Chapter 32
Kaden
Dinner was just as awkward and annoying as it had been the night before, but at least there weren’t quite so many people. When Kaden had seen that Jenni Burk was seated right next to him, he had to wonder if someone had done a little name tag switching because he seriously couldn’t immagine his grandmother intentionally torturing him that way.
“so.” Jenna began, about halfway through the third course. “You’ll never believe what my servant girl told me when she came out of your office Joday.”
Before Kaden had a chance to respond, Kent, who was sitting next to his daughter said, “Sienna went into Kaden’s office today”
Considering the conversation he’d had with the other Alpha carlier, he could see why her father might be alarmed. Jenna replied for Karlen so that he didn’t have to try to explain. “Yeah, me and this girl Sylvia, who is really cool, dared her to go in and talk to him.” Jenna laughed, and Kent chuckled for a second.
Asif Kent suddenly realized he was a parent, he said, “Now Jenna, I don’t mind you and your friends playing jokes on Sienna, but try not to waste Kaden’s time,”
“It wasn’t a waste of my time,” Kaden assured both of them.
Jenna’s eyes widened slightly before she cleared her throat and said, “Anyway, she came outside and said that you told her you wanted to dance with her at the ball. Isn’t that funny!”
While Kent and Jenna both laughed loudly enough for some of the others seated at the table to turn and look at them, Kaden pondered the best way to handle the situation.
He knew what Jenna was doing. She was trying to make sure that Kaden hadn’t actually said that he would dance with Sienna Jenna had thought it would be funny to force Sienna to ask him, but she never imagined he might actually say yes. With Kent sitting there, he had to be careful. He’d already offered to take Sienna from him. Now, if he was too excited about the prospect of dancing with the girl, he might get suspicious, and Kaden didn’t need anyone to wonder if something was going on between himself and Sienna–even if there technically was.
Sienna seems like a nice girl from unfortunate circumstances,” Kaden replied. “I don’t see the point in hurting someone for no reason.”
“Unfortunate circumstances?” Jenna asked, her fork clattering to her plate. Once again, the had everyone’s attention. “You do know it’s her dad’s fault that my mom is dead, right? And it’s her fault her own mom is dead.”
“Now, Jenna, watch your tone, Veronica said from Kent’s other side. “Be polite, please”
Jenna turned and glared at her, and it seemed obvious Veronica didn’t like it when Jenna mentioned her late mother.
Kaden would have just as soon stayed out of the conversation, but he couldn’t help but ask, “How is it Sienna’s fault that her father made a mistake! Do you honestly feel that a baby should be held accountable for something that happened on the night she was born!”
Jenna’s mouth hung open. Kaden looked away, taking a drink of his wine, hoping that was enough to shut her up. When she finally spoke, she said, “I guess you just don’t understand”
“I guess I don’t,” he said with a shrug. On his other side, one of the other Alphas who was staying with then started a conversation about a new building his pack was constructing, which was a much more benign topic. Kaden leaped into that conversation with both feet, glad to be free from talking to Jenna. He doubted anything he had said made a difference to her anyway, but at least he’d gotten to state his opinion. He just hoped he hadn’t managed to make things worse for Sienna.
Sienna
The sound of Jenna’s shoes in the hallway told her she needed to put the book back and get herself together. Siena dodged out of the closet, put the book on the shelf, and took a spot in the corner of the nuin room in her normal position, knees pulled to her chest, and arms folded around
Jeona came into the room, slamming the door beland her. She kicked her shoes off so hand that one of them went flying across the room and slammed into the closet door, leaving a dent. That arrogant bastard!” she shouted
Sienna didn’t move. Slar dada’t dare look up for fear that Jenna would kick or throw something at her. “Stupid Sylvial Thinking
ng that would good idea!” she muttered. Then, she saw Sienna “Well, I hope you’re happy! Now, that idiot feels sorry for you! For you, of all people”
Sienna still didn’t even flinch as Jenna went about changing her outfit, throwing her jewelry and other items at the table. Sienna imagined the niceties of earlier when she’d laren trying to make her think they were friends so that she’d trust them enough to take her to the dance where they could hunalute her must be over
But Jenna must’ve remembered her devious plan after she had a few minutes to think about it. “You know what, Siemand I’m a linle upset right now, Why don’t you sleep in the car again tonight? I hope that you don’t mind. I just… I’in afraid if you stay here, I might yell at you, and I don’t want my
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10:03 AM
Chapter 2
voice to be horse for the dance honorun
rminal. Hopping tage af at the floor, the headed for the door. “Yes, Miss
Irwan a lame excine, but Sienna didn’t give her a chance to change her n Jeona” she said as she made her exit
vran down the back staircase, trying to avoid the Alphay mud their families, In her experience, it was always best to be invisible if she couldd. She
was just the staff, sio slir sluk arr the landing and nu
Coming around the side of the house, she saw Kaden standing near a grove of trees, staring up at the sky, Sienna’s breath caught in her throat. He was silunbiome. Iven in the dim light, she had never seen anyone with cha strong profile and amazing leady. Her eyes traced his form from his broad shoulders down his backside to his muscular legs. Thigh his suit, she could see the ripple tight muscles and was immediately reminded of him standing in the woosh
“I can smell you, you know,” Kaden said without turning around.
Menna wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Typically, people made fun of the w way she smelled because she was often allowed to shower. She knew that’s not what he meant. “Sorry,” she hnally managed. “Tin þist on my way to the SUV
“Why Did Jenna leave her sense of humility in the car?
A giggle escaped her lips as he turned around to look at her. Sienna took a few steps closer and said, “Tim pretty sure she’s never had one of those. No. That’s where I’ll be sleeping. Again”
His forehead crinkled You slept in the car last migluf“
Tve slept in worse places” She didn’t bother to tell him that compared to where she usually slept, the SUV was a live–star hotel “I don’t mind ” “Are you sure! We have room in the house.”
“Thank you, but I’m sure. There’s no point in angering her over something so trivial.”
“Alright. But if you change your mind, there’s a room off of the kitchen that has a pull–out couch,” he said.
Sienna smiled at the fact that he was being so nice to her. It must be difficult to be in his position, to want to be a nice guy and do the right thing to also know that choosing to follow the Moon Goddess’s suggestion would be so
planning to spend the right in the SUV, when he said something else that made her
“Have a good night, Sienna”
lp to his pack. “Thanks.” She started to walk away, still
She turned to look at him, but his eyes were focused on the moon. He was standing in one of its beams. It gave him an ethereal glow that made him look more like an angel than a wolf shifter. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her mind flooded with the idea that he was the only one she was rket theant to be with
Sienna shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts. “You, too, Alpha Kaden,” she said. Then, she managed to pull her eyes off of him and head. for the veluce
She opened the door and slid into the back seat, locking the doors behind her. She hugged her knees to her chest and took some deep breaths. Saenna knew what it was like to be alone. She knew what it was like to be unloved and unwanted. But she had never felt all of those emotions hammered into her in quite the same ways as she was feeling them right now, knowing that Kaden was about to reject her.
A single tear trickled down her check as she wished that Kaden had been the cold, uncaring Alpha she’d originally taken him to be. If that was the ase, it would be easier to live without fum. Now that she knew he was actually a good person, it would make it all that much harder to hear those irvulde words. “Treject you”
