37

37

VERONYKA

A day after the Royal Winder's dinner, I sit at the table across Elijah. He cleared his throat before

munching down on his extra-large burrito. who seem to have a problem with me since the guy had

been avoiding me since that day he followed me into the forest. As much as I wanted to shield my

eyes from his blinding charisma oozing off him this moment, apparently I still am that same lazy

badass Veronyka who does not bow her head down to anybody nor shy away from any man even if

they strip themselves naked in front of me, especially if it was Elijah.

The thought suddenly made me shiver. Not long after, I felt an intense heat burn across my skin. My

face flushed and it subsequently forced me to rip my gaze off his wide, bulky chest. I squeezed my

legs together while desperately trying to take an inappropriate image out of my mind. It had

popped into my brain not too longer after I fixed my eyes on his annoyingly handsome face. His

eyes, his lips. The way his muscles flexed each time he raised his hand to take a bite.

I must be losing my mind, I thought to myself.

The awkward silence enveloping us was a painful reminder of Alex's absence. I went up to his room

before deciding to have dinner, and I hadn't stopped walking around the packhouse in search of

Alexander until Erika, an omega working as a maid in the packhouse, briefly informed me that Alex

was working in his office, and he specifically instructed her that he did not want to be disturbed.

Grunting, I forced my body to turn around towards the table where Elijah was sitting at.

I never thought I would say this, but I wish that human girl was here. At least sitting around having

to endure her presence wouldn't make the situation extremely awkward than it already is now.

Sighing to myself, I lazily took a bite of my burrito when Elijah spoke.

“I'd appreciate it if you stop acting like a spoiled child and eat you damn food properly, Veronyka.”

He points at my plate while raising his knife.

Knitting my brows tightly together, I glued my eyes on his face, staring at him long and hard with

my arms folded below my breasts. What the hell is wrong with him?

Squeezing the knife and fork in my small hands, I clench my jaw before dropping my gaze on my

full course-meal. Apparently, I had no choice but to suck it up and just do as he says. After all, I do

not have anything to offer up as a rebuttal either. And the way he has been acting these past couple

of days somehow made me feel oddly intimidated by him, especially that time when he told me to

run back at the forest. Ever since that day, he'd been ignoring me. Each time he walked past me, I

would glance up at his face but his eyes refused to meet mine. I have to admit though, that the

silent treatment he’s been throwing at me is starting to get into my nerves.

I finished my food, and stopped “acting like a spoiled child’ as Elijah put it. I got up at the exact

same time Elijah stood from his seat and sauntered past me heading to the kitchen. He didn't take

my plate so I had to clean it again on my own.

A few minutes later he finished up and walked past me towards his room without saying a word. He

didn't even look at me, almost as if I didn’t exist. Funny thing is, I actually started to believe I didn't.

I balled my fists, cleaned up before marching to my bedroom. I feel like I need some sleep after

being completely ignored and then scolded by one of my best friends. At least, that's what I

thought. He is still my best friend, isn't he?

After I changed into my silk sando top and a pair of sleeping shorts, I flopped down on my bed,

stuffing a pillow underneath my face as I attempted to fall asleep. Closing my eyes shut, I clamped

down on my soft, fur blanket. Feeling the lightness of its fur graze against my bare skin, effectively

washing away my tiredness and that feeling of restlessness as well as unease suffocating my body

entirely.

Forty minutes has passed.

Forty whole damn minutes gone yet my mind and body are still very much still on the land of

wokeness.

I sat up, scrunching my nose as my ears perked up at the sound of a girly voice coming from the

other room right beside mine.

Elijah’s room.

The sound of a woman's giggles reverberated through the walls. It was subtle but clear enough for

me to hear the girly sounds despite the thick wall separating our rooms.

“Elijah!” The woman giggled again.

I rose to my feet, not realizing I was gripping the tiny pillow I've been holding onto for the past forty

minutes straight.

