Chapter, Twenty-three
Faelen’s POV
As I stood trembling before Hunter, he gazed at me with those pretty, but menacing eyes that cut through me more than anything.
I knew I had to think fast, but my mind was blank with fear and the shock of unexpectedly bumping into him.
“I said… what are you doing here?!” His voice rang through the empty hallway, not minding if he woke others in the estate.
There was also an anger in his voice that sent chills down my spine. He wasn’t going to let me leave until I answered him, he already made that clear.
Even though I was scared to death of him, I knew there was no way I could tell him the truth. I’d be as good as dead if I dared open my mouth about the truth of it.
But then, I could see that he was ready to drag the truth out of me by force if necessary, so I thought hard for a suitable lie.
“I-I couldn’t sleep,” I stammered, trying to steady my voice to sound convincing. “So I thought I’d get some chores done, to make myself… useful.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed, and I could see the disbelief in his gaze. He wasn’t convinced at all. He stepped closer, towering over me, his presence suffocating.
“You’re joking right?” he growled, his voice rising. “You think I’m stupid to believe that? What were you really doing, girl?!” he yelled again, this time, reaching out to grab my hand hurtfully, locking me in a trap.
My whole body trembling, I swallowed hard, my mind blank except for the thudding of my heart I could hear clearly.
I couldn’t tell him the truth; that I was trying to find a telephone to send a message to my Alpha. But if I didn’t come up with something believable quickly, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to punish me.
“I swear, sire. I wasn’t doing anything wrong,” I cried, tears gathering up in my eyes as his grip on my wrist tightened. “I just needed some air. I wasn’t feeling well after finishing some of the tasks in the kitchen and thought a walk around might help… please.”
Hunter’s face twisted in anger. He yanked me closer, his other hand gripping my free hand so hard, I could barely breathe from the pain. “Don’t play games with me, Faelen. I’ll find out the truth, and when I do, you’ll regret ever lying to me.”
I bit back a sob, desperately trying to stay calm. His words sent a wave of fear through me, but I couldn’t let him see how much he was affecting me.
My heart pounded in my chest, not just from fear, but from something else I had grown quite familiar to now… the strange magnetic pull to him.
Being this close to him, feeling his breath on my skin, was overwhelming in a way that both terrified and confused me.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Hunter’s grip loosened slightly, though his eyes never left mine. He seemed to be searching for something in my expression that could confirm his suspicions.
I tried to meet his gaze without flinching, but it was just nearly impossible.
“You better not be lying to me,” he then muttered, his voice now low, but still dangerous. “Because if I find out you are, Faelen, there won’t be anywhere you can hide from me.” He finished his threats.
I nodded quickly, too afraid to speak. The pain in my wrist lessened after he’d finally let go, but his presence there was still oppressive.
As I stood there silently, our bodies so close, the heat between us grew unbearable. Hunter’s grip on my hand had been tight, but it was the intensity in his eyes that truly froze me there.
There was something in the way he looked at me, something that reflected the stubborn pull I felt deep inside.
It was as if we were both fighting a losing battle against an invisible force that pulled us toward each other like magnets.
For a moment, we just stared at one another, the air thick with tension. I could feel his breath on my skin, the warmth of his body pressing against mine.
Was he feeling it too, this strange, magnetic pull? It seemed impossible, but we just stood there, neither of us able to break the connection.
Then, suddenly before he could move away, before he could say anything, I found myself leaning in, drawn to him in a way I couldn’t control… and he seemed to let me.
Our lips were just inches apart, I could feel his breaths now on my cheeks, the warmth of his body penetrating mine.
Time seemed to pause, and then without thinking, I closed the distance between us. My lips met his, and for a brief moment, everything else just vanished as I closed my eyes.
The kiss was firm at first, as if testing the authenticity of this strange connection, though I doubted a kiss was even needed to confirm it, all we had to do was fully admit it.
Both my lips pressed against Hunter’s lower lip. His were warm, soft, and the taste of him was intoxicating, making my head spin.
I should have pulled away, I knew that, but I couldn’t. I was lost in the sweetness of the moment, in the pleasure of it.
But just as I was about to retreat, realizing the implications of what I had done, Hunter responded. His lips moved against mine and the kiss deepened.
Shockingly, his hand found its way to the back of my neck, pulling me closer as he took control. The kiss became fierce, almost possessive, and I could feel the intensity of his emotions pouring into it.
My own response surprised me as well… I kissed him back just as eagerly, my body reacting to him in a way that it had never done to anything before.
