Chapter 10

Killian:

I walked inside the suite as Liana was walking out of it. 

She smiled and nodded at me, and I returned the nod, giving her a quick smile before turning to the maids who were with her. Her eyes hardened as she turned to look at them, her expression was one filled with authority, reminding them of their places in front of their Alpha, and her position as their headmistress. 

They all lowered their gazes at the sight of me, and I nodded at them to leave before going inside. 

The day was long enough as it was, and I had to admit, the number of things that I still needed to tend to for the week gave me a headache, especially since I knew that I would need to get them done before the auctions started next month. 

The number of people who were coming required me to be attentive, forcing them to keep in mind that there was one Pakhan in the area, and I wasn’t planning on sharing my grounds with anyone else. The likes of Elton were plenty, and the Bernardi family who were gathering for the wedding tomorrow didn’t make things any easier, but I knew that I would be able to tend to them. The message was already delivered, and Elton would know better than to try and challenge me when I have said a word.

That was of course, unless he wanted a war of dons, and knowing the coward, that would be the last thing that he would want to do. 

I reached Eleanor’s bedroom door. It was the one in front of mine, and frowned at the fact that my wolf grew somewhat interested in her scent. The fact that he was never one to interact with any of the other women that I have been around was the reason behind my confusion, but then again, I couldn’t help but wonder who that woman was and where she really came from to begin with.

I could hear Eleanor inside the room as she fumbled around, most probably her clothes. The smell of soap and shampoo filled my nostrils as I stood outside for a second.

I knocked on the door, respecting the fact that she could have been indecent, not that she would have anything that I hadn’t seen before anyway. But I wasn’t raised a dog, if anything, I knew to respect a woman and her boundaries. She stopped moving around for a second before walking towards the door and opening it. 

Her heart raced against her ribcage, and for a second, I saw fear in her green eyes. I frowned at the fact but she was quick to compose herself as she lowered her gaze to the ground, not looking me in the eye, probably fearing my reaction. 

“I take it that you have settled in?” I asked, looking at the tidy room. The closet was wide open and the dresses that the maids brought her were mostly hung already, the others were still on the bed as she worked on them. Well, to say the least, it explained what she was doing in the room to begin with.

“Almost, I am just getting the last of these dresses and I will be done and ready.” She said shyly, and I nodded. I studied her body language for a while, trying to catch a familiar scent, anything that would make me understand the reason behind my curious wolf’s behavior. But so far, nothing seemed to make sense. 

“How are your knees?” I asked, looking down at them. Both knees were covered with the bandages, and despite the layers of cotton pads that I could see under the bandage itself, I could tell that they were already soaked and smudged with blood. She wore a black dress, reaching her knees, but no apron, knowing that she wasn’t on duty. I knew that it would only be a while before she was able to get herself new clothes to be able to wear at times like this, but for now, she was to settle for the dresses that we provided. 

That would be something to give her the sense of responsibility and care to tend to whatever duty she was assigned. To say the least, she would know that she was working for the money that she got, and I wasn’t the type to take anyone’s money. I gave it, I didn’t need to take it.

“They are good, the nurses and doctor took care of it, cleaned it and bandaged it. Thank you for asking, Alpha,” She said, looking down at her feet, avoiding my eyes. I took a slow step toward her and put my finger under her chin, raising it, making her look me in the eye. Sparks coursed through my body and I frowned studying her expression. Her own eyes softened for a second before she shook her head. 

“What is your story, malyshka?” baby girl. I asked, voicing out my thoughts. She frowned in confusion but didn’t say a word to respond, not that I expected her to. I removed my finger and took a step back. “You need to sit and rest. You start working tomorrow, and I do expect that Liana has given you the instructions that you need to know.”

“Yes, she has, Alpha. And you needn’t worry, I will not disappoint.” She said, giving me a quick smile. I looked at her and nodded in response, knowing that she was doing her best to hold her composure. Her fearful manner was something that I easily read, and though I didn’t understand the reason behind it, I did intend to find out what it was.

“That is for me to decide, and I do hope that you keep in mind that I do not tolerate mistakes.” I said before taking a step back to walk out of her room. She didn’t respond as she looked down at her feet, and it wasn’t until I closed the door that I heard her releasing a breath that she was holding.

“We’ll find out what your story is, malyshka.” I said, walking to my room. “Only time will tell what it is anyway…”