Chapter Forty-four
Faelen’s POV
The sun blazed high in the sky, its heat beating down on me relentlessly as I tried to lift a bag of soil.
It was heavier than I’d expected, and I struggled to keep my grip.
Sweat trickled down my neck, soaking through the back of my uniform and making the fabric stick uncomfortably to my skin.
My arms trembled with the effort as I tried to maneuver the bag to the side of the flower bed.
The gardener, a stout man in his late fifties, stood nearby pruning the hedges, offering no help or even a glance my way.
The head maid’s orders had been clear… “help out in the garden”…but I knew what it really meant. Punishment.
A reminder that I wasn’t anything special. She hadn’t even looked me in the eye when she’d said it, her tone cold.
I could hear the sneers and barely concealed giggles of the other maids behind me.
I adjusted my grip on the bag, lifting it higher and then almost losing my balance.
My foot slipped on a loose stone, and I lurched forward, barely catching myself.
I set the bag down with a thud, breathing hard, the muscles in my back and shoulders burning.
I glanced around, hoping no one saw me struggling, but also secretly hoping that maybe… he’d appear. Hunter.
The thought caught me off guard, and I bit my lip, irritated at myself. What was I expecting? For the Alpha to stroll out here and whisk me away from manual labor?
The idea was absurd, yet I couldn’t help but wish for it. Part of me longed for him to emerge from the mansion and see me this way.
But he hadn’t shown his face since that morning.
I swallowed hard, feeling a sudden rush of heat that had nothing to do with the sun above.
Yesterday when I’d slipped out of his room, heart pounding and face flushed with the memories of what had happened between us the night before…
The way he’d held me, the way he’d whispered my name in that low voice, the way every touch, every kiss had sent shivers down my spine.
The way I’d lost myself completely, forgetting who I was, where I was… everything, except him.
My skin tingled at the memory, and I had to close my eyes for a second to steadying myself.
What had that meant to him? Why hadn’t he sent for me? I’d half expected some sort of acknowledgment, or sign that he’d been thinking about it as much as I had.
I’d been tense, waiting for one of his guards to appear and tell me the Alpha needed me in his office, or perhaps back in his private chambers.
But there had been nothing still. Just silence.
And now, here I was, out in the garden, doing hard work like I was the lowest among the low.
I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. I wasn’t going to let the pettiness of the other girls get to me.
I wasn’t here for them. I wasn’t even here for Hunter, I reminded myself fiercely. I had a job to do, a mission to complete.
And I’d be damned if I let some backbreaking labor and a few mean spirited rumors distract me.
But even as I told myself that, a small, foolish part of me still wished he’d see me under the sun like this, sweating and straining with work clearly meant to humble me.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he would call me over. Of if he would put an end to this with just a look, or just a word?
I sighed, leaning against the bag for a moment. The gardener glanced over, his brows furrowing as if to remind me to keep working, but he didn’t say anything.
I nodded, lowering my head and picking up the bag again. I didn’t know what I expected from Hunter.
Why would he care what I was doing out here?
Still, it hurt more than I wanted to admit, that he hadn’t even acknowledged me since I’d left his room.
He was probably busy, I tried to comfort myself. An Alpha had responsibilities after all, a whole pack to run.
And I was just another maid in his household, and whatever had happened between us two nights ago… well, that was probably just another exciting moment for him.
The bag slipped again, and I clenched my jaw, readjusting my hold. “Oh, for goddess’ sake! Get a grip, Faelen.” I scolded myself.
After a long sigh and an odd stare at the stubborn bag, I knelt down beside it and tried to lift it up again.
As I marched on, I almost convinced myself that I was just another unimportant maid in the estate… when I suddenly felt a shift in the air.
Curious, I looked up, and my heart nearly stopped. Emerging from the castle were two familiar figures, walking side by side.
My breath caught in my throat as I recognized them… Hunter and Caleb.