The brief few seconds felt like forever, and yet it was over too soon… Hunter abruptly broke the kiss, stepping back as if burned.
His face immediately turned red, but not with the passion that had just flared between us. No, this was anger, pure and raw.
He glared at me, his eyes quickly flashing with a darkness. “Are you mad?” he uttered, his voice gently echoing off the walls. “How dare you kiss me?”
The anger in his voice sent a wave of fear all over me, but it was the confusion that followed that left me trembling. He had kissed me back, he had… wanted it too. I was sure of it.
So, why was he reacting like this? Why was he trying to blame me for something we had both clearly wanted?
“I… I” I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat.
I didn’t know what to say anyway, I had no idea how to make sense of the storm of emotions spinning inside me. My heart, which had been racing from the kiss, now pounded in dread.
“I… I’m sorry, sire.” I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper.
I didn’t know what else to say, how to explain something I didn’t fully understand myself. The kiss had been impulsive, driven by something deep inside me that I couldn’t control.
His eyes blazed with a fire that made me shrink back in fear, hearing my words. “You filthy little thing!” he roared. “How dare you even think that you, an ordinary servant, could…”
He cut himself off, as if the very idea disgusted him so much that he couldn’t finish the sentence. I flinched at the cruelness in his voice.
“Wait, you think you can get away with this?” he then continued, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone.
I shook my head, more in fear than in reaction to his words. He scoffed, a dry, emotionless laugh that only revealed one thing… he was dead serious.
“You think anything would ever happen between us? You fool!” his voice rang out. “You’re a fool if you think you mean anything to me than a… tiny insect under my boot.”
His words were like knives thrown straightly at my face, each one piercing deeper than the last. I wanted to defend myself, to shout back that it wasn’t just me, that he had kissed me back, but the words caught in my throat, choked by fear.
“Do you even have any idea what I could do to you, bitch?” he went on, stepping closer until he was towering over me.
“I’m so sorry, Alpha. I didn’t mean to.” I pleaded silently, my voice getting lost under his thunderous voice.
“I could have you killed for this! I… I could…” He stopped, his eyes narrowing as if he was thinking of even worse things to do to me than death.
Tears kept gathering in my eyes, but I forced myself not to cry. I couldn’t give him that satisfaction at the moment. But I was terrified, and really confused.
“You’re nothing,” he spat out again, breaking the silence that had briefly formed between us. “You’re less than nothing, bitch, you hear me? And if you think for a second that I would ever…”
He stopped again, shaking his head, the words seeming heavy in his mouth.
My heart kept pounding in my chest. Not knowing what else to say or do, I suddenly collapsed unto my knees before Hunter, my head bowed, tears spilling freely from my eyes.
“Please, Alpha, forgive me,” I begged, my voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to, I swear. I… I don’t know what came over me.”
He stopped pacing abruptly and turned to face me, his expression cold with rage. “Do you know what you’ve just done, Faelen?” he demanded. “You’ve just signed your death warrant!”
The words sent a chill down my spine. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt like I was going to be sick. But beneath the fear, a spark of confusion and even anger stirred.
Why was he acting like this? I had kissed him, yes, but he had kissed me back… with just as much intensity, if not more. Why was he so determined to make me the only one at fault?
Suddenly, he charged towards me, his face twisted in anger. Just as he grabbed the collar of my dress, lifting me slightly off the ground, I couldn’t hold it in any longer…
And the words slipped out. “You kissed me back, Hunter!”
Hunter’s grip on me immediately loosened, his expression shifting from rage to shock. For a moment, he looked at me like I was someone else entirely, as if he couldn’t believe what I’d just said to him.
His hands fell away from the neck of my dress, and he took a step back, visibly shaken by my words. There was a long, tense silence.
I didn’t dare look at him, my eyes firmly fixed on the floor, my body trembling. I couldn’t guess what would happen next, but I was prepared for the worst..
What else could I do?
I knew I had crossed another line, spoken back to him, and even called him by his first name alone… there was no taking it back now.
“How dare you?” the words finally left Hunter’s mouth, his voice hoarse. “How dare you talk back to me?”
I didn’t respond, didn’t move. I could feel his eyes boring into me, waiting for me to speak, to defend myself, but I couldn’t.
I just stood there, silent, tears pouring down my face, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out through my chest any second.
Another moment passed, and then, without warning, Hunter turned on his heel and stormed off… heading up the stairs, straight to his room.
I was left standing there, frozen in place, unable to understand what had just happened. I had been prepared for his wrath, for whatever he decided to do to me… but instead, he had just walked away.