Mated to the Alpha and His Beta (Lanie Stanton) novel Chapter 481

Chapter 481
Stella

I slept late the next morning. By the time I got up, morning sun was slanting brightly through the window of my attic room. I watched the dust motes dancing in the beams for a long time. If I concentrated, I could see right inside them, like each was a tiny little planet all on their own. I imagined each one filled with civilizations, rising and falling. Maybe on one of them, a tiny Celestial, all alone in her bed, was looking at the dust motes in her own sunbeam…

“Gah.” I sat up, shaking off those feelings. I was about to get lost in my mind. Maybe so deep I wouldn’t be able to get out.

Anyway, my stomach was rumbling. It seemed impossible that I could be hungry with my heart so heavy, but…no matter how many supernatural talents I could use, I was still in this body, and apparently, this body needed to eat on a regular basis.

I’d left my clothes from the night before in a pile on the floor. They stank of sweat and spilled beer, with the faintest hint of the other odors that had filled The Silver Crescent. I wrinkled my nose but tossed them into the hamper. I wasn’t sure what to do about washing them.

Here was another thing I was having to learn about skipping from childhood right to adulthood—was I going to have to do my own laundry?

I showered quickly, brushed my teeth, and dressed in a pair of flowered leggings with a long tunic top. I paired this outfit with the same ballet flats from the night before. The mirror told me I looked cute, but I didn’t feel it. I looked tired.

Not feeling like putting on makeup, I used a little bit of energy to pink up my cheeks and darken my eyelashes. Nothing too obvious, but at least I didn’t look hungover anymore. I didn’t want to have to explain to my parents why my face was so haggard and drawn.

I could smell something good wafting from the kitchen as I went downstairs. I followed my nose along the corridors, past closed doors, pausing to peek into any rooms with open ones. I could’ve dug into the minds of the various staff members passing me on their way to their duties, or even into my Dad’s or Papa’s, but I was trying not to overextend myself. Using powers on people without their knowledge felt icky, but especially when it wasn’t for their benefit, but only for mine.

Was I ever going to figure out how all of this was supposed to work? Shaking my head, I peered into an open room that featured floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. It also had a nice fireplace, no fire lit now, and a set of cozy looking armchairs facing it. Tall windows let in a lot of light, but sheer curtains diffused it, making it soft. I stepped inside to take a closer look and let out a slow breath.