anything the other people are wearing, I feel slightly self–conscious of my attire. 

xt to me. They don’t seem to mind her but something a 

I shift Mia in my lap so she stops grabbing at the person it doesn’t feel right. I try and take another side glance at the people next to me. Their uniformity is a bit disturbing. I wonder if I’m being inducted into a cult. 

The thought intensifies as I notice that each of the people next to me has a strange black mark on the back of their hands. I open my mouth to ask about it when I hear Beau’s voice. 

“Ready?” 

I turn and look at him. Unsurprisingly, he’s standing next to a woman. He’s always surrounded with women. However, this woman’s different. Sharp, pointed ears poke out from behind her hair. Her skin has a slight blue tint to it and her eyes are near white. 

A mage. 

I’d never seen one in real life before. I sense myself starring and immediately look back to Beau 

“Ready?” I question. 

“For the ritie 

“For the ritual,” he goes on. He motions to the mage. “Armanda will be performing it.” 

I furrow my brows. “I wasn’t told about a ritual,” 

“The induction to the Hayes Court is a simple ritual,” the woman says. She smiles. “Just follow my lead and it’ll be easy.” She tips her head. “It’s a high honor to be in the Court. You must be excited.” 

I don’t speak the bitter thoughts going through my mind about beingforcedto join this bullshit slave organization. I simply smile at her and bounce Mia in my lap. 

“So excited,” my voice drips with sarcasm that Beau immediately picks up. 

“The Courts changed a lot over the years,” Armanda goes on. She, too, must’ve sensed my disdain. “It used to be slaves and servants but now it is the most important Hayes members. Alpha Hayes’s closest advisors.” 

I give her a weird look. The way Archer made it seem was that the Hayes Court was a way to bully the employees more. This random mage is making it seem like I’m being inducted to high society. I’m suspicious. 

“Come now,” Armanda says. Her ears twitch slightly. “It is time.” 

I follow her and Beau to the side of the stage. The people lined up in chairs with the crest on their clothes march out on the stage. Immediately, the auditorium goes quiet. Ngil steps up to a podium. 

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“Good evening,” he says into a microphone. “Tonight is a very special homecoming. The Hayes Court will be inducting our newest member.” 

Polite applause choruses through the auditorium. It stops as Nell leans back into the microphone. 

“As eldest of the next generation of Hayes,” Neil goes on. “it is my honor to induct people into the Court. However, tonight, Archer Hayes has requested to induct this person into the court.” 

I stiffen up like a board. Archer requested? Everything about that seems wrong. Especially because the aforementioned man is missing in action. I tap Beau on the shoulder. He turns around and raises his eyebrow in question.. 

“Where is he?” I mouth. 

Beau smirks. “You’ll see.” 

www 

Back on the stage, Neil is telling the history of the Hayes Court. He repeats what Armanda repeated earlier. The Court used to be slaves and is now full of advisors to the most powerful family of alphas. He lets the audience applaud more before I steps to the microphone and speaks 

again. 

“This newest induction was a bit of a surprise for us,” Neil says. “It is commonly known across campus that we are the new caretakers of a child. The child was given to us and we needed to find someone who could care for us while we continue our duties.” 

I almost want to snort. I keep it in. 

“This woman has the correct background and has proven to be a fine caretaker,” Nell says. “The Hayes Brothers thus would like to induct Chloe Kissimet to the Hayes Court of Slaves.” 

The audience erupts into applause. Beau gives me a gentle push onto the stage. I stumble out, Mia still in my arms. The lights are blinding. 1 squint out and only see shapes in the darkness. I look at Neil and he motions across the stage. Archer walks out from the wings 

He looksbeautifulin the light of the stage. He looked good earlier but the way the light is hitting him makes him look like his entire body is shrouded in a halo. His hair is curling just right and his eyes shine under the light. I swallow thickly and continue to walk towards him. Neil moves to the side and the podium disappears under the stage. It’s just Mia, Archer and I front and center. The other members of the Court stand behind us. 

Beau comes out and gently pulls Mia out of my arms. The action leaves me even more nervous. Now it’s just Archer and L. Armanda comes and stands between us like she’s wedding us. She takes Archer’s hand in her own. 

“Blood of Hayes, pure and strong,” she chants. 

She takes out a knife and gently slices through his palm. A pool of crimson liquid gathers th Archer’s hand. I look at his eyes for any sense of pain and see nothing. Armanda coats the knife in it. 

“Court of Slaves, shall do no wrong” 

She takes my hand and presses the knife on the back of it. Instantly, pain shoots up into my brain. I wince and tense my hand, watching as the blood on the knife magically pulls off. 

“Bound to thee through service of life,” Armanda continues. 

The pain gets stronger and I look up at Archer, whimpering slightly. His eyes hold some sort of compassion I’ve never seen. It’s comforting and makes the hurt feel less horrible. 

“Take this bond all through my knifel” 

There’s a sudden flash of blue light that radiates through the auditorium. Then, the pain is gone. I lift my hand and see the same black symbol on the back of it that all the other members of the Court have. It’s a beautiful, arching “H” that looks more like a mash of shapes than a letter. I trace my hand over it and look back up at Archer. He looks proud. 

“It has been done,” Armanda says. “Chloe Kissimet is now a member of the Hayes Court.” 

The auditorium erupts into raucous cheers. All of the current members smile brightly at me as they clap. There are some “whoops” from the crowd. Archer takes my brandished hand and walks me forward, showing me off to the crowd. They holler louder and louder and I’ve never 

felt better. 

I allow myself to smile. It feels like I finally belong. 

I search through the crowd for Debbie. She’s clapping wildly in front, cheering every so often. My eyes continue to wander and settle in on the back. 

There, arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face, is Laura.