Chapter 61: Metal Jug
"What?" Alaina’s voice echoed in the dining room.
She was not the only one surprised by this. Winnie and Theo turned their heads in Keenan’s direction as shock filled their gazes.
Claude shrugged and dug into his meal that was just served, without addressing Alaina’s question. Unable to direct a glare at Maya who was out of sight, she turned her attention to Keenan for an explanation.
Keenan didn’t look ready to give her one or even deny the situation. This only made it undeniable for Alaina that it must be true.
"Alpha," she called with a horrified tone. "Did she lay in your room ag—"
"Don’t you have something else to worry about, Alaina?" He stared at her with a blank expression and then turned to look at Claude.
The Alpha smiled right at him. "This beef stew is delicious. My compliments to the cook," he muttered as though he hadn’t completely offset the tone of the table.
Keenan’s eyes darkened as he sized up Claude. The latter looked completely unbothered as he excessively munched on his food.
"But, Alpha," Alaina protested, unable to let it go. "She can’t—"
Keenan jerked his head in her direction, and she sealed her lips, but the glint remained in her eyes as she stabbed hard into her food. A loud clink echoed as cutlery met the plate.
Maya sat nervously on the cold floor. She could barely taste the food as she forced it down her throat. They hadn’t even stayed in the same room as Claude had alluded. Keenan didn’t even want to stay in the room with her.
The rest of breakfast went quietly except for Alaina’s occasional scoffs. Even though Maya couldn’t see her, she would occasionally get shivers as though Alaina was looking in her direction.
"Theo," Keenan called as he wiped the corners of his lips after the meal. "Let me know as soon as you all return."
Keenan moved his gaze from Theo to Claude as he spoke. He didn’t particularly care about what they did, but he wanted to be aware of Claude’s whereabouts.
"Don’t worry, Alpha," Claude said with a sly grin. "I will report myself as soon as I return."
Keenan’s jaw tightened, and he stood to his feet. He wanted nothing more than to throw him out, but he couldn’t do that. Despite his irredeemable character, he needed the Alpha’s support. He hated that.
Without Claude, he would be unaware of the coming meeting, nor would he even have a place as an Alpha. And the sly Alpha was quite aware of that. Doing as he liked—it ticked him off.
He looked at the ground, where Maya was seated, her gaze locked downward. Her back was straight, and her hair hid her neck. It annoyed him that he noticed her hair was no longer in the messy bun.
He didn’t doubt that Claude wanted to take Maya away. He had to stop that. He wouldn’t allow Claude to ruin his revenge. That was all this was.
His palm itched as he walked past her. He fought the urge to grab her and pull her out with him. He didn’t want her to spend any moment in the same room as Claude—not after last night.
"Tch!" He muttered as he walked toward the door.
"You don’t have to sit on the floor any longer, Lady Maya. You are treated quite cruelly here. Let me—"
Keenan’s footsteps stopped. His hand tightened around the door handle until the wood creaked beneath his grip, letting out a loud sound, and silence fell across the dining room.
Claude’s smile widened, and he lifted his head just in time for Keenan to slowly turn around and lock eyes with him from across the room.
"Get out." He didn’t speak loudly, but his voice carried across the room.
"You won’t speak to your gu—"
Claude held out his hand, and Hilbert held his tongue, but his eyes blazed as he stared at Keenan.
"Alaina," he called sweetly. "May I ask that we leave for the orphanage in half an hour? Is that enough time for you?"
Alaina blinked, a little startled that Claude had spoken to her directly and even called her by her name.
"Yes, Alpha Claude," she replied immediately, forgetting that she had been irritated moments before. "I shall come—"
"Hilbert and I will be waiting by the entrance of the house. Don’t be late," Claude said and stood to his feet.
"I will be right on time, Alpha Claude," Alaina replied immediately, but Claude had already turned his attention away from her.
Hilbert followed closely after his Alpha, his eyes locked on Keenan, who remained by the door, holding it open.
"Lady Maya," Claude called as he walked out. "My offer still stands."
Alaina’s gaze darkened, and her smile from speaking to Claude completely fell off. She twisted her fingers as she glared at his back, her mind spinning.
Claude got to the door and smiled in front of Keenan’s face before exiting the dining room. Hilbert passed a little too close to Keenan, almost brushing shoulders with him.
Maya sat as stiff as a rock, feeling Keenan’s gaze on her back before the doors closed. She twisted her fingers in her lap. She didn’t think it was possible for things to get worse, but somehow they had.
Claude seemed hell-bent on making things worse for her, and she didn’t understand his offers. She was certain there was no reason for him to have any interest in her. She wondered if his sole purpose was just to annoy Keenan.
She wrapped her arms around herself. She wished he wouldn’t drag her into his games. It was unsettling how easily he made her comfortable and uneasy at the same time.
She jerked as the door slammed shut. She turned to see that Keenan had left the dining room with Alpha Claude. She placed her palms on the ground and pushed herself upward. She couldn’t leave yet, but at least she could stop sitting on the ground.
"Who told you you could stand up?" Alaina shot at her.
Maya flinched as she met eyes with her. She instinctively took a step back as she recalled being chased the night before.
Winnie gave her a sympathetic look, but Maya didn’t welcome it this time. She knew Alaina spoke for all of them. Just because Winnie didn’t act like Alaina did didn’t mean she thought differently of her.
They all saw her as nothing more than the High Alpha’s daughter and the one who had tortured their Alpha.
Maya didn’t see it coming. She was too preoccupied with Winnie looking at her.
The water was cold as it hit her face. It got into her hair immediately, pouring down the front of her dress and dripping down. She shut her eyes, but it was too late; the water had hit her square in the face, getting into her nostrils and mouth.
She heard shocked gasps just before Alaina started to speak.
"Throwing yourself at a man who doesn’t want you, and now you go after Alpha Claude too?!" Alaina laughed. "This is exactly what you deserve for everything you’ve done. Do you really think you can escape your fate? If Alpha Keenan won’t do it, I will!"
Maya wasn’t listening as she took a step back, wiping at her eyes. The water stung a little—a lot—and it was hard to see through. She could tell her eyes were red, and she was fighting the urge to sneeze at the water that had gotten up her nostrils.
She staggered toward the door. It was still too early, but it was too dangerous to stay here. Alaina would attack her, and no one would stop her.
She was only a step away when a loud sound echoed in the room—but it didn’t compare to the pain at the back of her head as the metal jug Alaina threw made contact.
"Alaina," Theo called.
"What?! You know she deserves that and much more. This is not close to what she did to the Alpha. Don’t forget what we suffered and lost at their hands."
Maya picked up speed immediately, her hand shaking as she reached for the handle. It was broken, and it took her a minute to struggle to open it. All the while, her heart pounded in her chest as she feared Alaina would come after her.
Theo didn’t say anything after that, and she understood the message. After all, it was something she already knew.
She opened the door and ran out into the corridor. She didn’t have the heart to check if Alaina was after her or not; all she wanted to do was get to the confines of her room.
She scrambled up the stairs, feeling the water drip all over her. The back of her head stung but she concentrated on getting to her room. She nearly tripped but held onto the handrail just in time.
She got to the top of the stairs and saw a pair of dark brown boots—but she saw them a fraction too late and slammed right into him again.
The familiar scent hit her a second before she looked up.
