Chapter 62: Traitorous Heart
Keenan heard the hurried footsteps as he walked toward the stairs. He had accompanied Claude to his room—he didn’t need to do that, but he had mostly done it out of spite and to limit their interactions.
Claude had complained the whole way, and Keenan had ignored him but didn’t leave his side until the Alpha was in his room. He made sure of that.
Hilbert on the other hand, didn’t have any issues showing his disapproval and glared at him the whole way, but Keenan had little to fear from the mad dog.
He was annoyed that this was the only thing he could do in retaliation. He would have to find a way to get rid of Claude, or else he risked having to deal with this for the coming days.
He knew he didn’t have the patience Claude had. He would lose it before Claude gave up; he had to prevent that.
Keenan got to the top of the stairs just as she appeared, and her head slammed into his chest for the third time. He was counting.
Wet?
Keenan frowned and looked down just as she jumped away, having realized what she had done. His hand moved before he thought about it, catching her by the small of her waist.
"Tch!"
He should have let her fall, even if it meant she would tumble down the stairs. But now that his hand had moved without his control, he couldn’t let go.
"What are you doing?" He asked darkly. He was irritated. He didn’t like the pleasant feeling in his hand as he touched her.
She flinched, leaning back as much as her waist would allow. His hand was the only thing stopping her from rolling down the stairs, and even in this condition, she was leaning as far back as she possibly could.
"I am so sorry, A-Alpha Keenan," she cried and tried to get out of his grip.
His brows furrowed as he took in her appearance. Her hair was wet, and so was the front of her dress. The wet fabric clung tightly to her body, and Keenan watched a drop of water trickle between her—
"I asked you a question," he said harshly and forced his gaze back up to her face.
He should let go of her, put some distance between them, but she was wiggling in his hands at risk of falling again when he had just saved her.
Her lower lip quivered. "I-I am sorry. I-I d-didn’t see you there."
She was apologizing again, and the corners of her eyes shrank as though she was trying to hold back her tears. Her wet hair was glued to her forehead and down the side of her face.
This was no accident. She was drenched to the skin. Since it wasn’t raining, it was easy to come to a conclusion. He shouldn’t ask. He didn’t care that she was dripping wet. He shouldn’t take pity on her because she had such a good act.
Keenan stepped back, pulling her away from the stairs, then he dropped his hand. He could still feel her on his arm even though his hand was by his side. He brushed past her and walked down the stairs without looking back.
Maya wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him walk down the stairs. She didn’t want him to look back, but at the same time, she hoped he would glance just slightly at her with a different look in his gaze.
She could imagine how she looked, and she wondered if he could guess what had happened. She shook her head and forced herself to walk to her room. She should be grateful it hadn’t escalated.
She had bumped into him, her drenched head had hit his chest leaving a wet mark, and he had caught her. She had been standing at the edge of the stairs; if his hand had not reached out to her, she would have fallen.
She tried to ignore the warmth lingering at her waist as she made her way to her bedroom. It made no sense. He was terrifying. He was cruel. He frightened her more than anyone else in this house.
Yet every time he reached for her instead of letting her fall, her traitorous heart softened.
---
Claude walked to the front door with his trusty black-haired bodyguard behind him. He was dressed differently from breakfast. He wore loose pants with his boots, a hip-length loose tunic with a scarf tied around his waist.
His curls glimmered as he stepped out the door and into the morning light, his chartreuse eyes blinking rapidly to adjust to the bright glare of the hot sun.
Alaina was already waiting with Theo beside her. She was dressed in a colored dress that was extravagant for the occasion. Her straight hair fell over her shoulders, and her brown eyes had a dark glint to them.
She broke into a smile as soon as Claude appeared. "Alpha Claude," she was quick to say, offering him a bow.
Theo bowed without saying a word, but his eyes were sharp and his expression tense.
"Alaina," Claude called casually. He smiled as she lifted her gaze to look at him, the sun hitting him just right.
"The orphanage is only a short walk from here. Would you like to ride a horse?" She was equally smiling at him, eager to be of help.
"No," Claude replied. "You can show me around town as we walk. I have been looking for a tour guide, but unfortunately, your Alpha is too busy to give me one."
"It will be my pleasure," Alaina said as she walked down the stairs.
"Really?" Claude asked with exaggerated glee. "May I ask how long you have been in Verlassen?"
"All my life, Alpha Claude."
"You never left?" He asked with a little bit of shock.
"I don’t know if you know this already, but we were all in the same orphanage," she announced with pride. "I have known Alpha Keenan since I was a wee thing."
Theo stood a step behind, watching them. His eyes scanned from one to another. He felt a certain unease he couldn’t explain.
