Mated To The King’s Gamma By Jessica Hall

Chapter 6

“Is Ester being troublesome?” Clarice asks, going back to drying dishes, and Gannon grunts as an an swer and Clarice sighs. ”

“Well, since you are free then, Abbie, you might as well come into town with me,” Clarice says, and I stop mid-bite.

“Is that allowed?” I asked her, shocked that I could leave the castle grounds.

“Yes, why wouldn’t it be? You’re not a prisoner here,” Clarice laughed, shaking her head while I stared at her in confusion. Wait, I could leave the castle grounds? It made no sense that a rogue servant could come and go.

“I am off for a few hours. I will come with you,” Gannon says with a shrug, and Clarice looks at him.

“You want to come grocery shopping with us?” Clarice asks.

“Or you can give me the list, and I will take her,” Gannon says, finishing the last bite of his sandwich be fore taking his plate to the sink. Clarice watches him before she shrugs. “Works for me. I wanted to send Ester, but seeing as she is now preoccupied and you’re willing, you can go with Abbie.”

I watched as she retrieved a pen and paper; she scribbled on it and handed it to me before handing me a keycard. I had seen one before but never used one. Mrs.Daley usually sent us with a list into town but never gave us money. The townspeople would just take the list and bill her at the end of the month.

“Just grab these things. They weren’t on the delivery,” Clarice says with a sigh. She held the list out to me, and I took the list and glanced at her cursive writing and gulped. I chewed my lip, wondering if I should tell her I couldn’t read it, yet I didn’t want to embarrass myself. So I remained quiet, and I figured I could just ask the clerk at the store. I put the list in my apron pocket as Gannon walks off toward the doors before stopping and waiting for me.

“Are you sure I can leave?” I whispered to Clarice, not wanting to get in trouble with the King. He was the one that put me on that floor, so I could be close to Ivy, yet I hardly saw her.

“Gannon is with you. And as I said. You’re not a prisoner here, Abbie. If you want to go to town, you only have to ask,” Clarice says, confusing me.

“Abbie,” Gannon says, and I hurry over to him, not wanting to anger him. Gannon leads me out of the castle, and I follow a few steps behind him.

“I’m not walking. Come on. I will drive us,” he says, gripping my arm and leading me to some garages at the back of the stables. He rummages in a little cupboard full of keys before finding the ones he was after.

| pause, watching as he moves toward a car. It made me nervous about getting in the car with him. Not that I had any reason to be, and Clarice knew where I was and who I was with, yet unease crept over me at the thought of being in a confined space with the intimidating man.

He opens the driver’s side door before glancing at me. “Abbie?” he says, and I chew my lip before he sighs, walking over to me.

“I don’t bite,” he says, ‘grabbing my hand, and I pull away from him. His brows furrow. I knew these sorts of niceties, and they always led to some expectation.

I knew that better than anyone. The butcher was nice at first, then he started stealing touches, then forcibly taking them until Mrs. Daley told me if I didn’t help him in the basement, she wouldn’t let us eat, promising us food if I just helped him. Panic courses through me. Is that why he was being nice? Clarice said to steer clear of him, so I found it odd he was trying to be near me. What were his intentions?

and toward his car. He walks

were, yet even I knew it would be pointless. If I upset him, what if that got Ivy in trou ble? So I

at the bang of

trembled as I reached for the door handle as he start ed the car. The movement did not go unmissed by the man, who quickly looked at me before following my gaze to the things on the floor. Gannon leaned over, snatching the crowbar up from the footwell

on my knee, and my lip quivers as I look at him to find him staring at

have checked the car beforehand,” he says, leaning down and snatching up the

trembled as he gathered the things in his arms before opening his door. “Just work equip ment,” he says, getting out and moving toward another car where he opens the back door. He tosses the stuff on the back floor while I try

crowbar? Gannon climbs back in the car. Yet my hand was still on the door handle when he leaned over, pulling my hand away that had a death grip on it. He sets my hand in

to himself. I watched him as he clipped in his seat belt and turned his attention back to the front. I

asked, and I nodded, chewing on my fingernails. I know it was a terrible habit, but I found comfort in it while

hadn’t noticed I had chewed one cuticle from my fingertip with my nervousness until Gannon stopped the car and snatched the hand I was chewing on, and made me jump. The man curses

examining it while I gasped at what I mindlessly had done, not real izing I had chewed it entirely down to the flesh beneath. He clicks his tongue and curses

didn’t feel that you had bitten it off?” He asked. Disapproval is clearly on his face. I don’t answer. I hardly felt pain, especially mediocre pain like that. It was merely a flesh wound, and it would

had pulled up at some

your list?” He asked, and I nodded, pulling the folded piece of paper from my apron. He nods, walking ahead and opening the glass shop door. A bell sounds as we enter, and I see aisles of stock lining the store and a friendly enough looking woman behind the counter. The woman says hello to Gannon

while he wan ders off to speak with the friendly clerk he seems to know. She was an older woman, about Clarice’s

a single thing that matched her handwriting when I felt a presence behind me. The warmth of him seeped into my back as he

the list. He takes it, looking at it before looking at me. My cheeks burn with humiliation, knowing I had to

I can’t read,” I whisper to him, and

have helped you,”

grabbing it from the shelf and placing it in the basket. He had found everything in a matter of minutes

the total.

when Gannon took it from me and tapped some small box on the counter. The woman

СО

the bags, but he swiftly took from

into the trunk before grabbing my hand

he tells me and I nod, following him in side the store. A man stood behind the counter with a huge smile on his face. It was clear he knew Gannon, and Gannon knew

me while walking up the back after the man told him what

at the castle?” the man asked, and I nodded, chewing my lip as | looked at the color display of candies when he held a jar out to me. “Try these. I made these last night,” he says, but I shake

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to accept the offer when Gannon returned. The man

my lip before taking one of the sponging red clouds from the jar. It was covered in sugar and smelt delicious.

the man asks?” He seemed genuinely interested if I liked his candy. I nod, licking my lips, and