The King's Prey (Unedited Edition)

Chapter 26 : Routines and Repeats

Temerate • [tem-mer-ate]
To break a bond or binding promise.

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~ Anastasia ~

Shuffling sounds are what force my head to look past the kitchen threshold as I set down my fork. I catch one glance of long fiery hair before utter confusion consumes my thoughts. I had heard murmurs earlier but wasn't sure who or where they were coming from.

Sterling disappears into the foyer beyond while a part of me urges to call after her and ask why she's here. But I keep my mouth shut, remembering our last encounter and how entirely chaotic it was.

Instead, I decide to wait for Samuel, preparing a ramble of questions in my head to attack him with. It's long after I finish my plate and glass of water before he returns though, bringing a handheld laptop with him.

Even with his gaze attached to the computer's screen, he looks up briefly to find my stare on him. Reaching the island where I'm sitting to set down the device and finally eat his food, he pauses and blinks once. "What?"

"I just saw Sterling leave," I admit, shoving my empty glass towards him in a silent request for more water.

Samuel takes the glass and fills it, handing it back to me before he opens his mouth to shovel more food into it. "I needed her to come over for an urgent matter."

"You're lying," I say. I let a second of silence tick by before proceeding, "or at the very least, you're covering up whatever it is you don't want to tell me."

"I'm not lying," he counters, typing something into the laptop.

"Did she know I was here?" I take a long drink, observing the way Samuel's face shifts for any hints of his deceptive behavior.

"Yes," he answers, his eyes wholly focused on whatever it is he's working on. His response makes me pause.

"She did?"

"Yes, Anastasia, she did," he exhales.

I watch the muscles under his shirt tighten ever so slightly, some kind of frustration building into him. "You seem pissed off," I finally comment.

Another long exhale releases from his chest. "There are more reports about the rogues that attacked us circling around. So yes, I'm a little bit on edge."

"I thought you said that was taken care of?"

"It was until more shit happened," he grumbles. I use my hand to prop my head up against the counter as I watch him relentlessly type on the keyboard, no longer touching his breakfast.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me then I guess it's not my problem," I sigh, taking a long drink of water. "Like I said, you're fucking impossible."

Samuel pauses his work and tilts his head towards me. "I never—Anastasia, it's out of my control, and a lot of it is stuff I don't want you worrying about. Besides, I'm more worried about getting you healed and back on your feet before we have a rerun of what happened a week ago."

"You think there'll be another attack?" I ask.

Something ticks in him when my question registers. "I just want to be prepared for the worst," Samuel grumbles. I keep my mouth shut by drinking the rest of my glass.

I've come to terms with the fact that he adds a brick to his mental wall each day. Every single question I ask—whether it has to do with me or what's been happening outside of this damn house—just leads to him blocking me out. But a part of my mind is always urging me to try to get him to open up, even if it makes him boil from within.