Chapter 91: Chapter 91
/Aiden's POV/
It's a miracle, in my opinion, that I somehow managed to walk back to the cabin in one piece. With my shoulders sagging, I shut the door behind me. I was still having trouble taking deep breaths, and my heartbeat was fast and erratic, hands curled into fists by my side.
After all the planning, I did get Rose alone and apologise for my stupid mistakes; that Alpha trainer had to be the one to ruin it. Why couldn't he give us more time? I huffed under my breath.
I wanted this—her apology and sincere smile so much so my body trembled with it, so tense that I was almost going to empty the sandwiches I ate because my stomach kept twisting. Cursing under my breath, I threw my body on the nearby couch, head lolled back, deep in thought.
The thought of leaving Rose with Caden did not settle my Alpha, but I trusted her. I was sure that she was not the one to do something to hurt me. She was better than me at this. Fluttering my eyes, I exhaled loudly and dozed off in seconds.
I woke up to the sound of the door creaking and Rose scent trickling my nostrils, a low rumble escaping me. The room was clanking with cold, my teeth clattering the moment I sat up, eyes roaming around. Rose was in the kitchen; her back turned towards me, so I stretched my arms before shuffling out and standing up, bones aching from the stiff position I laid in.
Crowding her against the kitchen island, I stood in front, my cold breath hitting her face. “So...” I started breathily. "What did you decide?"
“A-About what?” She managed before her tongue nervously licked over the bottom lip, making it shiny. The omega took a noisy breath in through her mouth, eyes going wide.
Ignoring the question aimed at me, my eyes zeroed in on her plump lips, and I should snap out of it, not make it evident with my staring. The feeling that gripped hold of me out of the blue when her eyes met mine was something I had never felt quite that way before.
“Aiden!” She almost whimpered, head tilting in a questioning manner.
My mouth dropped open slightly in an attempt to breathe because that seemed unbearably tricky at this point. My resolve was crumbling once again; perhaps Rose was aware of it judging by the nervous looks directed at me.
“Sorry.” I cleared my throat. “About what we talked about earlier before Caden rudely interrupted us…Did you mull over it?”
My lips stayed parted for a moment, feeling like my nerves were raw and lying in the open. For the second time in just a handful of minutes, I was holding my breath and waiting for her answer. There were only two ways this entire ordeal could go—either Rose accepts my apology, or she curses me to shove it somewhere.
At the possibility of the second, there was a sudden tightness in my chest that wasn't there before I ran a hand through my messy hair and ruffled them nervously. Silence settled between us but still, I managed to move closer, practically feeling her body heat drench me in the process. The ticking clock sound paired with the wind gushing in through cracks of windows grated against my nerves.
“Oh.” Rose hummed softly, head cast down for a few seconds.
It was like a physical punch to my sternum—that single response. I wanted her to reply with anything, but when she opened her mouth, Rose face went blank.
“You have hurt me, Aiden. With your words, actions and behaviour.” I winced as she settled on eventually, her voice solid and unwavering. “So it is going to take a lot of effort on your part to replace those memories.”
I clenched my eyes shut, suppressing the urge to press my palm to my burning neck because my face was equally heating up. The fear of rejection made a lump lodge in my throat, but then I heard her speak the following sentence.
“But I am willing to try.”
My eyes flew open at that, coughing and spluttering, almost at a loss of words. The omega was giving me another chance, an opportunity to prove myself. A grin broke out on my lips, hands almost going in the air, but I stopped myself.
“Really?” I murmured. “You will give me a chance?”
The omega bobbed her head, her hands coming together. “I want to take another chance on you, but I am warning you it will not be easy. You have to make me believe that you are a better person.”
“Yes, I will” A loud breath forced out of my lungs, shoulders dropping. It felt like forever, holding back my breath. “Can I please hug you?”
Rose meekly nodded her head, and before she could utter a word, I threw my arms around her. A low rumble escaped my lips; my Alpha pleased at the close contact between our bodies. I buried my nose in the crook of her neck, eyes rolling back as her delicious scent surrounded me. Her arms were still awkwardly pressed against my middle, so I slowly pulled away.
My fingertips ghosted over her jaw and across her cheeks, noticing her eyelids flutter lightly, her breath stumbling. I could stop skimming my eyes over her face, stopping at her thick lashes, the omegas scrunched up nose and her lips. There was something so captivating about her that I couldn't seem to stop running my fingers along the contours of her face.
“I promise you to be the better version of myself, omega.”
Her cheeks turned pink at that, and she hummed, shifting on her feet. Turning around, the omega resumed with her tea, looking over her shoulder. “Do you want a cup?”
“Sure!” I said in an overly excited tone, unable to wipe that wide grin off my face.
***
Sitting down with Rose, I wrapped my palms around the warm mug of tea, eyes boring into her. The omega also put some cookies on the table, but my stomach was still fluttering due to nerves. Eating those cookies was the last thing on my mind.
We filled the awkward silence with mindless chatter about her day and how she adored the arrangement of flowers. Then it dawned on me to ask my mate about her friend.
“So, did you manage to track that missing friend of yours?” I took a sip, my throat relaxing as the warm liquid filled my mouth. “Ellen, is it?”
Rose almost choked on her breath before blinking repeatedly and slowly nodding her head, her eyes not meeting mine. “Umm…yes…I mean, she is not missing. E-Ellen forgot to inform Caden…that…umm…she will be staying over at her maternal grandmother's house.”
Ignoring the sudden shift in her voice, I narrowed my eyes. “Is it sorted then?”
“Yes! You don’t have to worry about it.”
***
We decided to take things slow, so Rose would still be using her guest room, which made my chest twist. Maybe if I was not cruel in the beginning and let her share my room, then things might have turned differently. Wishing her a good night, I turned to my room, tossing and turning the entire time before falling asleep somewhere around three.
The next morning I slept in, and Rose was out by the time I stepped out of my room. Where did she go so early? I thought to myself before lazily dragging my feet to the kitchen.
A sharp knock on the door made my lips curl, thinking it must be Rose. Opening the door, my stomach dropped upon seeing Ria stand on the other side. She appeared tired…cheeks sunken, eyes puffy and dark circles under them. An awkward silence lingered in the air, my neck heating up, realising this was the first time we saw each other after that talk.
“Ria!” I whispered, my hand tightening around the door. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” She said with a blank face. “Can I come in?”
I hesitated for a second or two. Before, it was too easy to let her in, but after knowing she harbours feelings for me, it’s weird. Especially knowing Damon is her Alpha. The last thing I wanted was to create tension in our friendship.
“Uh…sure.”
“Where is Rose?”
“She went out.”
A bitter laugh escaped her mouth, body turning around and hands crossing against her chest, sneering at me. “So you don’t know where your mate is?”
With my jaw clenched tight, I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why does it matter? Do you have something to say to her?”
“I have something to show you.”
“Ria!” I huffed, raking my hand over my hair, tugging on them in frustration. “It is bloody eight in the morning. Why are you here?”
“To expose your wife’s true colours. Come with me and see for yourself who she is with.”
***
Reluctantly I followed Ria out of the cabin, my heart in my throat the entire time. She walked ahead of me, making me follow her to a secluded woods behind the packhouse. Once we found a tree, the beta asked me to hide behind it before pointing towards Rose.
My body froze upon seeing my mate standing in front of Zain while the Alpha gripped her hand.
“Now you see why she sneaked out so early in the morning.” Ria huffed. “You said she is different!”
***