Chapter Forty-nine
Hunter’s POV
As soon as I heard the door open and saw Caleb’s figure standing there, every muscle in my body tensed.
The heat and passion from just moments ago vanished in a wave of shock and embarrassment.
I looked at Faelen, her cheeks flushed, lips parted in surprise. My mind raced as the reality of what had just happened settled over us.
The look of horror was plastered on Caleb’s face as he registered the scene he had just witnessed.
“Shit…” I muttered under my breath.
Caleb’s eyes shifted between us before he quickly turned away silently. He took a step back, the door swinging shut behind him.
I could still feel his presence on the other side, no doubt rooted to the spot, waiting for… something.
Faelen scrambled to cover herself, her hands trembling as she reached for her scattered clothes.
She looked so vulnerable that moment, and all I wanted to do was pull her back to me, and protect her from the mess we’d just gotten ourselves into.
But I hesitated, torn between the need to protect her and the knowledge that I’d only complicate things more if I touched her now.
“Faelen…” I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat.
What the hell was I even supposed to say?
She fumbled with her dress, struggling to get it over her head, her hair a wild tangle of red. I took a step closer, instinctively reaching out, but then stopped myself.
She didn’t look at me… she couldn’t even meet my eyes I realized. My chest tightened, frustration and regret clashing inside me.
The bond I’d felt with her just moments ago now felt strained, almost painful now.
Caleb’s kindness… his respect for her… and then to find us like this.
“Faelen, calm down,” I finally managed, my voice low, unsure if I was saying it more for her or myself. “It’s okay.”
She shook her head, her movements quick and jerky. “Oh God. I…I shouldn’t have… I need to go,” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
“Wait.” I reached for her, but she flinched, her eyes wide and glassy with tears as she glanced at me.
Her gaze was full of confusion and something else which looked like shame.
She finally tugged her dress down, smoothing the fabric in a panicking motion before grabbing her shoes.
She shoved her feet into them and made quickly for the door.
I knew I should’ve stopped her… perhaps say something that would erase the fear and embarrassment on her face… but I just stood there like an idiot, watching her walk away.
The door closed softly behind her, leaving me alone with the silence that settled in the room. I ran a hand through my hair, releasing out a long breath.
Every part of me was still buzzing, but not with the same passion that had driven me wild just minutes ago.
Now it was a chaotic clash of emotions that I couldn’t even begin to understand.
I reached for my clothes, slipping them on absentmindedly.
Caleb stepped back into the office after Faelen had gone. I noticed his movements were deliberate and slow, the silence between us growing thick and uncomfortable every step he took.
I shifted uneasily, keeping my gaze fixed on the clutter of documents spread across the desk, trying to busy myself with the illusion of work.
I felt Caleb’s eyes on me, burning with questions, but I refused to look up.
“What?” I finally grumbled when I couldn’t stand his silent scrutiny any longer. “Are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day?”
Caleb didn’t respond right away. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the table as if preparing for a long, hard conversation.
When I glanced up at him, I saw it… the look of judgement glaring in his eyes, shifting between shock and something else, maybe anger or… confusion?
“Come on. Say something, Caleb.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but the tension in it betrayed me.
Caleb shot me a look, his brows furrowed deeply. “What’s there to say, Hunter?” he asked quietly, his voice equally low surprisingly. “I just walked in on you having sex with the girl you’ve repeatedly claimed you don’t have feelings for.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but then shut it back. How the hell was I supposed to respond to something like that?
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the wild beating of my heart, which was still pulsing from what had just happened.
“It’s not… it’s not what you think,” I muttered weakly, knowing even as the words left my mouth that they sounded ridiculous.
Caleb arched a brow, his expression hardening. “Not what I think?” He let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Hunter. You keep saying she’s just a servant, someone you’re merely attracted to. But everything…everything… in you points to something else.”
I tried to argue with his words using some sense of logic, but I knew it was a useless effort. Caleb wasn’t stupid. He’d been by my side long enough to see through any mask I tried to put up.
