*Danika*
I instantly looked back to sort out Paisley and saw her strolling in, her face an endless joy. I pointed in the direction he walked to and withdrew my hand. What am I doing? Suddenly giving the power of her control over my mate to her?
“What happened? What are you pointing at?” She looked toward the murky hall and back at me.
I shook my head and proceeded to mount the stairs. “Nothing. Thanks for the shopping I need to rest,” I said. She was confused because when I turned around to look before vanishing to the hall that leads to my room, she was still standing there, watching. Her eyes dashed to the hall once more in puzzlement.
Getting into my room, I opened the door very fast and dashed in, jumping back as I heard a shuffling sound behind me. “Ms. Danika? Are you okay?”
My hand flew to my chest, my eyes darting about the room as if expecting anything to jump out apart from the poor maid I was beginning to frighten with my conduct.
I forced on a smile and made my way further into the room to her. “I’m fine, Nadia. I. Just. Wasn’t. Expecting. You.” I dropped my bags on the bed and flopped down on the chair.
“Okay. You came back late today,” she observed. “I had come in thinking you would be around but at not seeing you I decided to arrange your stuff. The King came in search of you too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He asked if you were back and I said no, then he left.” I let out a tough breathe I didn’t know I have been holding in. Hunching my petite self on the bed, I was of the mind to beg Nadia to stay with me tonight or even run away to Lance’s house. He wouldn’t think of looking for me there. But, then again, till when? Even though I run away today, what of tomorrow or the next?
Nadia was still observing me with concern. “I think your parlor is becoming too pale. You need to come down for dinner and then I will make you an ideal soothing coffee to help you rest.”
“I can’t bear dining with them, I am too tired for questions,” I told her matter-of-factly.
“The former Luna Queen thinks you are avoiding them. That is not a good reputation to keep if you want to remain in her good books. I have worked here for long and one thing about her is that she doesn’t like being avoided.”
I rose from my hunched position to look at her frantically, seeking her advice. “What should I do, Nadia?”
She shrugged and started packing away the dresses I came in with, her back to me. “Just always be around during meals. It’s nothing much. I don’t think she would believe you being sick and tired from work, again from me.” Yeah, that’s right. I have been making Nadia lie to them about being fatigued so as to avoid dining with them in the evenings. And she is totally right. I can’t keep doing that.
“I will, Nadia. Thanks.” I exhaled, allowing myself to fall back on the bed. I hope they don’t dump all the questions in the world at me at today’s dinner.
The delicious aroma of periwinkle stew and tuna mask, wafted through my nostrils the moment I walked into the dining hall. Alfred stood, pushing out the chair beside him and I sat down thanking him profusely before greeting Theresa who gave me her ever-blooming charming smile.
The Omegas finished serving and walked away and I dug in, surprised that no missile has been shot at me. Yet.
The meal was just like I imagined. Delicious! I savored it with earnest sincerity not bothered a bit by the blue pair of eyes directed at me from across the table, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin, reminding me there was a talk to be had some time tonight. A talk that might end with my butt pelted with whiplash.
Instinctively, I looked up and our eyes collided, the fury emanating from his eyes sending spikes of fear ricocheting through my veins. Isn’t he even mindful that others might notice him staring?
I averted my gaze and drank from my reflector, my stomach tightening up, leading to me losing my appetite as a result of his eyes’ onslaught.
“How is your health now, Danika?” Theresa caught me off-guard as if noticing I was about to take off.
I stilled, looking back at her with my newly practiced smile. I tugged in an invisible hair behind my ear and replied, “I’m recuperating. Just work. Thanks.”
“I think you should take a few days off and rest. It’s not compulsory that would work there,” she ventured delicately, spooning a periwinkle into her mouth and suckling. When am I going to be that graceful, Gad?
