Chapter 114 Accusation
ADRIANA
“Something is wrong.”
I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t get stuck. Yara had a particular gift for finding storm clouds on the clearest days, and honestly, it was exhausting.
Why couldn’t she just sit in the peace when it came? Why did she always have to go looking for the crack in the wall?
“What are you talking about now? Just because we haven’t been running from one threat or another for a few days doesn’t mean something terrible is waiting around the corner. Can you not just enjoy the quiet?”
“You don’t understand.”
Of course I didn’t. I never did, apparently.
“Listen.” I pulled my blanket tighter around myself and stared at the ceiling. “Whatever it is, I trust that you’ll figure it out. I believe in you. But right now, I genuinely do not have the energy to face anything or anyone. For the first time in what feels like my entire life, I just want to exist without something trying to destroy me. Even if it’s only for two days. If the world is going to fall apart, I’m kindly asking it to wait.”
She went quiet after that. I breathed out slowly and let my eyes close again.
I hadn’t gotten out of bed once today. I’d woken up embarrassingly late and even after I opened my eyes, I drank a glass of water and simply went back to sleep. No guilt. No internal negotiation. I just went back.
The fact that no one had come knocking to drag me out of it felt like a genuine gift.
What did catch me off guard was that Leo hadn’t come either. That boy was usually my most reliable alarm clock, showing up at my door with his toy train in hand and those wide eyes that made it impossible to say no to anything.
Maybe Elijah had told him to leave me alone. That would be exactly like him, quietly making sure I got what I needed without making a production of it.
Or maybe Leo had come and I’d simply slept through it. But I wake up for Leo, always.
The clock on my bedside table read one in the afternoon.
My stomach growled before I could talk myself back into the pillow.
I lay there for another minute, genuinely debating whether food was a biological necessity or just a suggestion, and then finally, reluctantly, pushed myself upright.
I freshened up quickly and made my way downstairs.
I could hear pots moving around in the kitchen and quickened my pace. Then I stopped halfway down the hallway and cursed under my breath. I’d told myself I’d check on Leo on the way down. I’d completely forgotten.
I’d go find him after I ate.
“Is everything alright?” The maid looked up from the counter with a slight frown. She was the one I’d spoken to before.
“Yes, everything’s fine. I just remembered something I forgot to do.” I shook my head. “Have you seen Leo today?”
“Yes, ma’am. He came down for breakfast with the Alpha this morning. They ate together.”
So he had been up and moving. He just hadn’t come to find me. Which meant Elijah had definitely said something to him.
I filed that away and moved to the stove, setting a small pot of noodles on the burner and telling myself it would take five minutes at most.
“Please, let me help. You don’t need to do this yourself.”
“It’s fine, honestly. It’s just noodles.” I waved her off gently.
My thoughts drifted almost immediately to Elijah. The way the house felt different when he was somewhere in it versus when he wasn’t.
Wonder if I’d managed to become a real constant in his world or whether I was still something new and uncertain to him. I hoped it was the former. I wanted to be someone he could count on.
I was so far gone into my own head that I didn’t register the smell until the maid was already sliding the pot off the burner with a look of practiced patience.
“Oh god — I’m so sorry—”
“It’s perfectly fine.” She set the ruined noodles aside without a word of complaint. “Sit down. I’ll make eggs and bacon. Tea or coffee?”
I sat down at the kitchen counter feeling equal parts grateful and foolish.
“Tea, please.”
Ten minutes later I was at the dining table with a full plate in front of me and genuine warmth spreading through my chest. I had hot food. A quiet house. No one is screaming at me. It still caught me off guard sometimes, how different ordinary life could feel when it was actually safe.
“There you are. I was starting to think the Cult had finally gotten to you.”
The words landed before I could brace for them. My fork slipped against the plate with a sharp little clatter and my whole body went rigid.
“Hey.” Elijah’s hand was on my shoulder instantly. He’d crossed the room without me even hearing him. “I was joking. It was a bad joke. I’m sorry.”
I forced my shoulders to drop and manufactured a smile. It wasn’t very convincing and I knew it.
“You’re sure you’re alright?” His eyes moved over my face carefully.
“Yes. You just caught me off guard. That’s all.” I picked up my fork again. “How was your morning?”
He reached over without ceremony and stole a piece of bacon from my plate. I didn’t even bother objecting.
“Good. Leo and I came up to check on you earlier but you were still properly out, so we left you to it.” He chewed, looking unbothered and entirely too comfortable stealing my food. “He’s been asking about you though. He kept appearing at my office door like I was somehow hiding you in there.”
I smiled at that, a real one this time. “I’ll go find him after this.”
“How late did you sleep?”
“Later than I’m willing to admit.”
He laughed and it settled something in my chest that I hadn’t even realized was wound tight.
I was nearly through the plate when I noticed the shift in his expression. It was subtle, but I was learning to read him.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up with you.”
“There’s something I need to talk to you about too.”
We said at the same time.
He raised an eyebrow. “You first.”
“No, you.” I kept my voice light. “You brought it up first.”
He considered that for half a second, then let out a short breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Fair enough.”
But even as I said it, I was already turning the other thing over in my mind. Luke. The fact that Elijah had given him a position here without telling me. I needed to understand why, and I needed him to know I’d noticed. I just hadn’t figured out yet how to say it without it sounding like an accusation.