"Yes?" He asked.


    I opened the door slightly and poked my head in.


    Shirley was sitting on his desk with her leg crossed over the other and Elliot was seated on his chair, facing hisputer. He barely looked up to see me.


    "Well, look who it is. Is Luna work too much for you?" Shirley asked mockingly.


    I pressed my lips together in a thin line. I expected to see Beta Leo in here as well, but he wasn''t. It upset me knowing that Elliot had been locked away in this office alone with Shirley. "No, it''s actually going great," I told her as I looked at Elliot.


    He paid me no attention and that irritated me.


    "I came here to see if Elliot was hungry," I said, talking to Shirley but looking at Elliot.


    He looked up at me.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Shirley and I just finished eating a bit ago. Have you not eaten yet?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me.


    His words were like a punch in the stomach, and I had to keep from flinching.


    "No, I haven''t," I murmured. "I''ve been so busy I hadn''t had the time. I''ll go eat now."


    I was about to leave when Shirley said from behind me, "We are going to work a lot this evening, so don''t bother waiting up for him."


    That time I did flinch, but my back was turned toward them so neither of them saw. At least, I hoped they didn''t.


    "Noted," I muttered before leaving the office.


    What hurt wasn''t what Shirley said, but the fact that Elliot didn''t deny it.


    She was also right because he didn''te home until almost 2 in the morning. I pretended to be asleep


    when he got into bed. I didn''t want t


    to speak with him or start any arguments about why he was strolling into the room sote at night. I was too exhausted mentally and physically, to speak up. So, I just closed my eyes and tried to sleep.


    Elliot was gone by the time I woke the next morning, and I felt a ping of agitation. I got dressed, ate my breakfast and this time I spent a bit of time in the art studio working on mytest painting. Watercolor always put my mind at ease and made me think more clearly. Once I was done, I went straight to the packhouse to get some work done there.


    Later in the afternoon, I found Beta Leo and asked if Elliot had finished his training for the day.


    "You just missed him; he took Shirley into town for some shopping," he told me. "He told me to tell you that he''ll bete again this evening and not to wait up."


    My stomach twisted into a tight knot, and I managed a nod. However, Beta Leo could see the hurt evident on my face.


    "It isn''t what it seems; Shirley needed some new equipment and-"


    "It''s quite okay," I said, holding up my hand and stopping his words. "I''m not worried about it."


    He nodded, but the look on his face was unconvinced.


    Elliot didn''t return to the packhouse, and he didn''t return home. Throughout thest couple of days, it''s been about the same. I would just miss him at the packhouse, and he would return homete. He would spend most of his time with Shirley or some of the other Alpha''s for training, but no time would be left for


    his wife.


    I suppose I was just a contract wife, but I thought we had made some progress in our rtionship since the banquet. I guess I was wrong.


    I heard chuckling in his office as I walked by and I paused outside the door, knowing I shouldn''t be eavesdropping but unable to help myself. I knew the chuckling wasing from Shirley.


    "This ne is beautiful, Elliot. Thank you so much for buying it for me," she said, her voice almost flirtatious.