Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Mia Heartman

Mia strolled to the garden where the whole incident had happened.

She needed answers and she planned to fill her question booklet with them.

The weather was still cold outside and she felt nothing but pity for the guards made to stand there, they must be freezing.

She made up her mind to bring back towels to keep them a bit warm when she was done with her business there.

She put her palms together and rubbed them thoughtfully. She felt sad and she didn't know why.

Yes, she had been earlier, but she no longer was. Instead, she had come to terms with what happened and no longer wanted to sulk over it anymore.

So why was she still sad? And why did it feel like a borrowed feeling?

She shrugged off the thoughts of it and continued her journey to where the garden guards stood.

She could only hope they hadn't been assigned other posts. If so, she would have to go about looking for them, which would be damnably too much stress for her.

She struggled through the thick snow with her snow boots and she was more than grateful that the snow was no longer falling.

When she got there, she wasn't sure if the guards stationed there at the moment were the same ones there before as she hadn't taken a good look at them during her tour earlier.

She had to try anyway so she walked up to the one at the far end. They had locked gazes for a split second there before he averted his gaze in what seemed like... fear?

She wasn't sure.

It annoyed her how fearful and avoidant the palace attendants always seemed of the royals especially her. She was anything but harmful. Why then were they so terrified of her?

Was it because she was married to the wicked, ruthless Alpha?

That was the most likely reason.

When she stood right in front of the guard, he kept looking straight into thin air and his back was straightened up and ears, pink with cold. With the way his eyes remained unmoving, she feared his eyeballs had frozen up. She panicked and shook him a bit. He towered over her like the lot of them. So when he looked down at her, she had to shift back, feeling a bit intimidated.

The man muttered an apology and Mia felt more at ease.

He had long beards and Mia thought it was a stupid idea for a warrior as it could serve as a big disadvantage.

What if someone pulled at it during a fight?

She shivered at the thought before asking the guard to escort her back into the palace.

He hesitated for a second before obeying her and following her protectively.

When they got to the waiting room, she wasted no time and went straight to business.

"Where you present when the... incident happened?" She tried to put a bold front.

"Yes, your majesty." He affirmed.

Mia sighed in relief.

"Tell me what happened,"

She instructed and the guard had his head down as he relayed what he had witnessed.

He told Mia about the discussion about the transaction they had and hesitated.

"Then what happened?"

Mia was becoming impatient with this man. He wasn't even meeting her eyes.

"The chairman asked for you as his compensation." The guard finally let out.

Mia widened her eyes, she didn't see that one coming but told him to go on.

"The Alpha got seriously pissed and grabbed the man by his neck and the rest is history."

The guard seemed to be happy to be done with the story.

Mia stood there for a while, just shocked.

He had gotten so upset for her sake?

He had almost killed for her?

She didn't know how to feel.

Till now, she had always believed he didn't care a bit about her but now... Now, she didn't know what to think. Was it just his wolf propelling him to act?

She didn't know what to think but at least, she knew he somehow cared and was willing to protect her.

The guard watched Mia smile beautifully into space and wondered why she was smiling. Was she happy his Alpha had almost killed a human or was she just deranged?

And when was he going to be sent back to his post?

••••••••••••

Alex had instructed the cooks to no longer serve his food on the dining table, but to bring it straight to his room.

He had instructed the guards to not grant Mia entrance to his study or his room.

In essence, he had ordered the guards to protect him from his own wife.

But he told himself it was for both their good. Why start something that wouldn't-couldn't last?

He was doing this for her.

But was he really?

••••••••

Mia was beyond frustrated. She hadn't seen Alex in almost a week and it was obvious he was avoiding her.

She wanted to pull out all her hair and scream in frustration and sadness but she couldn't.

She felt like a ticking bomb, waiting to explode and she hoped she would on Alex's head.

She wasn't going to let him ignore her like this though.

She was going to do something about this even if it took her forever.

She stalked to his study and knew the guards would stop her just like they have been doing for the past week. She had tried to cajole them and win them over with her charms but they were too loyal to that Alpha of theirs.

Since Alex was too chicken to face her, she would go all violent on him if that was what it took.

Her hair was a complete mess but she didn't care, she looked indeed deranged.

When the guards saw her approaching, they closed the little space between them and bowed their heads in respect.

Well, Mia didn't need nor want their respect. They could shove it up their asses for all she cared.