*Danika*
“Alfred?” Her eyes shifted to register on Alfred as though just seeing him for the first time since his return. “What’s going on? Why are you sitting on the floor?” she asked in an agitated voice.
Alfred groaned and sat up, wrapping his hands on his knees, still sitting there, not making any move to stand. “It’s good to see you too, Mom. At least someone missed me. Unlike my dear brother who thinks hitting his junior brother is the present form of showing love.” He winked at Alonso, his lips expanding in a smile, his dimples which are often hidden coming forth.
I blinked severally and slowly turned to Alonso, then made my way to the bed to sit down. I exhaled a labored breath I didn’t know I had been holding in. He doesn’t know? Gad! For once I was certain that my death this time could not pass me by. He looked like he knew! What is wrong with Alfred and too many riddles?
But come to think of it, I can’t surmise he doesn’t know, yet. He was sounding somehow initially when he was accusing me about not telling him everything about me, then he went on to say… I shook my head. I am making unnecessary conclusions. Alfred cannot be making advances on me. I’m his friend. We are close, he can’t be… I jolted back when Theresa’s voice assailed my thoughts.
“You can’t do that, Alonso! He just came back after so many days of being away from home and you hit him? What’s your problem with where he chose to go? Don’t you think there are better issues to concentrate on than focusing on your brother’s whereabouts?” She went to help Alfred up, letting her gown cascade to the ground. Someone peeked in and then Paisley sauntered in, her eyeballs expanding at seeing Alfred. That means none of them saw him earlier!
“Alfred? You are back?” she quizzed passively.
“Yes, Bimbo. I’m back!” he teased her, making Paisley’s chin tint red. The crazy lout. Why is she blushing?! I was on the verge of losing my mind around these bizarre people.
“Get your ways straight, Alonso. You are the King and not your brother. You shouldn’t bother him with your duties! Even though he is the head of the pack warriors, that doesn’t mean he should take responsibility for things that go wrong! That’s on you!” Theresa wagged her index finger at him and pulled Alfred like a pup out. She might be right about Alonso taking his brother’s absence too personal, but the way she’s handling it is totally unacceptable. Alfred is wrong to leave without telling anyone where he went to, what if something wrong happened to him?
At the door, Alfred twisted about to grin devilishly at Alonso and said, “I heard about the attack anyway. It’s so shameful that riffraff no longer fears you enough. Imagine that! They had the effrontery to come into the palace and you still haven’t done anything about it…” He clicks his tongue. “Such a King!”
I was glad when the door closed after them, leaving the three of us. I covered my face with my hands, knowing this was all my fault. I shouldn’t have been so eager to see Alfred. He is becoming so sinister. I can’t pinpoint the kind of man he is. I don’t want to suspect him, but everything about him is looking ominous; his assertions, his actions, and even the trip. How come he has to be absent when the attack happens and then surfaces days later? And the worst of it was that I don’t recollect anything from that night apart from what I was told!
Alonso growled and stormed off from my room. I stood, and wanted to go after him but seeing Paisley, I matted my hands in front of me and held back. I caused this. I know he would be very mad at me.
“I think we need to let him chill out,” Paisley said, smiling ruggedly. I eyed her. She still had that suspicious glint surrounding her.
“What is it you wanted to tell me?” I asked, going to the window to resume looking out, for distraction from thinking about how Alonso would be feeling now.
She came to my side and sagged against my shoulders and was about to say something when the door flung open once more and Alonso materialized.
“Out, now!” he ordered Paisley.
“You will not-”
“Don’t test me, Paisley,” he said in a very threatening calm voice. I gently pushed Paisley forward to leave. I don’t want more trouble on my behalf. We have had more than enough episodes for one evening.
“Oh, goddess! You bring out the worst in me, Alonso!” she groaned and dashed out of the door.
Alonso came in, and I shifted on my feet, panic crawling up my body. He looked menacing and ready to pounce at me. I looked down in fear, knowing very well it was all my fault.
He stopped when he was towering over me, having achieved what he wanted- making me cower. “I am working so hard to contain myself from lashing out at you! You can’t stay a second without-” he grunted loudly like an injured animal, and bunched his fingers by his side. He leaned closer until his breath was fanning my face. “Don’t let me meet you dressed tonight. Make sure you are stripped. I can see you are deprived!” With that, he matched out of the room, his arrogance dissipating with him.
