Not only was the request sudden, but it was also very loud. So much so that it silenced the chatter of those around them.
Sienna grimaced and turned her head. This was ten shades of embarrassing. Given the ’horny’ assumption or history she had, everyone was probably assuming that she wanted to bed Elias.
Elias cleared his throat, as if he was uncomfortable. "I think it is best for both of us if I don’t." He took two steps backs, eyes suspiciously narrowed as if she would leap on him and defile his body any second from that mont.
Sienna had no choice but to force a nervous laugh and follow it up with a frown. "What are you thinking? I ant that you should stay the night so that we could leave directly for the palace together." She rose. "But now that I think about it, Eli is at ho alone."
Elias raised his brows.
"Not alone-alone," Sienna rolled her eyes. "I an, without a parent. You should return. Take so of the kebabs back for him to try. Ali also picked so sea shells and flowers for him as a gift." She rose and stretched her arms pretentiously. "I will head in first, goodnight." She wobbled past him, her body unsteady because of how fast she had risen.
Luckily, she made it to her bedroom on her own two feet. "Ah...that was awkward." she muttered.
"Sis, are you alright?" A frantic knock ca, followed by Soren’s voice.
She walked to the door, parted it slightly and peeked over his shoulders. He was alone. "I am fine, just tired. Please tell Fortunate to give Ali a bath and send her in. It’s her first night in a strange place and I don’t want her to wake up scared."
Soren nodded. "I will sleep in the chair in mom’s room so that she will not be scared too when she wakes up in a strange place." His young voice carried the tone of more responsibility than it should have had. "Aunt Shalin is going to cook her so porridge so that she can eat sothing."
Sienna yawned, nodding along. There was nothing she was more grateful for than Elias’s wealth. Being able to afford many helping hands was very wonderful.
As she closed the door, she wondered how Eli and the Veythar’s were fairing. They were probably celebrating her departure.
****
On the contrary, there was no celebration like she was thinking. Instead, Lady Cadelaria was letting her imagination run wild with a fictional wedding between Sienna and a wold beast man.
Eli was moody, more than usual. He had even adopted his father’s cold persona, frightening the servants.
The Veythar estate was unusually tense and silent.
"I think it was better when Lady Sienna was here." The head cook whispered to a maid that pouring the remains of Eli’s dinner which the little cub had refused to eat.
The maid sighed. "She was chaotic lately, but at least the house was warm, loud and lively. Did you see the pictures Nanny Fortunate took?"
The cook was envious, and it showed. "Oh yes. I watched the livestream too. I regret not volunteering when servants were being chosen to follow Lady Sienna."
She was not the only one with such thoughts.
***
Back at the cottages, Elias was finally leaving. He was walking with his usual cold, sharp, asured grace. His hands were clasped behind his back. Timothy trailed a few steps behind, already rehearsing his responses to any questions the king would have for him tomorrow.
Then, from the shadows, erged Geo. the wolf beast man. He was shirtless, a small towel thrown casually across his right shoulder. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead and broad shoulders. He grinned wide at Elias. "Lord fox," he greeted with fine cheer. "A fine evening, isn’t it?"
Elias’s eyes narrowed, though his lips curved into sothing dangerously polite. He stretched his arms as if loosening stiff muscles, but the motion was fast and deliberate. His sleeve brushed forward--the smack! His arm collided squarely with the wolf beast man’s chest.
Geo staggered back, blinking in surprise. "What was that?"
Lord Elias tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Oh, forgive . I was rely stretching. It has been a long day and the sea air stiffens the joints." His tone was smooth, almost bored, but his eyes glead with a sly amusent.
Geo rubbed his chest, muttering, "Stretching, hm? That was quite the....vigorous stretch."
Elias inclined his head in mock apology, then continued down the path without breaking a stride. Behind him, Timothy caught the faintest curve of a smile tugging at his boss’s lips--a rare sneaky smile that betrayed satisfaction.
"You did that deliberately, didn’t you?" Timothy chuckled.
Elias laughed.
Timothy shook his head. The surprises just kept coming lately. His thoughts churned with the possible motives which explained Elias’s actions. So, he is sure he doesn’t Sienna, yet the sight of another man carrying her irritates him enough to strike? She also made those weird faces and he laughed. But when she asked him to stay, he refused. What mood is this? Warm and soft one minute, cold indifference the next mont and then retaliation?
Timothy shook her head. It was a puzzle and he did not know which piece fit on the board.
"This is not over." Geo’s voice was heard in the wind.
Elias didn’t answer. His cloak swayed with each step, his smile hidden from the world but visible to Timothy. It was the smile of a man who had just reclaid a sliver of pride, not through words but through a subtle act of dominance.
When the flying ship set sail away from the cottages, Timothy joined Elias near the railing. He dared to speak. "You do know that you are leaving but the wolf beast man is remaining back. Tomorrow, he could carry her again."
"Then my hand will slip again, even harder." He turned his head and looked at Timothy grinning widely. "I will have as many accidents until he gets the ssage loud and clear. And I am not the only one that will have theses accidents, the guards will so too."
Timothy blinked, unsure whether to nod or laugh. These accidents, as the Lord fox called them, were a slippery slope. Who knew how they would end?
He had once seen a competition between two wold beast n for a human woman that ended with the death of the woman.
So beast n species had such short tempers and their aggressiveness could be frightening. Hopefully, this story would not have such an ending!
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