Chapter 72: Chapter 72

"Do you want me to ring the bell for you?" The Alpha asked as soon as we reached the doorstep, staring at the familiar mahogany door, few inches in between them. He had an amused smiled on his face, oblivious to the situation and prying eyes that followed us to my old house.

After my sister ran away and I took her place, the entire packhouse must have been shocked. The news would have gotten out quickly because my old pack loved nothing more than gossip. They must be curious to see me with Aiden. In a way, it was beneficial to have the Alpha with me to believe us.

I did call my dad yesterday evening to inform him that Aiden will be joining us. The only reason I did that was to make sure that they were prepared for this unwanted surprise. He did not respond for quite some time before readily agreeing,

I fluttered my eyes close, trying to find the best way to reason with my husband, who thought of this as a friendly visit. My chest stung with how terrible this all was, of how much I hated it, of how wrong this seemed to me. "Aiden"

"Hmm?"

With my teeth grounding together, heel digging further into the ground, I met his eyes. "Umm...Let's act like mates in front of my parents." I internally cringed as soon as those words escaped my mouth. That's one of the reasons why I opposed having Aiden accompany me.

"I don't want my father to worry about me...If you have a problem with that, you can go back. I will manage somehow." I murmured.

Aiden huffed, inching closer till our shoulders were pressed together. "It's difficult to get a return ticket so urgently. Don't worry; we will be the best couple for your parents."

Something tugged in my chest at that, which I promptly ignored, rushing towards the doorbell and pressing a little too hard, hands clammy.

***

"Rose! Alpha Aiden!" My mother's shrill voice was the first thing I heard as the door creaked in its hinges. She threw her arms around my body, almost squeezing the air out of me. "I missed you so much, my darling daughter."

Darling daughter? I gaped, mouth opening and closing. My head twisted towards my father, who awkwardly shuffled towards Aiden, ignoring his wife. What was going on? Did my mother hit her head on the way? Is that why my father called me urgently?

"Alpha Aiden, how are you?"

"All good, sir." The Alpha politely smiled. "Thank you for asking."

My mother pulled back, her eyes roaming down my body, making me shrink in her hold. She parted at my cheeks. "Look at you! You have lost so much weight, my dear." Her head tilted towards Aiden, her eyebrow-raising. "Are you not taking care of my lovely daughter, Alpha Aiden?"

The Alpha nervously chuckled. "Forgive me, ma'am. I will pay more attention now."

"Oh no, please call me mom." My mother giggled bashfully, slapping at his shoulder. "We are family now."

Hesitation flickered on his face at that to which I winced. He never talked about his mother, nor did the rest of the pack members. It must be painful for him to call someone else mom.

My father sensed the tension, so he clapped his hand, making a sound in the back of his throat. "My dear, stop making him nervous. Let him call whatever he wants."

"Alright. Let's go in!" With that, I was dragged inside, face still pale and mouth hanging open. Something was off.

***

“Follow me! I will show you both to your room.” My mother nudged me along, carrying the suitcase in case I was too tired. My eye twitched at that, mouth pursing in a line at the sudden change of her behaviour.

I kept on eyeing my father the entire way from the door, but he refused to meet my eyes for some reason. Like a guilty person. What was going on with them? As much as I wanted to straight away ask the reason they called me, my knees felt weak.

“You can rest for a while. I am sure you both must be tired from the rail journey.”

Colour drained my face as we stood in front of my old room, Aiden sporting a blank look as always. Why was the Alpha not saying anything?

“M-Mom, are we sharing a single room?”

“Of course!” My mother turned to me, her voice cheerful as she flicked her attention between both of us. “That’s what mates do, silly.”

“B-But it’s a tiny room. My Alpha will be uncomfortable….”

Aiden cut me off, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. I sucked a sharp breath at that, his fingers digging into my flesh even through the thick cardigan. “My love, you don’t have to worry about me. I am happy to share a room with you.”

My blood boiled as those words washed over me, fingers curling into fists. Of course, he was acting like a loving husband in front of my parents. If not for the Pack Alpha, he would make such a good actor, I thought to myself. He might even win some awards for his performance.

“Aren’t you the cutest?!” My mother cooed. “I will start with the dinner in the meantime. See you soon.”

With that, she tugged on my father's arm, and they both rushed out, leaving Aiden and I to stand in front of my bedroom. A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I pushed the door open. Instead of dwelling on it further, I dragged my suitcase in and mumbled, “Welcome to my room.”

***

I quickly got settled in my room, marvelling at the preserved nature of everything— like nothing had changed since I left a few months ago. The shelves were filled with worn spines, books I read and loved from elementary school until graduation. Aiden stood by the door and admired silently for a while before I asked him to come in already.

We unpacked silently, my eyes checking the clock several times, keeping in mind that my mother might potentially barge in if we didn’t get out sooner. I looked over at Aiden, who's hanging up his dress shirts on hangers haphazardly, brows furrowed together in concentration.

“Aiden, do you mind if I jump in the shower real quick?”

The Alpha didn’t answer, just continued to hang up his shirts, slamming the metal hangers onto the rod in the closet a little more harsh than necessary.

“Aiden?”

The Alpha suddenly jerked at my voice, blinking rapidly, the grip of his clothes loosening. He swiped a tongue across his bottom lip. “Huh?”

“Never mind, good talk.”

***

My mom made pasta for dinner, my favourite kind, and even bought out pie for dessert. I allowed myself to relax and enjoy my mother’s presence without worrying or having second thoughts about her affection. Once we sat down, it was a few more minutes of my mother talking about the ladies at the Pack and how excited they were to meet I and Aiden.

She finally stopped and lifted her hands with an obnoxious laugh. “I am just rambling at this point. Enough about me, tell me what you have been up to lately, Rose. I want to know everything.” My mother shot me a pointed look. Her tone was entirely teasing, but I barely suppressed a flinch.

“There’s nothing to know, mom.”

“I mean, there must be something….”

“Like you care!” I suddenly snapped, the grip on my fork tightening, unable to hold back anymore.

At my response, Aiden couldn’t stop shooting worried glances at a much too frequent rate to be subtle. He made eye contact with me while picking the bread from the tray, his feet nudging me from across the table. I swallowed a squeak, rubbing my leg and looking at him questioningly.

"What the hell was that for," I whispered.

Aiden cleared his throat, gesturing me to follow him. “My love,” He said a little too loudly, breaking the silence that settled over us. “Can you please show me the way to the common bathroom?”

“You can find it on your own, Alpha,” I whispered, shaking my head slightly. “You have a good sense of direction, after all, honey.”

“Rose,” Aiden breathed, this time through gritted teeth. “Come with me.”