Lover

Malia’s POV
My eyes widened in surprise. “How come he never told me that?” I queried.
She shrugged. “Perhaps he felt that he’d ruin any chance he had with you if he told you or something. I don’t know. I still don’t understand why the male species think the way they do.”
I was deep in thought for a moment. “That means he’s either playing her or playing me.”
“Or the both of you,” she added. “But who says he can’t keep the both of you if he becomes Alpha?”
I gave her a look. “Be serious Pen.”
She giggled. “But jokes aside. It can happen. It has happened before.”
“Whatever, Penelope. I’m going to find out myself,” I said.
She gave me a suspicious look. “And how do you intend on doing that?” She queried.
“I’m going to ask him,” I replied in a deadpan tone.
Penelope gasped. “Are you out of your mind or something? Whatever happened to you pretending not to know anything about his plans?”
I gave her a small smile. “Do not worry, Pen. I’m just going to ask him in a way that won’t show I know anything.”
Her expression showed that she was sceptical about what I was planning to do.
She shrugged. “Just be careful.”
I grinned. “I’ve always known that you care about me so much.”
She scoffed. “Please don’t delude yourself. I’m merely trying to keep the Alpha’s love interest safe because I owe that to him as my king.”
I placed a hand on my chest in mock hurt, gasping theatrically. “You wound me with your words every time, Penelope.”
She snorted. “It’s good for your ego which is as massive as my butt.”
I burst out laughing. “That was a joke right?”
She looked offended and I laughed even harder.
Without warning, she grabbed my tray of food and headed straight for the door.
“Hey! I’m not done,” I said, trying to keep a straight face.
She stopped to give me a dirty look. “Watch your smart mouth next time.”
She continued forward and I whistled. “Now look at that ass go,” I teased.
She slammed the door and I howled with laughter.
A few moments later, Ryder burst into my room.
I sighed resignedly. I didn’t bother with telling him about the importance of knocking before entering another person’s room. I had given up.
He looked at me strangely and then began moving around the room. It seemed like he was searching for something.
“How did your meeting with Lucien go? Does it have to do with why you’re acting weird?” I queried.
He ignored me.
When he disappeared into my closet, I sighed and got off my bed to join him.
“Did something of yours go missing?” I asked.
He turned to face me. “I thought I heard it coming from here,” he said with a puzzled look.
“Heard what?” I queried, confused.
“It sounded like a hyena laughing,” he began with a straight face. “Or was that you?” He asked and I saw the corners of his mouth twitch in amusement.
I scowled and smacked his arm. He doubled over with laughter.
“Very funny,” I muttered, wondering whether I had sounded that horrible when I was laughing at Penelope earlier.
“Do you always sound like that when you laugh?” He asked slightly out of breath.
I ignored his question and walked out of the closet. I lay on my bed, fuming. I would have killed him myself if not that he was so darn hot.
I felt the bed dip a little as he settled in beside me. “Don’t you think you’re suffocating these poor girls?” He queried as he fingered my bra band.
I turned to face him. “I don’t think my breasts are complaining,”
He smirked and reached behind me to unclasp my bra in one swift move. I gasped in surprise. Honestly, I felt relieved. He slid the straps off my shoulders and carelessly flung the bra on the floor.
“Now, tell me you don’t feel better,” he said smugly.
I scowled at him. “You shouldn’t do that without my permission.”
He arched an eyebrow as he fondled my boobs. “Can I do this?” He asked.
I rolled my eyes and tried not to seem affected by his touch.
“What about this?” He asked, bending his head to capture one peak nipple into his mouth.
I sighed in pleasure as he suckled and he wrapped one arm around my waist to pull me closer.
“We can’t do this here,” I whispered.
He removed his mouth from my nipple to regard me with a puzzled expression. “Why not?” He queried.
“I still haven’t found the damn key to that door. Anyone can come in,” I replied.
“Oh,” he murmured and my brows furrowed together in suspicion at the guilty look on his face.
“You know something about the keys right?” I accused.
He shook his head in denial and I scoffed.
“You don’t have to lie. You’re the Alpha.”
He regarded me with a smug expression on his face. “That’s true. I’m Alpha,” he said.
I took a deep breath.
“Ryder, I need those keys.”
He rose to his feet. “That wouldn’t be necessary. You won’t be staying here for much longer.”
“Why?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.
“Well, as my Luna, you’d have to move in with me,” he replied.
I scoffed. “Who says I want to be your Luna?”
He rolled his eyes. “Please stop playing. We’re talking serious here.”
I smiled as I got to my feet. “Does the Alpha think he is above rejection?” I teased.
His eyes went to the side of my neck and he grinned. “I did a good job there, don’t you think?”
I tried not to smile and bent to retrieve my bra from the ground.
He looked disappointed as I put it on. I reached for the turtle neck blouse on my bed. “Now, I have to wear a blouse like this just because of you.”
“Well, in my defense I didn’t hear you complain,” he said. “And you don’t even have to cover it up. Wear it like a badge of honour.”
“Badge of honor indeed. So that Ronan can see it and hasten his plans to kill you,” I murmured.
He sighed. “I’ve told you not to be bothered about my brother.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but not everyone can be as unbothered as you are,” I said.
I hurried to the closet and grabbed a pair of sandals. When I returned to the room, he was already holding the door open.
I smirked as I went out the door.
“Malia,” he called when I continued down the hallway and didn’t stop in front of his door.
I turned to face him. “What now?”
“Where are you off to? That’s not the way to the kitchen,” he said.
I scowled. “Stop making it sound like the kitchen is the only place I go to.”
He chuckled. “Has anyone ever told you how cute you look when you frown?”
“Yes. You,” I replied dryly and continued walking.
“You have to tell me where you’re going or I’m afraid I’ll have to follow,” he called out.
I paused. “I’m going to your brother’s.”
“Why?” He queried grumpily.
I turned to face him again. “You want me to act normal like I don’t know what he’s planning right? Well, paying him a visit is part of pretending everything is normal.”
He was silent for a moment and had a scowl on his face.
“Alright. You may go,” he said grudgingly. “But don’t stay too long. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Yes Your Majesty,” I replied with a bow. “And try not to get too jealous,” I added before turning to walk down the hallway.
I heard his door slam shut and grinned.
It was really quiet when I arrived at Ronan’s wing and I guessed his clique had left.
I inhaled deeply before knocking on the door and got a whiff of delicious scones.
It swung open to reveal Ronan in an apron. He had a wide grin on his flour-dusted face.
I arched an eyebrow.
“I bake whenever I feel excited,” he said as I went in.
“And what are you so excited about?” I queried, walking towards the kitchen of course.
“Oh I wish I could tell you, Malia, but I can’t. You’ll know soon enough anyway,” he answered.
My heart immediately began to race, thinking that he planned to murder his brother anytime soon.
“How soon?” I asked a little too sharply.
His eyes narrowed a little at my tone. “Soon enough.”
I gave him a small smile. “I’m starving.”
“I guess that’s why you seem kind of off. But I thought you had lunch with Penelope.”
I rolled my eyes. “I have a pretty fast metabolism.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he said with a smirk and donned a pair of gloves to bring out the freshly baked scones from the oven.
My mouth immediately began to water and a part of me felt guilty for wanting to eat something prepared by someone who wanted to kill my lover.
“It’s part of you acting normally,” I said inwardly to myself to assuage my guilt.
“Be careful. It’s still very hot,” he cautioned as he handed me a plate.
I nodded and he excused himself to go wash his face.
I was eating my second scone when he returned and I saw his lips quirk in amusement.