THE ALMEGA'S TWISTED OBSESSION

Chapter 9

Kael waited for some seconds, watching her, the hallway silent around them, while she stared at the floor for a long, careful second, thinking it through.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea," she thought, then raised her head and nodded once, slowly.

Right after, her mouth opened as if she wanted to argue but Kael lifted a finger, stopping her from saying whatever she was about to say.

Morvienne closed her lips and swallowed hard as her eyes immediately flicked down to her feet, then back up to him hesitantly.

"Now that we have that settled," he continued, checking the time on his watch. "I have to leave."

"What about breakfast?" She blurted as he started walking towards the stairs, surprising herself with the smallness of the question.

"I have something very urgent to attend to," he replied without looking back, his tone flat and final. "I'll skip it today, but you can go down to the dining hall now that you are well enough and have yours."

"Okay," she said to herself and nodded.

Suddenly a thought came to her and she quickly followed after him. "Wait—" she called, going down the stairs hurriedly as she tried catching up with him.

"You can tell me later," Kael said, not stopping, and not looking back either.

Still, Morvienne picked up her pace. She was almost close to him, but just as she reached the last few steps, her foot missed one and her balance slipped before she could even grab the railing.

"Ah!" A small gasp escaped her as she stumbled forward, but before she could hit the floor, Kael turned sharply, faster than she had expected and caught her under the elbow and at the small of her back.

The motion was clean, no drama, no delay, although it was close. So close that the heat from his body pressed through the fabric of her dress.

With her heart pounding so fast in her chest, she froze in his hold, lips parted and eyes wide, while his hand tightened a bit, their faces inches apart.

Morvienne could see the small lines at the corner of his eyes, the slow inhale through his nostrils and the way his jaw shifted as if he was deciding how to handle the moment.

Neither of them moved away, they just stayed there, staring into each other's faces as the whole place around them grew quieter with just their scent mingling together. And then, Kael slowly let go of her, his hands falling back to his sides after he was sure she could stand on her own.

"What is it this time?" he asked calmly, a hint of curiosity laced in his tone as Morvienne had to remind herself to breathe properly again after how his touch made her feel.

"Sorry," she blinked, her voice small. "I just wanted to let you know that I have no clothes. And it wouldn't look nice if I keep borrowing the maid's. What if I finish all her clothes?"

Hearing this, the corners of his mouth twitched and he had to look away briefly to stop the laugh that was threatening to slip out. And in an instant, his expression was back to neutral and he turned back to look at her.

"I'll figure that out," he said. "For now, just relax your mind and feel at home. You are also welcome to step outside and take some fresh air. I can tell you have been feeling quite bored staying in your room all day. And if you need anything, you can ask the maids."

"If that's all," he said after a very short pause," I have to leave."

"That's all," Morvienne nodded slowly. "Have a good day."

"Thank you," Kael responded and gave her one last look, before turning and leaving.

As he left, Morvienne stood there, watching him. He looked really good even from behind, the black shirt he wore fitting him perfectly.

She found herself staring longer than she had meant to, before finally exhaling and turning away too. But as she turned, she caught movement from the corner of her eyes and paused.

Three maids stood a short distance away near the end of the corridor, whispering among themselves. Their wide eyes and stiff shoulders gave them away instantly, and the moment they noticed that Morvienne was looking at them, they all jumped slightly as if caught doing something very forbidden.

One fumbled with a tray, while the other hurriedly wiped at her dress which had no stain, and within seconds, all three scattered in different directions confusedly, pretending to be suddenly and terribly busy.

On the other hand, Morvienne knew they had been watching everything and took a few steps in their direction, her face and body movement back into its composed and innocent state.

"Good morning," she greeted with a faint smile.

"Good morning, Miss," the three maids chorused in unison, lowering their heads as they stopped moving.

"Please," Morvienne said, lifting her hand slightly. "There is no need to be overly formal. I just wanted to ask where the dining room is. I was hoping to have breakfast, if that's alright."

"Of course," a familiar voice came from behind. "You don't even have to ask, and I am quite surprised to see you here. I could have brought your breakfast up to your room like I always do."

"I actually feel much better today," Morvienne said as she turned around to see the maid who had been attending to her these past few days. "So, I decide to come down myself. I thought I would save you the trouble of going up again, plus, it is nice to step out a bit."

"I totally understand, and it is no trouble at all, Miss. I don't mind one bit," the maid said, her tone warm and genuinely kind. "Come, I will take you to the dining room and serve you breakfast."

"I would love that," Morvienne muttered, giving the maid a small nod as she then fell into step beside her.

