Chasing Tails (Original)

19. Suspicions Rise

Julie let out a long and loud sigh, huffing out air like she had done an hour ago and an hour before that. A tray of food had been brought up to her by Mrs. Edwards who was more than willing to talk to Julie for five minutes before a child stole her attention away. The untouched tray was now sitting on the other end of the bed, teasing her. It got to leave and see life outside of a bedroom. But she was still stuck. She wasn't even allowed into the living room anymore - not after her attempts to escape. But she had guards now anyway. What was the point of trying to escape? She could, at least, be given the freedom to walk around the house.

As time went by, she could actually start to see shackles wrap around her wrists, confining her within the bedroom walls. Despite the guards changing shifts every now and then and Mrs. Edwards giving her a visit, no matter how short, there was only one person who held the key to her freedom and he wasn't going to let her go any time soon. She couldn't break out on her own either. She didn't have strength even close to match her guards. Slowly, she was becoming more and more irritable, even groaning loudly in the pillows. Asides from that, she only had one emotion and that was for the traveling tray: jealousy.

"You didn't eat?" Dresden glowered down on her, standing at the end of the bed while looking at the untouched tray. She shook her head, refusing to look at the tray. "Julie, if you don't eat, you won't build up your strength. It'll only mean staying here longer." She shrugged.

"I'm used to skipping lunch anyway. It makes me feel sick." He rolled his eyes at her, ignoring her poor excuse and her dramatic way of explaining it.

"You'll get used to it." He pushed the tray towards her. "Eat." She sighed, feeling the weight of his command and pulled off a piece of the sandwich, chewing it slowly before leaning back against the headboard.

"I ate."

Dresden felt a wave of impatience and irritation wash over him. His frustration was only soothed by the amusement he felt from her persona change. Had this conversation happened when she first arrived, she wouldn't have questioned him and would have started to eat the whole thing right away. It was a sign that she trusted him enough to let her get away with little things.

"You think this is going to work?" He teased, chuckling at her expression. He leaned over the bed, staring at her, watching her grow more and more abash with his every word. "Pouting and whining like a little baby isn't going to change my mind abotu you're staying here."

"I am not pouting and whining." She argued calmly though he could see she was thoroughly defiant. He smirked at her and pushed the tray closer.

"Then eat."

Julie glared at the tray, averting her eyes from him to avoid sending her glare at him. She was irritated that he called her a baby - especially after everything she has gone through. She was not a baby. But the only way to prove that to him, who didn't know a single thing about her past, was to eat the rest of the tray's contents. That would mean losing the chance to irriate her Alpha a little for keeping her locked up. It would also mean that she would probably feel sick later on - her stomach only used to eating one to two meals with small snacks inbetween. She sighed anyway, ignoring her pride and pulled the tray onto her lap. He watched as she picked up the sandwich and took a big bite, chewing it.

"Happy?" She asked and he chuckled, sitting by her feet.

"Very."

Julie rolled her eyes, slowly continuing her meal. The thought that she couldn't even put away the tray herself when she was done irritated her. She bit more fiercly into her meal, taking her frustrations out on Mrs. Edwards's homemade sandwich. She could feel her stomach churning with the new substance to break down. Her muscles wanted to go against the large porportion that was invading earlier than normal but she forced herself to finish the sandwich, swallowing every bite.