~Brielle
I can’t tell if Noah is being helpful, or warning me.
He looks deadly serious, the expression of amusement and curiosity now long vanished. I have a feeling that if I retaliate, and do the opposite of his advice, I might see another side of Noah that I don’t want to. All he has done is confirm in my mind that Ren is hiding something from us all. And I want to find out what it is.
“Shouldn’t it be considered unfair that my boss is hiding something from his staff?” I question, hoping he would feel so kind of sympathy for me. “Especially for me, being in a higher position in his staff roster.”
Noah shrugs, opening the fridge to pull out a chilled bottle of water. “He’s the Alpha. He doesn’t owe you anything.
With that coming from an Alpha, it’s especially a kick in the guts.
He’s right though. Here I am thinking Ren should tell me his entire life story when I’ve been only working for him for a small amount of time. Regardless, I’m still curious as to what is going on, and I doubt I’ll be able to sleep at night without considering it first. All I know, is it has to be a big enough of a secret that no one wants to utter anything in relation to it.
Noah walks to the exit of the kitchen just as Ren comes to the doorway. They pass each other with a warm smile and a morning greeting. Noah looks back at me, one last glance a heavy warning before he walks out the room.
“Good morning Brielle,” Ren says once Noah had departed. “Thought we could talk.”
Oh great. I know what that means. I saw too much and now he is going to fire me before I can ask any more questions. I should have kept this to myself instead of confiding in someone like Mabel. I assume she went to all the other girls and whispered in their ears about how I witnessed the demon side of Ren.
“Sure, I have time,” I say uneasily, wishing I had an excuse to get out of this room. I have to face this at some point, though.
“I heard from a few people that some things I said to you last night offended you.”
Here we go. As he walks into the room, I try look as casual as possible. It doesn’t seem to be working, with the dripping tap behind me that has soaked the cuffs of my shirt. He doesn’t get too close, giving me enough room to think.
“I wouldn’t say offended me,” I tell him carefully. Yes, him stating that because I worked for him I belonged to him made me uncomfortable, I can’t say I was offended.
His gaze is intense, leaving me no room to slip up. “I want to know exactly what I said that upset you.”
I’m surprised he hasn’t figured that out himself.
How can I tell him that it wasn’t only his words that made me anxious. In fact, his words mean next to nothing to me. It was the way he looked at me, the way his voice seemed off, his eyes, even the way he stood. None of it makes sense as to why, and I’m hoping Ren might tell me something.
“I promise I wasn’t in Alpha Isaiah’s room for any other suspicious reason,” I tell him firmly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
He looks startled for a moment. “You were in Isaiah’s room? I mean, why?”
“I told you last night. I was getting him a glass of water. One of the girls on post for his room fell asleep, so I thought I would cover her until the next shift. When he called me for water I felt obliged. That was the only reason, I swear,” I tell him, hoping to convince him since this is utterly true. Although I do leave out the fact he embarrassed me beyond belief, which was why my cheeks were so flushed.
“Right, sorry,” he says, running his hand back through his hair. I can’t help but notice he looks troubled. “I had a rough night last night.”
Frankly, he looks better than he did last night. He smells sweet and fresh rather than musky. His hair is back to its perfect state, and he’s speaking in a lighter, clearly tone that is beautiful educated. He even seems to be dressed in his normal state, as if last night never was a thing.
“Is everything okay, Alpha?”
When he looks at me, he seems torn. Torn between being honest and telling a lie. It seems he is struggling with trusting me, which I don’t blame him for. I’m just a girl who works for him, who once tried to undress for him.
“I just wanted to make sure I didn’t say anything off to you,” he says. “If I did, you can tell me. I’d be much happier knowing.”
Leaning back against the bench, I rake my mind for the strangest moment that comes to mind. One in particular does, and I realised it since the moment Ren walked into the kitchen this morning.
“Last night you forgot my name. And then this morning, miraculously, you remembered it again,” I remind him, to which his eyes slightly narrow. I’m quick to fix myself. “I’m not saying you should remember my name or anything. I just think it’s odd that you asked for my name last night and then remembered it again now.”
It takes Ren a moment to answer, collecting his thoughts.
“I didn’t mean to alarm you. Shall we put this behind us and continue on with your day?” Ren asks. Without giving me any time to agree or question him more, he continues. “The Alpha’s aren’t convening for another meeting until tonight. I was wondering if you would like me to show you more of the grounds.”
I’m surprised at his offering. I’m also curious as to why he wanted to offer that to me. Maybe it’s his way of trying to apologise for what happened last night. And to also keep me quiet.
He seems to notice my skepticism. “Since you have an important role here, I assume you want to know the whole grounds in case anything were to happen outside of the manor.
Of course. That makes sense.
“I think that would be a good idea,” I answer. A chance to not only see the grounds and get outside, but also a chance to maybe understand Ren a little more. See why he thinks last night happened, if he is willing to be honest.
And if I’m not so scared about Noah’s warning. He would know better than me.
“Meet me at the front door after lunch. The sun will be the brightest then, so we can see everything,” Ren tells me, lingering for a few moments longer before giving me a short smile, backing away to leave.
I watch him go, unsure of what to think, but knowing I have to go. There really is no other option considering he’s my Alpha and he told me my order. It’s just Noah’s warning echoes in my head, plaguing my thoughts. Nothing is wrong with him, I’m just reading into this too much with the help of Mabel and Noah.
Speaking of the devil, the moment I uttered her name in my mind, Mabel peeked out from the doorway, stepping quickly into the kitchen.
I gape at her. “Were you listening?”
She steps into the room, and expression of what I can only describe as evil cunning on her face. How much of that conversation was she listening to? The moment she comes closer I attempt to cover my red cheeks behind the collar of my shirt, but to no avail.
“Only a little,” she says, coming to lean against the nearest bench. “So what’s this going on between you and the Alpha? If you ask me, he’s definitely hiding something.”
“Well no one did ask you,” I tell her firmly. “I can’t believe you listened. If he knew you could have gotten in big trouble.”
Mabel rolls her eyes at me, walking past to get something from the fridge. She knows she not allowed to considering this is for guests only. Regardless, she pulls a bottle of water and cracks open the lid, taking a generous gulp. I watch her, unsure if I can trust her with the information she just heard. Surely she will tell more of the girls late tonight.
“He sees something in you. Maybe it’s that body of yours, but he wants you. Or the brain in your head. Or how organised you are. Not many can relate,” Mabel tells me, wiping a droplet off her lip.
“Our Alpha doesn’t see anything in me,” I scold. “Nothing.
“Sure.”
My glare on Mabel only increases. I can’t tell if she is being honest or pulling at my patience. She doesn’t look as if she’s mocking me, which is something to behold. Either way, what goes on between Ren and I is perfectly platonic.
Mabel notices my expression. “I’m not lying. The way he looks at you. I know you’re not born yesterday, Brielle.”
She winks as me as she walks out of the kitchen, leaving me to wonder how truthful her words are.