Chapter 59
“I am not hungry. I need to go,” Viola said quietly, but he ignored her words and began setting the food from the takeaway bag onto the table in front of her.
The sweet aroma of warm eggs and lightly buttered toast hit her immediately, and her stomach growled softly despite herself. She flushed in embarrassment, clutching it in shame.
Sebastian gave her a look and then resumed placing the containers on the table. He added a side of cut fruit, orange slices and strawberries, nothing heavy, nothing that would overwhelm her stomach.
Viola watched him with a frown as he continued bringing out containers, as if the bag were some magic item holding endless food. Who would eat all this food he was bringing out?
By the time he was done setting everything down, the table held more food than she could ever finish. Not that she would eat something offered by him without questioning it. He could have ulterior motives for being here and buying her food. What if he had poisoned it to prevent her from making it to the competition?
From what she knew, this man had no reason to treat her kindly in any way, he hadn’t from the beginning. No matter how hungry she might be, she wasn’t going to touch any food brought by him.
“You’re eating,” he ordered, his voice low and firm, brooking no argument, as he finally straightened and met her gaze, daring her to defy him again with an “I’m not hungry p>
“I am not eating. I said I am not hungry,” she replied firmly, her deep frown fixed on him. Why would he order her to eat if he hadn’t poisoned it? She wasn’t so naive to think someone like him, who would have wanted her dead, would suddenly decide to be nice without reason. She didn’t trust him in any way.
Sebastian wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed, yet to his own surprise, he wasn’t, he was amused.
Her stomach growled again, and his eyes flicked to it. “I don’t think your stomach agrees with you, four eyes. Eat. You’ve been asleep for two days, and your body must be crying out for food p>
Everything inside Viola’s mind froze for a moment. “I have been asleep for two days?” she exclaimed. Oh no. That meant tomorrow was the competition, and she had missed two important days of training! Damn it. This wasn’t good.
Viola tried to push the table and the food aside so she could remove the IV drip and get out of there. She didn’t need his “poisonous” food to delay her more, but his large hand suddenly pressed against her chest, keeping her in place. She glared up at him, and he gave her a harmless smile. “Not a chance, niñita. You will eat before you leave p>
Why the hell wouldn’t she just eat the food? She was obviously hungry, and she needed nourishment. Sebastian thought.
’Duh, she obviously doesn’t trust you, fool,’ Muffin scoffed.
Viola tried not to let her urgency make her forget that he was an Alpha and fought the instinct to push his hand away from her chest, where his fingers were grazing in places they shouldn’t.
She spoke calmly, though her fingers balled into tight fists of resentment. “Take your hands off me. I know you do not like me and you want me to fail this competition, but keeping me here is a petty way to go about it, Alpha Kade.” She couldn’t believe he would stoop so low and try to make her miss her chance after he had given his word.
Really? And he said he never went back on his words. Her chances in life depended on this competition, without it, she had no other hope of helping her sister. And without making it up to her sister, Viola would rather die than fail. She had thought she couldn’t dislike someone this much, yet with every encounter, her dislike for him only grew stronger.
Sebastian’s frown deepened as he realized what she was thinking. She had misunderstood him. He wasn’t trying to stop her; he was making her stay just long enough for the IV drip to finish and for her to eat.
“Foolish woman. If I really wanted to make you fail, there are other ways to do it, and I wouldn’t have brought you to a healing house in the first place. Stop being stubborn and eat, or you are not leaving this place p>
How was she supposed to fight tomorrow if she didn’t eat? And the IV drip contained a special medicine designed to help her recover quickly, giving her the strength she would need for the competition.
“I said—” Viola began.
“Eat. No more talking,” Sebastian said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Viola sighed in despair at the stubborn man before her. Why was he forcing her to eat as if he were her parent? She knew he couldn’t possibly be doing it out of concern for her, such a thought was unthinkable and highly unlikely. The only other explanation was that the food had something in it.
But then, thinking back to his own words, she realized that if he truly wanted to prevent her from participating by killing her, he wouldn’t have brought her here at all after she had passed out on the training grounds.
She glared at him suspiciously, still not trusting the food, but knowing she wouldn’t get out of there without eating it, she gave in.
When Sebastian thought she would argue and refuse to eat, she surprised him by grabbing the spoon, bending her head, and eating like an obedient little girl.
Seeing how she devoured the food, swallowing without chewing properly, Sebastian let out a small sigh. He wanted to tell her to eat slowly, but he knew she would eat even faster if he did, and possibly choke herself to death. He had never been with a woman this stubborn in his life, and instead of being annoyed or irritated by her, he found himself more amused.
For some reason, Sebastian realized that if she had been so submissive and so quick to give in to his orders and commands, he would have found her predictable and boring. She was a feisty one, and he had never realized he was into that type until now. This little fire intrigued him far more than he had expected, and it drew his attention in a way he couldn’t ignore.
’She’s interesting, isn’t she? That’s why I like her more than all the others who try to please us. She’s adorable. My beautiful fighting girl,’ his wolf purred. Sebastian could almost imagine the creature’s melting eyes at the stubborn girl forcing the food down her throat, her cheeks bulging from how full her small mouth was.
That mouth. His insides clenched, because whenever he looked at it, he imagined things that drove his blood to a white-hot blaze and made him instantly hard in his trousers. Not only was her scent addictively intoxicating and maddening, but her mouth, and her eyes, were just as dangerous. Watching her chew, lick her lips, a thread of heat coiled and dissolved in his groin, and he cursed under his breath.
Did she have to look so damn enticing even when she wasn’t trying? The little idiot had no idea the effect she had on him, or how badly he wanted to p>
Sebastian found himself agreeing with his wolf. Unlike the many she-wolves he had encountered, she was the first who didn’t try to please him blindly and dared to talk back when he ordered her.
She was interesting indeed.
Very interesting. His little spitfire.