“I told her the same too,” Paisley chipped in. “Today, I had to go drag her for some shopping, Mom. You needed to see how whipped she was looking. Lance wouldn’t be happy seeing you overworking yourself like that. You are a female Beta and should own up to it,” she accentuated her point by dabbing at her mouth then commenced eating. I was just gaping.
“I wouldn’t want that. Lance might not have verbally asked us to watch over you while he is gone, but indirectly, leaving you here makes us your guardian. You need to take a fe-”
“She is totally fine, Mom. She has all the time to gallivant doing some stupid shopping when all she had to do is to fucken work, and you say she is overworking?” Alonso blasted tersely, his spoon dropping into his plate recklessly and garnering the attention of everyone.
Everyone froze, their faces muffled into trepidation at his outburst. Theresa’s dilated eyes traveled from him to me and back, before resting on him. “Son, what is wrong with you? I thought Lance-”
“I know what Lance is to me, Mom. He would be very glad his mate is being useful to this Kingdom while he is gone. Trust me,” he deadpanned, his eyes rounding up on me with a hint of command in them. I didn’t miss the way he emphasized the mate.
“Stop being a douchebag, Alonso. What is your deal with her by the way? Are you pained you got the hussy while your best friend got the gold, huh?” There was this cheeky undertone behind Alfred’s voice that sent chills down my marrows.
I winced, and so did Paisley. I looked at her and saw the annoyance etched in her eyes. I knew this truly got to her. I should have been happy, but damn that side of me that is too kind and spineless.
I kicked Alfred’s leg under the table, his gaze meeting mine with a sly mischievous smirk. “What? I speak the truth,” he said, his lips quirked to a corner in the way I have seen Alonso do most times. They were so much alike physically but character-wise-wild chasm.
“Apologize,” I muttered for only his hearing.
“Never!” he sneered and faced his meal.
“I would ignore you, Alfred, but learn to mind your fucken business,” Alonso’s steel voice warned, picking up his glass to sip something brown I was so convinced wasn’t the same thing we were having. Is he also taking alcohol while eating? What exactly is wrong with him?
“I will try, Bro. But just so you know, I won’t let you show off your disgusting domineering behavior over something this delicate. Deal with it.” When Alfred said that, his eyes skimmed my body, making me blush crimson, and even deeper when I saw the way the siblings burned each other with a dark glow.
“Enough, the both of you!” chastised Theresa, her eyes cutting off the cold war between the two grown-ups. I internally exhaled in relief.
Alonso suddenly stood up, arrogantly pushing away the chair he was sitting on in a manner I had to wonder how the chair survived breaking or flying to the ground. The Omega behind him jumped out of his way with a whimper as he stormed out.
Alfred and his big mouth. I know whatever punishment was in store for me tonight has surely doubled.
When I got to my room later that night, I took my bath and changed into the nightie that Nadia had brought out for me. Then I had begun pacing the length of the room. Every sound I heard my ears perked up, thinking he was the one making his way here.
9:00pm.
10:00pm.
11:00pm.
He wasn’t here. I made up my mind he was surely not coming. I went to the bed and slid into the covers, pulling it to my cheek, hoping by Gad that he might have slept off or something must have distracted him from coming. I knew it wasn’t Paisley because I didn’t feel any pain, and from the look I saw on her face this evening during the charade, she wouldn’t dare go near him.
I was almost dozing off in peace and joy when the door snapped open and in walked the object of greatest dread.
I shot up from the bed, my eyes adjusting to his hard features standing there at the doorway and skimming me, due to the bed lamp I had left on in case this happened.
In apprehension, I knelt on the bed and jumped farther to the bedpost, my body beginning to tremble. He began walking to me-imposing, threatening, oozing fear and masculinity and uttermost dominance.
Then, his hand shot out and grabbed me, pulling my struggling self until I was flushed against his ripping muscles.
In a flash, he tore my flimsy nightie, and when I was still regaining from both fear and another sensation that was starting to build up from his rough touches, his hand clasped the back of my head and collided our lips together in a fierce kiss.
…