"This way please," the maid said to her and started walking.

The hallways of the mansion were wide and stretched ahead of them and they didn't walk far before the maid gestured toward an open archway.

"That's the dining room, Miss Morvienne. It's just right here."

"Of course it was close," Morvienne thought as she glanced ahead. "Grand houses like this one always had the dining room positioned near the main stairs. It was quite accessible for both residents and staff. Well thought."

Inhaling quietly, she followed the maid inside.

And of course, the dining room was large and elegant, the air perfect for whatever meal one was going to have.

"Please, have a seat," the maid said politely, motioning toward one of the chairs near the middle of the long table.

"Thank you," Morvienne nodded, offering a small, warm smile as she lowered herself into the chair. Her posture was somewhat graceful at first, but she quickly made it look a bit weak as she looked around, fully scanning the room.

She already loved how everything was placed perfectly in order, the paintings, the fine china... Everything was just perfect to her and the quietness also brought her so much joy.

"I'll be back shortly with your breakfast," the maid said with a quick bow, interrupting her thoughts.

"Thank you," Morvienne said again, her tone polite but distant.

Nodding once, the maid turned and left, while Morvienne waited patiently for her.

After several minutes, the sound of footsteps returned, and the maid came back carrying a tray. She moved efficiently, setting the table in front of Morvienne.

"Your breakfast, Miss," she said and straightened up after she was done. "We have egg rice, pieces of tender chicken glazed with sauce, and also a glass of fresh juice, and of course, there's also water. I do hope these are all to your taste."

"Of course they are," Morvienne quickly replied. "Everything really looks so delicious and I appreciate it. Thank you."

"You are very welcome," the maid dipped her head. "It is always a pleasure. And after you are done, you may leave. I will come back to clear the table. So please, do not worry about it."

"Okay," Morvienne nodded with a wide smile, her eyes following the maid as she left again before her facial expression went back to neutral. Then, she turned her gaze back to the meal before her and inhaled the delicious aroma that rose out of it.

"They do look very delicious," she muttered as she picked up the fork and began to eat, savoring both the food and the quiet moment.

After she was done with breakfast, she did as the maid had told her and left, although she also decided to take Kael's words to heart to explore a little.

When she stepped outside, the pack was filled with people moving about, some training, others chatting, or children playing, which was quite normal and she offered polite nods and warm greetings to those who offered them to her. Others gave her assessing glances that held curiosity, but she paid them no mind because soon, she will satisfy their curiosity. It was only a matter of time.

She smiled where she needed to, spoke softly when spoken to, and kept her expression sweet and soft, or better still... omega-like.

Some of the younger members and children waved as she passed, and she waved back, her steps unhurried as she took in the pack and also enjoyed herself.

By the time she made her way back into the mansion, the day had already passed more easily than she had expected. It was now evening, almost time for dinner and she climbed the stairs, wanting to freshen up before dinner and most especially, before Kael would return.

When she reached the upper floor, unconsciously her steps slowed as her eyes landed on Kael's room door.

She stood in front of his door for a while, chewing on her bottom lip.

"It would be normal to want to do something for him, right?" she thought. "After all, he has done so much for me, and maybe this can even bring us... closer."

The thought made her reach for the doorknob, only to be surprised when it turned easily under her hand.

"Unlocked," she muttered, not expecting it to be so even though she just tried opening the door, and Kael did not seem like the type who would leave his space open, not even for a second, but still, she told herself not to overthink it. Maybe he just forgot, plus, it was an advantage for her.

Slowly, she pushed the door open and stepped in, closing it softly behind her.

The room was dim, the curtains half-drawn, letting in just a faint of the evening light as she looked around.

The room was exactly how she had imagined it to be. It was clean, neat, organized, but somehow still warm.

Morvienne reached for the light switch and turned it on.

Even though she didn't have anyone for the most of her life, she had learned to survive and had taught herself a lot of things. She knew a lot more than she let on, but to Kael, she would remain the quiet and clueless girl he thought she was.

Moving on, she walked closer to the bed and traced her fingers along the edge slowly, the sheets tucked perfectly with not a wrinkle out of place. And as she turned her face, among a few neatly stacked books on the bedside table, one caught her attention.

It had a dark cover with worn edges and she immediately reached out to it without hesitation.

As she proceeded to open it, the door opened and her heart jumped as she turned, the book falling out of her hand.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Kael demanded, the anger in his tone and his glare, sharp enough to steal the air from her lungs.

"Alpha," Morvienne started, her voice trembling slightly, "Alpha, I—"

"I SAID, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"