Unreadable

Chapter Forty-five
Caleb’s POV
As soon as we were far enough from the garden, Hunter’s pace slowed down, but I could tell from the stiffness in his shoulders that he was tense.
He hadn’t said a word since we left the garden, and I wasn’t sure what was running through his mind.
The silence stretched between us, until I couldn’t take it anymore. “Hunter?” I asked cautiously. “Are you alright?”
He stopped abruptly and turned to face me, his eyes dark and unreadable.
For a moment, I thought he was going to dismiss my question or brush it off like he usually did when something bothered him.
But instead, he glared at me, his jaw clenched so tight that I thought he might crack a tooth.
“What were you doing back there, Caleb?” he demanded.
I frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean,” he shot back, his eyes narrowing. “Helping her. Talking to her like that.” He took a step closer, his gaze piercing into mine. “What the hell are you playing at?”
I blinked, taken aback by his sudden outburst. “I wasn’t playing at anything, Hunter.” I answered. “She was struggling with the bag, so I helped her. That’s all.”
Hunter scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Just helping, huh?” His tone was laced with sarcasm I could tell. “And the talking? What’s all that about?”
The accusation In his voice made my chest tighten. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my own temper in check.
“Look, she’s a servant, Hunter, I get it. But it’s not a crime to be kind to her. You were standing right there, and you did nothing. Was I supposed to just let her struggle?”
“Yes!” Hunter snapped, his voice rising. “You’re supposed to let her do her job. Not coddle her like some fragile little flower!”
He ran a hand through his hair and turned away for a moment, the frustration visibly coming off him in waves.
“She’s not your responsibility.” He then said.
There it was. The jealousy, the anger boiling just beneath the surface.
Of course I’d suspected it for a while now, ever since I noticed the way he looked at her, or the way he spoke about her, or rather, didn’t speak about her at all.
It was always there, quiet and unresolved, but I could see it clearly, even now.
“Hunter…” I began cautiously, trying to find the right words. “Why are you so upset about this?”
He shot a look at me, his eyes on fire. “I’m not upset,” he lied, the tension in his voice betraying him.
“Then what are you?” I asked, my voice gentle but firm. “Because you look pretty upset to me.”
Hunter’s jaw worked furiously as he struggled to form a response. “I just don’t want you… getting ideas,” he said finally, his voice going low and strained. “She’s not… she’s not for you, Caleb.”
The words he said hung in the air between us, heavy and full of meanings. I stared at him, understanding creeping into me.
So that’s what this was all about.
“Not for me,” I repeated softly. “But she’s for you, right?”
Hunter flinched, his gaze shifting away from mine for a split second. “That’s not what I meant,” he muttered, but the look on his face told me otherwise.
He knew exactly what I was implying, and he didn’t bother much to deny it.
“Hunter, you can’t have it both ways,” I said quietly. “If you care about her, then you should be the one looking out for her, not me. But if you’re just going to stand there and pretend like she’s nothing to you, then don’t get angry when someone else shows her a little kindness.”
Hunter’s expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he was going to explode. But instead, he just looked away, his shoulders sagging as if the fight had drained him.
“I don’t… care about her,” he said, but the words sounded hollow, even to my ears. “She’s just a maid. A servant. I shouldn’t… it shouldn’t matter what she does or who she talks to.”
I stared at him, wondering how he could be so blind to his own feelings. He was lying… lying to me, and to himself, and I wasn’t sure how much longer he would keep it up.
“Hunter,” I said softly, “I’ve known you for a long time. And I’ve never seen you act like this over anyone, especially not a maid.”
He didn’t respond, just clenched his fists at his sides, staring off into the distance as if he could make himself believe the lie he’d just told.
“You’re jealous,” I continued gently. “And it’s not because of me. It’s because you don’t want anyone else getting close to her.”
Hunter stiffened, his gaze snapping back to mine. For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue, deny it, or brush me off.
But then he just sighed, a heavy, defeated sound, and ran a hand over his face.
“I can’t do this, Caleb,” he murmured, his voice rough and strained. “I can’t… let myself get attached. It’s not right.”
I frowned, confused. “Why not?”
