Chapter 167 - Hazel
Chapter 167 – Hazel
Lina eventually lost track of time. She was exhausted from their activities and spent the rest of her morning in bed, fast asleep. He drained her of all her energy, but filled her thoroughly. She reminded herself to take the morning-after pill and begin birth control.
Deep in her slumber, Lina felt a gentle caress on her head. She hummed in response, nudging into her soft and silky pillow. Then, her eyes snapped open. She was surprised. Now that she thought about it… her clairvoyance!
"Did I startle you?" Kaden asked her.
Lina suddenly grabbed his wrist. She let out a shaky, panicked breathing. No. She felt the rug being yanked from underneath her feet. Was this a blessing or a curse? Did her body fix itself in her coma?
"I-I can't see," Lina stammered out.
Kaden's brows sharply rose at her words. He held up three fingers in front of her face.
"How many is this?" Kaden questioned.
Lina slapped her fingers away. She tried to sit upright, but winced from the soreness. She hugged the blankets close to her body, to maintain her decency.
"I don't mean that," Lina said to him.
Kaden glanced at the sight of her hugging his black silk covers. His lips twitched. With her lovely body, she could turn the blanket into a fashionable dress.
"Then what are you referring to, dove?" Kaden pressed.
"I didn't realize it earlier, but in the days I've woken up from my coma, I haven't seen anyone's future! My clairvoyance, it's gone!" Lina stated.
Lina was frantic from the news. Whilst visions of the future had burdened her with the truth, she still appreciated it. Sometimes, it told her to stay away from certain people. Other times, it reminded her to keep them close. Now, she had lost one of her critical judgments.
"And are you happy by this?" Kaden asked, testing her reaction.
If she was upset, he'd give her advice. If she was happy, he'd congratulate her. If she wanted a shoulder to rant on, he'd listen.
"I don't know how to feel about this…" Lina mumbled.
Lina hugged his blankets closer to her body. Truly. She didn't know how to decipher this. She felt like she had lost one of her keen senses. Staring intently at the bed, she decided if the powers would return, then it'd return. If it did not, then it did not. She was unwilling to find out what could've triggered such a thing.
"Let's get you fed then," Kaden told her. "So you have food in your system."
Lina raised her head. Finally, she took a whiff of the sweet and savory air. Immediately, her attention flew to the nightstand where a polished black tray was found. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the rectangular food tray.
"For me?" Lina asked, almost in awe.
"No, for the dogs."
Lina glared.
"Of course it's for you," Kaden deadpanned like she was stupid.
Kaden helped her into a more comfortable seated position. Then, he adjusted the black tray into a small table.
"Breakfast in bed… you shouldn't have," Lina shyly told him.
"Alright, I won't next time."
Lina held back another glower. She hoped he was joking.
Seeing her irritated expression, Kaden let out a soft laugh.
"Don't say words you don't mean, dove," Kaden teased her.
Kaden pinched her cheek. His smile widened when her pout deepened. She was like a kid throwing a silent tantrum. He jutted his chin towards the cup of fragrant green tea.
"Drink the hot tea first, it'll soothe your insides after the damages I left," Kaden said.
Lina's face grew red. How could he say such shameless things with a straight face? She brought the tea to her lips, and sighed at the warmth of the cup. Her fingertips had been cold. In fact, goosebumps began to travel up her skin.
"What is this?" Lina asked, staring down at the food.
"Sweet crepes with strawberry, chocolate, and bananas for starters. Then, toasted English muffins topped with a bed of argulla, slices of prosciutto, and poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. Next to it is a fruit salad of cantaloupe, frozen grapes, watermelon—"
"This must've taken a while," Lina pointed out. "Thank you."
Kaden's lips twitched at her compliment. He glanced to the side and rubbed his nose.
"It's nothing," Kaden said.
"Then make it for me every morning," Lina looked at him. She wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine. She hoped this heart-dropping line would curb his teasing. It did not.
Kaden turned to her with a solemn expression. "If that is what you wish, we shall feast during breakfast."
"It was a joke—"
"Perhaps a spread of food from every country in the world," Kaden continued.
"No need—"
"And we'll have fruit juices made from every fruit in existence. We'll dine like kings."
Lina did not respond. She simply stabbed her fork into the watermelon, holding back a soft scowl. She wanted to tease him back, but was outplayed by him. Hmph.
Kaden snickered at her expression. He reached to pinch her adorable cheeks but she tried to bite his fingers.
"Easy there," Kaden said. "I didn't know doves could bite."
"Now they can," Lina shot back.
"Right…" Kaden trailed off, not believing her for even a single moment. Whatever floated her boat anyway.
Kaden gestured for her to eat more. Finally, she picked up the knife as well. She sliced through the egg. He watched in satisfaction as the egg yolk oozed out.
"It's perfectly cooked," Lina realized.
Lina suddenly wondered if she should begin to cook for Kaden as well. He was always feeding her. It was never her feeding him. Did he think she was a bad chef? She hoped not. Maybe one day she could wake up earlier than him, but that'd be impossible.
Pure-Bloods like him did not need sleep. They could stay awake for 72 hours and only afterward would begin to feel the exhaustion. She read about it somewhere in a vampire anatomy book.
Suddenly, Lina heard a commotion from outside the door. Before she could even put the food into her mouth, the doors bursted open.
Kaden got to his feet. He deeply frowned at the intruder.
"Hazel," Kaden realized. "What are you doing here?"
That was Hazel?!
Lina's eyes grew wide. The little girl was no more than five or six. Hazel was a vision to behold, with her large eyes and brunette hair. Lina quickly realized the child was a mix.
"Daddy dropped me off…" Hazel mumbled. Her tiny hands gripped the edges of her dress tightly.
"Your father?" Kaden deadpanned. "That—"
Kaden paused. Not in front of her. He sharply breathed through his nose.
"Is your Father still downstairs?" Kaden asked.
Hazel timidly nodded her head. "Daddy said to play with the nice lady upstairs…"
Kaden turned to Lina. He was really going to murder that brat! Forcing Lina to entertain a child? Was a babysitter that hard to hire?
"Come with me, Hazel, the nice lady needs to eat," Kaden murmured.
Hazel did not respond. She simply glanced from Kaden to the woman in bed. Her tiny actions resembled a lost puppy.
Kaden gently approached her and scoped her into his arms. She instantly hugged his shoulders, burying her tiny face into it.
"Let's get you downstairs now," Kaden relented in a gentle voice.
Lina could not help but swoon. She felt her ovaries going crazy at the sight of him and a child. She couldn't help but realize that was how he'd treat their future children. When she made eye-contact with Hazel, the little girl instantly hid her face again. Immediately, she was reminded of the Eighth Princess.
Lina's throat tightened.
"Eat before the food gets cold," Kaden called from over his shoulders.
Lina didn't know someone was even downstairs. Judging from Kaden's irritation and Hazel's confusion, she concluded it was an intrusion. She wondered why Hazel was sent upstairs and, not the father. Perhaps the child was a distraction from Kaden's anger. If so, it worked wonders.. On both her and Kaden.