Chapter 220: No One Sleeps Hungry Under My Roof

Zara

We got in the car and drove off in silence. Along the way, I stopped to buy a hidden camera detector. The salesman showed me how it worked.

Simply turn it on and swipe the screen; it beeps and points out any cameras within a hundred meters, no matter how small or hidden they might be.

Thanking him, I put the device in my bag and returned to the car.

We pulled up to his pack house. It felt like a suffocating prison, forcing me to take a deep breath. I needed to muster up the courage to endure it.

Asbela was waiting for me with her usual cheerful smile. "Welcome back! So glad you’re here. I’ve been feeling lonely again." She shrugged her shoulders and took off my coat.

I forced a smile back. I’d like to say I was glad to be back, but this place no longer held such meaning for me, and I was forced to stay here.

"Are you hungry? Shall I serve dinner, or will you wait until Alpha returns?" she asked as we climbed the stairs.

I had no intention of seeing him again. One meeting was enough, so I calmly told her so, hoping she wouldn’t suspect anything. "Actually, I’ve already eaten and am quite tired, so I’d like to go to bed and not be disturbed."

"Oh! Would you like me to draw you a warm bath?" she asked cheerfully, carrying my coat.

I shook my head. "No, I’ll just sleep. Thank you."

Opening the door, she walked inside with my things, and I simply stood there for a moment, hesitating to reenter the room.

After taking a few deep breaths, I finally entered and found the room exactly as I’d left it. The only thing that had changed was me and my perception of the owner of this place.

My eyes instinctively scanned for hidden cameras he might have installed to spy on me. Could he have done that? I’d already bought a device to check for such cameras and decided to do it before bed.

As soon as Asbela left, having put my things away, I closed the door and took out a small black device with a 5-centimeter screen. Turning it on, I placed it on the coffee table and waited with a tremor in my heart.

It beeped once and pointed to my bag, my cell phone camera, and my tablet. I waited a little longer, but it didn’t beep anymore.

Relief washed over me, but he could have removed it after I accused him. Or maybe he didn’t have it there at all.

Why did my heart justify him and Alpha’s disgusting behavior?

But my heart was torn with conflicting emotions. Taking my phone, I put it back in my purse and headed to the closet for a change of clothes.

Alpha had already filled it with all sorts of clothes for me. At first, his actions had seemed sweet, but now it simply angered me. Having chosen something of my own, I decided to go to the bathroom, change, and try to sleep.

The soft mattress was like a thorny vine, making my whole body ache. I couldn’t fall asleep under the soft blanket; sleep wouldn’t leave me.

The suffocating memories of our time together in this room were like a vine wrapping itself around my neck. How could I have been so naive?

Or maybe that’s just how love works. As the saying goes, love is blind, and in my case, it truly was. Hiding under the covers, I huddled, my knees touching my aching chest, longing for some semblance of peace and trying not to cry.

A tight knock on the door made me wonder who it could be. Maybe it was Asbela, back to ask if I needed anything.

Sliding out of bed, I walked to the door and swung it open.

Alpha stood there, a slight irritation on his forehead, and a plate of food. His passive expression was like still water, leaving no ripples.

He was still wearing his office clothes, which meant he was...He just got back and hadn’t even changed. His gaze dropped slightly before... His gaze settled on my face again.

So why was he here with a plate of food?

"You haven’t eaten dinner. No one goes to bed hungry under my roof," he said, like a tyrant, handing me the plate. His face betrayed nothing, only his eyes flickered with emotions too foreign to comprehend right now.

"I’ve eaten, you misunderstood," I snorted in response and tried to close the door, but he elegantly placed his foot in my way, stopping me.

My eyes flashed with anger, and he said calmly, "Lying doesn’t suit you."

***

Alpha Kane

I returned home with a headache. I desperately needed a cigarette.

Kaysir told me he’d safely brought Luna home. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about that. I needed her to be safe.

Mom called and said she’d visit me the next day. The timing was incredibly unfortunate. Given Zara’s situation, it could have turned out catastrophic.

I knew my cousin must have cried to her, telling her how I’d kicked her out of the pack house, and now she’d come and judge me.

Asbela was waiting for me when I entered the house. My first question was: "Has Luna eaten dinner?"

A slight look of confusion crossed Asbela’s face. "No, Alpha. She said she’d already eaten and was tired."

My biggest fear was that she’d start starving herself, and I’d be damned if I’d let that happen in my house.

She can be angry at me, yell at me, and hate me, but I won’t let her starve herself.

"Make me a plate. I’ll take it to her," I asked. Asbela took my coat and nodded quickly.

"Your dinner, Alpha?"

"Later, Asbela. First, get me something for Luna." My voice mixed irritation and urgency, causing her to leave quickly.

Olfi was behind me, so I turned and said to him, "Check the perimeter twice; I don’t want anyone lingering near my property." He blinked in understanding and left.

All my attempts to track down whoever was behind Luna were futile. But I swore to myself that once I found the culprit, it would be the last day they would breathe.