Mated To The King’s Gamma By Jessica Hall

Chapter 40

The following morning, I decided to take a look around. I had tried ringing Kade a couple of times before I decided to venture out and see what was nearby. If there was anything nearby: I doubted it very much. Besides the road at the end of the long driveway, I saw nothing but trees.

I had just finished eating the last of the crackers which I had for breakfast; the cereal was stale and rock hard. He told me someone stocked the place, but everything was already opened, and a half was gone. Even the milk went bad overnight. But hunger pains were something I knew I would get used to. Hunger was the least of our problems in the orphanage, and we would have to scavenge for food, or sometimes the kids would sneak us stuff.

That didn’t last long, though, not after one of them got caught and smacked. We told them not to worry about us and that we would earn our keep. So I knew I could last a while without eating, but since Kade was ignoring me since I interrupted his meeting, I knew I had to look around to see what I could find in case he didn’t return.

First, I investigated the back of the cabin, which was putting it nicely. It looked more like a cubby house some kids built. I found an old barrel which I figured would come in handy to do some washing, so I spent a good chunk of the morning soaking the bed-lined and torn curtains before rewiring the close line as best I could. It leaned to one side and had barely enough line to hang the linen and curtains on.

Once I finished that, the sun was high in the sky, and the heat made me exhausted, but still, I powered through the need to lay down and rest. I made my way through the forest at the back, wanting to shift, but instead wandered around looking for berries or anything remotely edible. I found a few birds’ nests but was too tired to even attempt to climb the trees to retrieve them. I also found a small dam. It was shallow; the water looked slimy and murky. With a sigh, I turned back around and headed back toward the cabin.

Quickly checking the clothesline, I was walking back to the front door when I noticed the car parked along the road. I stared at it, wondering if it was Kade, yet as I walked across the vast dead lawn along the dirt driveway, it screeched as its tires tore off down the road.

Wiping my forehead, I turned back to the cabin, thinking they must have had the wrong address. Stepping inside the cabin, the tin roof had heated inside to the point that it was hotter inside than outside. It was like an oven, so hot that after twenty minutes, it was becoming difficult to breathe. I must have passed out because the next thing I knew, I was waking up to Kade shaking my arm. Startled, I lurched upright, and glanced around. I had fallen asleep on the futon.

“Some of my patrols saw you in the forest. What were you doing?” he asked. I blinked at him.

“Pardon?” I ask, rubbing my eyes and peering at the windows. It was dark outside. Did I really sleep the rest of the day away? I shake my head, trying to regather my thoughts.

“I said my patrol saw you sneaking through the forest. Now, what were you doing out there?” he demanded. My brows furrowed in confusion. It was only a forest.

“I was just looking around. I was also trying to see if there were any berries.” I told him. Kade clicks his tongue, and I reach out for him, needing some contact to know he is really here and not just in my dazed thoughts.

It is dangerous out there,” he tells me,

to think I was going to reward you, but after such

home with you?” I

he says, shaking his head at me. He

states, glancing around at the small area. Yet I scoot to the edge of the bed when I see he has some

me. He set a plastic container in

sit with me. “You’re not

here.” Instead, he watched me while I ate, which I had never ever been so self-conscious of before. His eyes made my skin prickle with goosebumps as if he was judging the way I ate. Or maybe I was reading too much into it. When I finished, I washed the container and turned it upside down on

Kade says, and I peer up

why I can’t have that, right?” he asks. I swallowed because I didn’t see an issue with what I did, yet the look on his face when I didn’t immediately reply told me had

looking for berries. I was

bring you back food,” he says, rustling the

expect to be my Luna when you can’t follow simple

said I couldn’t look

happen if I presented

mind. I will think of something suitable for punishment for your actions,” he says, walking off to

found a fresh loaf of bread,

you get sugar for the coffee?” I asked, chewing my lip. I knew that brand of coffee. It was nasty and cheap. Extremely bitter tasting, Mrs. Daley called it visitors coffee when she bought it, and it

not to use too many. You always chatter too much when hyped on sugar,” he says, not even

rest of the groceries, finding some dried meats and a bag of carrots. Not wanting to sound ungrateful, I put it away quickly. With the limited supplies, I didn’t want him

away.

why he was being like this. Didn’t he