Chapter 40
Greyson’s POV:
I continued to watch as Jessy colored at the other end of my office that was used for meetings and a small smile played at my lips the more her little face scrunched up in concentration.
The little girl currently had her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she continued to draw.
She had refused to leave the office with her mother, claiming that she had to stay with her best friend or the mean lady could come take him away, I didn’t understand the most of her gibberish but from Freya’s replies I was able to garner this much.
Freya had been ready to drag her out of the room if that was what would take to get her daughter to leave but when Jessy had turned tears filled eyes with pouting, wobbling lips in my direction, I knew I didn’t stand a chance.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
I had assured Freya that Jessy would come down once the meeting was done and that she was in safe hands. The way that my personal maid had bit her lips in thought and hesitated before leaving the room had hurt me in a way that I couldn’t explain.
It felt like Freya did not trust me and maybe she was right not to, especially with her short but traumatizing experience with Matthew but it had still hurt my chest.
“Why do I feel like you’re not listening to me?” Smith said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
And when I looked to his face again, I could see the mask of annoyance that also painted his face and I smirked in reaction, before leaving back on my seat.
“Maybe, it’s because I’m not.” I replied and my Beta’s brows furrowed in thought.
“Why are you so happy?” Smith finally asked after seconds of scrutinizing my face and I frowned in reaction.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, since I got here you’ve been more relaxed, smiley and I think you even let out a laugh once. And to be honest, I don’t think I even remember the last time you actually laughed. It’s just so unlike you. Did something happen?”
His words hit me, but not exactly in a bad way. It was more in a way that made me also question myself.
I didn’t want to think that the night I had spent with Freya had anything to do with this change, because it didn’t. But even within myself I could feel it that a switch had been flipped.
The itch that had always been on my mind since the incident happened, felt like it had been soothed by a balm from the moment I flipped my eyes open to see Freya’s frame on my bed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stated, returning my attention to Jessy playing on the floor.
“You’re charmed by her.” Smith said again but this time his attention was not on me but on Jessy’s tiny frame.
“Well, so are you.”
As though the little girl could sense the eyes on her, she raised her head in our direction and when she caught both of our eyes on her, she let out a cute giggle waving in our direction and smiling even wider when Smith returned her small wave.
“What are you doing?” The Beta asked and made the girl stand up from her position with her drawing in her hands and make her way over to Smith.
“Dwawing.”
“Oh that’s a pretty drawing. Who is this?” Smith asked, pointing to one side of the paper.
“Mommy and Jessy.”
“Oh you both look so beautiful. Your drawing is really nice.” He complimented and it was almost as if he had just her, her favorite chocolate because Jessy’s face split into a wide grin.
He stretched out the paper to her after he was done observing it again and Jessy looked to the paper for a few seconds and then she was shaking her head no.
“Keep.” She responded and before Smith could put in another word she was walking back to her spot to continue drawing.
Smith watched the paper in his hands with wide eyes, while I watched the entire exchange with a hole in my chest.
I wanted to be the one to get the drawing. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with it, or where I would keep it, but I felt…
No, I don’t want to think in that direction. It’s not a big deal and it’s just a stupid drawing on a sheet of paper anyway. I thought to myself.
But when Smith, folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket. My chest squeezed.
I felt jealousy bubble in my stomach and this time I couldn’t deny it.
Clearing my throat, I went back to our previous conversation, choosing to clear my mind of all the thoughts that clouded it.
“Have you noticed anything unusual lately? Like any signs of an impeding attack again or anything of the sorts?”
“No, not at all. It’s been really quiet lately and there has been no abnormal movement or signs of anything.” Came Smith’s response and I nodded my head in satisfaction at his reply.
“Don’t relax with security and always report everything that happens back to me, no matter how small or insignificant it might be.” I instructed and Smith rolled his eyes.
“It’s not my first day on the job Greyson, I know what to do.” He said.
A small silence settled between us and I moved my attention back to Jessy, like I had been doing for a while now, whenever I wasn’t talking and the smaller girl was currently falling asleep in her spot with the crayon still in her hands.
And not even if I had a knife to my throat that threatened to slit it if I smiled would have been enough to deter me I knew that I still wouldn’t be able to help it.
I had ordered for dinner to be brought up to my office since Smith and myself had been buried deep in paperwork, trying to sort the finances of the pack and Jessy had enjoyed eating out of both of our plates.
“So, the Solace is next month. Do you plan on going for this years?” Smith asked carefully.
I furrowed my brows in thought, the Solace was a festival that happened in our pack once every two years and although the event was usually pack filled with a lot of fun activities and laughter, the one time that almost all the pack members came together, I still hadn’t been in attendance for a while now.
“You know the answer to that Smith.”
My Beta let out a heavy sigh, one that was filled with disappointment and disapproval at my decision but I cared less about what Smith thought when it came to this particular decision.
“Greyson, it’s been almost a while now. I think it’s time to let go and find your place in the world again. You used to always look forward to the Solace and in turn the pack members used to always look forward to it too, but since you stopped attending it felt like the event changed. It’s not as fun and exciting anymore and if care is not taken the beautiful tradition will be brought to an end.” Smith said.
“Well, I used to enjoy it while I had a family to celebrate it with.” I said getting up from my seat and moving in the direction of the already sleeping Jessy.
“Greyson you kn-” Smith had began saying but I honestly was no longer interested in hearing about it.
“Smith drop it. I’m not attending this event and that will be it! I still do what is expected of me. I make sure that the event is organized and the right preparations are made towards it. I don’t think my appearance is that big of a deal.”
I knelt beside Jessy’s sleeping frame and without a second thought, I swooped the little girl in my arms and made to leave the office, frowning lightly when she didn’t weigh as much as normal three years old should.
I could hear Smith’s footsteps behind me and once we were at the bottom of the grand stairs and we said our goodbyes he headed in the direction of the door while I moved in the direction of the maid quarters.
Pushing open the door that led into Freya’s room, I was not surprised to find the mother sitting anxiously and waiting on her bed and for a second I felt bad for keeping her child from her even when I knew that it wasn’t exactly my fault.
I placed Jessy gently on one of the beds and once she was properly tucked in, I turned to face my green eyed maid and my eyes immediately went to hair blonde hair that had been left down.
Even while I wasn’t running my fingers through it, I could still remember clearly the way it had felt to actually run my fingers through her hair.
The thought of doing that, brought back several other thoughts that were enough to excite me and I could already feel myself harden in my pants.
Clearing my throat awkwardly I looked back in the direction of Jessy before looking at Freya, then moving to exit the room.
“She ate dinner with Smith and I.” I said and the mother nodded her head.
“Thank you Master.” She replied softly but remained in her position, with her eyes trained on my frame.
The tension that sat in the air was too much for me to bear and so with a slight nod of acknowledgment at her words, I moved to exit the room.
At a point, I knew that I would have to have some sort of conversation with Freya about what had happened and the wisest thing to do would be to make sure it never happened again.
But everything in me, seemed to disagree with the thought.