Chapter 16
Lilith
I fled inches from him after observing a shift in his mood.
His eyes flashed in anger, and a vein popped on his temple. His breath turned into pants.
The loud drumming of his heart filled my ear, and his face hardened at once.
He rested his fingers on his temple as if recovering from the shock that jolted our bodies before casting those deadly gazes on me.
I flinched backward, my breath caught up in my throat as I held the chair to support myself when I was on the brink of falling.
My heart pounded against my ribs so hard that I thought it was about to jump off.
“I’m sorry, sir…I got carried…away.” I stammered, pinning my eyes to the marble floor as I was afraid of meeting his deadly gaze.
His low growl almost gave me a heart attack, and I could feel his menacing footsteps draw closer to me.
My heart flew to my chest in horror as I took a few steps backward until my back was trapped against the wall.
The heavy thumping of his feet against the floor almost caused me to pass out.
“Don’t ever do that again.” He growled, laying emphasis on every word.
“Am I clear?”
“Yes…sir,” I muttered, my body trembling like a jellyfish.
“I only belong to Marina.”
I thought I heard him mumble before landing his eyes on me once more.
His Alpha tone, coupled with his menacing aura, shook me so greatly with fear that I almost soiled my pants.
“Get out!” he commanded, banging his fist on the wall while I scurried off the room like a scared puppy.
Making sure I was out of sight, I stopped to catch my breath.
My hands clenched my chest as I rested my back against the wall.
I swallowed hard, letting out a sigh of relief before shutting my eyes.
I remained in that position for the next minute as I was too weak to move an inch.
“Lilith, there you are.” Anna’s voice pulled me out of my reverie.
I hurriedly composed myself, adjusting my dress and masking my expression.
“Anna,” I whispered in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
I forced a smile at her, peeling my back against the wall as I walked to meet her.
“I was wondering why your meeting with the Alpha took so long because he told me that it would be brief,” she said, glancing at me before walking out of the hallway.
“Oh.” My previous encounter with the Alpha flashed in my head, enveloping me in fear.
“Were you in trouble? I was afraid you did something to anger him.” She paused briefly, shooting her brown eyes into my worried ones as if trying to see the truth.
Fuck!
“Uhm, no, everything went well.” I flashed a smile, looking away quickly before my expression betrayed me.
“Are you sure? You look worried.” She turned to check my face again, her fingers tilting my chin.
“I’m not. I’m just surprised that the Alpha offered me some mo…” I bit my tongue, stopping the words from spilling as the Alpha’s words echoed in my head.
I released a tensed breath, swallowing the bile in my throat before resuming my words. “I pleaded with him that I needed a place to stay, and he accepted.”
Anna’s warm smile faded, and her brows arched in confusion. “The Alpha permitted you to live here?” Her voice was laced with worry and surprise.
I nodded excitedly, rubbing my palms together as I spilled the good news, but my smile disappeared from my face in the blink of an eye when her countenance changed.
Anna furrowed her brows, fixing her curious eyes on me as if something sinister was about to happen.
“Is everything okay?” I asked in a shaky voice, confused at her emotional switch.
“The Alpha let you in just like that?” She asked again, folding her arms across her chest while glaring at me as if examining me.
“Yes. But what do you mean by just like that?” I queried, shooting her a confused look.
“You are not happy that I’ll be living with the both of you?” I fired, jealousy evident in my voice.
Anna blinked rapidly, tearing her gaze off me before swallowing. “No, it’s not that. The Alpha is my boss, and everything is professional,” she replied, lowering her voice.
“I was just surprised because you said that the Alpha gave you accommodation. Alpha Casper never let anyone in his space. Aside from Raphael, I, and the doctor, no one has entered here in the past 10 years.” She emphasized. Her forehead creased in worry.
“You keep mentioning 10 years since last night. What happened 10 years ago?” I fired, folding my arms across my chest and maintaining a straight face. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“No,” she shook her head, adjusting herself. “Let’s just forget I mentioned it. It slips out of my mouth all the time.”
I rolled my eyes, releasing my arms from my chest.
Silence hung in the air as we remained in that position before Anna placed her hand on my shoulder, gesturing me to follow her to the kitchen.
When we got to the kitchen, she shut the door, pulling my hand to behind her.
She practically dragged me to the island that sat in the middle of the kitchen, picking an apple in a bowl before shoving it into her mouth.
“Are you sure the Alpha was himself when he told you that you can live with us?”
Her series of questions began to raise suspicion in me.
“I should be asking you since you saw him before I did. Did he look like he was himself?” I fired, enjoying the flush on her face.
“Fine,” she resigned, and her face still dropped in worry.
“It’s great news. I’ve never lived in a big house.” I squealed, throwing my arms in the air in excitement as I started to daydream.
“There is nothing to be excited about. Living here is like working on eggshells.” She warned, her voice carried a threat.
My brows arched in curiosity. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Anna heaved a sigh as she stared at me blankly for some minutes.
I could tell she was filtering her words.
Leaning closer to me as her face only stopped some inches away from my face, her lips parted. “I am not discouraging you or making you feel afraid, but it is best if you don’t live here,” she whispered. I could sniff the sweet scent of apple from her mouth.
My face dropped in a frown as I leaned closer to the island, dropping my palm on it.
“Why? Am I a threat to you?” I questioned, raising my brow.
I was becoming irritated by her unending questions.
I was also convinced that she was jealous of me because of the favors I received from the Alpha, despite being a newbie.
To think I even considered her as my friend.
“Look, it’s not about me. It’s about your safety.” She lowered her voice.”Since you are new, you don’t know what the Alpha wants. It might look strange to you, but I’m bothered about your safety.”
“You’ve been staying here for years without a scratch from the Alpha. What makes you think I can’t live here?”
She released a long sigh, muttering a curse before swallowing the apple in her mouth.
“Something happened 10 years ago that left a huge scar on the Alpha, and since then, he has been wary of strangers. That was the reason I was surprised that he changed his mind.” She tried to explain, but I couldn’t grasp it.
It seemed as if she was talking in parables.
“You are not safe here. Alpha Casper might seem nice to you, but he is not what you think he is. He is a cold-blooded beast.”