Chapter 92: Chapter 92
I woke up with a bright smile on my face, slowly exiting my room and peeking at the Alphas closed bedroom door. He must be still sleeping, I thought with a twist of my mouth. Aiden did appear fatigued the other day, almost dozing off on the couch.
Heading back into the kitchen, I noticed the biscuit crumbs on the dining table and started cleaning them before moving on to wash the dirty dishes stacked in the sink.
It’s quiet. Apart from the steady stream of water from the tap and cups clanking together, there’s not a sound to be heard. I used to hate the depressing silence that would settle over this place from time to time, but my entire body was too energised to feel anything.
Once I cleaned the dirty dishes, I made sure to check on the windows, suddenly feeling a chill in the air. My slipper clad feet turned towards the rattling windows only to see Zain walking towards our cabin. I stilled, my knuckles turning white from the intense grip on the handle.
What did he want now? Moreover, Aiden would flip out to find him on our doorstep again. Hastily closing the window, I slipped on the coat and rushed out of the cabin. Standing against the main door, my mouth pursed in a straight line, hands coming to cross against my chest.
“Zain.” I called out his name, blinking rather dumbly at the man in front of me, irritation crossing my face.
“Good morning, Rose!” He smiled at me, his formerly clean-shaven cheeks now covered with what can probably be described as a two-day beard. The Alpha wore a bright white, heavy coat and a dark shirt contrasting sharply with it, hands stuffed in the pockets.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I heaved out a sigh and brushed a hand over my tired face. It was too early to see his face and deal with whatever new excuse he came up with.
Zain dared to wince, his face scrunching before he took a step forward. My eyes roamed around, looking at the similarly constructed cabins. Fortunately for me, no one spotted us together, but it would only be a matter of time. The last thing I wanted was to tarnish my hard-earned reputation.
“Can we please talk?”
“We should.” I huffed. “But not here. Follow me.”
I chose one of the more discreet and deserted routes; if it could be called that, my steps hasty and determined. The entire way, we refrained from making small talk, my stomach twisting with nerves. What could Zain possibly have to tell me now?
“So, are we going anywhere in particular?” He asked eventually after the silence had stretched on long enough to be considered awkward.
“Yes.”
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Zain’s gaze sweeping over the surrounding area, finally not hidden behind his unruly hair anymore. I did feel someone’s eyes on my back but turning around, and I could not find anyone. Maybe I was overthinking again.
Once we came to a halt, I turned around, meeting his eyes, my arms falling by my sides. “What is it now? Make it quick.”
Zain recoiled at my words. “Can you not be like this, Rose?”
“Like what? Annoyed by my ex, who showed up unannounced to my packhouse?”
“I deserve that.”
A sigh escaped my lips. “Zain, why are you still here? What could you possibly gain from making things awkward and uncomfortable?”
Taking a step towards me, the Alpha took my right hand in his, almost startling me, his eyes staring back with a hurt look. “I know that you are only pretending to be happy for my sake. Aiden does not treat you right, and you do not even care about that husband of yours.”
“Zain.” I gritted my teeth together.
“Why don’t you see it? We can be together again. Take me back, Rose.”
A joyless laugh broke out of me before I could stop it, and shaking my head, I plastered a wry smile onto my face.
“Please Stop!” I tried to pry my hand away from his grip, a shiver running down my spine. “You have got to be kidding me, Zain! I told you that nothing could happen between us anymore. Why can you not get it through your thick head?”
His nostrils flared. “Is it because of him? I can challenge him for a dual, Rose. After winning, I will take you away, and we can both live just like before.”
Something about it made my insides clench, and I finally succeeded in pulling my hand away. Zain was looking at me like he expected me to speak up and agree to his stupid plan. Biting down on my bottom lip, I kept my eyes stubbornly directed at him. “Do you want to die that desperately? Aiden is not just any Alpha you can challenge and win.” I shook my head at the mental image of my Alpha fighting against those rogues. He was ruthless and would not hesitate to tear Zain apart. “That’s not even the point. I need you to go away and leave us alone. Look, I am sorry about your mate, but I am not interested in being her replacement.”
Zain appeared crushed, his shoulders sagging and eyes turning bloodshot red, fingers curling into fists by his side.
“About my relationship with my Alpha…I don’t think you have any say in how I feel about Aiden. You are crossing a line here. We are trying to be happy together.” I heard him suck a sharp breath, his eyes going wide. The Alpha opened his mouth to defend, but I cut him off, continuing. “No matter what you do, I will not return your feelings because I like Aiden. I advise you to drop this and go back to your pack, Zain.”
My eyes softened as he stared at the floor, his shoulders trembling. “I sincerely hope you find someone too. Goodbye, Zain.”
With that, I turned around and started walking towards the cabin when I saw Aiden approaching me. My heart leapt in my throat, body stilling as I looked over my shoulder to see Zain. What if Aiden misunderstood us? I parted my mouth to justify my action when the Alpha’s arms suddenly wrapped around my shoulders, surprising me.
It’s so familiar it made me ache to my core, and it’s practically instinct to lean into the Alpha and encircle my arms around in return, almost holding on for dear life – trying to convey what I couldn’t quite say out loud.
My eyes fluttered shut, and I was still familiar with the low and barely-there grumble sounding from the back of his throat. As if the Alpha knew how pressure against my neck made my knees turn into jelly, he kept on scenting me. It wasn’t the best thing to do when we were on uneven ground. My knees don’t exactly buckle, but I swayed slightly at the impact.
“I heard…” Aiden whispered in my throat, slowly pulling away and his hand coming to cradle my cheek. I leaned in his touch as his eyes softened, a smile tugging on his lips. “Everything you said to him about our relationship. T-Thank you for giving us another chance, Rose.”
My eyes widened at that, obviously not expecting him to be so understanding. Before he could have a chance to blink, I threw my arms around him, almost making the Alpha stagger back. We hit the ground so hard it knocked all the air out of my lungs, our limbs tangling and the world spinning for a moment.
A hearty belly laugh ripped out of the Alpha under me. I joined in only a second later, and I don’t know how long we kept laughing, but I was aware that I had not laughed like this in a very long time. Tears ran down the side of my face, and I could barely breathe, lungs and belly and cheeks aching with it, the coldness of the ground starting to seep through my clothes.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Zain walking away, followed by an angry Ria.
Turning my head towards Aiden, I met his eyes, letting my lips curl up. “Thank you for trusting me, Aiden.”
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