Chapter 77: Chapter 77

I couldn't but worry that Aiden was by my side, his gaze passing briefly over the Alpha before settling back on me, brows arching in question. For a moment, I felt small, wanting to do nothing but turn on my feet and run away. Why was Zain doing here? I thought to myself, lips twisting. The last time we saw each other, Zain broke up with me, for he had found his mate, and the entire thing messed me.

Above me, the sky was clear and blue, speckled with a bright sun that shone down on us. I could feel its warmth, and inside my chest rose with the desire to burrow into the earth I was standing on to get away from it. The closest thing I did was shift to Aiden’s side, my legs feeling shaky in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

My Alpha next to me cleared his throat. "Alpha Zain," He breathed, grasping Zain's attention on him while flashing a tentative smile. "Fancy seeing you here."

A low gasp slid out of my lips as they both stared like they already knew each other.

Without a moment of hesitation, Zain took a step forward in our direction, offering his hand to Aiden. "Nice to see you here, Pack Alpha Aiden."

As they shook hands, I stood there, frozen in place, watching the indifference on Aiden's face. A buried, tender part of my heart burned in my chest, toes still curled.

"I am part of this pack." Zain cleared his throat, eyes flickering to me for a second. The Alpha next to me quietly hummed at the response, his hand tightening around mine. I tried not to read too much into it.

As if Aiden read the confusion lines marring on my face, he pointed at Zain. “We met during the war a few weeks ago and fought together. My friend introduced the two of us.”

Oh. I managed to bob my head, my mind going blank as I tried not to think about Aiden in the war. Mostly after scenes. The Alpha made me believe that something was between us with those letters only to stomp on my heart cruelly.

"Rose.” Zain breathed softly. “How are you?"

At his voice, I rudely snapped out of my thoughts, eyes zoning in on Zain. I almost gaped at the warmth in his words and actions, such a stark contrast from his interaction with Aiden. My body went numb when he finally angled to my side; his eyes that once looked at me with so much fondness are now looking with a sort of longing. I tried to maintain a weak smile on my face, a lump lodged in my throat.

"Am good. Thanks. What about you? How is your mate?" I daringly asked, pinning him with a glare. After he broke things off and refused closure, I had no reason to be polite.

Zain visibly tensed, jaw clenched tight, his shoulders sagging, a long sigh escaping him. "We do not see each other anymore. It's a long story."

For a second, I could see the pain behind his eyes before it was quickly gone. Why would they break up? Zain looked happy to have found his mate. Ignoring the questions whirling in my brain, I hardened my face.

"Oh"

That's all I could say. Meanwhile, Aiden made a soft sound. "You will get through it. Hang in there."

"Thank you." Zain nodded his head before turning his attention back to me, his brows furrowed together. "Are you visiting your parents?"

"Hmm"

"How long are you staying?"

I folded my lips at the question. What's with his sudden interrogation? My feet pushed harder against the ground, the desire to flee away intensifying with every passing second. My indignation grows when Zain doesn't even look at the Alpha next to me, his body angled only towards me as if I was the only one there and my husband didn't exist. The audacity, I thought with a huff.

Aiden cleared his throat, teeth grinding together. "My wife and I will be leaving soon. Is there a reason for your concern, Alpha Zain?"

I hoped the colour to fade from my cheeks, mind racing to find a way to end this profoundly awkward conversation before it got too weird and I would have no choice but flee. Exhaling softly, I peered at my ex-boyfriend through my lashes, noticing the flare of his nose, his lips twitching like he was trying to control his emotions.

“Uh…” Zain quickly gathered himself. “I was hoping we could have dinner before you both leave.”

My mate was thinking the same. He looked a mixture of apologetic and sheepish as he said, "I'm pretty busy with this work project, and Rose is sorting out some family stuff, so I am not sure we could make it so...”

It was a half-baked excuse at best. A rush of embarrassment rushed in my stomach as I saw the realisation dawning on Zain’s features. He might have caught in quickly, but the Alpha still managed to keep his features bright.

He paused for a moment, shaking his head before exhaling, head dropping down. "That is unfortunate. I was hoping to eat together with you both.”

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Aiden shrug but not wanting to change his answer. Did he figure out my relationship with Zain? Judging from his mild, well-mannered reaction, definitely not.

“Sorry, Alpha Zain, but we have to continue with our tour now.” He sharply said, his hand tugging mine as if to alert me. “See you around.”

Instead of a response, I merely nodded my head, agreeing with the Alpha. Zain gave us a tight-lipped smile, bidding us goodbye and waiting for us to get out of his sight. As we turned on our feet, I exhaled the breath I had been holding, my shoulders sagging down.

Once we were out of Zain’s earshot, Aiden sharply turned us to an abandoned alley, his hand pulling away. “How do you know each other?”

At his narrowed eyes, the ache flared in my chest, and I tried to tamp it down, air nipping at my skin. Blinking at him, I contemplated for a while, deciding whether to tell Aiden about it or not. Then again, it wouldn’t take him long to find out on his own.

“W-We dated for a while.”

His jaw clenched tight, chest heaving as he took a step further. Tension simmered around us in a bubble, making the ends of my hair stand in attention.

“How long?”

“For a while”, I vaguely answered, swiping my tongue over my bottom lip, fingers wrung together. Why did it feel like an interrogation?

“What happened?” Aiden raised his brow, his fingers curled by his sides in a fist, the wind making few strands of his hair matt to the forehead. “I mean…why did you break up? Is it because of our marriage?”

“No!” I sharply denied, shoulders hunching in a half-shrug. I did not tell anyone the whole story; pain too sharp and raw at the time to confide in anyone else except my sister. And over time, it got buried in the past as I moved forward into the future. “Zain broke up with me before umm...our wedding because he found his mate.”

Silence settled over us, thick and enveloping as Aiden stood still in front of me. He unclenched his jaw, shaking his head before staring deep into my eyes. “Is that why you agreed to marry me?”

“Yes”

There were a lot of things I could say to explain my answer but failed. My entire being felt drained because of Zain, and the questions were too much.

***

Suddenly, the Alpha wanted to go back. He kept quiet the entire way, very unusual of him, making my skin itch with uncertainty and discomfort. Why was he acting so odd? The fabric of the dress felt hostile against my body, my feet reluctantly dragging me.

Once I padded inside the living room, I noticed that the house was eerily quiet. A buzz thrummed in my ears, and before I knew it, my mother was rushing out of her room, appearing livid. Her hair was sticking out in different directions, eyes wide and fingers accusingly pointing at me.

“You!” She let out a strangled sound. “How dare you come back, you ungrateful brat?”

***