Chapter 19
“Geez, what the hell do you think you are doing?” Alpha Kaiden asked the girl.
“Didn’t you tell me to stir fry them?” Anastasia looked at the pan and then at Alpha Kaiden, who had a helpless expression.
“I told you to stir fry them, not practically throw the food in the air to stain my ceiling or walls. If you don’t have the skills, why are you trying to show off,” Alpha Kaiden said, and Anastasia smiled sheepishly when she saw that the food was indeed staining the wall behind the stove. “Well, I-” she smiled and looked up at Alpha Kaiden, who looked down into her eyes, his gaze shifting to her lips again as he remembered how he sneaked a kiss when she was asleep.
The smile on her face froze when she caught his gaze, and Anastasia’s breath hitched as she noticed how close they were.
She cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment, looking at her fingers bashfully.
“Let me show you,” Kaiden stood behind her, his breath fanning her ears, making her hold the pan as he placed his hand over hers, and Anastasia felt weird shocks run down her spine.
What the hell was that? Why is she feeling like this with his proximity? Her heart started picking its pace, and she gulped. It was almost as if she was a teenager whose crush smiled at her for the first time. That was the kind of feeling she was having right now.
“I… Uhh… Alpha Kaiden, you can demonstrate to me alone too, and I can do it,” Anastasia tried to free her hand from under his grip, but Kaiden smiled before bending and leaning into her so that her back was touching his chest, wanting to tease her more.
However, as soon as their bodies touched, he sighed inwardly.
Her warmth felt comfortable. It felt different and strangely calming. Was it because this was the first time he was actually letting a female so close to himself? He was about to bend and sniff her hair, hoping to smell something, when the broccoli fell on Anastasia’s hand, making her hiss loudly.
Kaiden’s brows raised. He immediately let go of her hands and quickly pulled her hand under the tap to wash it with cold water.
“Where is your mind when I am teaching you how to cook?” He asked, and Anastasia looked at him with narrowed brows.
“It’s just a normal burn mark. Why are you fussing so much? It will heal sooner or later,”
“I know it will, but why do you need to feel the pain till then?” Kaiden took an ice pack from the fridge and placed it on her hand, turning off the stove so the vegetables didn’t end up burning.
As he applied the ice pack to her hand with his complete concentration on her now, Kaiden noticed how calm she was. It was as if this wound didn’t pain or hurt her. Like she was now immune to pain or something.
Just how much misery did she go through to build this kind of immunity against pain? He wondered with an inward sigh.
“I think it’s okay now,” Anastasia, whose gaze was fixated on his hands, immediately said, and he raised his brows when he saw her red cheeks.
Was she shy or embarrassed by the situation?
“It’s almost done. You just go and set the table. I am bringing the food. The dishes are in the upper cupboard,” Kaiden said, and Anastasia nodded before she took out the cutlery and placed it on the table.
She sat there and observed Alpha Kaiden, who was walking in his kitchen, so concentrated.
This man in front of her was so different from the man who interrogated her in the dungeons. It was as if the phrase ‘two identities‘ or ‘separate professional and personal life‘ was made for him only.
Honestly, if he wasn’t the alpha of the most dangerous pack, or the monster himself, he wasn’t so bad–looking.
‘I know, right? His wolf is even stronger and beautiful,‘ Dione murmured, and Anastasia smiled at her wolf’s dreamy gaze.
‘It still doesn’t make up for the fact that you thought it was a good idea to throw me under the bus like that,’ Anastasia smiled, placing her hand under her chin as she observed him.
Alpha Kaiden, who was busy doing the last–minute seasonings felt her hot gaze on his back and smirked.
“I know I am handsome, but you don’t have to keep staring at me like I am your meal and not the dish I am preparing,” she gasped when he appeared right in front of her, his face only a few inches away from hers, making her stand from her place.
What the hell was wrong with her? She couldn’t even hear his voice.
This wasn’t right.
Anastasia wanted to create distance between them, but luck wasn’t on her side today. As soon as she stood from her place, her foot bumped into the chair, and she fell backwards, but Kaiden held her in his place.
“You are such a klutz, Sia. I wonder how you were able to survive so long. in the wild,” Kaiden didn’t want to embarrass her more than she already was and walked to his seat.
She was grateful for that.
The rest of the dinner went uneventful, and none of them talked about anything. Anastasia preferred it that way too.
Things were a hell lot worse than she had imagined.
Honestly, she wouldn’t have a problem if the person in front of her was some kind of hooligan or a monster. She was used to people treating her badly, and she would’ve dealt with it like she had dealt with all her problems.
But no, he wasn’t rude like she had hoped him to be.
She didn’t know if this was just a pretence for her to trust him so that he could reap some kind of benefits from her, or if it was something else, but one thing was clear- This man can’t be trusted.
How can she really trust someone with such two distinct personalities? There wasn’t just something dark about him. Everything was pitch black.
Anastasia kept thinking about him before she remembered to call that man to see if everything was alright on his side or not.
Alpha Kaiden, on the other hand, who was reading some documents in the living room, looked at the girl who was deep in thought and
narrowed his eyes.
“Aren’t you tired?” Kaiden asked after some time.
“Hmm?”
“I mean to say, does this constant overthinking not tire you out?” Kaiden asked.
“I wasn’t overthinking about something,” Anastasia smiled, and Kaiden rolled his eyes.
“Sia, though I –”
“Why do you call me Sia? Now you know my name,” Anastasia said, and Kaiden chuckled.
“Sia is a short form of your name. I am sure you wouldn’t want me to call you anas now,” Kaiden grinned at his own joke, and though it was the lamest thing Anastasia heard, she smiled.
“I am bored. Would you like to watch a movie?” Kaiden asked, and Anastasia shrugged.
It’s not like she had anything better to do.
