Alpha Kellan stood in the doorway, his gaze softening as he watched Ava sleeping soundly in his chair. Despite the weariness etched on her features, there was a peacefulness about her that tugged at something deep within him—a sense of vulnerability that he couldn't quite shake.
As he studied her sleeping form, a rare smile crept onto his lips, its presence unfamiliar yet strangely welcome. At that moment, he couldn't deny the quiet admiration that stirred within him, a begrudging acknowledgment of Ava's resilience in the face of adversity.
With a gentle sigh, Alpha Kellan approached silently, careful not to disturb her slumber. As he stood beside her, a tenderness he hadn't known he possessed washed over him, a fleeting glimpse of a softer side he rarely allowed himself to show.
Brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for the harshness with which he had treated her earlier. In the quiet of the room, with Ava's steady breathing filling the air, he found himself longing for a connection he had long denied himself—a connection that, despite his best efforts, continued to pull at the edges of his heart.
Alpha Kellan's moment of vulnerability was short-lived as the weight of his responsibilities crashed back down upon him. With a sharp intake of breath, he reminded himself of the dangers of growing soft, of allowing himself to be swayed by emotions that could only lead to weakness.
As he looked down at Ava's sleeping form, a sense of unease crept over him. Was this her ploy, he wondered, a calculated move to lure him into lowering his guard? Was she attempting to manipulate him, to gain his sympathy and affection for her gain?
The thought filled him with a surge of pure disgust, his instincts recoiling at the idea of being played for a fool. With a determined set to his jaw, Alpha Kellan pushed aside any trace of empathy or compassion, steeling himself against the pull of emotions that threatened to cloud his judgment.
Turning away from Ava's slumbering figure, he hardened his resolve, his heart a fortress of stone. No matter what tricks she might try, he vowed to remain vigilant, to never allow himself to be swayed by the allure of sentimentality.
With one last glance at Ava, a flicker of doubt lingering in the depths of his gaze, Alpha Kellan strode from the room.
He went into his bathroom and came back with a bucket of water and poured Ava waking her up He went into his bathroom and came back with a bucket of water and poured Ava waking her up.
Ava jolted awake as icy water cascaded over her, shock coursing through her body like an electric current. Gasping for air, she scrambled to sit upright, her heart pounding in her chest as she blinked away the remnants of sleep.
Alpha Kellan stood before her, his expression unreadable as he held the empty bucket in his hand. His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine, his demeanor as cold and unyielding as the water that still dripped from her clothes.
"What are you doing?" Ava demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of confusion and indignation.
Alpha Kellan's jaw clenched as he met her gaze, his features twisted with anger. "You were sleeping on the job," he snapped, his voice sharp with disdain. "I will not tolerate laziness in my pack."
Ava's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she scrambled to her feet, the chill of the water seeping into her bones. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, her words barely audible over the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. "It won't happen again."
But even as she spoke, a flicker of defiance lit up within her—a reminder that no matter how harshly he treated her, she would not be cowed into submission. With a steely glare, she met Alpha Kellan's gaze head-on, her resolve unbroken despite the dampness clinging to her skin.
Alpha Kellan's words pierced through the air, his voice laced with authority and condemnation. "You will be punished for sleeping on duty," he stated firmly, his gaze unwavering as it bore into Ava's.
Ava's heart sank at the weight of his judgment, her stomach churning with a mixture of dread and resignation. She knew she had made a mistake, but the prospect of facing Alpha Kellan's punishment filled her with apprehension.
With a heavy swallow, Ava nodded, her voice barely above a whisper as she replied, "I understand, Alpha Kellan. I will accept my punishment."
Alpha Kellan's gaze lingered on Ava's drenched clothes, a flicker of something unfamiliar stirring within him. Despite his earlier anger and disdain, he found himself inexplicably drawn to her, the sight of her soaked form igniting a primal urge that he struggled to suppress.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" he asked, his voice low and tinged with a hint of accusation. "Because it won't work."
Ava's eyes widened in surprise at the accusation, her mind reeling with confusion. She had never entertained such thoughts, never even considered the idea of trying to seduce Alpha Kellan. The accusation caught her off guard, leaving her struggling to find the right words to defend herself.
"I-I wasn't," she stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I swear, Alpha Kellan, I would never—"
But her words fell on deaf ears as Alpha Kellan turned away, his expression unreadable.
Feeling the weight of Alpha Kellan's accusation lingering in the air, Ava hurried back to the servant's quarters, her heart heavy with a mixture of frustration and hurt. She needed to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the Alpha's presence, if only for a moment, to collect her thoughts and regain her composure.
Once inside her small room, Ava quickly shed her drenched clothes, the fabric clinging uncomfortably to her skin. With trembling hands, she reached for a fresh set of clothes, grateful for the opportunity to change into something dry and clean.