Chapter - 8

"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you," Raymond exclaimed as soon as I entered the kitchen and my eyes landed on him doing the dishes. 

I got to work doing the dishes right along with him as I filled him in on the events of last night, leaving the part about Alpha Evan being a hybrid, and finishing with how I'd had the best breakfast ever this morning. 

"That's.... that's unbelievable," Raymond said, his expression mimicking his words as he wiped his hands on a rag before passing it to me. 

I nodded in agreement, taking the rag from him and drying my hands. "I know! But after the way he has treated me last night and this morning, I think he really is going to take me with him when he leaves. I don't know how he will do it, but I know he will."

Raymond seemed skeptical at best as he looked at me. "He has been behaving nicely, but you can't deny that the man is scary as fuck. What if it's just an act? What if you end up going to some place worse than here?" 

I contemplated his words before nodding slowly. That was definitely a possibility, yes. But it was a risk I was willing to take. If things got worse for me, then I had no one else but myself to blame for being so trusting. That was something I was ready to live with. "It could be worse. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there. For now, I would just like to get out of here."

"And leave me behind?" Raymond asked, his voice small. 

For the first time since the option of getting out of here had presented itself, I thought of the little good I had in my life that I'd be leaving behind- Raymond, my only friend and Miss Lillian, my nanny. It broke my heart a little that I would be leaving them behind when I left, but the prospect of getting out of this hell was much more enticing. However, that did not mean I wouldn't miss them. Because I would. I'd miss them both like crazy. 

To Raymond, I said, "I promise I'll meet up with you whenever I can."

He gave me a small, sad smile in return. "I'm happy for you, I really am. But I'll miss you like anything, Mel," he admitted softly, tearing up a little. 

"So would I," I replied before going in for a hug. 

He wrapped his arms around me like we'd done countless times before and I breathed in the familiarity of it. Raymond had been my rock through thick and thin, someone who kept me going even when it felt like I couldn't do it anymore. I silently vowed to myself to get him out some day as well. I owed it to him to make his life better. It was the least I could do after all that he had done for me. 

We pulled away moments later, and Raymond looked at me as if he wanted to say something. I waited for him to do it, but he just shook his head. "Come on," he finally said, "These floors aren't going to mop themselves up."

I chuckled before we went to the supply closet to get the cleaning supplies and got to work. 

Soon, it was time for lunch, and for us to serve food to the guests and other members present in the house. 

"Melody!" Michel shouted my name from the kitchen's entrance just as I was placing food in a cart to be taken to one of the guest rooms upstairs. 

Sharing a quick glance with Raymond, I hurried towards Michel. "Yes, sir?" 

"I have orders that you are to take food to Alpha Evan's room right away. Be quick," he told me before pivoting on his heel and marching out. 

My brows raised as I looked back at Raymond only to see a similar expression on his face. He had clearly heard Michel, too. 

Wheeling the now full cart towards me, he said, "There you go, Mel. Take it to Alpha Evan."

I nodded slowly, giving him a small smile before I did just that. 

Once I came to a stop outside Alpha Evan's room, I knocked. His voice called out from inside, telling me to come in. 

I pushed the doors open before wheeling the cart of food in. 

Alpha Evan was dressed in formal pants and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the sleeves and an unmade tie hanging around his neck. With his disheveled hair and five o'clock stubble, he looked as hot as he looked dangerous. 

His lips curled into a small smile as he looked at me. "Come, sit. Let's have lunch together." 

My brows raised. "You want me to have lunch with you?" 

"That's precisely what I just said," he answered, raising a single brow as he stood and made his way towards the cart of food, picking up trays of food and carrying them towards the table.

It took me a moment to realise that I should be the one serving the food, not him. Hurriedly, I picked up the left over plates and made my way towards the table. "Let me. It's my job." 

He took the plates from my hands, placing them on the table behind him before looking into my eyes. "Not when you're with me," he told me, his woody scent overpowering my senses given how close he was. I was slowly getting accustomed to the way his scent made me feel but sometimes, it still got too much to handle, specially when he was standing this close. 

Shaking my head a little to clear it, I nodded. "Right. So, uh, what do you want me to do?" 

He didn't reply, focusing on preparing a plate of food instead. He placed some of the chicken cordon bleu onto a plate, along with the gourmet mushroom risotto and the ceaser salad before doing the same to another plate. Nodding towards the sofa, he said, "Sit."

I obliged, my mouth watering at the delicious aromas wafting from our food. He handed me a plate before taking a seat next to me on the three seater sofa with his own plate. When we'd had breakfast together this morning, we'd both sat on the single seaters which had put a lot of space between us. 

But now that we were both seated on the three seater sofa with barely a foot of space between us, the lunch somehow felt more intimate. "Eat," his order pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked down at my plate, focusing on eating.

Flavours exploded in my mouth as I took the first bite of the chicken and I moaned at how good it was, my eyes closing as I savoured it. Goddess, this was delicious, the juiciest chicken I'd ever had. 

Once I was finished chewing, I opened my eyes and grinned at Alpha Evan. "This is the best chicken I've ever had," I told him honestly. 

His eyes seemed to hold a predatory look in them as he stared at me, heating up the space between us within seconds. The man looked hungry alright, but not for food. 

I swallowed thickly, looking down at my plate again. 

I heard him clear his throat, pulling himself out of whatever trance he'd been in. "It is. You seem to enjoy eating a lot." 

I smiled, easing up a little as I forked another bite. "I do. I hardly ever get to taste food as amazing as this. Only when there's some grand party like this one and I'm lucky enough to come across some leftovers. So I savour it while I can. I guess you can say that when you get something rarely, you value it more."

Alpha Evan hummed low in reply, chewing and swallowing before replying,"That is true. You wouldn't have to wait for leftovers to eat good food once I take you out of here. Who knows I might make something nice for you if you behave."

My eyes widened at his words. I quickly chewed before speaking, "Wait, you can cook?" 

A man who reads and cooks. And he's clearly powerful, too. It was like every woman's wet dream come true.

He smirked. "I'm a man of many talents, Melody." 

Hearing him say my name made the hair at the back of my neck stand up. I shivered a little, trying to shake off the tingly feeling that travelled down my spine, ending at my core. Trying my hardest not to get distracted by his voice alone, I cleared my throat. "And what other talents do you have, Alpha Evan?" 

His smirk deepened, making him look hotter than he already was. "Wouldn't you want to know?" 

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Of course he'd say something like that. It was stupid of me to expect a genuine response. 

I simply shook my head at him, focusing on eating my lunch instead. 

"So, what do you say I take you out tonight?"

"Like a date?" I blurted out, instantly slapping a hand on my mouth afterwards. Stupid, stupid, Melody. Why the hell would you say something like that?

"Yes. Like a date." 

Wait, what?