“Because she’s a servant!” Hunter burst out, his voice raw and pained. “And I’m the Alpha. What kind of leader gets tangled up with a maid? What kind of Alpha lets himself get… distracted by someone like her?”
There it was… the center of his struggle. He didn’t think he was allowed to care about her, to want her, because it went against everything he believed about himself.
About what it meant to be an Alpha.
“She’s not just a servant to you,” I said softly. “You know that. I know that. The whole pack can probably see it. So what are you going to do about it?”
Hunter’s shoulders slumped, and he let out a bitter laugh. “Nothing,” he whispered, the word filled with so much regret that it made my chest ache. “I’m going to do nothing. Because that’s the only thing I can do.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, but I knew better. This was something he had to figure out for himself.
No amount of words from me would change the way he felt about his own choices and emotions.
“Just… promise me one thing, Caleb,” he said suddenly, his gaze locking onto mine with a fierce intensity. “Don’t… don’t make it harder for her.”
I nodded slowly, understanding what he was asking. He didn’t want me to complicate things for Faelen, didn’t want me to put her in a position where she had to choose between us.
And, as much as it stung to see him so confused, I respected that.
“Okay,” I murmured. “I’ll stay away.”
Hunter looked relieved, but also pained, as if he were tearing himself apart from the inside.
He nodded and turned away, starting to walk again. I followed silently, giving him the space he needed.
But as we walked, I couldn’t help but glance back toward the garden, where Faelen had been working under the sun.
I thought about her and the way she’d looked at Hunter when we’d approached… full of hope and something else that I couldn’t name.
Whatever this was between them, it was only going to get more complicated. And I wasn’t sure if even Hunter could stay away.
It didn’t end there, Hunter’s possessiveness over Faelen became more obvious with each day, and it didn’t go unnoticed by those around him.
At first, I thought it was just me seeing things, picking up on the small changes in his behavior when she was nearby, but it was clear that I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.
The first time I really saw it was in the training ground with the soldiers. It was a warm afternoon, and Hunter and I had gathered a group of warriors for a sparring session.
I stood aside, watching as he put the men through their moves. His focus was strong, his movements sharp and precise…
…that’s until Faelen appeared, walking across the yard with a tray of drinks for the men.
Hunter’s attention snapped to her the moment she came into view, his gaze tracking her every step.
I watched him, the way his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed one of the younger warriors, Leno, flash her a charming smile.
Faelen smiled back politely, her usual composed and friendly self, but that simple exchange made something dark flash across Hunter’s face.
“Leno!” Hunter barked suddenly.
The young man flinched and turned toward him, his expression confused. “Yes, Alpha.”
“Are you here to spar or flirt with the maids?” Hunter questioned the young man.
Leno blinked, glancing between Hunter and Faelen, his confusion deepening. “I… I’m here to spar, Alpha.”
“Then focus,” Hunter growled, his tone leaving no room for argument.
A tense silence settled over the field as everyone turned to look at Leno, who seemed to smile a little and quickly nodded, looking down at his feet.
Faelen froze where she stood, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.
I could see the questions in her gaze, the way she glanced at Hunter as if trying to figure out what had just happened.
I knew exactly what it was… jealousy, raw and unfiltered. Hunter didn’t want anyone looking at her, or smiling at her, even if it was harmless.
It didn’t matter that Faelen was just a servant in his eyes. The sight of another man showing her any attention set off something wild in him.
But of course, he didn’t admit it. After the session ended, I pulled him aside.
“Was that really necessary?” I asked, keeping my voice low so the others wouldn’t hear. “Leno didn’t do anything wrong.”
Hunter scoffed, wiping sweat from his brow. “He wasn’t focused. He needed to be reminded of his priorities.”
“Right,” I murmured skeptically, crossing my arms over my chest. “And that had nothing to do with Faelen being there?”
His expression darkened, and he shot me a warning look. “I don’t know what you’re implying, Caleb, but drop it.”
I held up my hands in a surrendering gesture. “I’m just saying… it looked like you were marking your territory there.”
“I don’t have any territory to mark when it comes to her!” he snapped.
But the way he stormed off, his entire body tight with tension, told me otherwise. And I knew I wasn’t alone in thinking that.
After that incident, the warriors started giving Faelen caution whenever Hunter was around, as if they were afraid to even look in her direction.