Elsie's PovI packed up my things from my old house. I had decided to stay there longer, but Harry called me out of the blue and told me to go home.Harry ordered me to go back to his house. "There's no way I can refuse if he gives the order." I heard the sound of Atlas' car entering the yard.I quickly closed my suitcase tightly, then walked out of my room. I met Atlas at the door of my room."Is it gone?" He asked as he took over the suitcase in my hand.I looked at him and shook my head slowly. "That's it," I said, descending the stairs beside Atlas.We left there after Atlas put my suitcase in the trunk, the whole way, I just stared out the window, I wasn't in the mood, and I was organizing my thoughts.Atlas let me calm myself down. He didn't engage me in conversation but kept an eye on me with his swift actions of fixing or fetching whatever he felt was helpful.Atlas got out of his car after we got home, and I stared out of the car window at the house I had just left a week ago
Elsie's Pov"What's wrong with them?" I muttered while walking around the campus, glancing at the people scattered away from me. I don't know what's wrong with them, but it seems like this is the effect of the day's events.Atlas must have made them scared and wary, as evidenced by the reactions of the people who had not been heard talking about me, laughing loudly right when I passed in front of them, or even letting their eyes glance at me.If that was the case, I didn't care.I'm just happy and enjoying my quiet day. I've wanted this quiet for a long time. But it was hard for me to get it because I had no power to silence them. Lucky Atlas was there to rely on.I turned around and went to the campus cafeteria. It was just as quiet as everywhere else. They also seemed busy with their business, and no one turned to me. Even those initially staring at the menu on the wall behind the cafeteria counter turned their eyes away when they saw me standing there.I almost laughed, seeing how
Elsie's Pov"I'm a bit looking forward to my graduation this year," I spoke excitedly to Atlas, sitting in a small café around the campus. "I've even made an agenda ahead of time in case I get accepted there." I smiled happily.My hand moving cheerfully to tap on the café table, I inhaled in a flowery mood. Gazing up at the sky from the café's open window and its frame of tying vines. Everything was beautiful today. Even the bell on the door that jingled every time the door opened and closed sounded like a beautiful melody.In my head, a vibrant background song plays, along with my heart beating in sync. The days when I would become a master's student were the moments I had been waiting for all my life.Happiness beyond measure and something that always encourages me in my difficult times. To survive my difficulties, I made Oxana my solace and reason to stay and be strong there.I turned away from the mesmerizing sky, returning memories of the past and the sweetness I had craved so lo
Elsie's PovMy situation with Atlas because of the argument yesterday hasn't gotten any better. I'm still avoiding him because I don't want to talk to him. But there's an unwritten rule in this house where every morning, if the oldest family member is home, then we have to spend time together.Right now, I was having breakfast with them, doing what I wanted to avoid the most, but I couldn't. I had been keeping my eyes on my plate and food while Atlas in front of me was doing nothing. I don't know if he was glancing at me, but my senses could feel someone watching me, whether it's Atlas or my mom, who's probably still annoyed with me because I didn't come home immediately when she asked me to and only came home after Harry asked me to.If Harry were just my stepfather, I wouldn't have obeyed his orders either. But Harry is the Alpha. What power do I have to refuse him? If I don't want my whole body to stiffen from the pressure of him, then I have to follow his orders."You're going to
"Alpha Harry summoned you to meet you." Father's aide came to me and stood beside me, delivering his message.I turned to him, glancing at him. "Where are you?" I let go of the bat I was practicing with. I threw it into the corner where the training props were kept.Placing it there, I approached the long bench where I had been sitting. Then, taking a small towel, I sat for a while while drinking the water in my bottle. My eyes looked around, watching those who were practicing and others who were resting.From the group of people, I didn't find Elsie's presence there. I saw her come in this morning. She met with her father for some reason. Then, a while ago, I also saw her practicing with the others. Then where has she gone now?"Alpha Harry is waiting for you in his room." The father's aide was still there. He always spoke after making sure that I was really listening to him.I took another sip of my water. My throat felt dry from the long hours of training there. Even though my body
Atlas' POVDealing with Elsie became a difficult thing for me to do when she returned to her attitude. She was cold, reluctant to talk and unapproachable like before. I wasn't tired of it, but the situation was enough to make me annoyed and frustrated. Continuing to try to approach her and make her emotions better wasn't easy.That's why I didn't want to create any misunderstandings. I tried my best so that our improved relationship wouldn't have any disagreements. But not everything can be avoided. Both Elsie and I have our egos and desires, and that's what makes it difficult for us.Her eyes avoided me and were busy looking at me, her response making my chest tight. "Father said that you have agility. He explained it to me after my training this afternoon. He sees your potential, so he wants to make sure you get special training so that you can improve."Father cared about her quite a bit. Actually, Father has an unpredictable demeanour if you only look at him. It could be that when
