Chapter 6

Elena

“Her husband is dead,” Alaric replied coldly. “He was my lifelong brother. How could I turn blind eye to his final requests?”

“Are you saying that you would take his mate as yours too for the sake of his final requests?!” Grandpa Rowan shouted.

“I owed him, Grandpa. If that’s what would make him at ease—I’ll do it—” before the Alpha could finish his words, a sharp crash echoed through the hall.

“Get out!” Grandpa Rowan bellowed. “Get out before I disown you!”

I could hear another sound of ceramic shattering the same as Grandpa’s heavy breathing—clearly from anger.

As much as I wanted to go in and help Grandpa, I couldn’t move. I stood frozen, my chest rising and falling as emotions I had thought long dead slowly suffocated me.

I rounded the corner, just in time to see another teacup hit Alaric’s chest and fall to the floor, shattering at his feet.

Tea stained his white shirt, spreading slowly. Despite that he could easily dodge all of those attacks—he chooses not to.

Or more like, if he does dodge, it will only make Grandpa angrier than he already is that their pheremones could suffocate an omega if they would barge the door.

“Their child,” he said evenly. “I will help her raise it.”

Grandpa Roan staggered back as if struck.

“You—”

“I won’t abandon it,” Alaric continued. “That’s decision.”

“What about your Luna?! Have you gone mad, Alaric Ashbourne?!” I heard Grandpa yelled. “It seemed I have been going easily on you, huh! Is this how a proper Alpha acts to his Luna?!”

Honestly, I couldn’t hear what Grandpa said next, nor Alaric’s response. I was already running away, scrambling as if something were chasing me from behind.

The foot that had stuck on the ground earlier, had mysteriously gained strength to run away, to hide, to turn deaf and blind from what I heard and see.

Even if I would stay there and listen to what Alaric might respond… I know already what he would say.

And I know who he would choose.

After all, I am not his Luna anymore.

He had already abandoned me.

He chooses Hydra—his deceased friend’s mate.

And she’s pregnant…

Is she pregnant with her mate’s child or his…?

I don’t know anymore.

I don’t want to know either.

I…I want to leave.

The pain was too heavy for me to bear. The emotions that I choose to hide and lock in a box just so I could stay composed and be like a proper Luna that Grandma had trained me to—was creeping in me, making it harder for me to breath.

“Luna?” A voice filled with concern and confusion suddenly went towards me as a warm hand gently patted my back. “Luna, what’s wrong? Do you want me to call the physician?”

I paused, taking a deep breath and it took me a few minutes before I managed to take my breath back.

I raised my head to see who it was talking to me with patience.

It was none other than Housekeeper Kathy.

Her ancestors had been serving the Ashbourne Pack, generations to generations and they remained loyal to the pack.

They were the Ashbourne’s trusted right hand and despite being a Housekeeper, she had a high status here compared to the others.

After all, to Ashbourne—Kathy was one of their family.

I stretched out a smile for her and shook my head. “It was nothing—I was having a nightmare…”

Housekeeper Kathy’s brows furrowed, worry etched on her face as she looked at the direction where I just ran to.

Before she could grow suspicious, I forced myself to stand, my knees trembling as I curved my lips into a gentle smile.

“I’m fine,” I said softly. “But I noticed Grandpa’s been coughing lately. Is he really okay?”

As expected, her attention was diverted as she stoop looking at the hallway I just run off and she looked at me in the eyes with a smile.

“Luna, please be assured,” she said softly. “The physician regularly monitors his condition. He is as healthy as he can be.”

Upon hearing this, I breath a sigh in relief. It seemed that the cough fit he displayed to me last night was just an act.

I’m glad to hear that.

“Thank you,” I nodded numbly. “Please take good care of grandpa.”

She paused and chuckled. “You will take care of him too, right Luna?”

Her words made me froze.

I raised my head and met her eyes—those eyes seemed like it can read straight to my thoughts that made me panic for a bit and hurriedly averted my gaze.

“O…Of course, I will.”

She was silent for a few seconds before sighing helplessly. “Is there anything I could help you with, Luna?”

I paused and shook my head. “There’s nothing else. I’d like to retire to my villa.”

After nodding my head at her politely, I turned my back and hurriedly returned to the villa where Alaric had brought for the both of us to live—or more like for me to live since he never come back to that villa anyway.

I let out a bitter chuckle as I went inside the villa.

This was where I had spent three years as Alpha Alaric Ashbourne’s Luna, his mate.

And yet, it felt like a hotel room I was finally checking out of.

I set my bag down and went upstairs.

Packing things up should have been simple.

Clothes. Books. Personal items I’d accumulate quietly, without leaving fingerprints on the rest of the house.

But every drawer I opened felt like a reminder.

A dress I’d brought after losing weight—eager to wear, but never worn.

A cufflink box I’d once filled with gifts for him—never been opened, and in fact, it had been tossed to trash by him.

A folded blanket I’d wrapped around me while waiting for his arrival to come home—he never come home.

My stomach twisted by the mere memories.

I pressed a hand to my mouth and staggered into the bathroom, retching until my throat burned. When I finally looked, there was nothing there—just saliva and water, my body convulsing with dry heaves.

My body shook as I braced myself against the sink, my vision were blurring.

I frowned, pressing my fingers to my temples.

“I don’t think there’s a need for my body to overreact, isn’t it?” I hoarsely chuckled at such thought.

When the nausea finally eased, I turned on the shower, desperate to wash away the cold sweat clinging to my skin. Stream filled the room quickly, fogging the mirrors I couldn’t bear to look at, and muting the edges of everything.

I stepped under the water, closing my eyes while trying to erase all what I had heard and found out today—letting the cold water slid to my skin and warm me.

After spending my time on the bathroom, reached for the towel I’d left on the rack outside the shower.

However, my fingers brushed air.

My brows furrowed.

I turned off the water and stepped out, droplets trailing down my skin yet I couldn’t be bothered by it. The floor drips with water that clungs from my skin as I was about to open the door and took one step forward, when I collided with something solid.

Warm.

Solid.

And it was those familiar scent rushing in my nose again.

A scent I doubt I could forget ever in this life.

Before I could open my mouth, the already slippery floor made my feet slide out from under me. I thought that I would fall on the ground, when a hand caught my arms instinctively—which ended up both of us losing our balance.

Ouch!

It hurts!

My nose hit a solid rock that it made me feel like it’s been broken.

I was about to move away when I heard his groan, making the both of us froze.

“Don’t move.” The growl vibrated through me.

W…What the hell is this?

When I opened my eyes to look at what happened, I found my myself on top of Alaric as his one arm braced against the floor, the other gripping my wrist—not painfully, but firmly. His dark hair was damp, his shirt were nowhere to be seen, his chest were rising nad falling beneath my hands.

We were skin to skin.

And I was naked, while he was only half-dressed.

The towel I had went to get, where still on the rack, waiting for me to get.

Fuck.

“Oh goddess,” I breathed.

Heat flooded my face as panic surged. I immediately tried to scramble off him, but his grip tightened.

“I said,” he repeated, voice rougher now, “don’t move.”

My body froze against my will.

Not because I wanted to obey.

But because my wolf did.

She still recognizes him as our Alpha.