It irked him that he knew the moment she was outside the door before the maid could open it. He didn’t lift his head to see her as she walked into the dining room, but he could hear the footsteps.

The maid’s footsteps were louder, faster, and soon enough she stopped walking as she stood in position a few feet away from the table. However, Maya’s footsteps still sounded farther away. Keenan lifted his gaze, not hiding his irritation. She was still by the door, inching forward so slowly that a tortoise could outrun her.

"What are you doing?" The words were out of his mouth before he realized.

She stopped walking as he spoke, keeping her head down. She refused to take another step or answer him. Keenan closed his eyes as he felt his blood boil. He was tempted to bolt from his seat and drag her to the table by her hair.

"Maya," he called coldly. "Perhaps you prefer to eat the same food as the dogs?"

His threat elicited a small gasp from Winnie, but Keenan didn’t notice as he crushed the cutlery he held. If he added the slightest bit of force, he risked snapping the metal.

Maya lifted her head as soon as he called her name. It was the first time he had ever addressed her casually. Was it because they were married now? Why was she pleased by this?

She barely registered his threat as her legs started to move again. She could feel their stares with each step, but this time she didn’t stop walking until she got to the table.

She stood at the opposite end, her eyes lowered. Maya couldn’t meet his eyes; no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t look past his nose, and right now his nose was slightly scrunched up as he glared at her.

"Sit!" he commanded coldly.

"She should sit on the ground, Alpha. That’s what she deserves," Alaina chimed in, looking Maya down with disgust.

Maya moved quickly, picking the seat on the same row as Winnie, but she chose the one closest to the end of the table, away from Keenan. She knew if she hesitated, she would have to sit on the ground.

Winnie adjusted in her seat as she glanced at Maya but then turned her attention back to her meal. Maya couldn’t see her face, but she was too scared to look, as sitting just past Winnie was Keenan with his gaze on her.

Keenan made movements with his hands, and the nearest servant rushed forward, filling her plate with food. It was a significant portion, more than lunch.

Maya was glad Bess wasn’t the servant who stepped forward. She didn’t miss the glances Bess exchanged with Alaina as they walked in. Something told her Alaina might be the reason she was dressed in this manner.

The servant stepped away after filling her plate, and Maya couldn’t help but feel antsy. She wanted to look around to determine the real purpose of why she was called here. She found it a little hard to believe that she had been called here just to eat.

A certain pair of eyes threatened to pierce through her skin as she hesitated to pick up the cutlery. Maya closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. She opened her eyes and began to eat, her hand shaking slightly as she brought the food to her lips.

"Alpha," Alaina whined. "To let her eat at the table, that is..."

The rest of her words drowned out as Keenan shot her a glare. It was enough to silence her for the rest of dinner—but only her words. Alaina kept scoffing, shuffling in her seat, and glaring at Maya.

It was easy to ignore Alaina; with her sitting close to the Alpha, Maya completely avoided looking in that direction. The person easiest to notice was Theo, as he sat across from her.

Theo didn’t say a word or glance in her direction. She was unsure how he felt about her. As if aware of her stare, he slowly lifted his head, and it took Maya a little more than a moment to notice, so she didn’t look away in time.

She gripped her cutlery tighter as she shoved the food into her mouth. No one here was on her side. They all believed she was nothing but the devil’s spawn. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The meal felt like rock as it slid down her throat. Her stomach felt tighter, but she couldn’t risk not eating. So she ate in silence, keeping her head down.

"Alpha," Alaina suddenly said toward the end of the meal. "I heard you went to the orphanage with Beta Asher."

The orphanage?

Maya’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She wondered if it was the same one from all those years ago.

Is it still functioning?

Keenan didn’t turn his attention to Alaina; rather, he picked up his napkin as he finished his meal. "Why?" he asked as he tossed the used napkin on the table.

Alaina smiled brightly. "No reason. I was just wondering, Alpha," she replied sweetly.

Maya did her best not to react to any of the conversation to avoid drawing attention to herself, but her ears perked up as she listened. If the orphanage was still functioning, could she go there to see it?

She was done eating, and all she was waiting for was the right moment to leave the table. She knew she couldn’t just abruptly stand up to leave and she was doing her best to be invisible.

Keenan didn’t reply to Alaina; rather, he stood to his feet. He walked away toward the exit, but he didn’t leave; rather, he stopped next to her.

Maya stood to her feet reflexively, kicking back her seat and rattling the table with her arm. It hurt where the wood made contact, but Maya couldn’t react to the pain, not when Alpha Keenan was glaring down at her.

Did I do something wrong?

She couldn’t recall. She had been trying not to draw his attention. She kept her gaze locked on the ground as her mind spun, trying to figure out what was going on.

Suddenly, Maya felt hands around her neck, and he tilted her head back until she was forced to look at him. Her eyes widened, and Maya felt bile creep up her throat.