Elsie's povI walked into my room with a flowery heart. I was planning to mend my relationship with Atlas, but I was thinking of how to do it. I don't have any experience in repairing relationships. My relationship skills are pretty bad, so it's a bit discouraging.Even just now, I was like that when he tried to explain what I didn't dare to talk about yesterday. I wanted to avoid him and say things that were about me while I actually understood his situation. I quite understand what the situation is like, but I prioritise what I feel because I feel hurt.I admit that I was quite selfish in this matter, but everything has passed, and now my relationship with Atlas has improved. He acknowledged his mistake sincerely, and it was a great effort on his part, considering Atlas is of that nature.I threw my body onto the bed happily, sinking my head on the mattress and pulling the pillow over me. My body turned to hug the pillow tightly as I continued to shake my legs in the air. Something
Elsie's Pov"Make sure you warm up well, Elsie." Atlas walked around me a reasonable distance away from me. His eyes were watching me, warming up at his command.I was awkward when I realized that the only one warming up in that place was me, while the others were already busy with their intense training. Atlas said that for the first 30 minutes, I only needed to focus on warming up, after which he would start the other basic training.I stretched my body, pulling my arms back and lifting them high to stretch the muscles. The same goes for the legs and other body parts. From what I read, to avoid injury in training, the body needs to be in a relaxed muscle state so the impact of the body's active exertion will be lessened.Atlas stopped right in front of me. "You should watch your breathing in the middle of your warm-up because that's important too. Being out of breath while training shows that your body lacks stamina. Do you feel short of breath right now?" he observed me, his demean
Elsie's PovI stared at the man fiercely. No...no, Atlas can't think that this is his son. I don't want that man to feel that way. No matter how much I don't want to trust him anymore, I will stick to my previous decision.I shook my head, pushing him back from in front of me. "No, it's not. You already know that this is Seth's child!" I denied it loudly, but Atlas didn't believe my words.He shook his head sluggishly. "I'm sure you're telling a lie. The baby in your womb, he responded to me." Atlas fixed his eyes on my stomach, making me grab it and cover it from him. "He became calmer when I got closer to him, and your condition improved. It's like he's talking to me through the bond. I feel it!" Atlas exclaimed, coming closer to me with his gaze fixed firmly on me, not letting me escape him.I tried to break away from him, pushing him away, but my efforts were in vain. "What are you thinking? Just because this baby is calmer, you think he's yours?" I tried to turn the tables by say
Atlas PovSo he was the one who gave the wolf bane to Donna? But he probably didn't know anything. It could be that, just like Donan, prof Awkson was perhaps the one being used.However, finding Awkson to be the one involved seemed to further narrow down the people who were also involved."So my suspicions were well-founded, suspecting Seth was the right thing to do," I muttered seriously, keeping watch all night in that place.Now I'm just waiting for the right moment to go inside and meet with Elsie. But damn, Seth hadn't moved from his spot in days.He remained in the house, and that made me very upset. "This isn't normal. How could he be home for so many days? Does she have absolutely nothing else to do? There's no way an unemployed person like that would agree to be responsible for someone, let alone a baby. He must have some other identity he's hiding so money isn't a problem for him."My suspicions grew daily, and I became increasingly reluctant to leave, leaving Elsie, who cou
Atlas' POVI sighed heavily, pulling my car door open, then getting inside and slamming it shut. Again, even after being inside and watching them from a distance, I still felt annoyed.I was annoyed by various things. So far, I felt like I was being played and tortured at the same time. My feelings became so chaotic when I saw Elsie holding her stomach pain in the hospital. I followed her from behind and was full of anxiety. I was angry because even though I saw her, I couldn't do anything. I could only follow her from behind, hoping that she was okay.I closed my eyes while exhaling a heavy breath that pressed against my chest with an unrelenting weight. "Why do I have to experience such a horrible thing?" I covered my face with my palms and rubbed them back. Of the many difficult things I've experienced in my lifetime, this was the first time I felt so helpless.I didn't understand why, among millions of people, I had to be chosen to undergo this kind of fate. Why did I get bad luck