“Look, I couldn’t…” I started but faltered, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I couldn’t control myself, alright? Whatever’s between us, it’s… complicated. It’s not just about feelings or some stupid bond. I’m attracted to her. That’s all.”
“Just attracted?” Caleb repeated, his gaze boring into mine. “You honestly expect me to believe that?”
“Damn it, Caleb!” I snapped, slamming a fist onto the desk. The sound echoed in the room, but it didn’t break his composure one bit. “She’s a servant. I shouldn’t… I can’t have feelings for her. But I do. Alright? I do. I can’t… I can’t help it.”
There. I’d said it. The words hung in the air between us, raw and naked. Caleb’s eyes widened, the truth of my admission slowly sinking in.
He stared at me, as if searching for something in my face, something that might contradict what I’d just confessed. But I knew he wouldn’t find anything else there.
I couldn’t hide this from him anymore.
“But why are you trying so hard to convince me, Hunter?” His voice softened, the harsh edge of accusation replaced by a softness. “Or is it yourself you’re trying to convince?”
I swallowed, feeling the tension build up in my throat. “It doesn’t matter,” I muttered, looking away. “She’s… a servant. That’s what everyone will see her as, what she’s always been.”
Caleb shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “But you know it’s more than that. You can lie to yourself all you want, but it’s not going to change the truth of it.”
I opened my mouth to argue again, but the words stuck, trapped somewhere between my mind and my throat.
Because deep down, I knew he was right. It was more than that. It always had been. But admitting that meant giving in to something I wasn’t ready to face.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I finally growled, but my denial seemed too strong and revealing.
But Caleb narrowed his eyes, studying me closely. “You know, for someone who claims not to care, you’re doing a pretty terrible job of hiding it. It’s not just that you care for her, Hunter. It’s that you’re afraid. You’re afraid of what it means for you to feel this way. That’s why you’ve been pushing her away, denying it to everyone… especially yourself.”
“Stop.” My voice sounded a low warning, but Caleb didn’t back down.
“Why, Hunter? Why deny it? You’re the Alpha. You can have anyone you want.”
“Except her,” I snapped, the pain of those words cutting through me like a blade. “You don’t get it, Caleb. She’s not just some woman I can have and be done with. She’s… she’s different. And it’s dangerous.”
“Dangerous for her, or for you?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Caleb’s then gaze softened, his expression shifting from anger and confusion to something more understanding now.
He stepped back, shaking his head slowly. And that moment I felt it was right to try to apologize what he’d seen.
“Caleb” My voice sounded stiff, my jaw clenched tight. “Look, I didn’t mean to…”
“Forget it,” he cut in sharply.
I tried to say more, but Caleb gave me a look that made my face flush with shame. After all, he’d walked in on me with the girl he’d been quietly, but very obviously, protective of since she came to the pack.
“She seemed upset when she left,” he then said. “Are you going to talk to her?”
I glanced at the door again, the memory of her storming off playing in my head. I knew I should go after her, but the whole situation felt too raw.
Caleb’s presence only made it more complicated. If I chased her down now, it would only prove everything he’d just said to me… that she was more than just another servant and a casual fling.
“I’ll… talk to her later.” I turned back to my desk, shuffling the papers around, trying to act like everything was normal.
Caleb didn’t move. He just stood there, his gaze boring into me. “Are you sure that’s wise?” he asked quietly.
I stiffened, refusing to look at him. I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of his words.
“Maybe not.” I answered, not turning.
Caleb gazed at me for a brief moment before finally nodding. “Alright. But you should be reminded that whatever’s going on with her… it’s starting to show. People are noticing.”
I clenched my fists, the words stinging more than they should have. “Just said drop it, Caleb.”
With that, he turned and walked out, leaving me alone in the office again, the silence almost suffocating. I sank into the chair, staring blankly at the papers scattered across my desk.
People were noticing. I knew it already. My behavior around Faelen wasn’t something I could hide anymore, not even from myself.
And now… after this… everything was on the verge of falling apart. But for some reason, even knowing the risks, I still couldn’t seem to let her go.