"Don't crucify me, Katherina. I told you that was a necessary lie."
"Tell me how necessary it was. Explain. You promised to."
"Let's finish eating."
After that was silence. The only sound heard were forks or knives hitting plates. Soon, I was filled and could not stomach any more. My tray still harbored food. Baron's tray was empty, he pulled mine closer to him and ate whatever was left of it too. I gawked, my eyes shooting out of their sockets in pure astonishment. Did he just finish a whole tray of food and some of mine too? Why the hell? And he did not look overfed neither was he struggling to breath. He was perfectly normal.
"You are a certified glutton Baron."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
My gaze reflexively wandered to his stomach, it was still flat. Not a single evidence that he swallowed that huge amount of food. "Does your stomach hurt?"
"Why should it hurt? What did I eat? Knives or rocks?"
"You ate that much food Baron. Your stomach should hurt in the very least."
"Why? You want it to hurt because I ate delicious meals?" He questioned, his brows quirked amusingly.
"I will never understand you gluttons."
"Food is good. Eat as much as you can."
"Hm. This is never going away from my memory anytime soon."
"Good. Because I want you to remember it and remember what I said about food and get eating too."
As though on cue, Melissa and the other girl came in after they had knocked.
"The Luna sent us to know if you're done eating and if you'd like anything else."
Melissa was the one who'd spoken. She was referring to both of us but had her gaze only on Baron.
"A cup of coffee or maybe a bottle of whiskey."
"What?!" She stared incredulously at his casual countenance. I turned to Melissa and the second maid. "You will bring him nothing. Just come get the trays, thank you."
"But those are not food. They're just the kind of drinks suitable after eating." Baron explained.
But I was having none of it. "No sire. You are not having anything else. You've taken water and that should be enough."
"We could…"
"No, thank you very much. Not interested and you are not too."
He stared pointedly at me, a brow was arched in disbelief. But I was not going to let what he did or said change my words. He was not going to have any other thing till breakfast the next day. "Well, you both heard her, forget the coffee or the whiskey."
"Yes your Highness." Both girls bowed.
"You sure have some spine there." He commented after the girls were gone.
"Someone had to stop you from commiting food-suicide."
He chuckled. "Is that a word or you made that up?"
I shrugged, a smile coming into my face. "It's a word I made up."
He let out a full laugh. "I see what you did there. Clever."
"I try my best." I laughed.
"How's your back?"
"Doesn't hurt much, maybe because it has not come in contact with anything." I gingerly reached out a hand across my back to touch it. I quickly removed my hand wincing slightly. "Still hurts. Did you dig your wolf's claws deep?"
"No, I didn't. It was just a surface scratch. Sorry it hurts that much." His apology was sincere and I could not be annoyed even if I wanted to.
"So at least tell me why the lie and scratch was necessary."
Making himself more comfortable, he began. "If your mom had known the truth, there was no stopping her from telling the Alpha."
"But wouldn't that be nice? At least, with his influence, we'd find the culprit quicker."
"Except it is not going to happen as you've mentally thought it. Dad was definitely going to ask the boys and they are already believing you did it. So hear them unanimously agree that the phone was found inside your bag and a strong conviction that you had something to do with it." His expression turned serious when he faced me. "Dad will begin to doubt you. If it was probably one of the boys saying it, he might not believe but all four of them against you, you don't stand a chance. Remember he doesn't know you that well yet, you're still new. And it is because he loves your mom, that's why he won't punish you but he'd become wary of you. The seeds of doubt have been planted Katherina. That's worse."
I was speechless. He had a point, a very strong point. Why should the Alpha believe me when his four sons are saying the same thing? And Baron was also right, he did not know me that much yet. Yes, he was good and kind to me. Gave me every comfort available. Bought me a new car and phone. Changed my wardrobe frequently but he was yet to know me as a person. That was truly worse, just as Baron said. If David ever had reasons to begin to doubt me then he would never really view me in a good light.
"How did you know?"
"Speaking from experience." He shrugged.
"But he's your father."
"I'm the black sheep of the family. The mischief maker. He has his own opinions of me too." For a moment there, I thought I saw hurt darken his pupils but it was gone before I could make anything of it.
"You're a great black sheep." I punched him, trying to lighten his mood that had gone sour.
He managed a small smile. "I don't even care anymore. Whatever he thinks of me, I don't care."
I knew what he said but for some reason, I did not believe him. Anyone in his shoes would be hurt. "You now have a companion."
He looked at me questioningly.
"Two black sheep in the family. You're the trouble maker, I'm the alleged criminal who committed a crime never committed before in school."
He looked at me. "You're strange."