Chapter Three

Nicholas

 As I stepped into the dimly lit room, I immediately caught a glimpse of her face, twisted with repulsion and anger. It was a look that I had become quite familiar with over the years, and strangely enough, I found myself enjoying it.

"Are you here to release me?" she asked, her voice shaking as if she were submerged in icy waters.

"Did you really just ask me that?" I responded, a hint of amusement lacing my words. She let out a tired sigh as if trying to subtly mock me.

"Well, if you're not here to release me, then what brings your highness to such a shabby and disgusting place?" she spat out the words, her tone disrespectful and full of contempt. I couldn't help but feel taken aback by her tone.

In situations like this, most prisoners would try to appeal to me, to plead for forgiveness and mercy. But this one, she was audacious, still speaking to me in such a disrespectful tone. It was surprising, but at the same time, it was upsetting.

"I didn't come here for a friendly conversation, dear mate," I replied, my tone calm but firm. 

"I came here because I want you to tell me how and why you got into my hallway on your first day at work. According to what I heard, you're the new cook in charge of my meals, yet you somehow managed to walk straight into my place and stop right in front of my bedroom. I find that rather suspicious. Care to explain?"

I watched her face intently as I spoke, searching for any hint of deceit or hidden motives. I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not when there were so many enemies out there trying to take me down.

"I already explained that I arrived at your place by mistake, and that's the truth," she replied, her voice unwavering. 

"I was trying to find the cook's bedroom, but I got curious and just kept walking without thinking. I apologize for stopping by your bedroom without your permission, but I can assure you that I wasn't there for any suspicious reasons."

Her words sounded genuine enough, but I wasn't one to take anything at face value. There was more to this woman than met the eye, and I was determined to find out what it was.

 Throughout my years, I've dealt with countless trespassers who have all had their own hidden agendas. It's a common occurrence for them to deny any wrongdoing initially, but eventually, they break and confess once they realize there's no escaping my grasp. 

However, this particular girl is different. She's my mate, and as much as I despise the idea of being bound to her, I can't bring myself to harm her.

"I was hoping you'd tell me the truth and make this easy for both of us, but it seems you're not ready for that," I spoke with an air of disappointment, gazing at her with a stern expression. 

"So, I'm afraid you'll have to stay locked up until you're willing to cooperate. If you ever decide to talk, just let me know."

As I turned to walk away, she called out to me, stopping me in my tracks. "Wait, sir!" I faced her again, curious as to what she had to say. Maybe she's ready to confess after all.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Her voice was weak and frail, and her eyes were filled with exhaustion. Although I didn't typically grant such requests, I decided to indulge her this once.

"Go ahead," I answered, waiting for her to ask her question.

"Is it not important to you that we're mates? Or have you completely forgotten about that?" She questioned, and I was taken aback by the absurdity of her inquiry.

I let out a sigh and shook my head. "Shouldn't you be more concerned with confessing and seeking forgiveness instead of fixating on an irrelevant topic?"

Her question irritated me, and I couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to use our mate bond as a way to get out of this situation. It only added to my growing suspicion of her.

"To you, it may be irrelevant, but to some of us, it's not," she retorted, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"I had hoped to find my mate one day, but if this is what I get after waiting for so long, then I pity myself for wasting my time."

Her words made me want to roll my eyes in exasperation. She sounded like a child throwing a tantrum, and I couldn't take her seriously.

"Well, that's not my problem," I replied, my voice laced with annoyance. 

"You can hold onto that delusion if you want, but it won't change the fact that the bond between us is meaningless to me, just like you are."

With that, I turned around and walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts. As I made my way back to my room, I couldn't help but wonder what her true intentions were for trespassing on my property.

 Was there more to this than met the eye? I knew I had to remain vigilant and keep my guard up around her, even if she was my mate.

**** 

"Martha has been standing outside your office for almost an hour, Nicholas. Don't you think you should give her a chance to come in and talk to you?" Liam suggested, interrupting my thoughts. I rolled my eyes at him.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in seeing anyone? She's probably only here to try to plead for that girl and I'm not interested in listening to what anybody has to say concerning my decision," I replied to him, my tone curt.

"I don't get it, Nicholas. Why are you keeping that girl in there? You and I both know that most new employees can get curious and wander off. You could simply warn her never to repeat the act, so why are you choosing to lock her up?" Liam pressed on.

I sighed. I still haven't told him that I found out she was my mate, and I honestly wasn't interested in mentioning it. I could already imagine him trying even harder to convince me to let her go, and I didn't intend on doing that anytime soon.

"Just because I allowed the rest some sort of grace and let them off without punishment doesn't mean that I have to allow every other person that comes after to go scot-free. I'm very much in my right to choose to punish anybody if I feel like it, and I'm going to punish that girl for as long as I feel the need to. Just stay out of it," I replied sternly.

"Can't you at least let Martha come in and speak to you? The woman has been out there for a while now, and I know you don't exactly like anyone, but she's your oldest cook, and you've known her for years. The least you can do is pretend to have a little bit of compassion for someone loyal to you all these years," he said, attempting to convince me but failing woefully.

"Oh, come on, Liam. You know me better than that. Trying to convince me with such petty talk is certainly not going to work. I don't care how long she has to stay out there, but I'm not going to give her the audience she seeks. I know what she wants from me, and I'm not going to be granting her that wish. So why do I have to bother wasting my time talking to her?" I retorted, exasperated.

I could feel the tension building between us, and I didn't want to escalate the situation any further. So I decided to make my position clear to him once and for all.

"Also, Liam, stop trying to bring up compassion and kindness when trying to convince me because you and I both know that I don't care about what people think of me, and I will always do whatever I want regardless," I clarified, hoping he would finally get the message.

"So, what am I supposed to say to her now? That her Alpha isn't even kind enough to grant her five minutes?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Well, you can go ahead and try to pacify her, give her false hope and all that shit. But I'm not releasing that girl until she tells me what I want to know and until I feel satisfied by how long she stays there. If I want, I could even make sure she spends the rest of her life in that rat hole. So try not to provoke me too much," I replied, my tone turning serious.

I didn't want to fight with Liam over a girl that wasn't even worth it, so I turned and walked away, not wanting to continue the argument any further.