CHAPTER 41>>>>>>

Akira's breath caught in her throat, a cold chill running down her spine. Her hands squeezed against her dress tightly as her eyes darted around for an escape route. She had never seen Lord Ragnar act accordingly, even in the presence of others, and now she wondered how he would behave when no one was around. She prayed to the Moon Goddess that Madam Estelle would arrive quickly. While Madam Estelle might not be her friend, Akira doubted she would let Lord Ragnar harass her.

She could feel it……he was coming, even if his gaze wasn’t directed her way. She couldn’t tell if he was pretending not to see her or if he truly hadn’t noticed. Her chest rose and fell too quickly, each breath searing like fire in her lungs. Her whole body trembled, and even if she found an escape route, her legs refused to move. Her sight flicked between her human weakness and her wolf’s sharp vision.

When Lord Ragnar’s eyes finally darted to her, she swallowed, though her mouth was dry, her tongue sticking to the roof. He began to approach her, his towering figure moving slowly. He didn’t hurry; after all, he knew she had nowhere to run. The only sound that filled the space was his footsteps dragging slightly.

Beta Ragnar stopped a few paces away from her.

“Where’s Madam Estelle?” Lord Ragnar asked, a concealed smirk on his face.

Akira shook her head. “I—I don’t know. I guess she’s on her way now.”

Her hands clenched at her sides, her heart still pounding, but she finally lifted her chin to meet his gaze, forcing her breath to steady. He wasn’t looking directly at her.

*Seems like he isn't interested in me; he must have come for something important,* she thought to herself.

Despite stopping a few paces away, she could still feel the weight of his presence.

Lord Ragnar tilted his head, studying her in silence for a long moment before he spoke up.

“Were you the one she picked to come here?”

Akira's brows furrowed, confusion flickering across her face. He was standing next to her and still asking such stupid questions. It sounded dumb to her.

“How many more minutes do we need to wait for Madam Estelle, girl?” Lord Ragnar asked sternly.

“I…” Her voice caught in her throat. “I don’t know. I was sent here, and she said she’d be on her way.”

Lord Ragnar scoffed and walked to the edge of the walls, his eyes tracing the contours as if pretending not to care about Akira for a moment, giving her hope that he wasn’t there for her.

Akira’s eyes were fixed on Lord Ragnar; she didn’t look away for even a minute. He wasn’t behaving like he used to, trying to touch her or stare at her inappropriately. It seemed like he was only concerned with waiting for Madam Estelle.

The panic in her chest began to gently dissolve. She blinked softly, watching him draw imaginary lines on the walls, trying to keep himself busy.

For a few seconds, they didn’t speak to each other.

Then Lord Ragnar finally broke the silence. “Did she tell you what you would be coming here for?”

Akira shook her head, slightly confused. “No, my lord, she didn’t.”

He took a step forward, and Akira’s breath hitched, panic creeping in all over again. She almost tried to edge back but reminded herself there was no escape. All she needed to do was act accordingly; it seemed he wasn’t here for her.

Lord Ragnar’s eyes tracked her movements, and excitement tied his stomach in knots.

Akira swallowed as she looked at him; to her, he seemed disturbed by the fact that Madam Estelle wasn’t here yet. Seizing the opportunity, she leaned forward and asked, “M-my lord, what am I to do? Can you show me so I can get started while Madam Estelle comes?”

Lord Ragnar, who was facing away from her, suppressed a happy laugh. He almost pumped his fists in the air happily…..she was playing into his script just as he had expected.

Maintaining a stern expression, he turned to her. “You need to clean a room inside there.” He pointed toward the locked doors that were chained up.

Akira’s eyes followed immediately. “But, m-my lord, it’s locked. How do I—”

“Don’t worry. I have the keys.” He cut her off, dangling the keys in the air.

The softness in his tone slowly decreased her fear. If anything, she was glad he had the keys so she could start cleaning. When Madam Estelle arrived, she might just be finished in time to see Beth.

With that, he walked over to the door leading to the prison where his brother, the feral Grand Alpha King Kaelen, had been locked up for years.

Akira’s gaze lingered on the door as Lord Ragnar approached it and began to open it. It didn’t look like anything they had in the East, and she hadn’t seen anything like it in the South either. She wondered what the door led to; it must be something important for them to construct it to be so resistant. It felt like the door of a dungeon.

Ragnar pulled the chains, and dust settled on the rusted edges.

Her stomach churned, and curiosity piqued. No door needed this much steel.

Akira’s pulse quickened as Ragnar slid one of the heavy keys into the lock. At first, the door acted reluctant to move, but Ragnar forced it open.

He turned to her, instructing, “You can go in now; you'll be cleaning up the first room there.”

A small smile tugged at her lips as she quickly slipped through the door, happy to get to work before lazy Madam Estelle arrived.

Ragnar’s gaze followed her body, and he licked his lips. Once she slipped inside, he left the door ajar; he didn’t bother to close it. No one dared to cross this side of the pack house.

Akira stepped in, her eyes darting around for the room, but there was no room…….just another door made of steel. Well, not a full door, it felt more like a window, with large holes in the knitted iron to see whoever was coming from the other side.

She narrowed her gaze at the door, thinking perhaps the room was beyond it.

But before she could turn back to Ragnar, she felt a hand grab her waist slowly.

“I brought you here to pour my wine since you wouldn’t come to my quarters to pour it,” Ragnar murmured into her neck, and Akira froze.