Chapter 44: Chapter 44
I kept watching as we passed the buildings, my hands fidgeting together, face stoic and blank. The time in that alley was straight out of my nightmare coming to life, rogues chasing and trying to take me away. A lump formed in my throat, making it difficult to swallow as I tried to keep my breathing even. My omega was shaking internally, fear gripping my insides, fingers tightening together.
I would give everything I had and more to make it stop, erase everything wrong that's happened to me and beneath it all, my insides started to boil with anger and defeat. They were too strong for me, so much so I couldn't defend myself. If not for Aiden showing up at the right time, those rogues would have taken me away.
The thought sat heavily in my stomach, making the tips of my finger red, toes curling in my shoes. Ria kept shifting her eyes towards the window, watching me, but I paid her no attention. She was half the reason why I ended up in some strange alley, almost abducted by those Alpha rogues.
I was so busy going through unimaginable scenarios that I haven't considered Aiden's anger yet. The Alpha was seething in drivers seat, flickering his eyes to the rear view mirror one too many times. He didn't say anything, but I was sure that Aiden had a lot of pent-up anger.
Resting my head against the car window, I let out a sigh, my shoulders sagging. What was I going to tell him? Maybe I should have stayed in the cabin instead of going to a mall and getting lost. The Alpha must be angry at me for ruining the day he planned.
In between those thoughts, I managed to keep my eyes trained on the line of trees we passed.
***
"I'm okay," I said eventually, glancing up at Aiden but not quite meeting his eye.
He had been staring at me ever since we got down from the vehicle. Ria was dropped off at the Pack House, where she carried all her bags. The Alpha looked like he wanted to ask something but then didn't say a word on our way back.
"Are you?" Aiden halted once we were inside the cabin, standing in front of me with his brow quirked.
"Y-Yes."
My legs were shaking as if they were about to give up, my insides on high alert at the scent that crowded me. I couldn't stand anymore, not when my hands were shivering by my sides. Exhaustion seeped into my bones, eyes blearily taking into the looming figure of the Alpha.
Aiden didn't appear satisfied at my answer; his jaw clenched together. He exhaled loudly, hands balling into fists by his side. "What possessed you—"
"Alpha, I need some rest. Can we do this later?" I cut him off, my ears prickling with his question from earlier. He would go on and maybe even blame me for his awful mood, which I won't be able to handle. Not when my omega was already so fragile and on the verge of a breakdown.
He closed his mouth, dumbly nodding his head which gave me enough time to slink back to my room. I didn't care if his eyes were boring into my back, watching my every step till I made it into the room assigned to me and disappeared.
Closing the door with a huff, I pushed my back against it and let out a loud sigh. The bed was neatly made, so without any thought, I dragged myself and threw it on top of the covers.
Hours later, I wiped a hand over my eyes with another tired sigh and turned away from the window, walking to the centre of the room. Ignoring the fatigue that's making my body heavy and my mind nostalgic proved difficult.
My bedroom was dark, except for the slightest hint of light reflected by the bulb outside, so everything was dipped in various hues of yellow.
With a grimace, I wiped my face and pulled the damp shirt away from my body when my eyes fell on my wrist—the redness from earlier completely disappeared, no traces of any mark. Of course, one thing my omega did was brilliant than others. Healing. What's the point of having that extraordinary power if I don't even know anything about it? Maybe I should talk to the Alpha trainer and find out more about my ability.
I gingerly made my way to the bathroom, switching on the lights and dropping the shirt, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My skin was flushed and sweaty, eyes glassy, and my long hair sticking to the slender of my neck. Bringing my hands up and running them through slightly damp hair, I tried tugging on it absentmindedly while switching off the ugly memories that kept rushing back to me. For a couple of minutes, I allowed myself to stand there and breathe, imagining that the water washed some of my worries away and the steam rising cocooned me in a little.
***
I pushed a cup of coffee on the table in the living room, frowning at the way the sky was clouding over already. The scene from the window mirrored something out of a horror movie, appearing with several hues of grey and gloomy. It looked a lot like it could very well rain all day.
Lost in my thought, I almost missed Aiden exhaling shakily and dropping down on the couch next to me, close but not touching. He raised a hand to reach out, letting it hover just inches away from my arms, but I twitched imperceptibly. My teeth sunk on my bottom lip until they stung, eyes still red.
I noticed that the Alphas eyes, for a split second, flickered to my bare feet resting on the table before I quickly pulled them back, hoping the dim lighting hid my blush. Most likely, Aiden was assessing me instinctively.
“The red marks…” He noted with a hint of something laced in his voice, gaze boring into my wrist. “They are gone.”
I coughed, pulling my hand and tucking them away on instinct. “Umm…I applied some herbs to speed the process.”
The Pack Alpha twisted his lips like he didn’t believe but dropped it anyway. “Are you okay? Do you need anything? A pack doctor?”
The question made me deflate visibly and sink back onto the couch, wrapping my arms around my trembling torso. Also my omega preened at the concern in his tone.
“I don’t think so. I am fine.”
He made a sound in the back of his throat, lounging back, arms still crossed against his chest. “You should have just come along with Ria instead of staying back to shop on your own.”
Did he believe all this time that I was shopping on my own? Why would I do that? I was waiting for him to come back and help me chose the coat instead.
Sharply, I straightened my back, narrowing my eyes at him. “Did you see any bags with me?”
He lazily blinked as if sudden realisation dawned on him. The Alpha angled his body to me, mouth parting in a low gasp. “No. I did not. So you didn’t get anything from the store?”
I shook my head, playing with the hem of my jumper, suddenly aware of his intense gaze on me. Will he be angry about that? I wanted him to be there as he was the one who proposed the shopping idea.
He softly sighed, his voice dropping. “Then why did you stay back?”
“B-Because I thought that you would be back to help—” I cut myself off before completing the sentence, suddenly feeling the tension in the room. My legs curled around, hands tucked in my lap while staring at the floor.
“Liam called me, and it’s urgent. So I messaged Ria because you don’t have a phone on you. She might have told you to come along with her, right?”
I hummed. Why did he ask me if I stayed back? Is that what his best friend told him? Tilting my head, I met his eyes. “Ria did, so we both left the store at the same time. I was in the front, and suddenly she disappeared in the crowd.”
Aiden’s face paled. He blinked at me like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “So she left you?”
***