Chapter 52: THE VASE
DANE’S POV
The empty house I found for Vanessa was on the north side of the estate.
It was a decent size, good light, far enough from the main mansion to give everyone breathing room but close enough that Callum could keep her in view.
I reported back to him in the sitting room.
"North residential." I reported. "Second house on the left. It needs clearing out, there’s some storage that accumulated over the winter. I can have the maids on it first thing tomorrow."
Callum was at his desk, papers in front of him that he wasn’t reading. He looked up. "Tomorrow is fine." He said. "She can stay in the guest wing tonight."
"I’ll let her know." I said.
I left and found Vanessa in the main sitting room of the mansion.
She was standing in the middle of it looking around with an expression I didn’t like. The way she stared at it let me know that she didn’t like it. But we weren’t giving it to her for comfort. It was to keep an eye on her.
She turned when she heard me come in. "Ah." She said warmly. "The Beta."
"Your accommodations will be ready tomorrow." I said. "Tonight you’ll have the east guest room."
"Oh." She looked slightly around the room again. "I was rather hoping to stay in the main house for the duration actually. It would make everything so much more—" She searched for the word. "Integrated."
"The guest room is in the main house." I said.
"Yes but—" She smiled. "I meant more centrally. Closer to the Alpha’s quarters. It makes more sense if we’re getting to know each other properly, doesn’t it?"
"The east guest room." I said again, a frown pulling at my lips. "A maid will show you up."
She looked at me for a moment, sensing the way I looked at her and the warmth dimmed slightly. "You don’t like me." She pointed out.
"I don’t know you." I replied.
"But you’ve already decided." She tilted her head. "That’s interesting. I would have thought the Beta would be more measured in his judgements."
"I’m measured." I said. "That’s why I haven’t said anything I’d regret."
She studied me. "You’re protective of him." She smiled. "The Alpha. Very." A pause. "And of others on this estate apparently."
I said nothing.
There was no need to answer any of her questions. She could remain clueless for all I wanted.
She smiled again. "I’m going to be the Luna of this pack." She said pleasantly. "It would be better for everyone if we started on good terms."
"Then start by being exactly who you presented yourself as today." I tucked my hands into my pockets. "And we’ll have no problems."
I called the maid and left her there.
I found Callum back at his desk when I returned. I told him about the exchange and he listened without looking up from the papers.
"She’s testing edges." He muttered. "Seeing what she can push."
"She mentioned being closer to your quarters." I said.
He looked up at that.
"I shut it down." I quickly told him.
He nodded slowly. "Keep watching her." He said. "Everything she asks for. Everyone she speaks to. I want to know."
"Already on it." I said.
I patrolled around overnight.
The estate was quiet and the grounds were cold.
As I walked the rotation, I thought about Riven on the path outside Keisha’s house with that look in his eyes. That very interesting comment he had made. He had filed away something about me and Callum in his head.
He had seen something. I didn’t know how much. But he had seen something.
I finished the rotation just before dawn and went back to my quarters and slept for five hours.
When I woke up, I woke up to three messages from the overnight watch with nothing significant to report and one from Callum that said simply that he had talked to her last night. She’s okay.
He had ended up going to her house. And she was fine. That was good.
I exhaled slowly and put the phone down and got up.
The maids were already at Vanessa’s new accommodations when I arrived. I walked through the space with them and told them what needed moving, what needed cleaning, what needed to be brought over from the storage rooms and they worked quickly and efficiently and by midday the place was ready.
I escorted Vanessa over myself.
She walked through the rooms with that expression on her face like all this was beneath her. She kept asking questions about what she was allowed to do. Then she asked about the things she could request too.
"Within reason." I said to the last one.
She smiled. "Of course."
A car arrived while I was still there. A long dark one that pulled up on the estate path and two staff members began unloading luggage. A lot of luggage. More than someone brought for a temporary stay.
I looked at the cases and looked at Vanessa.
"You’re not here forever right now. What is all this for?"
She caught my expression. "I like to be comfortable." She said simply.
She went inside to direct where everything should go while I stood on the path and counted cases.
This was ridiculous. What could she possibly need this many for?
Keeping enemies closer. That was what Callum had said.
I knew the tactic.
I just hoped it worked the way he was counting on it working because the alternative where Vanessa settled into this estate with her luggage fully and never left was something that didn’t sit well with me.
Definitely not something I wanted.
I made sure Vanessa was settled, before I went back to my own house, made coffee and sat down and looked at the wall.
Keisha was okay.
Vanessa was controlled and under our watchful eyes.
And I was fine. Or at least I tried to say I was.
But Riven? Riven saw something he shouldn’t have. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
