Claimed by the Vengeful Alpha

Chapter 105: We Are Married

Maya adjusted the pillows behind her even though there was no reason to but what else could she do while stuck in his room when he said nothing as he sat across from her?

His seat was only a few feet away from her, and the bed was in his direct line of sight. It was hard not to notice he had not said a single word after he chased Alaina out of the room, nor did he directly look at her.

He was dressed in loose black pants and wore a tunic of the same color. It looked similar to the one she had on. His hair was no longer as wet but it didn’t look fully dry.

"I am sorry," Maya heard herself say.

After fiddling with the pillows, she was now fiddling with her fingers. The silence was eating at her. She needed something to fill it, else the anxiety would crush her.

"Sorry?" Keenan asked, a dark look on his face as he adjusted his gaze to stare directly at her. "What exactly are you apologizing for?"

Her breath caught, and she had to stop herself from flinching. Why did his words always feel like a physical attack?

"For causing you trouble in the rain," she mumbled and looked down at the clothes.

She was in his room, dressed in his clothes. There had to be something. Right? Or was she holding on to something that didn’t exist?

"You had to carry me," she added and slowly lifted her head to look at him when he didn’t say anything more.

She was unsure if she was asking him or telling him. Or perhaps she was just tired of the uncertainty and wanted to know if there was a path in this direction.

"Why did you choose to stay?" He asked coldly, his eyes watching her too closely.

The question was so unexpected that she visibly reacted. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. He didn’t seem to like her reaction as his stare became even more intense.

It wasn’t a difficult question but she was worried he wouldn’t like her answer, so she chose something that might be close enough.

"We are married."

His face hardened at her words, and she knew she had picked wrong. But was there a different response she could have said that would elicit a less harsh reaction from him?

Maya doubted it. Keenan didn’t trust her. As long as the word came from her lips, he would find them dissatisfying.

"You must think me a fool," he snapped and his green eyes blazed.

This time she couldn’t stop herself from flinching. "No, I-I don’t." She didn’t know what to expect, but it was certainly not an outburst.

"I beg to differ. You are mocking me. Or perhaps do you think this will absolve you of your sins?"

"I am not mocking you," she quietly replied.

She couldn’t dare think about the second part of his question. The guilt didn’t feel any less than the first day she arrived here. She was constantly reminded of her crimes, one way or another.

Keenan didn’t want to think about it but it was hard not to. It gnawed at him, aggravated him, and he felt no different than the times he was in the mines and in her father’s dungeons.

It hadn’t been the cage, had it? He was free from their shackles and had power of his own. But did he really? He was well aware of his powerlessness, and he hated it.

Regardless of the Alpha King’s decree, he knew she could be taken away from him. Vilhelm was his brother after all; he was sure some agreement could be made.

After all, Vilhelm did give up some of his land and his gold mine. He also released the young of Verlassen that he had used for labour since the war began. On record, the High Alpha had made some acceptable changes.

If she had chosen to leave, the Alpha King would have ordered it and offered him some other compensation—perhaps anything else he wanted in return. He could decline, but it would be rude to refuse the Alpha King’s offer.

He knew this. He always knew this. That’s why he had made their marriage airtight. That’s why he had asked for a High Priestess and made legal documents with the Alpha King’s seal.

She must know this. She did. She had insisted on wearing appropriate clothes. Had she been dressed as she had been in his town since she arrived, Vilhelm would have been able to take her without question.

We are married.

What a silly excuse. There had to be a limit to the show she was willing to put on.

Keenan stood up. Any longer in this room, and he might punch something. She was injured in his bed and apologizing. She had warned him about the rain and was still apologizing.

The contradiction was hard for him to handle. However, it wasn’t the contradiction that bothered him. It was how easily he could be swayed by this.

She had whipped him, fed him food off the ground, smeared wolfsbane all over him—and in just two weeks, he was questioning everything.

He couldn’t stay in this room one moment longer. It must be the familiarity of her scent that was confusing him. It must be the new intimacy between them.

"Where are you going?"

He whipped his head around hard enough to snap it. "Speaking to me casually?"

"We are married."

He could almost smell her fear. Her voice was steady, but she didn’t meet his gaze. She did that often—cowering. But he knew firsthand the damage she could inflict.

"You seem to think that means something," he stated.

He stepped closer. He wanted to take his anger out on her. She clearly didn’t fear him enough—certainly not enough to accept the Alpha King’s offer. She was going to regret it.

"You want me. Y-you married me."

"You seem to misunderstand. This is not some love marriage—"