/Aiden’s POV/
Ordinarily, I would be filled with something akin to excitement and anticipation at the thought of a hunting party. Still, oddly enough, this arrangement seemed to leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Also, why did my father arrange it out of the blue? He did not even bother to consult me on the matter. What was going on with him?
My eyes fixated on Rose wedged between Caden and the omega trainer, Ellen, with a bright smile on her face. When did they get so close? The coat he lent her last night would have been an indication of his intention. How could he act so callous towards a mated omega?
An ugly feeling bubbled in the pit of my stomach at that.
<I shakily paced from one end to the other, worrying my lips in between my teeth. From my peripheral vision, I could see Aiden staring at me. Caden and Fauna decided to wait by my side instead of standing with their groups. As I took another step ahead, an arm shot out and gripped at my elbow, tugging me back."You are making everyone nervous." Ellen made a sound as she met my eyes.My cheeks heated up, roaming around only to see several other omegas staring at me. Exhaling, I turned to her. "Sorry, but I am not sure if I will win this one, Ellen."She scoffed, a hand securing on my shoulder. "Are you fishing for compliments right now?" Before I could open my mouth to answer, Ellen cut me off. "You killed four rodents and were this close to taking the rabbit as well. Of course, you are winning this."&nbs
I scoffed as those words washed over me, my lips pressing in a thin line. "Fine, then I will make...one," With that, I struggled, trying to sit up while covering all my bits. The sudden action only made the pain in my side worsen, and the Alpha was quick to act, stopping me by pushing my shoulders down, his muddy hands leaving behind a mark."Why are you so stubborn?" He hissed through his teeth, securing a hand on my side while his other hand shuffled through the bag.I bit on my tongue instead of answering, watching as the Alpha pulled a long black tee, something he was wearing earlier. My lips parted as Aiden thrust the material in my direction."Put this on."The denial was on the tip of my tongue, but as the cold gush of air passed by, I grabbed it instantly. My legs pressed together, cheeks reddening as his eyes never left mine."Can you turn around?"&nb
I was aware that my mouth clamped shut as soon as those words washed over me, staring at the plastered wall in front. A few seconds later, it dawned on me that Aiden was silent for a long minute as well, his face blank. Mulling over the Alpha's words, my tongue delicately touched at the split parts of my chapped lip, eyes stoically fixed on the bandages wrapped around me."W-Why?" I croaked finally, the question rushing out before I could stop myself. My ears couldn't believe that my parents, the ones who abandoned me, reached out and wanted to see me in person.Somewhere down the corridor, a door opened, cutting off Aiden's reply. I heard muffled steps and ragged breathing getting louder as they started to echo towards my room. My head tilted to meet the Alphas eyes, who motioned for me to stay upright."I'll go and check."
"Do you want me to ring the bell for you?" The Alpha asked as soon as we reached the doorstep, staring at the familiar mahogany door, few inches in between them. He had an amused smiled on his face, oblivious to the situation and prying eyes that followed us to my old house.After my sister ran away and I took her place, the entire packhouse must have been shocked. The news would have gotten out quickly because my old pack loved nothing more than gossip. They must be curious to see me with Aiden. In a way, it was beneficial to have the Alpha with me to believe us.I did call my dad yesterday evening to inform him that Aiden will be joining us. The only reason I did that was to make sure that they were prepared for this unwanted surprise. He did not respond for quite some time before readily agreeing,
/Aiden's POV/As I dragged Rose out of the tensed room, a breeze ruffled through her curls and sneaked through the thin fabric of her shirt. She curled closer to me. I seemed to mull over my words for a minute before finally turning around. The omega immediately put few inches of distance between us, her knees wobbling, hand coming to grip the nearby wall."Rose," I whispered gently. "Are you okay?""Yeah," She said, but it comes out in more of a snap. The omega nearly let out a whimper when I tried to take a step in her direction."You're not okay," I corrected, sounding half-exasperated and half-panicked while raking my eyes over her squi
I opened and closed my mouth, a lump forming in my throat at his ridiculous suggestion. My chest tightened as I imagined the last time we slept together in the same bed. A grimace settled over my features, and I leaned down to pull extra pillows. There was no way I wanted to cross any lines. Not again.“Fine!” I let out a deep breath.“That was easy”, He whispered, but I could hear loud and clear.“Only because I don’t have a choice!” I emphasised the last word clearly before stuffing the pillows in a line, creating much-needed distance between us. The Alpha kept on tracking my moments, his eyes fully blown wide.“W-What is this?&rdq
By the time I stepped into the study room with my father walking in front of me, I could feel my throat and eyes burning. In those few minutes, I was suppressing the urge to scream out a litany of curses at the top of my lungs. Something was off, and I could not wrap my head around it.The minute we sat down, my bottom sank into the familiar cushion, heels digging into the carpet, my mouth parted. My father sat across me, his folded hands resting on the mahogany desk. The sound of a clock ticking slowly grated my nerves, legs clamped together as I waited for him to start talking already.He cleared his throat. "D-Do you want some tea?""No""So," I started, my fingers clasped together in my lap, teeth sinking in my
Something unreadable crossed over my fathers face as he held my hand. I stilled, watching as desperation exhibited from his actions, my entire body straightened. My teeth ground together as I was trying to keep it all in, knees already shaky."Please, Rose, you are the only one who can help your mother..."A burst of wet, humourless laughter escaped from my lips; hands pulled out of his grasp. "That explains why your wife was acting so lovely with me."My father bent his head down in shame because it was the truth. He could not deny it to my face. Not when I had to endure the cruellest treatment from her all these years."S-She loves you in her way." He said after a beat, barely meeting my eyes.