Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Eden
Twenty minutes later, I’m in what can only be described as a glorified laundry room, sitting in a metal tub while three maids scrub at my skin with rough brushes. The black blood from the Hollow doesn’t come off easily. It sticks to my skin like glue, resisting both soap and water.
“Your hair is impossible,” huffs the head maid, a stern–faced woman named Gertrude. Her fingers pull through my tangled locks without gentleness. And what is this? Do you use any skincare at all?”
My face burns with humiliation as her finger prods at one of my acne spots.
“I do,” I mutter, sinking lower into the cloudy water since I don’t want to be judged for not looking perfect. My self–confidence is in tatters already. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“It is when I have to look at it,” she sniffs, scrubbing harder. “The Valentine household has standards.”
Another maid, younger with kinder eyes, gives me an apologetic look but continues scrubbing my arms with the intensity of someone removing dirt from grout.
“I can wash myself,” I protest for the third time.
“Orders from Madame Valentine,” Gertrude replies curtly. “She said you’re to be properly cleaned before you’re allowed upstairs.”
As if I’m a stray dog they found in the gutter.
The basement chills my skin. The walls stand bare concrete, and the floor remains unfinished. It’s clearly not meant for guests, just another reminder of my status in this pack. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to preserve some dignity as they continue to scrub.
“Ouch!” I yelp when Gertrude yanks particularly hard on a knot in my hair.
“Hold still,” she commands. “This black gunk is everywhere.”
A knock at the door makes all three maids pause.
“Is everything alright in there?” comes a familiar male voice. “I heard shouting.”
Axel, I realize. Though, I’m not sure what he is doing here. The twin’s always follow Logan everywhere. The only times I’ve seen Axel alone is by his locker, and he is usually a dick to me. Stealing books. Papers. Using his gigantic size against me while laughing…
“We’re bathing the omega, sir,” Gertrude calls. “Nothing to worry about.”
The door opens anyway, and I yelp, sinking as low as possible in the murky water.
“What the hell, Axel?!” I shriek. “Get out!”
But he doesn’t leave. Of course, he doesn’t. Axel has never once listened to me in my life. If anything, he seems to get a kick out of playing stupid and doing exactly what I don’t want him to do. Right now, there’s a stupid grin spreading over his face. The only difference now is that his eyes contain a warmth I’ve rarely seen directed at me.
He almost looks like a golden retriever, all sunny sunshine, which is weird.
“Well, well,” he drawls. “If it isn’t Little Miss Bookworm, getting the royal treatment.”
“This isn’t funny,” I hiss, trying to cover myself. I may not be beautiful, but I have pride.” Get out!”
“Relax,” he chuckles. “I can’t see anything through all that,” he gestures at the murky water, “whatever that shit is. Demon blood, yeah?”
1/3
Chapter 24
Gertrude stands, wiping her hands on her apron, clearly disapproving of Axel’s presence, no matter who he is. She doesn’t want male eyes on me. “Str. this is highly inappropriate-”
“I’ll take it from here,” Axel says, his tone suddenly authoritative and not loud and disorganized like usual, it is rare to see him and his brother being serious. “The Alpha sent me to check on Eden personally.”
The maids exchange glances, but none dare contradict one of the Valentine pack’s highest–ranking wolves. Gertrude’s mouth forms a tight line before
she nods.
“A’s you wish, sir. We’ve done what we can with… this situation.” She gestures vaguely at me as if I’m a particularly stubborn coffee stain. “Come, girls.
The three maids file out, leaving me alone with Axel. I sink even lower in the water, mortified. I get that he wants to be close to me if Logan sent him, but really? How can he just shamelessly stand there when I’m naked? Doesn’t he see me as a woman?
“Seriously?” I hiss once the door closes. “You couldn’t wait five minutes for them to clean me?”
Axel’s cocky grin softens, and then he grabs a clean towel from the shelf. “You looked like you needed rescuing from the scrub squad. They weren’t being exactly careful if I’m to judge by your reddening shoulders.”
I blink, surprised by his perception. “I… yeah. Thanks.”
He approaches, holding the towel outstretched but with his eyes respectfully averted. “Here. I promise I won’t look.”
“Since when are you such a gentleman?” I mutter, but I’m grateful for the gesture.
“I’ve always been a gentleman,” he protests, feigning offense. “You just never noticed because you were too busy having your nose in those books i borrowed.”
“Borrowed?” I scoff, wrapping the towel around myself under the water before standing. “You mean stole and threw in the mud.”
His smile falters, and to my surprise, his face shows genuine remorse. “Yeah, about that… I’m sorry, Eden. That was a dick move.”
I nearly slip in shock. “Did you just apologize? To me?”
“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck. Is that a blush? Nah, it couldn’t be. “I was a jerk. Especially about your books. I know how much they meant to you.”
I clutch the towel tighter, studying him. This is a side of Axel I’ve never seen before, almost uncertain in his sincerity.
“Why did you do it?” I ask quietly.
He shrugs, suddenly finding the concrete floor fascinating. “I don’t know. Maybe because you never looked at me unless I was being an ass.”
My mouth falls open. “What?”
“Anyway,” he says quickly, “Logan assigned me to be your personal bodyguard while you’re staying here. Something about keeping you safe from monsters and Paris.”
“Wait, you’re my what now?”
“Bodyguard,” he grins, bouncing back to his usual playful self. “Twenty–four–seven Eden protection by the friendliest Beta in the pack. Lucky you.”
Chapter 25
Chapter 25