Elsie's PovI looked out with a carefree feeling. What was previously weighing on my heart and mind seemed to be lifted thanks to my gaze being distracted by what passed before my eyes. As Seth's car passed by, I saw many things.The sight of the bustling city and the many large buildings built along the way comforted my eyes and quieted my mind. I had been thinking about many things for a while, and the noise in my head suddenly disappeared, becoming quieter as I watched my surroundings bustling with people."Is it this crowded, Seth? I don't recall it being the weekend." I turned my head towards Seth, who was also looking out the window.From the crowded place, I wondered what they were doing, where they were going, and what they felt as they walked down the street in the middle of the crowd, mingling with others.Could it be that they felt free? Did they think lighter by enjoying their lives, or did they feel shackled by what they were doing? Among them, some were walking with only
Elsie's Pov"So you're sure this isn't a contraction or something?" I looked at Seth. Even though the expression on his face looked grim and gloomy, he still asked and confirmed my condition, overriding what he felt.The doctor approached and checked my pulse quietly. It seemed not to confirm what Seth asked but because he just needed to check. "No, it's still not labour yet. If it's normal labour, it seems it will still take a while." he turned towards Seth, then later patted the man's shoulder. "You don't need to be that worried. This kind of cramps will probably appear several times during pregnancy, but stay calm, as it's nothing serious."Seth exhaled and looked at me with relief, though his eyes still didn't seem back to what they were before. "Let it go, then. I'll take her home." Seth approached me, helped me get up from where I was lying and sat me in the wheelchair.Before leaving, Seth approached the doctor, who wrote something on paper. Then he held his head and looked at
Elsie's PovEven though I had previously avoided Seth's suspicions of me, and I had also tried to organise my mind to trust Seth, I didn't understand why I still doubted what had happened or why I still doubted that he was someone I knew.I still doubted that what Seth did had anything to do with what Atlas said. My eyes realised his sincerity, realised his feelings for me weren't an ordinary mask, but my intuition for him didn't make me calm.Day after day, I was troubled by my growing suspicion of him. I, who tried to ignore what I felt, finally could no longer ignore my feelings for him. I felt restless, and my desire to keep my mind calm for the sake of the baby in my womb was no longer able to keep it calm.Even though I tried my hardest, I could no longer dismiss the suspicion towards Seth that kept growing inside me. I wanted to keep trusting him and hoping that he was exactly what I had seen, but I couldn't do it. I can't think like that anymore.If I'm a hybrid, then that mea
Elsie's povWhat was he doing? Why did he suddenly come back? Didn't she leave earlier? I didn't understand. My eyes looked at him in surprise while Seth looked at me in confusion."Seth, why did you come back?" I ventured to ask him. Staring at him with the fear in me that I tried to hide. "Didn't you go out earlier?"Why did he suddenly come back? Did he know what I was about to do? Could he be starting to suspect that I knew what he would do? How is this? What should I do?Seth walked closer. I, sitting on the floor near the row where his books were lined up, stared while holding my breath.He walked steadily closer, then stopped on the floor where I was sitting, near a drawer. "I came back because I left something behind." He pulled the drawer out and then took out a light brown file. I watched silently, with my breath trying to escape. Then he looked back at me. "And you alone, Elsie? What are you doing in my room?"I gulped the saliva in my throat nervously. My heart felt like i
Elsie's pov"Where are you going, Seth?" I asked Seth, who was getting ready by putting on his shoes.I looked into his eyes intently after he turned to me as soon as I asked him.Seth smoothed the laces on the light brown formal shoes he was wearing. He turned his head silently to me for a moment. "I have something to buy outside, and then I want to meet someone." He looked at me, somewhat confused.I came closer to him. For some reason, I wanted to prove what Atlas had told me that day. I didn't want to keep harbouring suspicions about him, so I'd better quickly find out what Seth might be hiding from me. "Can I come?" I looked at him expectantly. "How about we do the shopping later and meet your friend first?" I suggested it to him.For all I knew, if it wasn't anything suspicious or anything like that, Seth would never object to me following him, and he wouldHe did as I asked and was patient as always. However, one thing made it necessary for her to act otherwise.He looked doubt
Elsie's PovI stared blankly at what Seth was busily preparing for me, my mind completely distracted with what he might do. I can no longer trust him completely like I used to.I'm not sure what he gave me now is safe. I didn't understand which one I trusted more between him and Atlas, but feeling the way my heart thumped around him and how I responded while being around Atlas, I believed that something wrong was indeed happening.If my feelings are already like this, then I should be wary. If later this proves to be just a suspicion, I will punish myself for suspecting him and apologise to him, while in the meantime, I will be wary of his attitude.I'm sorry, Seth, but I just want safety for myself, especially since the situation lately is very complicated, and I don't want to take any risks."Sit down. Why are you just sitting there?" He smiled softly, as was his habit in front of me.I gazed at that face with observing eyes. I stared at her intently, trying to find a crack at what