Chapter 47

I fell silent for a moment but Zephyr continued anyway.

"Ashley still wanted to eat meat, even if she hated vegetables. But you... you don’t have much of a choice here. If I force you to eat, you’ll hate your food even more, and I know that won’t end well."

I remained silent till he was done but then I finally asked, "How... do you know so much about me?"

I had always been careful when it came to starving myself at home. I would play with Ashley or chat with others at the table, making sure no one noticed how little I ate.

After everyone finished eating, I would immediately take my plate to the kitchen myself, throw away the food, and then place the empty plate in the sink.

If someone handed me food directly, I would eat it—but afterward, I would go out and pretend I had already eaten elsewhere, so I could skip having lunch or dinner at home.

No one ever seemed to notice because people had seen me eat the desserts Ashley made or heard me mention having a meal outside.

So how did Zephyr notice? He had only ever eaten with me during breakfast.

"I’ve noticed that you only eat a little during breakfast—barely eating at all, actually. And the trash can in your room is mostly filled with food," Zephyr said.

I had asked the maid to empty my trash every morning—before everyone else woke up—because I didn’t want anyone to find out. However, it seemed like the maid had reported it to Zephyr.

I sighed. I should have known better than to trust anyone working under him.

"You don’t have to explain anything to me right now." Zephyr gently held my hand. "But just so you know, you can always talk to me if you need help."

"So, please, even if it’s just a little, you have to eat," Zephyr pleaded.

I looked down at the steak on my plate. If I ate all of it, my mind would automatically tell me to starve myself the next day. However, if I only ate a little, maybe I would be fine.

I didn’t have to pretend in front of Zephyr.

"Just a bit. That’s okay, right?" I asked softly.

Zephyr nodded. "Yes, it’s fine. I won’t ask you to keep eating if you don’t want to."

I took a deep breath, then picked up my utensils. "Okay." I tried to reassure myself. "I will eat."

That night, I only ate three small bites of steak. It wasn’t much, but for the first time, I felt like I was eating without pressure.

I didn’t have to pretend, nor did I have to stress about where to throw away my food later.

I simply ate less, and Zephyr didn’t say anything or judge me.

It actually made eating less scary for me.

As the night grew darker, Zephyr took me somewhere else. The main road had disappeared, and the only things I could see were trees and a rocky path.

"Are you sure you’re not planning to kill me and hide my corpse in the woods?" I asked.

Zephyr chuckled softly. "Why do you keep saying I’m going to kidnap you? Do I really look like someone who could kill a person and dispose of their body that easily?"

I silently shifted my gaze toward him. Even though I didn’t say anything, my expression screamed that he definitely could be someone like that.

Zephyr let out a sigh. "No, Samantha, I don’t want to kill you. Monica just called and told me that rogue werewolves are attacking someone in the middle of the night. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you—or my car—so I decided we should stay here for the night."

I frowned. "You mean... we’re going camping?"

"No, we are not going camping."

I blinked in confusion as Zephyr parked the car in front of a secluded wooden cabin, located deep within the woods.

The place was surprisingly well-maintained, with a stone pathway leading up to the porch and warm lights glowing through the windows.

"You have a private cottage in the middle of nowhere?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zephyr lifted the corner of his mouth as he stepped out of the car. "It’s not in the middle of nowhere. It’s just ... away from everything."

I scoffed. "Yeah, that’s literally the definition of ‘middle of nowhere.’"

Zephyr chuckled but didn’t argue. Instead, he opened my door and gestured for me to follow him inside.

The moment I stepped in, I was hit with the scent of pinewood and something faintly like cinnamon. The interior was cozy—dark wooden walls, a large stone fireplace, and plush leather couches that looked way too comfortable.

"Wow," I muttered, looking around. "This is ... actually nice."

Zephyr’s eyes followed me around. "Did you expect me to take you to some creepy abandoned shack?"

I laughed softly, joking. "To be honest? Yes."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Sit down. I’ll make you something warm to drink."

I hesitated but eventually sat on the couch. "Don’t you think the woods are more dangerous than the city streets?"

"It may seem that way, but in reality, we’re actually safer here. This cabin was built near the border of Northbridge City and another city. The Nocturnal Order in every city always tightens security at the borders."

Zephyr concluded, "So, we’re safer here than driving in the middle of a big city road."