Chapter 42: Spit it Out
Maya’s hand on the door handle felt stiff as she pushed it open. Her heart was in her throat, and she had one eye closed as she braced herself for the worst.
Alaina didn’t need much time to damage all the work she had done. That brief window when she took the sheets was more than enough time.
As she opened the door, her hand fell away from the handle and her legs buckled. The room was exactly how she left it. Maya was so relieved that her limbs gave out on her.
She couldn’t relax yet, this was just one room, Alaina could have tampered with the others. She forced herself to her feet despite how exhausted she was, both mentally and physically, and made her way to the remaining two rooms.
They were also in pristine condition. She could pick up Alaina’s lingering scent all over the room, but there was no sign of tampering—at least none that she could see. Maya let herself finally relax.
She exited the rooms, making sure to close the doors properly, but she couldn’t help feeling distrustful. It felt too convenient. She didn’t think Alaina would pass up the opportunity, especially after she had practically attacked her in the hallway.
Maya’s heart squeezed as she walked to her room. She may have bitten off more than she could chew. She wasn’t sure how she would live now while constantly looking over her shoulder.
There wasn’t much time to dwell on it. She had to clean up, change her dress, and head for the dining room before it was too late. She didn’t want a repeat of this morning, and perhaps because she was busy all day, Maya was starving.
She got to her room, washed up, and after drying her wet hair as best as she could, Maya tied it into a bun as usual. She made a mental note to get a brush as soon as she could.
She exited her room in a clean dress. She walked briskly down the hallway, nervously glancing at the rooms again. She couldn’t help it. Tomorrow was only a few hours away; if Alaina ruined it, there wouldn’t be enough time to clean before the guests arrived.
Maya was close to the dining room when she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced back to see Alaina approaching her alone. Theo was not in sight.
Maya tried to walk faster, making sure to keep the distance between her and Alaina. She wanted to avoid being alone in her presence at all costs.
However, she had to slow down when she got in front of the double doors to open them. Almost immediately, Alaina slammed into her with her shoulder, and Maya fell over.
"What are you doing?" Alaina asked with a sneer as she opened the doors. "I barely touched you."
Maya looked up at her from the ground, and Alaina scoffed and walked into the room. "Lying, stupid wench," she muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
Maya instinctively reached for her shoulder as she sat on the ground right in front of the open doors. Winnie and Theo sat at the table staring right at her.
Maya looked down and tried to stand up, just as a familiar scent reached her nose. She froze, and for a moment, she forgot what she was supposed to do.
His footsteps made soft clanks on the hard floor as he approached the dining room. He was getting close. She should move, but Maya felt her rib cage collapse against her lungs. She couldn’t breathe; she couldn’t move.
"What are you doing?" He asked coldly.
Maya could see his boots, and she tried to force herself to stand, but the fear made it hard to move an inch. She could feel tears pooling in her eyes, and his right boot lifted off the ground. She shut her eyes, convinced he was going to strike her.
A sharp pain in her shoulder snapped her out of her panic as Keenan pulled her to her feet. Maya felt the tightness in her chest ease as she started to breathe again.
She opened her eyes to see his green eyes mere inches away from her face, glaring down at her. Strands of light hair fell onto his forehead and a strange thought of brushing them with her fingers crossed her mind
"What are you doing?" He asked again, irritated. The middle of his brows was scrunched up so hard that she could make out a shape.
"I-I am sorry," Maya said and jumped back. "I-I slipped." She lied as she fled into the dining room.
She could hear his footsteps behind her, and she walked briskly with her head bowed. There was a burning sensation where he had grabbed her, and it wasn’t because of the pain.
Maya kept her head down all through the meal. She could barely follow the conversation. If she weren’t starving, she might have lost her appetite.
Alaina acted the same as ever, leaning into Keenan and trying to get him to talk about his day. He mostly ignored her, but she was persistent. Winnie was quiet as usual, but Maya didn’t miss the occasional glances she sent her way.
She didn’t think anyone here would help her, and even if they didn’t participate, Maya doubted they felt sorry for her. In their eyes, she was nothing but the spawn of the evil High Alpha.
At least Winnie would look at her. Theo rarely did. He acted completely oblivious to her. She didn’t know which of their methods stung more.
Maya felt all the hair on her head stand on end; she didn’t need to look to know that Keenan was staring at her. She forced the food down her throat and ignored the ache in her jaw from holding back her tears.
Dinner would soon be over. She could hold out just a little longer before she broke. She was just exhausted, that was all. If she hadn’t spent the whole day working, she would have handled this better.
"What are you doing?" Keenan’s voice thundered in the dining room.
Maya’s hand froze on her plate. Her mouth was full to bursting and she had just put another bite into her mouth. She knew he was speaking to her, as all attention turned to look at her.
She blinked rapidly as she tried to swallow the massive amount of food in her mouth. It was the third time he had asked her this question, but this time around she didn’t have the answer. She didn’t know what she had done wrong, and the fact that she couldn’t speak made her panic more.
"You better not choke!"
Maya panicked some more at his orders, and her face reddened as she struggled. Her throat suddenly felt tight.
"Spit it out! Spit it out right now." He slammed his fist onto the table.
She jerked and shakily picked up the napkin. She expelled the food from her mouth, trying to hide as best as she could as shame filled her.
"Disgusting," Alaina mumbled from the other side of the table.
Maya reddened some more at the statement, but her airway was free again. Keenan moved his hand, and a servant walked to her and took the soiled napkin.
She reluctantly handed it to the maid, feeling even more embarrassed. The maid exited the dining room holding the napkin. Maya immediately drank some water, her hand was shaking as she put the cup to her lips, knowing that everyone was still staring at her.
It was all she could do else she feared, she might die from embarrassment. She didn’t think she had ever done anything so disgusting before.
Keenan was glaring at her as though she had deliberately tried to kill herself, but if he hadn’t spoken to her, she would have been fine. Maya wanted to burst into tears. Nothing had gone right today.
Keenan felt his fork bend in his grip and let go of it. She got on his nerves. How did it manage to get worse every day? He had no idea what was going through her thick skull.
He had been watching her since she was on the floor for no reason, and it wasn’t until he grabbed her that she moved. Keenan didn’t miss the unshed tears in her eyes, and even now, she looked on the verge of crying.
He didn’t care what happened to her, but when she kept stuffing her face like a hamster for no reason, he couldn’t help but react. Only for her to almost choke. What would have happened if he hadn’t noticed in time?
Is she planning something by trying to choke herself?
He didn’t trust her for even a minute. He knew there was a reason behind every action; he just couldn’t see it. No matter how small, how ridiculous, if there was a chance to escape him, she and her father would take it.
Keenan didn’t tear his eyes away again, and under his scrutiny, she ate more carefully this time.
Just what are you trying to do?
Maya gripped her spoon tightly as she ate. He had not looked away for even a moment. All her hair was standing on end, and her anxiety was through the roof.
It didn’t help that Alaina also kept glaring at her. Keenan no longer paid attention to anything else except her. She didn’t want his attention—not like this.
She kept her head down and didn’t look up again. She just ate slowly, concentrating on each spoonful of food she took.
