Chapter 35 Off the Team
ELIJAH
Adriana’s words stung. But I tried to move past it.
It was probably my fault. I was being too forward and it made her uncomfortable. She had expressed how she didn’t want people to know that there was anything going on between us and I was doing too much.
I should have stuck with my resolution of waiting and getting to know her. The fact that she didn’t know that we were mates made things worse.
But I thought that with the new discovery of her wolf, things would be easier because she would come to understand that we were mates.
But she hadn’t spoken anything about it since that day.
Was it that she didn’t know or was she trying to pretend? Was she waiting for me to say something?
I heard the altercation between her and Hannah. What she said about Leo… that was what made me want to hear more.
But maybe I’d heard too much.
We were in the gardens, where she had shifted for the first time.
I’d eventually stopped people from coming here because even though they didn’t frequent it, I felt uncomfortable when I saw people in my personal space.
I liked to be able to come here at any time and know that it was empty.
I cleared my throat. “So what did you want to see me for?”
She looked up from the ground and briefly stared at me before returning her gaze.
“Oh, I have to apologize beforehand if you find this offensive because I don’t know if I’m in the right place to do this. I don’t think I am but I can’t sit back and do nothing.”
I was scared for a moment. What did she want to say that would be so serious?
“Okay, I’m listening.”
She took a deep breath and stepped back a foot from me.
“I got a report today, well, not a report per se but let’s just say someone told me that they were being mistreated.”
Mistreated?
“Who is it?”
“One of the maids. She says the head matron doesn’t treat them right and they can’t complain because then, they’ll just get punished more. They’re being overworked, having to wash the guards’ clothes after training and all that.”
This was all news to me.
“And since when did the maids have to wash the guards’ clothes? I thought the guards did that themselves?” I frowned.
“Apparently not.”
“That makes no sense. Every worker in this house is responsible for their own wellbeing. Thank you for telling me, Adriana.”
She nodded and we continued walking.
I’ll have to tell Hazel to look into it. If I got involved, it was going to be a big show and the whole point of being anonymous would be ruined.
Should I apologize now? She has been giving me signs that I made her uncomfortable and that she wasn’t interested in me.
Even if I didn’t see those, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I had heard her say that she wasn’t.
“I’m sorry.”
We were in front of an apple tree and she reached up to get one but she was too short so I helped her.
“Thank you. What are you apologising for?”
“For making you uncomfortable.”
She wiped it on her shirt and took a bite. Something about the simple act made a primal part of me hum in approval. It was so sexy watching her without any inhibition.
“What do you mean?”
Was she trying to torture me?
“Back then in the room, I was going too fast. I’m always around you and I feel like I’m doing too much. So I wanted to apologize.”
My ancestors would probably be turning in their grave right now. If my father heard or saw me doing this, he’d give me a slap.
“Is that what you think? Elijah, you don’t make me uncomfortable. I don’t—”
“You don’t have to lie. I heard you saying it.”
I wanted her to tell me that I’d heard wrong.
What the hell was wrong with me?
“It’s true that I said that,” Ouch “But I only said that to get Hannah off my back. I didn’t exactly mean it. She’s been bugging me a lot and people are beginning to think that there’s something going on between us.”
Wasn’t there?
“Oh. That’s okay then.”
I wanted to ask her if that meant that she was interested in me but she was walking again so I held my tongue.
By the time we went back inside, Leo was waiting for us. Maybe me actually, but as soon as he saw her, he forgot all about me and ran to her.
“Hey buddy. What’s going on?”
He showed her the new truck Hazel got him and I was basically forgotten. My mind flashed back to what she said about him.
She genuinely cared about him and it warmed my heart but I had to act like it didn’t.
“This is torture.”
“What?” I asked Ezra.
“You are torturing me. Why can’t you simply make a move and get this over with? You’re the only one who doesn’t know that you’re interested in her.”
He was wrong, she also couldn’t see it.
“Have you been oblivious to everything that’s been going on? I just had a conversation with her about this. Let’s just go back to the original plan, keeping it simple.”
It was going to be harder now that I’d kissed her. I wanted to do it again. On my way to bed last night, I’d stopped in front of her room, and was about to twist the handle when I stopped.
Hazel walked up to me as I watched them play.
“Seems like you’ve been kicked off the team. It’s fun to see.” She gloated, playfully punching my arm.
I rolled my eyes.
For once, I didn’t mind not being a part of the team. I’d been protective of him for so long since Liam died and it was time for him to be with other people.
Maybe it would help his speech. It would make me the happiest person on earth the day he started speaking.
“The crazy thing is, I don’t mind it one bit.“