Chapter 71: Ignoring
"Well, it’s not my place to tell you," Claude said and pushed open the dining room doors.
"Tell me?" Maya asked with a frown, but her question was drowned out by the sound of the doors opening.
"Alpha Claude!" Alaina squealed as soon as Claude appeared. She had a bright smile on her face and looked as if she might get out of her seat.
Hilbert stood to his feet and bowed to his Alpha despite seeing him only moments before. He had an intense expression as he looked from Claude to Maya, which remained ntil he returned to his seat.
The Alpha walked forward, putting distance between him and Maya. She trailed after him, reaching her seat just as Alaina started to ask him several questions.
"How was your night, Alpha Claude? Perhaps we shall head to the beach once more today? The sun is high in the sky, and the weather is just perfect."
Maya frowned slightly at her comment about the weather. She could tell it was about to rain. The sky did look clear, but she was certain it would rain today.
Alpha Claude didn’t look in her direction as he sat, but Alaina was undeterred and kept speaking. She slightly nudged Theo, who had no choice but to nod along with her conversation.
Maya quietly took her seat as she noticed the air around the table. Winnie had her gaze down as usual while Alaina leaned into Theo. Keenan was acting a little odd; he didn’t glance at her. She adjusted in her seat, feeling gravely uncomfortable.
He had seen her with Claude, yet he didn’t bat an eyelid, and now he was ignoring her. Did this pertain to what had happened the night before?
"The meeting is in three days," Claude announced, interrupting Alaina’s monologue.
Meeting? Maya internally asked.
"Alpha Keenan, you will be attending, right?" Alaina questioned.
"Shouldn’t you be on your way to your territory, then?" Keenan asked Claude without looking up.
Hilbert loudly cut into his food but didn’t say anything about Keenan’s comment.
"Perhaps," Claude replied with a smirk. "I figured it would be better to go from here. Returning to Grendale and then back to the capital will be too hectic. It will be easier to go from here."
Claude watched Keenan closely as he spoke, but the younger Alpha simply shrugged and kept his eyes locked on his food.
"Will you be returning to Verlassen after the meeting?" Alaina asked.
Keenan stopped chewing at her question as he raised his head, but almost immediately, he returned to eating, ignoring both Alaina and Claude.
"I would love to, but your Alpha can’t wait to throw me out of his territory."
"Alpha Keenan, I am sure you can make an exception," she muttered with a bright smile. "Even the children at the orphanage love Alpha Claude."
No response.
"Worry not, Alaina. Even if I can’t come here, you’re always welcome in Grendale."
"Really? Alpha Claude! Thank you for the invitation." She grinned, looking very proud of herself and around the table for acknowledgement.
Maya adjusted in her seat as Alaina’s gaze fell on her. There was a condescending look in her eyes. She didn’t meet Alaina’s gaze and just concentrated on her food.
Suddenly, Keenan stood to his feet, only about halfway through his breakfast, and started toward the exit without saying a word.
"Alpha Keenan," Alaina squealed. "Is something wrong with the Alpha?" She asked Theo as the door shut.
Theo shook his head. "I don’t think so."
Alaina narrowed her eyes and glared at Maya. "It’s unlike Alpha Keenan to leave without finishing his breakfast. He must be stressed about the coming meeting."
As she spoke, Alaina looked at her, and Maya could hear the clear accusations in her voice. Did the meeting have something to do with her?
"Who is to tell what the High Alpha—"
Claude stood up and gestured to his bodyguard, who was quick to go after him.
"Alpha Claude," Alaina called out with a smile as he walked to the door. "If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to send for me." She was still smiling until the doors shut.
Maya fiddled with the food on her plate. She didn’t have much of an appetite, and it had been clear that Keenan did not care if she ate or not.
Was he stressed because of the meeting or the encounter from last night? There were too many things she didn’t know and no one to ask.
Alaina had mentioned the High Alpha. Did her father plan this meeting? Just what was going on?
"Haven’t you gotten comfortable?" Alaina’s voice echoed in the dining room.
Maya jerked out of her thoughts, and her grip on her cutlery tightened. She had been complacent. Alaina had ignored her for the past two days, and she thought it would remain the same.
"I am sure you thought you bought Alpha Claude, but he won’t even look at you, and he invited me to Grendale, not you. Sleeping in Alpha Keenan’s bedroom must have given you some confidence, but we all know you’re not his mate, and you’ll never be. The marriage isn’t even—"
"Alaina," Winnie suddenly blurted out. "Can you make a decision for me?"
"What? You don’t have to interrupt me to tell me that."
"I apologize, but we need the ceramics decided today. You have to approve it before I tell Alpha Keenan which to send out of Verlassen," she explained.
Maya didn’t hesitate. She stood up from the table and immediately exited the room, feeling Alaina’s glare on her back.
Perhaps because she knew the marriage was real, Alaina’s jab didn’t hurt as much as it usually would. Neither did her comment about Alpha Claude. She would truly rather not have anything to do with him. He made things worse for her.
She wondered if Winnie had interrupted her sister to help her. As much as she wanted to believe that, it wouldn’t change anything. She groggily made her way to her bedroom at the far end of the house.
