Page 23 of Aine

Being stuck inside a small kitchen with ten other women could get overwhelming at times. Especially after I put in the request to leave my husband. Our leader laughed me out of his office and immediately put out word that I was an unworthy wife.

It left me ostracized by the community and ultimately made the work unbearable. Not to mention when my husband found out he was furious and ensured I received adequate punishment for embarrassing him.

Sighing, I shake those memories away and evaluate the ground. The patch Alex placed me at is covered in weeds, and after a moment, I tentatively reach out to pull one. It’s hard to feel my grip through the thick gloves, but I manage to wrap my fingers firmly around the base before yanking as hard as I can.

The plant dislodges easily, and I choke on my spit as my body flies backward.

I don’t know why I anticipated it would be hard to pull. A shocked laugh slips from my lips as my back lands on the dirt. I’m sure my cheeks are beet-red, and I spin around to ensure nobody saw.

My eyes widen as I realize the entire field is looking at me, and the realization that they all heard and watched me fall makes me want to crawl into a hole and disappear. Alex wasn’t kidding when he said beasts have good hearing.

I can’t help but search the field for Damien, and I feel nothing short of relief when I realize he’s not here. As foolish as it is, I find myself wanting his approval.

Embarrassed tears fill my eyes as I turn back around, and I secretly reach up to wipe them away before they’re noticed. I resist the urge to look and see if the beasts have lost interest and returned to their fighting as I get back to work.

Time passes rather quickly, and before I know it, I’ve finished the entire row. My back screams at me to stand, a request I’ve been ignoring, but I find myself unable to resist any longer as I pull off my gloves and rise.

My knees crack at the effort, and I wince as I twist to stretch my back. It pops several times, and I sigh in relief before straightening back up.

It seems while Damien’s blood healed my cuts, it doesn’t help much with the sore muscles caused by my bad posture.

Alex is lingering near the shed, his shirt now removed and tied around his head. His body shines from sweat, but I’m sure mine looks no better. The heat is punishing today.

Alex waves me over. “You made good progress.” He cranes his neck to look at the weed pile I spent all afternoon building.

I smile, happy to hear I didn’t make a complete fool of myself today. Despite the odd situation with Damien, this place doesn’t seem as bad as I originally thought. Everybody’s been friendly and my job is easy.

“Thank you.”

Alex nods, his eyebrow raising as he looks over my body. It prompts me to take a glance at myself, and immediately, I grimace at the sight of my sweaty, red skin. I look like a roasted pig.

“You smell like Damien,” he says.

I shrug, unsure how to respond to that.

Alex doesn’t seem to mind, though, as he wordlessly grabs another bottle of water from the small cooler at his feet. “Go on and head home. You’ve done enough for today.” He tosses the bottle in my direction.

I catch it easily, proud of myself for not dropping it or flailing.

Alex returns to the garden, and I hesitate before heading back to my cabin. I’ve only been working for a few hours, but the time in the heat has me exhausted. Damien’s blood is not nearly as helpful as I initially thought.

All I can think about is taking a shower and crawling into my sad excuse of a bed. Olivia said I’m expected to shower and use the bathroom in Damien’s house, and I just hope I’m able to sneak in and out without him noticing.

There’s the small bathroom right at the main entrance that will be convenient to use when I need to pee, but the only guest shower available is up the stairs past his bedroom door. I’ll need to be extra stealthy.

My cabin appears untouched when I enter it, the realization bringing me relief. Damien’s made it clear he feels comfortable entering, or having people do it for him, when I’m not home, making me wary he’ll do it again.

I rush to grab my second pair of clothing and Olivia’s dress, wishing once more that I had pajamas to change into. My old village was entirely self-sufficient, but Damien’s doesn’t seem that way. I’ll have to ask around and see where they’re getting their goods.

Peeking through the window, I look at Damien’s house to check for any lights or movement behind the curtains. There isn’t any, and figuring now’s as good a time as any, I clutch the clothing to my chest and approach his house.

It feels wrong to enter unannounced, but I’d rather sneak in and get caught than ask permission and be toldno. Damien clearly isn’t a fan of me, and I don’t want to risk him denying my request.

The front door creaks as I push it open, making me wince as I stick my head inside and listen. The house is silent, and after another long moment, I step inside. As tempted as I am to look around, I run upstairs. I remember where the guest bath is from when Damien brought me here, and I head straight for it.

I slam the door shut when I reach it and slump over in relief that I made it without being noticed. My movements remain hurried as I reach into the shower and turn on the water. Removing my clothing takes a bit longer to do, the fabric sticking to my sweaty skin, but I manage to rid myself of it in record time.

Thankfully, the shower is fully stocked, and I make quick work washing my hair and body. I wonder if these are Olivia’s products and hope I’m not using a soap I shouldn’t. They’re all so nicely scented and clean me better than anything I’ve ever used before. I wonder where she got them.

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