The Wolf Spirit

Chapter Eight

Anna didn’t hesitate, Anthony pulling out the chair for her and welcoming her with a smile which she returned.

Her eyes were on Kane as she sat though, the sight of him like a rare occurrence.

Seeing him this way, so relaxed and laid back like he wasn’t the cold man she met three days ago was definitely a rare occurrence.

“Did you sleep well, Anna?” Anthony asked.

Anna nodded, feeling a bit guilty for not sparing the man who spoke even one glance.

Kane blinked, like he’d just snapped out of a daze, then he turned his head and looked away.

Anna blew out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, both her hands over the warm top of the thick wooden table.

Dishes laid out in front of everyone but there wasn’t really any food.

Anna wondered if she had just walked into a pack meeting instead of actual breakfast. Others had managed to pry their eyes away from Anna but some still gawked like they expected to see a horn sprout from her hair any second. There were murmurs and majority of them she knew, were directed at her. Diane, Kane’s sister sat at the far end of the table, she gave Anna a brief smile when their eyes met.

“I didn’t think you’d the able to make it down,” said May who was sitting opposite Anna but she only did notice the second she spoke.

There was a disdainful grin on her face as she spoke, she looked at Kane like she was looking for confirmation or whatever the f**k she was looking for, Anna didn’t know.

“I heard all you did for the past three days was stay locked up in your room and wait for food to come to you,”

“I didn’t—”

“—are you implying the cook is lying?” May asked with a c****d up eyebrow.

Her red hair was pinned up into a tight bun today, her face more prominent and beautiful than the last time Anna had seen her, red shade of lipstick on her lips, two locks of hair let out if her bun and placed at the sides of her face but yet that expression made Anna realize that she couldn’t profile this woman just by her beauty or the power that radiated off of her skin.

“Oh God May, don’t you think it’s too early to start an argument with someone?” Anthony said and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Ignore her, She’s just used to being the prettiest in the room,” Tony said.

There was the sound of a sudden sucked in breath and then a few hushed chuckles that weren’t so hushed.

When Anna looked at May, the disdain in her eyes were already replaced with full blown anger and maybe hatred.

She wasn’t sure what she did to stir such emotions in the woman.

Anna wished she cared but at the same time was thankful that she didn’t, she already had so much on her mind.

The doors to the dining room opened at the moment, about six maids walked in, trays in their hands as they made their way to the dining table.

The scent of food filled the air the closer they got, Anna’s mouth watered as they each placed down the large bowls in trays they brought.

Whoa.

That was a lot of food.

Anna had never seen so much on one table.

One more bowl was added, then another. Then a few side dishes to compliment. The cook Anna always saw walked in not long after that. A faint smile on his aged face as he walked to the only empty chair at the table and sat down, he was next to May…she was still glaring.

“Good morning Kane,” he said. The corners of his eyes crinkling with his smile.

He looked to be in his fifties or maybe sixties, he had a strong build though and the only place his age showed was his slightly wrinkled face and his small, brown and, experienced looking eyes.

“Breakfast is served,”

“Thank you Ethan,” Kane replied.

A certain warmth in his voice that was quite unexpected.

“Eat,” He said. His tone authoritative, everyone proceeded to lifting their forks or spoon and digging in to whatever they could get on their plates.

Anna took the bread that was placed in front of her, put some butter in between it and got some soup that was passed to her by Tony.

All the while trying to act like the stares she knew she was getting from everyone was not debilitating.

“So we finally meet in person, Anna,”

There was no hostility in his eyes or tone, he sounded rather warm, like cushions and blankets beneath and above her during a cold winter.

She could tell immediately that he was a nice person, but that didn’t mean she trusted him. He was loyal to the man that held her captive and planned to take her gift for himself.

She didn’t trust anyone at this f*****g table.

“You’re more pretty when you aren’t sneaking around like a kitten,” he said with a hearty chuckle.

Anna pursed her lips and her cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

She wasn’t sneaking around, she was just being cautious, she wanted to say but held her tongue.

At that point everyone was already more focused on their food than the conversation passing between the two.

Kane acted like he was invisible and May was probably the only person paying attention.

“I only snuck around to explore, I’d have stopped if I knew it was prohibited, after all, Miss May had said I was up in my room all day waiting for food,”

Yeah.

The cook was saying a completely different thing from what he supposedly said in front of everyone.

Tony turned to look at her with an impressed expression.

No, no.

She wasn’t challenging May or anything like that, she was just trying to make a point.

Judging by May’s darkened expression, Anna realized that the woman definitely saw it as a challenge.

Kane cleared his throat after putting down a glass of water, the simple action able to make her forget about any other conversation she was having.

“You will meet with the warlocks today,” he said, his voice low.

“Today we will find out how soon we can harness the power of the Wolf Spirit,” he said louder, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear him. They all raised their heads from their food and looked at their alpha, some stared at Anna though.

She felt like a dissected frog underneath their gazes.

“And how soon we can strengthen our pack,”

Then there were smiles of excitement on their faces. They all looked like they were going to win the lottery, some expressions were ones of relief and suddenly the way everyone looked at her changed.

“The Wolf Spirit will help us achieve all that we’ve wanted to for so long,”

Anna’s fists clenched, the bread in her hand squeezed beyond recognition.

“And also die while doing it,” she said through gritted teeth, her eyes on Kane.

The excited chatter quieted into a thick silence that made dread rise in her stomach.

Kane turned to look at her, his expression still blank but the coldness in his eyes enough to send shivers down her spine.

Shit.

She needed to learn to keep her mouth shut.

Now everyone was staring at her weird or avoiding her gaze, but Kane. His eyes held hers like a hook on a fish, reeling her in...Making his scent even more intoxicating than it should’ve been.

“Come,” He stood abruptly, his chair scraping rather loudly behind him.

“We should talk,” He held out a hand for her.

Yes she wasted to take his hand, she wanted to feel that warmth against hers, wanted to feel his fingers close in on hers.

But something about the way he looked at her created a heavy feeling in his stomach.

She hesitantly took his hand, his fingers wrapping around hers immediately and pulling her up.

“Come,” He said. This time with more authority in his tone that almost caused her to bow her head in submission.

Almost.

She had just let her emotions control her, in front of the entire pack.

Her feet moved slowly.

She followed behind him as they walked out of the dining room.

Hand in hand.