Complicated

Chapter Forty
Faelen’s POV
Later towards the end of the day, I got into doing dishes, and as I finished scrubbing the last dish in my hands, I wiped my hands on my apron and glanced out the window.
The sky was starting to darken, signaling the approach of night. My heart beat a little faster, knowing that in just a few hours, I would be meeting the strange spy girl.
I still couldn’t shake the feeling of unease about her sudden appearance. Why now? And why through the Steeprock pack, of all places?
But as much as the impending meeting with her occupied my mind, I couldn’t help but think about Hunter.
I hadn’t seen him all day, after I left his chambers, and the silence from him strangely felt unsettling.
I had expected him to send for me at some point during the say, half expecting for one of the guards to appear and tell me that the Alpha needed me.
But nothing, up till now.
I’d caught myself pausing in the middle of my tasks more than once, imagining what it would be like to go back to him, to feel his arms around me again.
The thought made my pulse quicken, and I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the distraction.
“Why hasn’t he said anything?” The question lingered in my mind, pulling at me all day.
Part of me wanted to just march up to his chambers, to see him, to feel that intoxicating warmth that only he gave me.
But another part of me… the scared little servant part… felt heavy about it. Along with another feeling…. it wasn’t exactly guilt, but something close.
As the minutes passed, I forced myself to accept the fact that Hunter wouldn’t send for me tonight.
With a sigh, I returned to the servants’ quarters after a long day, feeling the weight of both my body and my thoughts.
After freshening up, I stood by my room door, about to walk in when I overheard a group of girls gossiping by the hallway.
I leaned closer, careful not to make a sound, my curiosity piqued by the mention of Hunter’s name.
As I tiptoed a few steps closer down the hallway, I could hear the girls more clearly now, their voices low but sharp with the sting of jealousy in them.
“Honestly, I don’t know how she does it,” one of the girls hissed. “Faelen, of all people. She’s just a maid like the rest of us. How did she get him to notice her?”
“I bet it’s that fucking hair of hers,” another girl muttered. “That ridiculous red hair. The Alpha’s probably mesmerized by it. You know how men are, always chasing after the most unusual-looking ones.”
Suddenly, I recognized the second girl’s voice. I was sure it was Anna, the girl who had swore to make my life difficult here.
But ever since the small rustle I’d had with her weeks back, I haven’t heard or seen much of her.
She never forgot to give me a stare like she wanted to pull out my insides, whenever our eyes meet, wherever, but that was just it. She never came close enough
“Oh, please,” I heard a third girl chimed in, her tone equally filled with contempt. “It’s not just the hair. Have you seen her body? She’s practically perfect. It’s like she’s been sculpted by the moon goddess herself. No wonder he can’t keep his eyes off her.”
“I heard she’s been in his chambers more than once,” the first girl whispered, lowering her voice as if it were some dark secret. “Always in there for hours, and she comes out looking… well, you know.”
They all giggled, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, though I wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or annoyance.
But I leaned even closer, wanting to hear more.
“Don’t forget about that face,” another girl added, her voice bitter. “The bitch has got that angelic, innocent look. But I bet she’s anything but innocent when she’s alone with him. I’ve seen the way she walks after she comes out of his room.”
There was a pause, followed by more laughter, this time laced with cruelty.
My heart seemed to skip a beat as I realized I was being watched even more than I thought. The thought made me feel shameful, like I was an abomination of some sort.
“Do you really think she’s sleeping with him?” they continued, sounding almost hopeful that the answer would be no.
“Do you noticed how he never sends for anyone but her?” Anna answered.
“Oh, it’s so obvious. She’s sleeping with the Alpha,” a fourth voice, which I hadn’t realized was present chimed in.
“With those looks of hers, how could she not? That red hair, that body… she’s practically a witch. No wonder he’s so bewitched.” Anna added.
“Of course, she is. Do you think the Alpha spends his time with his maids for any other reason? It’s obvious what’s going on between them.” Another of them agreed.
“Yeah, but why her?” someone cut in, the hate and frustration dripping from her voice. “What does she have that we don’t? I’ve been working here for years, and he’s never even looked at me twice. And Faelen? She’s only been here a few months, and suddenly she’s the Alpha’s favorite.”
“I know!” the Anna sighed dramatically. “It’s so unfair. She waltzes in here with that stupid smile and those perfect features, and now it’s like we don’t even exist. She’s probably planning to sleep her way to the top, I’m sure. While we’re just stuck here, scrubbing floors.”
They all erupted into laughter at that, their cruel voices echoing through the corridor.
I stood frozen, their words slicing through me, but at the same time, there was a strange sense of satisfaction that came with it.
They knew. They could see that I was different, that I had something none of them could ever have… Hunter’s attention.
“Well, whatever it is,” one of the girls finally said, her tone softening just a little, “we’ll find out eventually. She can’t keep this up forever. Sooner or later, the Alpha will move on to another girl, and she’ll go right back to being just another maid, like the rest of us.”
“Unless she’s already planning to make herself more than just a maid,” another girl said, a mischievous edge in her voice. “Who knows? Maybe she’s aiming to be his mate.”
There was a gasp, and then a ripple of giggles, but underneath the humor, I could hear the genuine fear in their voices too.
The idea of me being ‘his favorite’ as they put it, wasn’t enough, the idea of becoming the Hunter’s mate seemed to terrify them most.
“She wouldn’t dare,” the first girl muttered, but the doubt was clear in her tone. “She’s just… she’s just lucky, that’s all. It won’t last.”
As their gossip wondered off to other topics, I slipped away, my mind buzzing with their words.
They were clearly jealous, and that much was obvious in everything they did, but what they didn’t know was that their gossip didn’t bother me as much as it should.
They could speculate all they wanted. The truth was, I didn’t even know what I wanted from Hunter.
But one thing was clear now, they were watching me and my every move, and it didn’t seem like they were going to back down soon.
I was completely on their radar, and I that with every passing day, the rumors would only grow stronger, louder, more bizarre as well.
Walking back towards my room, I almost laughed at the thought of their words. “A witch?”
The absurdity of it amused me, but there was also something oddly satisfying about being referred to as Hunter’s “favorite maid.”
Hearing the jealousy in their voice only confirmed what I had suspected… they had all noticed the change in the air between Hunter and I.
They knew much that Hunter was somehow taken by me, even if they didn’t know the full extent of what was happening between us.
Smiling to myself, I left them to their bitter gossip and slipped into bed, though sleep was far from my mind.
The meeting with the spy girl was only hours away, and the anxiety of it overwhelmed me. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts constantly racing.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt though. Here I was, having spent the previous night in the Alpha’s bed, half in love with him… and still trying to fulfill my role as a spy.
“No, Faelen. Don’t think like that,” I murmured to myself.
The conflict about how I felt for Hunter inside me grew stronger every minute. How long could I keep pretending I wasn’t falling in love with him?
And how long before someone, or Hunter himself, uncovered the truth?
But worse, what would happen if Alpha Zodd’s intentions toward Hunter and his people turned out to be hostile?
What would I do then?
I shifted restlessly in bed, unable to find any rest.
The part of me that knew I was in too deep didn’t want to let go of the way he made me feel, even if I knew it was dangerous.
The memory of Hunter’s touch was still fresh on my mind, and so was the sensation on my skin, making it hard for me to think clearly.
I turned over, pulling the blanket tighter around me as my mind raced with thoughts. I closed my eyes, trying to quiet my thoughts, but sleep would just not come.
The hours stretched on, and I lay there confused, torn between my duty to my pack and the undeniable pull I felt toward Hunter.
No matter how hard I tried to push him from my mind, he was always there, making everything more complicated.