THREE | The Contract

AXEL

As I get ready to leave for the Ice pack, my mom would not stop following me around. I kept stealing glances at her knowing she has something to say, but she wasn't saying a word to me and that made me feel so uneasy. I suddenly stopped moving and faced her. She stared at me and then walked to the couch in my room to sit down.

"Why do you want to visit the Ice pack?" she asked, after a few minutes of silence. "Why do you suddenly want to leave the pack? You haven't done that in a while"

I moved closer to her and whispered. "I had a dream"

She furrowed her brows. "A dream?". I nodded. "Can you tell me about the dream?"

I shook my head. I wasn't the type to talk much. I also do not feel comfortable with people around me, aside from Jason and my dad. I wasn't too close to my mom and found it difficult to relate to her. She left me with my dad when I was two and I grew up thinking I had no mom until she showed up when I was fifteen. Speaking to her has become more difficult after my father died.

"Do you want to write it down? I mean the dream"

I moved away from her and sat down on the bed. "Jason" I cooed.

My voice was so low I doubted she heard me but surprisingly, she did.

"You want me to get Jason for you?"

I nodded and she stood up. She left the room and returned a few minutes later with Jason who moved closer to me.

"Are you sure you want to go to the Ice pack?"

I nodded slightly.

"He said he had a dream," my mother told him and he furrowed his brows.

"A dream? Why did you not tell me about it?". I stared at him and he sighed. "Is that the reason you are visiting the Ice pack?". I nodded and he sighed. "Should I be asking you to write down the dream?". I shook my head and he nodded. "Then I will go get the car ready"

After Jason left, my mom moved closer to me. "Axel, is there something you want to tell me?". I shrugged. "You don't have anything to tell me?". I nodded and she sighed. "Is there anything you want me to get you for your journey?". I shook my head and she groaned slightly. "How long do I have to keep doing this?" she muttered, staring at me.

I knew how frustrating it was for her to try to get me to open up to her and it is not working out. She left the room and returned after a while with a scarf and wrapped it around my neck.

"It's cold out there. You should keep this around your neck"

I held the scarf and nodded slightly.

"The car is ready" Jason announced and I stood up.

My mom walked closer to Jason. "Jason, you know how he is, right? You have to keep him safe. Don't let him stay in a crowded place. Don't let anyone get close to him. Don't..."

Jason smiled. "I understand that you care. I won't let any harm befall him. And he can take of himself. You know that. He might not get along with others but he can take care of himself"

"I know that he can". She stared at me and sighed before whispering to Jason who stared at me too. From the look on Jason's face, I knew immediately what she told him.

"I am not going to lose myself" I wanted to say but when I opened my mouth no word came out. I sighed.

"He is going to be fine" Jason assured my mom before gesturing to me to follow him.

My mom held my hand and I blinked at her. I could only blink to assure her that I will be fine. I pulled my hand away from her and followed Jason to the parking lot.

"Your mom really, cares about you," he said when we got to the car and I nodded. He held my two hands. "You won't lose yourself, will you?". I stared at him and shook my head. "I take that as a no". He opened the door."Let's get you to the Ice pack in time so we can return before nightfall"

I entered the car and he drove off. The journey was quiet since I wasn't the chatty type. Jason was also busy with his thoughts he said nothing to me. When we finally got to the Ice pack, Jason handed me a mask.

"They can't see your face," he told me.

I wore the mask and stepped out of the car. Our guards who had followed us in another car covered me up. As we walked from the parking lot to the packhouse, I thought I will meet with people but there were none. I wondered if Jason had told them not to let anyone outside. When we got to the pack house, there was someone to welcome us. He introduced himself as Arden and tried to look at me. I could see the disappointment on his face when he saw my mask.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Alpha Axel"

I stared at him wondering why he called me an Alpha instead of the King every other person calls me.

Jason spoke on my behalf. "He is happy to meet you too. Where is the Alpha?"

"He will join us shortly. I will lead you to the..."

I pointed to the left direction and Jason moved closer to me. Arden who must have wondered why I pointed, stopped talking.

"I can feel an aura" I whispered. "I want to go this way"

Jason stared at me. "You haven't spoken such a long sentence in a while". I could tell he was happy. "He will like to take a walk around the packhouse. You don't mind. Do you?"

"No, I don't. And the Alpha won't mind either"

Arden led the way while we followed. When I got to the room where I felt the aura, I stopped walking.

"What are you doing?" Jason whispered.

