Chapter 81: Chapter 81

/Aiden’s POV/

As we walked away from the main path and towards the garden bench, the afternoon rays hit Damon’s face. The Alpha raised his hand in the air, shielding from the bright glare from the sun. It also accentuated the lines of worry on his forehead and his mouth as he finally turned around. When I saw the Alphas at the doorstep, my face paled, more shocked at finding Zain along with Damon. Why was he here? What could he possibly want now?

Before I could ask any of those questions or ward them away, Rose entered the living room. There went my silly plan.

“Aiden?” My friend's voice yanked me out of my thoughts, almost making me squint as he sank the bench.

“Yeah, sorry. You were saying?” I cleared my throat awkwardly, eyes flittering back to the Alpha, who was now motioning towards the space next to him. My chest heaved with a loud exhale before I plopped down, pressing my legs together.

“I know you must be surprised by my sudden visit. I apologise.”

“Shut up!” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. We have been friends for a while now, so there was no need for a notice. “You are not the one who surprised me.”

“Oh,” Damon lowly said, his body sagging against the white wooden bench, head lolling back for a few seconds. Sitting up, he huffed while staring at me. “Your reaction made me so nervous back there. Asshole!”

“Sorry”

I was so out of it from the moment my eyes fell on Zain; my stomach clenched the entire way, and thoughts muddled. The idea of him being so close to Rose bugged me, and I could not figure out why.

“Why is he here with you?”

Damon winced, his lips pressed in a line. “Yeah, about that…He called me a few hours ago while I was on my way here. I owed him for siding with me during the war and….” He hesitated for a few seconds, eyes flickering towards his shoes before settling on me. “Umm…my cousin cheated on him. The poor guy needed a change of scenery, so when he asked to tag along, I could not refuse.”

My jaw clenched at that. So Zain had a motive to come here. No wonder he started yelling for Rose as we left her house. Turning to my friend, I flared my nostrils, pinning him with a glare. “You could have just made some lies and said no!”

“Now, why would I do that? Do you not like him? You both stayed in the same tepee after all.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

Damon exhaled, twisting his mouth. “What do you want me to do now? He will not leave without me, and I plan on staying here for a while.”

“What for?”

“To find my mate.” The Alpha said, his features softening when he turned to me. “Our Pack witch told me that I will find my mate here, so don’t mind me staying here.”

My mouth opened and closed at that; a lump lodged in my throat. I had no problem with my friend staying, but that also meant Zain lurking around Rose. I shook my head. “No! You are not staying here. There are not enough rooms for both of you!”

Damon rolled his eyes. “Your room must be empty now that you moved into the cabin. We can share that. Besides, what’s your problem with Zain anyway? He also knows your mate so that it will be fun.”

That’s the problem. I thought to myself.

“Aiden?” My friend pestered me for an answer, so when I heard footsteps inching towards me, a relieved sigh escaped my throat. A red-faced beta appeared, his lips curving in a smile when he spotted Damon next to me.

“Alpha Damon!” Liam rushed, his voice cheerful and loud, almost making my ears ring. “What brings you here?”

“He is leaving soon. Don’t bother him with the questions.” I grumbled.

Damon playfully glared at me. “No, I am not. Liam, could you arrange a room for Zain and I? We will be staying here for a while.”

“Zain is here too?” My best friends voice rose, his eyes already roaming around to find the other Alpha.

Traitor. I thought under my breath. Now there is no way for him to side with me. What was I going to do?

“Yes. He is out there with Rose.” Damon turned over his shoulder, looking over the line of trees, but it was impossible to spot them. “Umm…We can meet him on our way to the packhouse.”

“Great! Come on this way; I will take you to your room. Senior Pack Alpha will be delighted to meet you.”

I barely had time to utter a word before Liam and Damon already disappeared, making me want to bust my knuckles in frustration. I cannot blame them. I had half a mind to join them and push my body so far that my mind would shut up for a while, that this treacherous tiny shred of doubt would quiet down for just a little longer.

***

The lights flickered on, bouncing off the white tiles so brightly that I squeezed my eyes shut. Blindly stumbling towards the sink, I leaned heavily on the cold marble counter, swallowing thickly and trying to get my breathing under control. Opening my eyes, I stared at my reflection taunting me from the mirror.

My lips appeared red and puffy, my face flushed, and the few strands of my hair in the front sticking to my forehead. I turned on the tap and splashed some cold water in my face, slightly wincing at the sting. Even after a few splashes, it didn’t help to settle me down even in the slightest, and it also failed in slowing down the steady stream of panic that circulated through my body.

I stayed in the bathroom for a long while, thinking about what to do next, how to approach Rose and how to broach the subject without – without making her uncomfortable, without fucking up again. The last thing I wanted to do was say something stupid and make her feel worse, violated in any way. I figured I should be doing that with a clear head after sufficiently calming down and carefully selecting the right words to say.

With that, I exited the bathroom quietly,

inhaling a shuddering breath and making a beeline for the hallway. My feet froze the minute I saw Zain and Damon sitting on the couch, my father adjoining them while

Rose sat on the loveseat.

I couldn’t help but train my eyes on her, watching the omega as she fidgeted, head cast down and fingers wringing together. What was going on in her mind? Was she having second thoughts about us? Maybe after listening to Zain’s sob story about his mate cheating on him, her feelings for him came back. The last part left an ugly mark on my chest, my face turning red.

As if she could feel my stare on her, Rose immediately lifted her head, eyes slightly widened when they fell on me. The omega stood up, her knees wobbling.

“Alpha…”

I cleared my throat, walking up to my mate. As I wrapped an arm around her waist, she immediately leaned in my side, almost going lax in my hold. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Zain stiffen, his hands balling into fists by his side. My lips parted at that. He was affected by our relationship, which means there was a chance of him having feelings for Rose. Or maybe I was overthinking things. Still, I need to watch him closely.

“Oh! Aiden is here.” My father stayed with a smile on his face. “Where have you been? Your friends are lovely, and I am glad that they will be staying with us.”

I gritted my teeth. “Dad…”

“We were waiting for you.” Damon cut me off, lifting his head, a quirk to his brows.

“For what?”

Rose was the one to answer, her body angling towards mine, an uplift of her lips which was forced. “To eat together, Alpha. I am sure you must be hungry after our long journey.”

My stomach growled on cue, making my cheeks flush, so I slowly bobbed my head, deciding that things could wait. Rose patted my chest before motioning towards the dining room, my grip on her tightening.

“Let’s go.” She tugged.

With my eyes fixated on Zain, I planted a firm kiss on the side of her cheek, noticing the sudden hitch of her breath. She went still as I pulled away. “Of course, baby. Lead the way.”

***