Chapter Thirty-five
Faelen’s POV
This became our secret routine.
Every time I brought Hunter tea or came to do something else for him, my heart would race as I walked down the hallway towards his office, knowing what would happen there.
My hands would tremble slightly, and my heart throbbed with the feeling of guilt. It wasn’t just about the tea, or the pretense of needing me for some task… those were just excuses, really.
We both knew why I was there, why he always asked for me specifically. I’d step into the office, quiet and shy, like always. And he’d be there, standing behind his desk or by the window, waiting.
The moment our eyes met, it was like the rest of the world just disappeared. We wouldn’t say much, barely even spoke. Words felt useless when our gazes locked.
There was always something in the way he looked at me, and it made my skin crawl and my breath unstable.
He’d walk up to me, slowly, and every inch of my body would be on edge from his presence. I would just stand there, pretending to keep my composure, but inside, I was a mess.
The tension between us was almost unbearable, like we were two magnets being pulled together, even though we both pretended we could resist it.
But I didn’t want to resist. Not anymore.
We’d not yet made love, but we made out every time and he would finger me pleasurably. I always expected Hunter to lay me down on his desk and fuck me.
But there seemed to be a hesitation in him, and he just took pleasure in kissing my entire body and watching me cum, usually on his hands.
His eyes were always so intense, like he could see straight into my soul, and I wondered if he knew how badly I wanted him. I wondered if he felt the same burning desire I felt inside.
Sometimes, I’d try to play hard to get, just a little. I’d hold back, resisting his pull, wanting him to work a little hard for it. But I wasn’t fooling anyone… not him especially.
The truth was, I wanted him just as badly as he wanted me. And eventually, I’d give in, just like I always did.
He’d lift me onto his desk, the papers scattering as my back hit the hard surface, and we’d give ourselves over to the passion that had been building since forever.
His touch was rough, but it was exactly what I craved. I wanted to feel every inch of him, every measure of the fire that burned between us.
Our kisses would become more energetic, our hands roaming over each other’s bodies, pulling, tugging, kissing… needing more of each other there in the privacy of his office.
When it was over, we’d lie there on the scattered desk, both of us breathless, speechless, a little smile on Hunter’s face as the shyness in my gaze returned.
The tension would be gone for a little while, giving me time to gather myself and leave without saying much to each other.
But it was never for long.
The moment we parted, the fire and desire to be in each other’s arms would start building up again, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I found myself back in his office, into in his arms.
And every time, I’d tell myself this would be the last time. But I knew, deep down, it never would be. I was in too deep, and there was no turning back now.
As I walked back to the kitchen, my legs moved stiffly, a dull ache between them reminding me of the steamy encounter with Hunter in his office for days now.
I could still feel the tension between my thighs, the soreness from his fingers, and the memory of it sent a shiver down my spine.
My heart raced just thinking about it… how his touch consumed me, how my body responded to him like nothing I’d ever felt before.
It wasn’t something I was supposed to enjoy, I told myself… But I did.
Instead of scolding myself and resolving it couldn’t happen again, all I could think about was how much I wanted it to.
How much I wanted to feel his hands on me again, to taste his lips, to feel him inside…
“Faelen!” The head maid’s voice cut through my thoughts, making me jump. She was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, her sharp eyes fixed on me.
I straightened, trying to steady my breathing, but the embarrassment of being caught in my daydream flushed my cheeks. “Yes ma’am?” I answered, my voice shaky.
“Where have you been the last thirty minutes?” she asked, her arms hung over her hips.
Her tone was stern as always, and I felt the eyes of the other maids in the kitchen shift towards me. They were always watching, always waiting for something to gossip about.
“I was with the Alpha,” I said quickly, hoping that would be enough.
It had always worked before. The mention of being in Hunter’s presence usually shut down any further questions. Of course no one wanted to cross the Alpha’s path without good reason.
But today, she wasn’t satisfied. She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. “And who sent you to serve him?” she questioned.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. The tension in the room started to grow, and I could feel the stares from all around me, the other girls waiting for my answer.
The truth spilled from my lips before I could stop it. “He sent for me.”
Silence fell over the kitchen. I could feel every gaze boring into me, and I sensed the whispers forming before they even spoke them.
My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, I thought I might be in trouble. But then, the head maid blinked, her expression unreadable as always, before she tilted her head towards the kitchen.
“Get back to work.”
Relief rushed through me, though it was short-lived. I quickly bowed my head, muttering a “yes, ma’am,” before hurrying back to the sink.
But I could still feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on me, the curious glances from the other maids.
It wasn’t the first time I’d felt it… the way they all looked at me now. The way their conversations would stop when I entered a room.
And I’d heard the rumors already, whispers about how the Alpha always asked for me, and how I was always alone with him behind closed doors.
I tried to focus on the dishes in front of me, scrubbing them harder than necessary. But my mind wouldn’t stop spinning.
Did they really know? Did they just suspect what was really happening between us? Or were they just looking for something to gossip about?
I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away. But I couldn’t help it.
As I stood there, washing the dishes, the memory of Hunter’s touch was almost physical, and I found myself wishing for it all to stop.
The rumors were indeed right. But part of me wished they weren’t true. That whatever they thought was happening between us was nothing significant.
But I knew better.
I felt the girls’ eyes heavy on me. Their quiet giggles and hushed whispers grew louder now after the head maid left. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came up to me.
I braced myself when I saw one of them walking towards me. “Faelen,” she called. “So… what’s it really like serving the Alpha, huh?”
I could sense the sarcasm in her voice, anyone would. I didn’t look at her, I just kept my eyes on the plates, but I could sight her smirk widening from the side of my eye.
“You must have quite the stories,” the girl continued, nudging my shoulder.
The others giggled, gathering around, clearly eager for gossip. “Yeah,” another chimed in. “Come on, Faelen. You can tell us. What really goes on when you’re alone with him?”
My heart pounded, but I forced myself to remain calm. I had to keep the mask and make them believe it was nothing more than duty.
They couldn’t know the truth about what really happened behind those closed doors, what we did when the office door shut behind us.
“He hates me,” I said sharply, turning to face them, hoping to shut them down with the bitterness in my voice.
“He loves to torment and humiliate me. That’s all it is. He’s the Alpha, and he loves to make sure I know my place.”
The room fell silent for a moment, but the look on their faces told me they didn’t buy it. Not anymore.
After the way the head maid had questioned me, and seeing how often I was called to his office, they were starting to doubt the lie I’d been hanging on to.
I could feel the skepticism in their gazes, the way they watched me like I was hiding something.
The first girl crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “Really? Because the way he looks at you… doesn’t seem to us like hate…” she said turning to the others.
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my composure calm. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered, turning back to the sink, my heart racing.
But even as I tried to push their words away, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. They weren’t wrong. Hunter didn’t look at me with hate anymore. Not since… not since that first kiss.
And even though I kept telling myself that I was just doing what I had to do to get close to him, I couldn’t ignore the truth…
Which was that I didn’t care what the others thought, not really. Because I had gotten close to him, closer than I’d ever imagined.
I was now in the right position to get every sort of information I needed. But deep down, I knew it was more complicated than that now.
Because every time I was with him, I lost sight of my mission and everything except him. I tried to tell myself that I could do it… use the situation to my advantage.
But the truth was, I wasn’t sure if I could.