Claimed by the Vengeful Alpha

Chapter 90: Lonely

Maya gritted her teeth as she felt a sting. She felt full and a bit uncomfortable. She had anticipated some discomfort, but perhaps because she had felt intense pleasure only a moment ago, it was taking her a little while to adjust.

She tried her best to relax, but panic shrouded her mind. This was not a good idea. Keenan was going to hate her when he woke up. Why did she do this?

Suddenly, Keenan pulled out but pushed in almost immediately. Maya felt the air knock out of her lungs. How was there more of him? Was he not all in already?

He pressed her tightly against himself, and she could feel his whole body shake against her. He was breathing loudly, and an intense grunt escaped his lips.

Her entire face reddened. Why did she like the sounds he was making? Was there something wrong with her? Was this normal?

He was moving inside her again, a little urgent this time, and she could feel his impatience. He was groaning more and tightly holding onto her.

It was hard to register the sting when it was clear he was having so much pleasure. She wanted to do the same for him. Would it be as nice for him as it had been for her?

Suddenly, his arm around her tightened, and his groans sounded deeper. He gasped and shuddered against her while she was pressed up against his chest.

He stopped thrusting and let out a satisfied, long sigh. His hold around her eased, but he didn’t immediately let go. She could still feel him between her legs, but that didn’t last long.

After only a moment, she could hear his heart slow down. Just as she was about to settle in and relish the moment, he turned so that he was lying on his back. His hand moved away from her, and no part of him was touching her.

It wasn’t deliberate, she told herself. He had just fallen asleep properly. Why then did it hurt so much? Not even his legs brushed against hers.

Not even his legs brushed against hers, echoed in her head. She was left feeling sticky between her legs and in her heart.

She stared at him until he was blurry in her vision. It was the candles, wasn’t it? But it wasn’t. The tears rolled down her cheeks, and she could see him clearly again.

He was sleeping peacefully, and his breathing was stable. If she had a wolf, she was sure she would hear the steady beat of his heart as he slept while hers was breaking.

The candles fluttered slightly in the gentle breeze that blew in through the window, shaking the shadows they cast on the wall. She tried to distract herself with the dancing shadows as she forced herself to look away from him but that didn’t help in the slightest.

She reached for her nightdress, which had hitched up to her abdomen, and pulled it down as best as she could. But it wasn’t enough to shield her heart or put it back together.

This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? They had consummated their marriage, and they were in bed together. But why? Why did it feel so lonely?

She wanted to get out of bed, but she wasn’t sure her legs would work quite right in this state. So she scooted away from him as far as she could. If she weren’t so close to him, it would be easier to lie to herself that the screaming in her heart wasn’t rejection, but rather she was the one who moved out of reach.

Maya closed her eyes and did her best to drift off to sleep. It was hard. For the first time, the cold wasn’t as comforting as it used to be, and she wanted nothing more than his warmth around her.

When she woke up a little past dawn, he was gone, and the maid who had attended to her the night before was back. Her concerned face was peering too close as Maya opened her eyes.

"Zoe," she mumbled and moved backward.

The maid immediately looked apologetic and stepped back. Her light brown hair was in a low bun tight enough to hurt.

"I apologize, Lady Keenan. You seemed distressed. A bad dream?"

Maya winced at the title. She was indeed Lady Keenan, but she didn’t feel like it. "I am not sure." This was not entirely untrue. If she was dreaming, she couldn’t recall but last night felt nothing short of a bad dream.

She looked around despite knowing she was alone on the huge bed. "Where is Alpha Keenan?"

She didn’t know why she asked. In a way, she was grateful she didn’t have to see him this morning. There was no way he wouldn’t have realized what had happened.

Did he hate it? Did he hate me?

"He joined the Alpha King for breakfast," she relayed. "Should I have woken you up earlier? I assumed you would prefer to eat as you did last night. Forgive my presumption."

"No need to apologize," Maya replied as she hugged herself. "You’re right. I’d prefer to have breakfast by myself."

Zoe smiled a little. "I am glad. Shall we get your bath ready, then? Breakfast will be brought very soon."

Maya was painfully aware of how she must look. Her hair was a mess, her nightdress was more than wrinkled, yet Zoe spoke to her as though nothing was amiss. freёweɓnovel.com

Perhaps she didn’t say anything because they were married. It was only normal that these things would happen. But theirs wasn’t that kind of marriage, and it...

"Lady Keenan, do you not approve?"

She forced herself to look at the maid and shook her head. "No, Zoe, that’s perfect." The smile felt stiff on her face.

"Might I help you get out of bed, then?"

---

Maya sat in front of the dresser as Zoe brushed her hair after the bath. It was nice to have someone else do her hair. The maid reminded her of her personal maid, not because they had anything similar, but because of the role they played.

The water had been warm as she washed, and Maya had not wanted to leave. It had soothed the numb feeling between her legs but also reminded her of how much of last night had been true. All of it.

She had noticed that Zoe had seemed to shield her from the bed, and her nightdress had been quickly carted away. Zoe had massaged her shoulders and used different scented oils. By the time she stepped out of the bath, Maya could barely remember her worries.

But it wasn’t really that easy. Her body might be light but the same couldn’t be said about her heart.

The dress she wore was a deep blue silk dress with sewn designs in the shape of flowers attached all over. Zoe said the dress matched her eyes, and Maya had found herself smiling despite her awful mood.

"Would you like your hair down?" The maid asked.

Maya nodded while staring into the mirror. It was the only way she would be able to hide the red marks on her neck. She fought the urge to touch her neck.

"Okay, all done," Zoe said and stepped aside. "I should let you eat breakfast."

"Thank you, Zoe," she replied with a smile.

Zoe bowed and said, "If you need me, just pull the string by the fireplace."

She nodded and watched the maid exit the bedroom. She didn’t stand up from the dresser immediately. Rather, she looked at the bed. There were new sheets, but there was no way to change what had happened between them.

The air smelled like a mix of them. She was overcome with anxiety. She didn’t know what this meant now. Was it good or bad? Would things change for better or worse? Or would they remain the same?

Maya forced herself to her feet. She hadn’t eaten the night before, and coupled with what had happened, she was lacking energy. Yet, her appetite was missing.

Her bare feet made a soft sound as she walked over the carpet to the small dining table. It had two seats, but Maya was certain the other would never be occupied.

She opened the covered dishes and tried to eat as much as she could. There were too many things she had to face today. Doing them on an empty stomach was not ideal.

She wondered if Father was in the castle and what he would do if he saw her. She had left against his command, and this meeting was most likely because of her.

She was scared. If Father was determined, there were many underhanded measures he could take to get her back. However, that hadn’t happened yet.

She frowned as she remembered the last words she had heard Maelle say. Would she ever get the answer to them? Was that also why Father stayed away?

She shook her head and forced herself to concentrate on her food. Thinking didn’t help. It only seemed to amplify the predicament she was in. It was best to find as much solace as she could now. She doubted there would be any soon.