Chapter 46: Chapter 46

/Aiden's POV/

The night's breeze fell gently around us as I tugged her outside. The sky was an indigo colour, with the moon disappearing behind the tops of the pine trees. Our walk to the shopping mart took us about twenty minutes long. My eyes strained while staring at the fog that hadn't cleared up and formed a thick layer on the gravel road. I kicked against a few pebbles on the pavement, pushing my hands in the pants pockets.

The pavement ended when we got to the town border, and I trudged through the high grass alongside the road.

Rose sat on one of the benches in the town square, unable to walk any longer. Her eyes were closed, arms spread on the backrest of the wooden bench, and she was staring at the moon peeking through the clouds. There were a few pack members in the town square, most of them walking their dogs or chatting up one another near the fountain. My mouth twisted, noticing two pups playing, doodling on the street with their drawing chalks. I could hear their loud chatter and giggles, the scratching of the chalk on the concrete which grated my ears.

The omega, on the other hand, sat down with them, making funny faces.

Suddenly I wanted to kiss her. The knowledge that I wouldn't have to move much to tilt her head back and press our mouths together. I didn't want to push it too far. We have taken such a giant leap forward, such an unexpected one too. I figured this was good enough for now.

My pulse was still racing, beads of sweat trickling down the forehead. Slowly but steadily, I managed to calm down when our gazes locked until Rose's eyelids started fluttering. Does she know about the desire running in my head? I dryly thought, but then she looked away, which gave me an answer.

***

The interior of the shopping mart smelled like generic minty air freshener and a cheap mix of all scents. I breathed in too much of it, very sure I will still be smelling it hours later. Picking a trolley cart from nearby, I stalked through the deserted aisles of the small supermarket, the wheels of the cart making screeching noises every time I turned a corner.

Rose would be staying alone for a while at least, so she needed to stock up on easy meals. Maybe frozen food. With that thought, I threw some pizza and frozen waffles into the cart, walked on and then skidded to a stop, the soles of my shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor.

She was quietly trailing by my side, her eyes comprehensive and massive as she took in the alleys of neatly stacked up packages. I turned to her, my lips pressed in a thin line. "You can explore if you want. Pick anything from the aisles around."

Rose hummed and turned on her feet.

Once I picked things from the frozen section, I decided to check up on the omega. She nearly flinched when I sidled up right next to her, stilling in place when I reached over and picked one of the cereals from the rack. For one second, our hands brushed. Heat sank into my skin, and my heart stuttered, feeling almost

dizzy at our proximity and how her breath caught in her throat.

The touch wasn't more than mere seconds, but my Alpha was suspended, creating a rhythm I couldn't hear over the pounding of my heart. Like I have run a marathon.

"This is the one," I cleared my throat, taking a step back. "I was looking for."

"Oh"

If Rose noticed my weird shift in behaviour, she didn't say anything. We walked further along, checking out the snack sections. I had my back turned on her, eyes roaming across the boxes of what used to be my favourite candy. My teeth ground together as I remembered how my mother used to bring me here every weekend. As a Luna, it was easy for her to hand out shopping duties to others, but she insisted on doing it herself. That's when I tagged along, knowing she would get me my favourite candy.

Shaking my head, I turned around only to see Rose standing on her tiptoes. She was trying to reach chips from the top shelf, her mouth twisted as her hand barely touched.

Unable to watch it anymore, I stood directly behind her.

"What are you doing?"

She yelped, turning around as she lost her footing in the process and crashed against my chest. My hands immediately went around her waist, securing a firm grip to steady her. I sucked a sharp breath, her tendrils of hair brushing against my cheek, the delicate scent wafting through my nose. The omega let out a soft whine as I leaned closer, letting my eyes flutter when someone cleared their throat from behind.

Rose pushed me away quickly, composing herself, cheeks bright pink and averting her eyes around.

Clearing my throat, I took a step back, watching as an older woman walked past us. What if she had not interrupted? What was wrong with me? I almost wanted to kiss her again? Running a hand over my face, I pulled the chips packed from the top shelf and handed it to the omega.

Rose let the façade fall from her face and beamed beautifully, in triumph, snatching it from my hand and placing the packet in the cart.

***

After that, we walked together, barely any distance between our bodies, feeling the heat sizzling. I got distracted by the plants and decorative pillows for a bit. We spent quite a while thinking about whether bright but single-coloured pillows went with our living room decor. I usually didn't mind, but Rose had some ideas which she held back. But why? If she had told me sooner, I would have asked Liam to pick up some decorative things.

Finally, we stopped by the meat section, and I peered at the display. Lost in that, I almost overlooked Rose by my side.

"You're acting different," She said carefully, her voice low.

"How so?" I asked, trying not to sound offended or affronted by her words.

"I don't know; you're just so... upbeat today than most of the days."

"It's the caffeine," I lamely said, which pretty much put an end to that topic.

***

Walking back home, I realised that I never felt anything like this - this dizzy flutter of lungs and pattering of my heart, this warm rush through his veins. What was this feeling? Also, I didn't want the night to end, trying to prolong our journey as much as possible. Cold air blew around us, making Rose wrap her arms tightly around her body, scoot closer to me.

She chewed on her lips, slowly tilting her head to the side. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure"

"When do you think you will be back?"

It made her look very young all of a sudden, and there was tightness in my chest that wasn't there before when Rose rubbed her hands together, blinking at me nervously.

I wanted to laugh at that, so I did briefly, even if it sounded joyless and harsh. "No idea. War can last up to days or several weeks. Why?"

"I think I am going to miss you."

***