Jealousy

Malia’s POV
“You’re doing it again,” he said, setting down his silverware.
Ryder had asked for two servings of his dessert emboldening me to do the same.
I gave him a quizzical look. “What am I doing?” I asked, thinking of the best way to ask for a third serving of dessert without coming off as a glutton.
“You’re getting lost in thought,” he replied.
He cleared the corners of his mouth with a napkin and leaned back in his chair.
“Well,” I began, trying to make myself more comfortable in my seat without slouching.
“I’m just worried about Margaret. She’s in the hospital.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “How come I’m just getting to know about this?”
“Have you gone to see her?” He asked, sitting up straighter.
“Ronan, Scott and I were at the hospital earlier, but it seemed like she and Lucien were having some sort of argument, so we didn’t enter her hospital room. It would have been rude of us to interrupt,” I replied.
“Do you have any idea how she landed herself in the hospital?” He queried and I wondered if it was in my place to tell him what exactly had happened.
“I don’t read minds, Malia,” he said on account of my prolonged silence.
I heaved a sigh. “I think you should ask Lucien about that or your brother. I don’t know the full details of what happened and please do not bother asking me to tell you what I know.”
His eyes narrowed and he stood up abruptly.
I looked up at him slightly puzzled.
“We should leave now. I’d like to stop by the hospital to see Margaret,” he explained. His green eyes had suddenly turned cold.
I got up from my seat and took his arm.
The manager stopped us when we were already at the door to give us a packaged dessert.
I would have squealed in delight but Ryder’s dour mood had spoiled mine. I didn’t know when his mood had started to affect mine. I wasn’t sure I liked it.
After expressing gratitude on behalf of me and Ryder who had remained tight-lipped, we left the building and entered into the waiting car.
We sat in silence for a while and I had to speak when it became unbearable.
“What is wrong with you?”
He barely spared me a glance. “I’m an Alpha you know. I’m not supposed to be smiling all the time,” he replied.
“It’s not about you smiling,” I snapped.
He turned to face me with a smirk.
“Easy dear. You can’t use such a tone with the Alpha.”
I scoffed in annoyance and ignored him throughout the rest of the ride. To my annoyance, he didn’t even try to say a word to me. I hated the fact that he blew hot and cold most of the time.
“We arrived at the hospital and a nurse led us to Margaret’s room.
She was asleep but judging from the strong, steady rhythm displayed by the heart monitor, she was fine.
Lucien was sitting by her side looking miserable. Considering he was the reason why his wife was in the hospital, he ought to look worse. I wasn’t sure I felt any sympathy for him.
“A word, please,” Ryder said to him and walked out without waiting for his response.
Lucien heaved a deep sigh and walked out of the room.
I took the vacant chair and had a good look at the woman who Penelope was in awe of. Was she still going to place her on a high pedestal if she found out that she had tried killing herself because of a man?
I heard Ryder’s harsh voice and I nearly stood up to go tell him to shut the hell up or lower his voice. He was in the hospital for crying out loud.
After some time, they both entered the room and Ryder looked at me. “Let’s leave,” he ordered.
“Yes your majesty,” I muttered and got up. He offered me his arm and I resisted the urge to ignore it. I chose to be the bigger person, so I took his arm.
We got back into the car and this time, I decided that I wasn’t going to allow him to stay silent.
“I take it Lucien told you what happened,” I started.
He gave a noncommittal grunt and I had the desperate urge to smack him on the head.
Without thinking, I got on top of him, straddling his thighs.
His eyes immediately darkened but I was past caring about what the consequences of my action would be.
I framed his face with my hands. “Just in case your parents didn’t tell you, it’s wrong to take someone out and then proceed to punish them by being in a bad mood.”
He smirked. “And just in case your parents didn’t tell you, you don’t sit on a man like this unless you’re asking for it,” he retorted.
I scoffed in disbelief. “Can you hear yourself right now? I’m..”
“Loud and clear,” he interrupted and I smacked him hard on the arm.
He glared at me and I scowled back at him.
“As I was saying, I’m trying to correct your ungentlemanly behaviour. You’re supposed to be apologizing. It’s your fault that I had to come onto your thighs. If you had tried to converse with me, I wouldn’t have done this.”
His face suddenly split into a grin and I decided that this was scarier than his scowl. I tried to get off him but his hands went around my waist to keep me in place.
“Ryder,” I gasped.
“I tried warning you but you wouldn’t listen. Whatever comes after this is your fault,” he said.
I tried again to get off him but his hands were like steel bands around my waist.
“Now where do you think you’re going, little wolf?” He asked with a low growl.
“Fine. I won’t try to get up anymore. It’s not like you’re going to rape me or anything,” I replied and to my horror, I realized my voice was shaky.
He smirked. “Malia, don’t be deluded. If I decide to take you right now, trust me, you’re going to be so willing.”
I scoffed in irritation mostly because a part of me knew this was true. In fact that part of me wanted him to have his wicked way with me right there and then in the car.
My desire must have shown in my eyes because his own eyes darkened with desire and moved from my lips to my cleavage.
“How does it feel for your own body to betray you?” He asked in a low growl as his hands moved lower and kneaded my butt through my dress.
I bit my bottom lip to keep from moaning. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He pulled me even closer so that his mouth rested in the middle of my cleavage.
I shivered involuntarily and I heard his low growl of satisfaction.
“You do not have to lie to yourself, Malia.”
“You should let me go this instant,” I tried to say in a stern voice. I was appalled by the lack of conviction I heard in it.
“As you please.”
To my surprise, he let go of my waist and the unreasonable part of me was annoyed that he did.
I slid off him and reached for the wine bottle to pour myself a glass. To my utmost embarrassment, I realized that my hands were shaking.
Ryder grabbed the bottle and the glass from my hands and poured me a drink.
He looked unaffected by what had just happened and it annoyed the hell out of me.
I accepted the glass from him, trying not to make contact with even the smallest part of his hands.
He chuckled and poured himself a drink too.
“So when are you going to crown Lila as Luna because you do not seem ready to put her away just yet?” I asked.
“Why are you asking? Does it bother you in any way?” He asked, regarding me with his piercing green gaze.
I scoffed. “Bother me? Hell no. I just feel pity for her, even though she’s a bitch. But here’s my advice. I think you should crown her Luna. You two deserve each other.”
I ignored the part of me that protested against what I had just said. But there was no way I was going to be with a man who made me want to murder him.
He smiled. “I’ll take your advice, Malia.”
I blinked in surprise and I felt my heart sink a little. Just a little.
“Oh, that’s good news,” I said.
I took a sip of my drink and focused on the intricate patterns on my dress.
“Malia, are you alright?” He asked in an amused tone. I was tempted to pour my drink on his face so I drank it all at once instead.
“Is that jealousy I smell?”
I scoffed and turned to give him a good look.
“I do not see anything to be jealous about,” I replied.
“In fact, I feel pity for the woman who’s going to spend the rest of her life with an insufferable person like you.”
His eyes hardened.