A Vacation?
948 Words
She looked around to see that she was walking past the dining room without acknowledging the queen, who was seated on the alpha consort’s lap while they fed each other.
Just beyond the table were the three bassinets that held their triplets. The babies Athena had almost lost.
“One more reason to skin Lance alive,” Lorraine thought, even as she berated herself for letting her thoughts take her mind off her surroundings.
“My queen.” She bowed slightly in greeting as she entered, acknowledging Raymond with a bow too.
“Join us,” Athena gestured to the spread of savoury breakfast in front of them.
Lorraine’s stomach growled because she had not eaten much at dinner the night before, while Logan’s gaze was pinned on her like a brand.
But sitting out here now meant risking him catching up with her and trying… whatever with her again.
“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I am actually not hungry yet. I will just get something later,” she responded hastily.
“Oh, okay then,” Athena replied, to Lorraine’s relief.
She was already turning away when Athena’s voice stopped her. “You know what you need, Lorraine?”
“What, my queen?” She turned back with a questioning look.
“A holiday”, Athena declared cheerily.
Even her stoic expression did not stop the surprise from showing on her face as she echoed, “A holi…?”
“Yes. Raymond and I were just talking about it. You’ve worked diligently all these years, Lorraine. Through the war and even after. Yet you’ve never taken a day off for yourself. It’s high time, don’t you think?”
Athena’s smile contrasted sharply with the strange feeling stirring within Lorraine. A feeling like she was no longer needed.
“But I don’t want a holiday,” she said tersely. Then she immediately schooled her tone when Athena’s smile dimmed slightly. “I mean, there is still a lot going on right now. Lance…”
“…will be dealt with. Just as the other things too. I don’t see why that should stop…”
“But I am your beta. My place is by you. I don’t… don’t make me take a holiday, my queen. I…”
“Oh, there you are.” Logan’s scent assaulted Lorraine’s nose even as his voice interrupted her.
Her hands curled into fists by her sides as she turned to him in frustration.
“Leave me alone,” she screamed at him in her head, but he barely glanced at her before turning back to Athena, a serious look on his face.
“Sorry for interrupting this, but…”
“Oh, he knows how to apologise,” Raymond, who had started off on the wrong footing with Logan, muttered just before he popped a grape into his mouth.
He grunted as Athena elbowed him lightly in the stomach, even as she smiled at Logan. “No, it’s fine. What’s going on?”
Ignoring Raymond’s taunt, Logan responded to Athena. “I need to leave, Athena.”
A hard thump hit Lorraine’s chest as she watched his lips move.
“Something’s come up in my pack.” His gaze darted to Lorraine, and she looked away.
Still, she could feel his lingering gaze on her as he continued, “I have to handle it.”
Athena immediately got off Raymond’s lap and came towards Logan, ignoring her mate’s grunt of displeasure as she asked, “I hope it’s nothing serious? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No.” Logan smiled. “This I must take care of.”
“Oh, alright then. You must leave at once. I will tell Greta and…”
“No, let them stay.” He shook his head, referring to the midwife and nanny who had handled Athena’s childbirth. “I saw her heading to the clinic earlier. I think she and your pack healer are getting along well.”
“True. Carmen mentioned learning from Greta’s experience. We don’t have resident midwives, so I suppose Greta’s traditional ways have been helpful these past days.”
“But she belongs in your pack. I can’t keep…”
“She can come later. Let her treat this as a kind of holiday.”
“Thank you,” Athena said with a fondness that made Raymond’s brows pucker. Then she suddenly beamed as she looked at Lorraine.
Lorraine was already dreading what she would say as Athena clapped her hands excitedly. “Speaking of holidays, Lorraine just got one. I think she has been on the clock for so long that she does not know what to do with free time.”
Something close to dread bloomed in Lorraine’s stomach as she saw the realisation, mingled with a blooming smile, spread across Logan’s face even before Athena declared, “This is perfect.”
“My queen, no… I can’t…”
“You might not even have so much free time on your hands, I think. Logan might need help with whatever he is going back to handle. You know how I rely on your skills in handling situations. Do this for me, okay?”
Lorraine felt like a trap had just shut on her when she looked from Logan’s barely concealed smile to Athena’s hopeful expression. “My queen, you know I can’t deny you anything, but…”
“Perfect. You are the best.” Athena kissed her cheek and turned to Logan. “You will want to leave immediately, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then get to it. Bye, Lorraine.” Athena waved airily, turning away from Lorraine in dismissal.
“My… I…”
- Writer
