Chapter Twenty-six
Faelen’s POV
As I sat there in the safety of the quarters, the panic began to subside, slowly replaced by a deep sadness.
My heart still pounded in my chest, and my hands trembled uncontrollably, but my thoughts slowly started to come together.
I replayed the scene over and over in my head… Hunter’s face, twisted in anger, the shattering of the tea set, and his voice, thundering through the office like a storm.
How had it come to this? Just a day ago, I was a simple servant, blending into the background of the estate, doing my best to stay out of sight and fulfill my mission.
But now… now I was marked. I felt. Hunter’s anger was like a brand of hot metal burning into my flesh, and I knew I would never escape it.
I could still feel the sting of his eyes on me, a reminder that I had crossed a line that should never have been crossed.
I tried to steady my breathing, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. I had kissed him, yes, but he had kissed me back. No matter how much he tried to deny it, I knew the truth.
I had felt it in the way his lips had responded to mine, in the way he had pulled me closer for that brief, electric moment.
But now… what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t go back to being invisible. Hunter wouldn’t let me. I knew too much, felt too much now.
I was a threat to him now, not just because of what I had done, but because of what I knew he did… that vulnerability he tried so hard to hide.
I wiped the tears from my cheeks, trying to pull myself together. I couldn’t afford to break down. “Damn it, I had a purpose.”
My loyalty was to my pack, not to the confusing feelings that were now spinning inside me. I had to focus and remember why I was here. The odds were too high for me to get lost in the chaos of my emotions.
But how could I go back to my mission when Hunter was always close, and I couldn’t even trust myself around him?
The pull I felt toward him was dangerous, I understood now, more dangerous than anything I had faced before.
It wasn’t just attraction… it was something deeper, something I couldn’t quite name but felt under every layer of my skin .
I stood up slowly, my legs still shaky. I couldn’t stay here, hiding in the quarters, waiting for the next explosion. I had to do something, anything, to take back some control.
I needed to be somewhere far from here, somewhere I could think without the constant fear of running into Hunter. But I knew that was impossible… if wishes were horses .
I had thought about escaping once or twice, but soon I had learned that it was useless. The package was nestled deep in the forest, and every boarder was heavily guarded.
Even if I managed to make it out of the territory, I wouldn’t go far before I would be hunted and… well I didn’t want to think about what they did to deserters
Back inside the estate, I walked through the hallways, keeping my head down, avoiding the curious looks of the other servants.
They had heard the crash of the tea from Hunter’s office, no doubt, and were probably wondering what had happened. But I couldn’t let them see how shaken I was.
Returning to the kitchen, as I wiped the last traces of tears from my face, I heard footsteps approaching. I quickly straightened up, trying to compose myself, but I knew it was too late.
Whoever it was had probably seen me. Still, I turned to face them and saw that it is was Caleb. He had probably seen enough to know that something was wrong, as his face was one of worry.
He always seemed to notice things like that, always seemed to care. When he stepped into the room, his expression was gentle, but his eyes held a trace of concern. “Faelen,” he said softly, “I just wanted to check if you’re alright.”
His kindness caught me off guard, even though it shouldn’t have. Caleb had always been kind not just to me, but to everyone I’d learned, especially to those who worked in the estate.
Still, I wasn’t used to anyone caring about how I felt, and I didn’t know how to respond. I forced a smile, trying to brush off his concern. “I’m fine, sire,” I replied, my voice shaking slightly. “Is there something you need?” I then asked him.
He shook his head, a small frown creasing his brow. “No, nothing specific. I just wanted to see if you were okay after… well, whatever that was with Hunter back there.”
The mention of Hunter made my stomach twist, and I quickly shifted my gaze, not wanting Caleb to see the panic in my eyes.
I had hoped he wouldn’t ask or say anything about it, but now that he had, I realized that he didn’t know about what had happened last night.
Hunter hadn’t told him. Maybe he was ashamed of it too, just as much as I was. But then why had he been so angry this morning? His rage had seemed so out of place, so sudden.
I had barely even said anything, and he’d reacted as if I had committed some unforgivable sin. It didn’t make sense, and the more I thought about it, the more confused I became.
“Faelen?” Caleb’s voice pulled me back to the present, and I realized I had been silent for too long. He was looking at me with that same gentle concern, waiting for an answer.
I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth about last night. It was too humiliating, too complicated. And even if I did, what would it change? Caleb couldn’t protect me from Hunter’s wrath.
No one could.
“I don’t know,” I said quietly, shrugging as if it didn’t matter. “I wish I knew, really… being but I don’t.”
Caleb didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he sighed and nodded, his gaze softening. “Yeah. Perhaps it’s just Hunter being himself,” he said, a hint of frustration in his voice.
After a long pause, “He’s been more temperamental lately. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” Caleb mentioned.
I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond. It wasn’t like I could tell Caleb that I was probably the reason for Hunter’s erratic behavior.
That would only make things worse. But at the same time, I couldn’t deny the truth to myself, that Hunter hated me now, more than ever.
And yet… part of me couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness at the thought. As foolish as it was, a small part of me had hoped that maybe, things could be different this morning.
But that hope had been crushed the moment he threw that tray of tea across the room. Now, all I could do was try to survive. Keep my head down, stay out of his way, and hope that his rage would eventually burn itself out.
Though, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Hunter wasn’t the type to let things go. He would hold on to his anger, I was sure, and when the time came, he would take it all out on me.
I shivered at the thought of that, but before I could go further, Caleb spoke again, his voice pulling me back from the edge…
“Okay, I’m going to leave you be. Hey, if you ever need to talk, Faelen, I’m here. You don’t have to go through this all alone.”
His words were kind, and for a moment, I was tempted to take him up on his offer. To spill everything and let someone else carry the weight of my fear as well.
But I couldn’t. Not when I was so close to the edge, and had so much to lose. “Thank you, Caleb,” I said softly, forcing another smile. “But I’ll be fine. Really.”
He looked at me for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether to believe me or not. Finally, he nodded, though I could tell he wasn’t fully convinced. “Alright, Faelen. But remember, you’re not alone.”
With that, he gave me a reassuring nod and left the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. As I watched the door closed behind him, I let out a long breath, my shoulders slumping.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep this up. The fear, the uncertainty… it was all becoming too much for me. But I had no choice.
I had to keep going, had to find a way to survive in this place. But as I turned back, I caught sight of the other girls looking my way, some with envious gazes, others just curious…
It was no knew thing that I had become friends with the Beta, and a favorite enemy to the Alpha. The thought of how fast I was becoming popular, not just within the estate where I did most of my work, but the entire pack too.
Everyone was seemed to be curious about the new redheaded girl.