Just seeing Hunter there stole the breath right out of my lungs. It felt like the entire world narrowed down to just the two of us.
Everything else blurred around me as I locked eyes with him. There was something magnetic, in the way his gaze met mine.
I could barely think straight, and before I knew it, the bag of soil slipped from my grip, crashing to the ground and spilling its contents across the grass.
Cursing softly, I scrambled to pick it up, but my gaze kept shifting back to him. Hunter paused, his eyes still on me, and I wondered what was going through his mind.
Was he surprised to see me here? Did he care at all?
He was only a few steps away now, close enough for me to catch the trace of something in his expression… concern? Or displeasure?
Before I could make sense of it, Caleb was suddenly by my side. I didn’t even notice his approach until his hands reached down to help me lift the bag.
“Let me take care of this,” he murmured, his voice soft and kind.
“No, I can manage,” I said, my voice sounding weak and breathless even to my own ears.
I glanced back at Hunter, who was still standing there, watching us with an unreadable expression.
Something about the way he looked at us made me shocked.
Caleb’s hand brushed against mine as he took the bag from me, lifting it effortlessly and placing it where it was supposed to go.
“Thank you,” I muttered, trying to focus on Caleb. But it was hard when I could still feel Hunter’s eyes on me.
“You shouldn’t be out here doing this,” Caleb said, frowning slightly. “This isn’t work meant for you.”
I glanced up at him, momentarily stunned by the concern in his eyes. “I’m a servant, Caleb. It’s my job to do whatever I’m needed to do,” I replied quietly, struggling to keep my voice steady.
Saying it out loud stung more than I thought it would. I had told myself so many times that I didn’t care about my status here, but it felt different admitting it in front of Hunter.
Of course, admitting that I was just another maid he had no reason to care about stung deeper.
Caleb’s jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Instead, he shifted his weight and set down the last bag of soil beside me.
“Why are you so kind to me?” I blurted out, the question escaping before I could stop myself.
My heart hammered in my chest, and I immediately regretted asking. What was I doing?
Why was I pushing for answers that I didn’t need?
Was it because I truly wanted to know why Caleb seemed to care so much about me?
That he looked at me like I was more than just another maid? Or was it because of Hunter?
I glanced back at him, guilt turning in my chest. He stood there, silent and unmoved, his gaze never shifting from us.
Part of me wondered if he was angry, or hurt, or if he simply didn’t care. After all, he’d barely acknowledged me since I left his room.
But the way he looked at Caleb just now… there was something dangerous in his eyes.
Caleb looked surprised, taken aback by my question. He opened his mouth to respond, but Hunter’s voice cut through the air before he could say a word.
“Caleb,” Hunter growled. “We need to go.”
I turned to Hunter, startled by the sudden tension in his voice. He was closer now, his posture stiff and still unyielding.
His eyes shifted between me and Caleb, and there was an intensity there that sent a shiver down my spine.
Was he… jealous?
The thought was wild and irrational, but I just couldn’t shake it.
There was something about the way he looked at Caleb, the way his jaw clenched, that made me wonder if he was angry because of Caleb’s hands on mine.
Caleb’s willingness to help me when he just stood there and did nothing but watch.
Caleb hesitated, glancing between me and Hunter, as if weighing his options.
He looked like he wanted to say something more to me, but it seemed Hunter’s gaze carried a silent command.
With a resigned sigh, Caleb nodded and took a step back. “Take care, Faelen,” he murmured, his voice so low that I barely caught it.
Hunter’s jaw tightened, and without another word, he turned on his heel, walking away.
Caleb paused for a moment longer, then quickly followed, leaving me standing there, my heart aching in a way I couldn’t quite explain.
I watched them go, feeling a strange mix of disappointment and relief.
Hunter hadn’t said a single word to me, he hadn’t even acknowledged my presence beyond that first look.
It was almost as if I didn’t exist to him.
Was he angry? Hurt? Or was I just some distraction, someone he could use and ignore whenever it suited him?