Suddenly, I felt a twinge of pain tug at my heart hammering against my chest. The feeling was

uncomfortable enough that it brought my hand to my chest, gripping the fabric tightly in my

clenched fists as I tried to slow down the pace of its beating.

“Stop.. ah”

I gnashed my teeth as I could no longer bear to hear the same woman moan and giggle

simultaneously again knowing it was Elijah who was giving her a good reason to.

I marched my way out my bedroom before stopping in front of Elijah’s door. I wasted no time and

started banging on the door loudly, gritting my teeth though I didn't stop pounding on the

mahogany wood. Even now, I could feel my heart thumping wildly in my chest. But I paid no more

attention to it as I listened to the sound of footsteps heading my way.

The door burst open, revealing Elijah’s naked top half that sent my eyes flying wide open in surprise.

“What?” Came his annoyed voice.

I raised my eyebrow at him, standing on my tiptoes so I could peer over his thick, square shoulders

blocking my view of the raven-haired woman leaning against the wall beside his bed. I glared at her,

whilst she flashed me a mocking smirk as she pulled her mini-dress down at a decent level

“Elijah,” I crossed my arms against my chest, tapping one finger on my forearm as I glared up at

him. My eyes burning in irritation and anger I couldn't hold back any second longer.

"Get out of my way,” I spat at him.

He scoffed, resting one of his arms on the ledge, blocking my entrance with his massive body on full

display. I glued my eyes to his impossibly handsome face. His cold, emerald green eyes looked me

up and down, and it was taking all I had in me not to drop my gaze to his eight-pack abs, sculpted

by the goddess herself.

“Make me,” He smirked.

Heaving out a sharp breath, I slid my arms down my both sides, taking a small step backwards

before lifting my chin up to meet his gaze, challenging me as though I was the weaker opponent.

“Fine” I smile back.

Afterwards, I lunged straight into the narrow gap between his firm body and the wall. Pushing him

as hard as I can in which I succeeded, and he tumbles backwards, cursing the air as he struggled to

stand steadily while I sauntered over to the woman, wearing dark red lipstick and thick, black

mascara. Her hair stopped at neck-level, straight as a ruler.

My eyes twitched when I caught sight of a fresh, small mark on her long neck. She even had the

audacity to proudly fling her hair to the side just so I could have a clear look of what it was. It turns

out Elijah had planted multiple kiss marks down her throat, and I glared at her as an uncomfortable

feeling suddenly rose from deep within, threatening to consume me whole.

Grabbing her wrist, I dragged her out of the room, darkness clouding my vision as I blocked Elijah’s

voices calling out my full name. I gritted my teeth, my hands firmly gripping the raven girl's wrists as

I pulled her down the staircase. She stumbled on her high heels and fell at the same time we

reached the bottom of the stairs.

Almost immediately, a fully-clothed Elijah came rushing down the staircase, slapping my hands off

the woman's wrist that made me whimper slightly.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” He snapped.

Balling my fists tightly, I shot him a sharp glare. Watching him help the woman stand on her two

feet as she whimpered. Obviously, it was fake.

"Why do you have to be such a fucking asshole, Elijah?”

“I'm being an ass? Weren't you the one storming into other people's rooms without a fucking

permission?” He utters under gritted teeth.

I chewed my lip. Staring up at his angry face with no words left to say. I was speechless.

“Apologize.” He commanded, but I stood there looking like a stubborn kid having her worst

tantrum, holding my ground.

“Fine, don't talk to me until you apologize,” He says firmly.

The woman clung to his arms, and oddly, I felt upset when he didn’t shrug her hand off him in that

instant. Instead, he picked the woman up in his arms before turning his back towards me.

This isn't right.

"Why are you being so mean?” I manage to say through a whisper. I then started sobbing and soon

there was a lump forming in my throat.

“People change Veronyka. I think it's time you do that too,”

He says without looking back.

I furrowed my brows while he headed to the doctor's cottage, carrying the woman lightly in his

arms, forcing me to squeeze my hands into fists.

I watched as the two of them disappeared, out of my sight completely. He didn’t look back.

Not even once.