Chapter 35
Marlon waited until that night to go and speak with Deonna. He figured if Alex was going to be stupid enough to try and sneak her out of the manor grounds, then he would most likely wait until sundown. He wanted to catch Deonna in the act of getting ready to leave so he can scold her properly.
Though part of him wasn’t up to actually scolding her; his wolf was telling him he needed to calm down, despite his protests. But he was a bit hurt that Deonna wanted to leave. Yes, she was a slave of his residency. But has he not given her everything she’s asked for? She has books, clothing, food, a roof over her head, a comfortable bed to sleep upon, and she’s even getting an education.
He even kept her alive for all these months while she was pregnant.
He’s done nothing but provide for her against his better judgment and it was still not enough for her. He understood that her life hasn’t been the easiest; the slave farm was anything but a walk in the park.
He thought that life at the manor was better than the life she came to know at the farm. He thought she was happier at the manor than she would be on the streets. But that’s exactly where she wanted to go. She wanted to go to the streets and risk getting caught. Risk Mateo’s life. Risk her own life.
Mateo would be sent to the slave farm no doubt and Deonna would be sentenced to death.
The thought of anything happening to either of them made his wolf ill, which also made his person ill. He hated the conflicted feeling he had; he just wanted it to end.
Maybe the only way it did end was if she left.
The tugging of his aggravated wolf told him to cut the shit and stop thinking like that. As usual, he ignored him, pushing the thoughts and feelings further into his stomach, causing him to feel bloated.
As the sun went down, the workers around the manor began wrapping up their daily tasks. The courtyard began growing quieter and lights began ceasing to exist. Only the strong rays of the moonlight lit up his way as he walked towards the shack Deonna and Mateo were held in.
He could see the faint light of the candle flicker through the doorway of the shack, indicating that she was still awake. He knew she would be awake; she was planning on leaving after all.
He couldn’t help but groan at the thought of her betrayal. He knew he needed to keep the hurt out of his tone while addressing her; he couldn’t risk showing her any signs of weakness or letting her know that he was hurt.
Straightening his back, he pushed the door open and walked through. She looked startled to see him; that didn’t surprise him. What surprised him was the fact that it looked as though she was putting Mateo to bed.
If they were planning on leaving, why would she be putting him to bed?
He stared between the two of them for a long while; she looked confused as to why he was just standing in the doorway without saying anything.
He cleared his throat before speaking.
“What are you doing?” He asked; he instantly hated himself for asking such a lame question.
He wished he could retract it and strengthen his tone, but something about her presence made him weak. She made his wolf weak.
She cocked an eyebrow up at him, just as he figured she was going to do.
“Putting Mateo down for bed,” she answered, her tone was filled with curiosity.
“Were you expecting somebody tonight?” He found himself asking.
She frowned and blinked at him a few times.
“Excuse me?” She asked.
“You just seemed surprised to see me,” Marlon said, raising his eyebrows.
“You don’t come to see me often, Mr. Roessler,” she told him in return. “Is there something I can do for you?”
She was trying to rush him out so she can go ahead with the plan and leave.
“No, but I think I’ll stay in here for a while,” he told her as he made his way over to the bed and sat down.
She stood in her place, staring at him dumbfounded.
He was winning this battle.
“For what reason, may I ask?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.
“To keep my eye on you,” he told her.
Her frown deepened.
“Have I done something to displease you?” She asked.
“You tell me,” he fired back.
She looked taken back by his wording; she stayed silent for a moment as she thought about all the things that could have potentially set him off. It infuriated him that there was a possibility of other things she’s done to deceive him.
“I…” she said softly.
Perhaps the realization was hitting her after all.
“You were planning on leaving,” he heard himself saying for her.
Clearly, his wolf just wanted him to come out with it and stop acting like a fool.
She sighed and looked down at her feet, in a way that Bob does whenever he lies. Which made Marlon wonder what Deonna’s tell was when she lied.
“It wasn’t set in stone,” she said to him softly. He stayed silent, waiting for her to finish. “Alex found me and when he saw Mateo, he worried that it would jeopardize his shot at becoming the sole heir to your estate.”
He already knew this; he previously spoke and beat Alex for this betrayal.
“What can you get out there that you can’t get here,” Marlon asked, lowering his tone.
He couldn’t keep the hurt from his voice even if he tried. She could hear the hurt and she frowned at him timidly. After a moment of hesitation, she sat beside him.
“I wanted to try and give Mateo a better life,” she told him.
“Do you know what would happen if either of you were caught?” Marlon asked.
“Yes. This is why it wasn’t set in stone. Honestly, it could have been the stupidest decision I ever made. Or the best. I guess there’s really no way of knowing,” she said softly, staring down at her fingers and tugging them gently.
“What can I do to make you not have that desire to leave?” He asked, eyeing her features carefully.
She was surprised by that question and met his eyes. He was also surprised by his own question, but he didn’t back down from it.
“You are asking me?” She said, still staring at him.
He rolled his eyes.
“Well, I’m not asking Mateo,” he said sarcastically.
“I would like to attend school. But not the commoner’s university. The noble university. I’ve been reading about some of their programs, and it seems more suitable for me,” she told him.
She’s been thinking about this for a while, he could tell. But it was preposterous. They would never allow a dirtball into their academy. It was practically laughable.
“How do you expect me to make that happen?” Marlon asked.
She frowned.
“You are the highest-ranked nobleman. If anyone can make it happen, you can,” she told him almost fondly.
Even if he was the highest-ranked nobleman, that didn’t mean he could just go against the king’s treaty and allow a dirtball to attend the noble academy. If she were to be caught, they would put her to death. Plus, who would be around to watch Mateo? He couldn’t possibly hang around the shack all day while she was off studying at the academy. People would start to talk; his reputation would be on the line.
He couldn’t risk the possibility of being found out. Some men were after his ranking and weren’t going to allow them the opportunity to steal it from him.
But looking at Deonna’s big and curious eyes, he almost wanted to give in to her needs. He wanted to make her happy; he hated himself for feeling that way. But he felt that way, nonetheless.
After what felt like a lifetime of sitting there in silence and staring at one another, a plan began surfacing in his mind. The only thing that really separates her from the others is her hair. So, maybe if she goes to the academy wearing a disguise around her hair, she can blend in, and they will never know she’s actually a dirtball.
She’s already smart, so that alone will trick them into thinking she’s one of them.
“Okay,” he finally said; her eyes widened at his words. She was surprised that he actually gave in to her wishes. “You can attend the academy. I’ll make some calls to enroll you and bring you your supplies by the morning. But you’ll need to go in disguise,” he told her as he touched her dark hair. “We can’t allow them to see this.”
After a breath of silence, she finally smiled and nodded, almost eagerly.
“Of course,” she told him. “Thank you.”
He stood up and began walking towards the doorway.
“Oh, and Deonna?” He said, turning back to her slightly. She was staring off at him with her big, curious eyes. “Stay away from Alex.”
