Page 75 of Aine

She pushes off the sink with a laugh before turning and leaving the bathroom in a flurry. I’m not foolish enough to think her telling me was anything short of intentional, but what I am confused about is why.

His reluctance to call what she did rape makes me wonder how the other beasts see it. It might be a cultural thing to believe an Alpha male can’t be taken advantage of, and she’s hoping I’ll get angry and fight with Damien over it.

It wouldn’t surprise me. Freya does seem to love stirring up trouble.

My hands shake as I approach the sink and push my hair out of my flushed face. She’s probably hoping I come bursting out of the bathroom and make a scene, but she won’t get that satisfaction tonight.

Damien is watching the bathroom door when I finally work up the courage to leave. His eyebrows pull together as I give him a tense smile and slide into my chair. He returns his hand to my thigh, and I turn to meet Freya’s waiting gaze.

Her excitement visibly drops as she realizes I’m not going to be saying anything, but she’s quick to plaster a smile on her face and strike up a conversation with Owen. The rest of the meal is awkward, at least on my end, but thankfully, Damien doesn’t push me to speak.

I wonder if he heard what Freya said or if she was telling the truth when she said beasts don’t listen to what happens in the bathroom.

When the server finally comes with the check, I’m relieved and bounce in my seat as I wait for Damien to pay. Freya and Owen make plans for her to stay the night in his hotel room, their hands touching as she eagerly shares that she’ll run back to pack a bag before meeting him.

The second the meal is paid for, I’m grabbing Damien and pulling him to his feet. He gives me a sideways glance and happily lets me tug him toward the exit. He’s able to easily keep up with my fast pace as I hurry him through the streets toward our hotel, his arm wrapping around my waist without complaint.

If anything, he’s probably happy with the faster movements. When the beasts aren’t walking alongside the humans, they move fast, and they usually have to slow down so we can keep up.

“Did you enjoy your food?” Damien asks as he pushes open the doors to the inn.

Freya runs ahead to pack her bag. Despite Damien’s claim that Owen’s not sexually adventurous, he’s sure eager to have Freya warm his bed after only one meal.

I nod, following him inside. “It was delicious.”

It’s obvious Damien can sense something’s on my mind, but I feel uncomfortable telling him Freya shared his private information with me and I don’t want to make him angry by letting him know I’m aware of her mark.

A small, petty part of me wants to bring it up so he feels the way I did when he sent his men to collect my file and learn my secrets, but I don’t. Even if he is a dick who deserves to be brought down a few pegs.

“Did your cup hold up all right?” he asks as we approach the stairs.

I choke, flustered as he lifts me like earlier. My hands instinctively move to rest against his chest as he carries me up the steps. I’m sure I look rude coughing in his face, but I can’t help it.

“Did it?” he repeats when I don’t answer.

I’m going to kill Damien. Why does he even care?

He grins when I grudgingly nod, seeming almost proud at the knowledge that my cup has worked fine. That haughty expression doesn’t lessen as he reaches the fifth floor and sets me on the ground. I take a step back as he reaches around me for the doorknob, and I move out of the way so he can push open the door.

“Then why are you so upset?” he asks.

My brain short-circuits as I try to think of an excuse. I suppose I appreciate him waiting until we’re alone to try to get some answers out of me, and I mentally curse myself for not taking that time to come up with a good lie.

“I’m trying to be a good mate to you and make up for the mistakes I made when we first met, but it’s hard when you refuse to open up.” He brushes past me into the room. It’s clear he’s upset by my silence, his tone quiet as he begins to search through the bag on his bed. “Would you like to shower first?”

“Yes, please,” I respond, grateful he’s dropping the subject.

He might be a little upset about me not sharing my secrets, but I’m confident he’d be even angrier if I told him I know what happened between him and Freya.

I grab the pajamas Olivia lent me from my bag before hurrying into the bathroom. She didn’t pack me anything warm, but I’ll survive being cold for a night or two. If it gets too unbearable, I think I could get Damien to loan me another shirt.

The shower’s tiny, and I can’t help but wonder how Damien is going to fit in here. Physically, he’ll be able to enter the space, but there’s absolutely no way the water will be able to reach anywhere above his chest.

Goosebumps pebble up along my skin as I slip out of my clothing, and I sigh in relief as I drop my pants to my feet and remove the pressure from my waist. My pants usually fit comfortably, but my bloating has them digging pretty painfully into my skin.

Damien’s lying down when I finally leave the bathroom all cleaned, the clothing he plans to change into resting on his chest. His head lolls to the side as I approach my bed and slip underneath the sheets. My cramps, which I was able to ignore at dinner, are slowly making a vengeful comeback, and I curl into a ball as Damien leaves for the bathroom.

I struggle to keep my breaths steady as I hear him turn on the water. He’s shown an odd interest in my reproductive system today, so I do my best to avoid showing any physical signs of pain. The last thing I need is him asking dozens of personal questions about how my body works.

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