Captivated, Cursed: Alpha Linc | 18+

Episode 8

Angry yelling from outside wakes me. I move toward the window, peering out from behind the sheer curtains, hoping not to be seen.

"She left her hallway, that was my one condition for her staying here, that she stays the fuck away from me!" he yells loudly at Maggie.

"She's been cooped up for weeks, Linc! You wouldn't let Luke do what he needs to do for her to be able to access the grounds safely! She's bored and lonely!"

"Bored and lonely?" He roars, "This is my home, I did not invite her here, the least she could do is obey a simple rule! She was in my garden, what if she had messed something up?"

Maggie pinches the bridge of her nose, "she wasn't trampling your flowers, Linc. She was just sitting there..."

"I don't fucking care. I'm canceling her addition to the biometric system. She can't leave her wing."

"She's not a prisoner here! Can't we at least let her go to the dock by herself? When I'm busy she's stuck inside like a child!"

"NO!" he growls.

Maggie throws her hands in the air angrily and walks away.

I step back from the window, leaning against the wall beside it. Shit. I really screwed things up.

His angry face flashes in my mind. The furrow of his brow over his light eyes. He was clean-shaven, showing off his sharp jawline, he has the kind of face that can carry facial hair if he wanted to. I wonder what he would look like with some scruff.

After seeing him I know that my mate will have to be similar in appearance because no one else will ever compare. Hopefully, my mate is less of an angry recluse, though.

I spend the rest of the day sulking. I was really looking forward to being allowed out of the house by myself. Maggie and Cam try but they are busy with their jobs, they can't babysit me so that I can go on walks.

As the sun starts to set I hear a tap on my door.

"I'm busting you out of here," Maggie smiles widely.

"What do you mean?" I chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"You shouldn't have gone out last night but I feel partially to blame for that. I have been so busy with Cam and Luke gone that you've been sitting here, alone, for days."

"It was stupid of me to go, I thought I could sneak in and out unnoticed."

"What do you like to do? When you're at home, aside from reading and playing the piano, what do you enjoy?" she asks.

"I like to bake."

"Perfect, let's go!" she grabs my arm and yanks me down the hallway. I'm with her but I'm still nervous. He was calm last night but this morning his anger had obviously multiplied. I don't want to run into him around the house.

The kitchen is something out of a dream. It's at least three times larger than the bakery and has every possible appliance and gadget. I step into the walk-in refrigerator, looking over the bounty of ingredients that are available.

"What are we making?" Maggie asks excitedly.

"What do you like to make?"

"Oh, me? Nothing! I have the equivalent of two left feet in the kitchen. I can't cook or bake to save my life!"

"We can make cinnamon rolls? Or danishes?" I suggest looking over the different fruits we can use.

"We can make both!" she laughs, " And by 'we' I mean you. I can help with cleaning up and prep but I will find a way to burn it or ruin it somehow."

"Deal," I start gathering apples and cherries for the danishes.

Three hours later the kitchen is covered in flour, as are we. I've never had many friends but she is so easy to talk to. Time flies as we chat about our likes and dislikes. Notably absent from the conversation is the topic of mates. I don't want to ask her, it would be incredibly impolite and since she hasn't brought it up I don't either.

"Why did it get so big and fluffy?"

"That's called proofing," I laugh, she really wasn't kidding. She doesn't know the first thing about baking. "The yeast we put in the dough is activated and starts to ferment, producing gas inside the dough that makes it expand. It's called levaning."

I roll the dough into a large rectangle before spreading the buttery cinnamon and sugar mixture over it. As soon as I start to roll the dough into a spiral log the door bursts open, slamming into the wall behind it.

"What the fuck are you doing down here? It's after midnight!" The King's angry eyes meet mine.

"Obviously, we're baking..." Maggie rolls her eyes.

"Why? Why isn't she in her room?"

"Again...she's not a prisoner here! I'm with her, ensuring that she doesn't wander anywhere you wouldn't want her to be. Relax."

"This is my home, not a playground."

When he looks at me I realize that I am not only looking directly at him but I'm scowling. After last night I think the wisest course of action is just to keep my mouth shut.

"You can't have any of the delicious pastries she made, you jackass!" Maggie admonishes him, drawing his gaze back to her.

"Hurry up and finish so she can go back to her room," he says angrily before turning and leaving with a huff.

I sigh and start to cut the roll into pieces.

"Don't mind him... he's..." she starts.

"A huge asshole?" I cut in, "I know I broke the rules last night but why does he hate me so much?"

"He doesn't hate you, he's just very angry."

I work quickly to finish cutting and wrapping the rolls and danishes to bake in the morning. If he comes back down here I want to be long gone.

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