My jaw fell open.
“Thank you. You’re dismissed.”
The servant obediently placed the tray on the floor a foot away from me, afraid to get too close, then left the room in a hurry. I frowned and pulled it closer. All things considered, I knew I shouldn’t have beentoopissed off at having to eat off the floor. At least there was a tray under my plate. And honestly, at the sight of such a delicious-smelling meal, I wasn’t about to complain.
“Eat,” Sebastian ordered.
He didn’t need to say it twice. The steak was a beautiful medium-rare and the mashed potatoes had a heaping side of garlic butter that made saliva flood my mouth. Steaming roasted vegetables finished the presentation nicely. A separate cup containing neat orange slices sat on the side of the plate.
At the sight of the oranges, I shot Sebastian a look from the corner of my eye. Sitting on my knees, I was just tall enough to catch a glimpse of his own tray. There was a similar side of fruit beside his place. His were peaches.
That only confused me further. Was he upset because my favorite fruit was oranges, not peaches? I thought I’d understood Sebastian a little more after getting a glimpse of genuine emotion from him, but now he was back to being a total enigma to me.
I pushed all thoughts of him out of my head. I was going to dig into this amazing plate of food and I was going to fucking enjoy it.
After finishing off the entire plate, I still had room for the oranges. I bit into them with pleasure, savoring the sweet tartness. They were perfect—not dry or stringy, and with just the right amount of juice.
Just when I was about to bite into the last slice, I felt like I was being watched. Sebastian was eyeing me with an unreadable expression. Now that I was full and sated, I found the courage to speak up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Sebastian replied with the tone of someone deeply bothered by something. “No.”
I blinked, unsure of what to say. He was obviously lying to me, but why? What was the big deal about the damn fruit?
I finished off the last slice, letting its pleasant taste override my frustration towards the haughty prince. I didn’t know what was going on in that little head of his and I didn’t care. Let him sit there stewing in his own mysterious annoyance.
After dinner, the servant came back to retrieve the trays and the folding table. He wished the prince a good evening after Sebastian reiterated that he didn’t want to be bothered again. With that, we were alone again.
“Your shirt doesn’t fit,” Sebastian said to me out of nowhere. Once again, he sounded irritated for a reason that had nothing to do with me. Or maybe it did. I couldn’t even hazard a guess towards what he was thinking anymore.
“I know,” I said bluntly.
The outfit obviously didn’t fit because it was made for a beta, not an alpha. It was too short and too tight just about everywhere on my body.
“You’re going to see a tailor tomorrow,” Sebastian declared. His tone made it clear there was no room for questions or objections.
“I don’t have any money to pay a tailor,” I said. I’d never gotten anything tailored in my life. Even before life at the alpha market, my wardrobe mostly consisted of hand-me-downs from Dad. The idea of having clothing specifically made to fit my body seemed like a lot of money and effort for something that didn’t justify the cost.
“I am aware,” Sebastian replied dryly. “You don’t have to worry about such things. Just stand still and straight for the measurements.”
“Okay.”
With that settled, Sebastian tied the leash to one of the bed posts, then sauntered over to his wardrobe to select bedwear. His gait was casual again, almost lazy. It was a side of himself he didn’t allow the servants to see—or anyone beyond the privacy of closed doors, for that matter.
Except me.
I’d been zoning out in my thoughts until reality hit me like a bolt of lightning. Sebastian was undressing right in front of me.
My mouth went dry. He was shirtless, giving me a full view of the smooth planes of his back. My gaze trailed down to the dip in his waist, from which he was currently removing his pants. I felt my heart thump and trip over itself.
I tore my gaze away. What the hell was I doing? This was the omega who had bought me like a fucking dog. I shouldn’t have been checking him out. In fact, he’d probably get pissed off and punish me if he noticed me doing it. I forced myself to stare at the opposite wall and tried to get my heartbeat under control.
“Would you like a pillow and a blanket?” Sebastian asked.
I was still too nervous to face him. I cleared my throat. “Sure.”
After I heard the soft flopping sound of a pillow hitting the floor, Sebastian came to retrieve the leash. He was dressed in fine silk bedclothes now. “Come.”