I regained my composure and ran to lock the door. No more unwarranted visitors. However, I guess luck wasn’t on my side. Before I could make it to the bed, another knock came on the door. I didn’t want to attend to it but when the person spoke, my heart melted, and I went to unlock it. Nadia.
“Oh, by the moon I thought you were not okay! What is going on? Everyone is on edge. Even the King had ordered everyone to gather in the conference room!” she went on a tirade, her eyes wide with dread.
My eyes rode to hers. “Conference room? Why?”
She smacked her hands together. “I don’t know. I heard it’s about the attack. He is very angry and not of the right mind. What if he sends us out? Oh, I don’t want to be apart from you, Ms. Danika!” she cried.
My eyes searched hers in equal fear. Alonso doesn’t look like he is in his right frame of mind and it’s all thanks to Alfred and his mom. I hope he doesn’t do something rash in this state. My heart plummeted when I saw the sad look on Nadia’s face. Even if I wasn’t honest with them, she and Mary have been good friends to me and have never given me any reason to question their character.
I can’t let them be cast out just like that. I will speak to Alonso tonight after he is done whipping me as I think he would. It breaks my heart that he would take me back to the position I thought I had gone past, for something as low as this. Nonetheless, I will obey him if only for the sake of my friend.
“Don’t worry, Nadia. You are not going anywhere. I will speak to the King, okay? I know you don’t have a hand in this so it would be unfair to involve you.” I took her hand and drew her near to hug her.
“Thanks very much, Ms. Danika. I’m glad to hear this. I am also relieved that nothing has happened to you like I thought when I saw them storming out from here.”
I chuckled for the first time today. “I’m fine. Just some personal family matters,” I told her and released her hands. I went in to sit down and told her to help me bring drinking water after the meeting. She left and I relaxed back on the bed, my hands spread out to my side as I sampled the ceiling.
Just today, we went to the beach to take a breath of fresh air and recover from everything that was going on around us. Now, a lot more have cropped up. A lot more questions. Alfred is acting and sounding strange, and Paisley has become a thorn in my flesh. To add to my misery, I would be whipped tonight!
*
The day flew by, and dinner came. I was hesitant to go down but Nadia who later returned to give me the water as well as tell me about the meeting outcome, dressed me in a red body smothering sexy gown. It was puffed in the hands and the neck fell to expose some of my cleavages.
I didn’t protest this time, as I wasn’t that apprehensive that anyone would care about my dressing in the tense air. I went down and as I envisaged, it was one of the dreariest dinners we have ever had. Everyone ate in silence, not caring about the next person, not even Theresa who I figured might want to badger Alfred with the query of where he went to.
It was just food and a clatter of utensils. I didn’t want to speak with Alfred after what he did, so no sooner had the meal finished, did I run off back to my room to call it a day. I will make sure to go to work tomorrow, nothing will stop me.
I readied for bed and as Alonso ordered, stripped to my red undies which were hinted at seduction, and slipped under the red covers to wait for him. It seemed my body was excited about this and anticipating it more than my head was.
Time ticked by until I was getting tired of waiting and forcing myself to stay awake. I tossed to face the window to enjoy the moonlight streaking in, then I caught a faint scent of him. My heartbeat skyrocketed, and so did my feminine organs become attentive to the tension of what is coming.
When the door mildly opened, and he came in, my wolf eyes took him in. He had changed into his Pajamas and his hair was slicked back. He oozed strength and even if I wasn’t supposed to be admiring him, I couldn’t help but admire the man that is supposed to be mine, but fighting against something that has been sanctioned by the goddess!
He took a slow stride into the room until he was standing by the bed stand. I think I’m going to die from waiting.
He crouched and flipped off the covers, his glistening blue eyes shining in the darkness as they collided with mine. I could hear his heartbeat the way I think he can hear mine.
He flicked his depths over my body hungrily, hence meeting my eyes with a grim scowl. “Why are you still wearing the thongs?”
“I-I thought you like red,” I stuttered, now unsure of my thoughtless move.
“Off with it!”
…