I ignored him and walked to the door, opening it. There were two girls in the room. One was laying on the bed and the other sat beside her. The girl seated looked surprised when she saw me. I walked into the room and closer to them. The other girl laying down sat up quickly.

Jason held my hand. "What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Ask them what their names are" I whispered back.

Jason turned to face Arden. "What are their names?"

"I don't know. This is my first time, meeting with them"

"Then can I ask them their names?"

Arden nodded. "You can"

"What are your names?" Jason asked.

"Alaila" the one seated at the close end of the bed answered. "And she is Xavia" she pointed at the other girl.

Jason stared at me. "I want to see the Alpha," I told him.

"Can you get us the Alpha?". Arden nodded and left. "What do you want to do?"

"I want them"

Jason furrowed his brows. "You want what?" he said almost in a yell.

"I want them. I don't what them as a gift. Pay for them"

Jason brushed his hair backward. "Is that the reason you came here?". I nodded and he groaned. "Does this have to do with your dream?". I nodded and he sighed.

Someone walked in with Arden and I presume him to be the Alpha. "Speak to him" I whispered to Jason and he walked closer to the Alpha.

I did not listen to Jason's conversation with him. I kept staring at nothing. Jason walked back to me.

"He agrees to it"

I stared at the Alpha and I could see a smirk on his face.

He must have wanted to get rid of them, I thought.

I nodded to Jason and he smiled. "He will pay as much as you want," he told him.

"They do not worth much" the Alpha replied.

"Then can we sign up the contract?"

"Let's go to my office for the signing of the contract"

I shook my head. "I am sorry, he doesn't want to..."

The Alpha smiled. "I understand. I will get my Beta to get the contract ready"

I whisper to Jason.

"He will like to write out the contract himself," Jason told him.

The Alpha furrowed his brows. "A handwritten contract?"

Jason nodded. "Yes. He wants you to have one, he will also have one and each of the girls will have one too. If that is ok by you"

The Alpha spoke to Arden who left after a while. I stared at the two girls who looked so confused. Arden returned with some papers and handed them over to Jason who gave them to me. I pulled out four papers and handed over the rest to Jason.

"You should sit over..."

I waved my hand and Jason stopped talking. I brought out a pen from my coat pocket and placed it on the papers lapped on each other. Closing my eyes, words began to appear on the paper. I opened my eyes and handed it over to Jason, whispering to him.

"You can sign each of the papers. Each of the girls will sign too"

I had expected him to question why I wanted a handwritten contract and why I wanted the girls to sign the contract too. He did not bother to read the content of the contract either. He handed the papers to the girls and they signed them. Alaila took the papers to give them to Jason and I clicked my fingers together, changing the content of the contract.

**

"What do you want to do with the girls?" Jason asked me on our way back home and I shrugged. I have nothing to do with them. I have no reason for paying for them in the first place. Jason stared at me through the rearview mirror.

I shook my head and he furrowed his brows.

"Don't tell me you don't have anything to do with them?"I nodded and he frowned. "Why did you make us spend such an amount of money on them?"

I chuckled slightly and he sighed. "I can't believe you find it funny. Isn't this the first time you are smiling in a while"

I shrugged but said nothing. I rested and closed my eyes. After a while, I suddenly opened my eyes and sat up.

"Are you ok?" Jason asked.

"Stop the car" I muttered.

"What?"

"Stop the car"

Jason sighed and stopped the car. "What is going on?"

"Let the girls go"

He turned to look at me. "Y-you want me to do what?"

"Let the girls go"

Jason furrowed his brows. "Is this the reason you bought them? To let them go?"

I nodded and he sighed. "I can't believe I am doing this," he said and stepped out of the car.

The other car had stopped in front of us. Jason walked up to them. I watch him speak to the girls. The door to their car opened up and I had expected the girls to step out and leave but they walked down to meet me. I stared at them through the tinted glass. There was a slight knock on the glass and I ignored it, but when it became intense, I opened it up.

"What do you what?" I wanted to ask but I only sighed.

"Did you buy us to free us?" one of them asked.

I stared at the two girls. I still don't know who is Xavia and who is Alaila. Surprisingly, I can not recognize their faces with their names.

I gestured to them to leave. "Do you want us to be indebted to you?" the first girl asked and I shook my head. "And you don't want us to work for you,"

I nodded. "I do not need anyone to work for me" I wanted to say.

She stared at me waiting for my reply I guess. I could not stare at them because I can not speak to them. When Jason walked closer to me, I breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the door and sat beside me. I whispered to him.

"He wants you to go back to your homes," he told them

"We are not going back," they said in unison and my eyes widened in shock.