Carina's green eyes narrowed as recognition flashed across her perfect features. Her red lips curled into a sneer that made Willow's blood run cold.
The hallway suddenly felt too small and there was nowhere to run as Carina took a step closer, looking her up and down with disgust written all over her face.
"You," She hissed and her voice was like venom dripping from her tongue. "You're the clumsy little slave who poured water all over my boots like a complete, incompetent fool."
Willow's throat went dry and she couldn't form words even if she wanted to. The hatred radiating off Carina was so intense, it felt like a physical force pushing against her.
She tried to take a step back, but her legs wouldn't cooperate and she stood frozen in place. Carina moved even closer until they were only a few feet apart.
"I should have had you whipped for that, but the Alpha King decided to show mercy for reasons I still don't understand," She sneered and her perfectly manicured nails caught the light as she gestured dismissively.
"You're nothing but a worthless slave who can't even do the simplest tasks without making a mess of everything."
Willow wanted to apologize or explain that it had been an accident, but her voice was trapped in her throat and all she could do was stand there, trembling while Carina continued her verbal assault.
The beautiful woman was everything Willow wasn't with her silk dress, perfectly styled hair and the confidence that came from knowing exactly where she stood in the pack hierarchy.
"Look at you standing there like a scared little mouse," Carina continued and her laugh was cold and cruel.
"You disgust me with your weakness and incompetence and the fact that you're even allowed to walk these halls is an insult to everyone who actually belongs here."
Each word felt like a slap across Willow's face and she could feel tears starting to build up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.
She wouldn't give Carina the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She kept her gaze down and focused on breathing, even though her chest felt tight with fear and humiliation.
Carina suddenly grabbed Willow's chin and forced her head up so their eyes met. Willow could see the fury burning in those green depths.
"If I ever lay eyes on you again, I will cut you down myself and no one will stop me this time," Her voice was deadly quiet now which was somehow more terrifying than when she had been yelling.
"I don't care what the Alpha King says. You are beneath his notice and he won't waste his time protecting a pathetic slave twice."
She released Willow's chin with a harsh shove that made her stumble backward and almost fall.
"Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and deal with you right now," She spa before turning on her heel to walk away, her dress swishing behind her like she hadn't just threatened someone's life.
Willow didn't need to be told twice, She turned and ran in the opposite direction without caring where she was going as long as it was away from Carina.
Her heart was pounding so hard, she could hear it in her ears and her whole body shook with fear as she rounded corner after corner, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and that woman.
She was running so fast and so blindly that she didn't see the person coming around the next corner until she slammed right into them.
She bounced off a solid chest and would have fallen backward onto the stone floor if strong hands hadn't caught her arms and steadied her.
She looked up with wide frightened eyes, expecting to see a guard or another person who would yell at her, but instead she found herself staring into Magnus's concerned blue eyes.
"Whoa, there," He said gently as he kept his hands on her arms to make sure she was stable. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost or something worse."
Willow's breathing was still ragged and she could feel her whole body trembling as the adrenaline from her encounter with Carina continued to course through her veins.
She tried to speak, but her voice came out as barely more than a whisper when she finally managed to form words.
"I ran into Lady Carina." She said and even saying the name made her flinch.
Magnus's expression immediately softened and something that looked almost like sympathy crossed his features as he looked down at her.
His hands were still on her arms but his grip was gentle and steadying, rather than restraining. She found herself grateful for the support because her legs still felt weak.
"Ah, that explains why you look so terrified," He replied and there was understanding in his voice that surprised her.
"Lady Carina can be quite intimidating when she wants to be, which is most of the time actually."
Willow nodded and wrapped her arms around herself when Magnus finally let go of her arms. He took a small step back to give her space.
She expected him to dismiss her or walk away, but instead he stayed there looking at her with those blue eyes that seemed less cold than they had before.
"She's a bit terrifying." Willow admitted and her voice was still shaky but getting stronger.
Magnus surprised her by letting out a soft chuckle and running a hand through his sandy brown hair.
"Honestly she terrifies me sometimes too and I'm the Beta of this pack." There was a rueful smile on his face that made him look younger and less intimidating than usual.
The admission was so unexpected that Willow couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped her lips.
The idea that Lady Carina could terrify someone as powerful as Magnus seemed absurd, but also strangely comforting because it meant she wasn't the only one who found that woman frightening.
Magnus's smile widened when he heard her laugh and then he was chuckling too and for a moment, they stood there in the corridor, sharing a moment of humor about something that had terrified Willow just minutes before.
It was surreal and confusing, but also oddly nice to have this normal interaction with someone she had thought of as an enemy.
"You should probably get back to the servants' quarters before someone else finds you wandering around," Magnus said when their laughter died down, but his tone was kind rather than commanding. "It's getting late and you look like you could use some rest."
"You're right," Willow agreed even though she didn't really want to go back to her tiny room where she would be alone with her thoughts again.
"Goodnight, Willow." Magnus said and gave her a small nod before turning to walk away down the corridor.
Willow stood there for a moment watching his retreating back and trying to figure out this man who had said such cruel things about her to Dorian, but then apologized and now had shared a laugh with her about Carina.
He didn't seem nearly as terrifying as she had initially thought and there was something about him that made her feel safer even though she couldn't explain why.
Maybe it was the way he had steadied her when she almost fell or the way he had understood her fear of Carina without judging her for it. Maybe it was just that he had treated her like a person instead of a worthless slave.
She shook her head and turned to make her way back to the servants' quarters. Standing in the corridor thinking about Magnus wasn't going to help her situation.
But as she walked through the dark hallways, she couldn't stop wondering why the Beta seemed so different from what she had expected and why his kindness confused her more than his cruelty would have.