"Not to the cafeteria near the campus?" I turned to Seth after watching where he was taking me.Seth turned his head at a glance. "There's some hidden place I just met. I want to take you there."Hidden place? I stared at my surroundings indecisively. The street did not seem like a hidden place at all. It could be called an exposed place instead.There were many students whom I had seen in the campus area. They were staring at me as usual, giggling quietly while occasionally turning to me with their annoying gazes.Their gazes sent signals of caution and anticipation through me, and my chest started to pound from the attention I didn't need. It felt so strange that they never finished with me, as if no other topic was more enjoyable for them."This is it!" Seth pointed to a cafe that looked warm with its natural feel, like a greenhouse cafe.Seth and I went inside. I didn't pay attention to what Seth was doing. He seemed busy making me comfortable by pulling out a chair and talking to
Elsie's POV I hurriedly disentangled myself from Seth, feeling clumsy because I suddenly fell into his arms. I nodded my head. "I'm fine." looking in the other direction to regain my composure. As I did so, my eyes caught someone on the other side.Atlas?What is he doing here? It's not like he's busy with pack activities, and Harry has been keeping him at the training camp longer lately.My breath caught in my throat as those calm blue eyes stared at me intently. From afar, I could see Atlas' jaw seemed to harden. I averted my eyes from him, pretending not to know. As my eyes shifted, I saw a woman get out of Atlas' car.Who is that woman? Why did she get out of Atlas' car?Atlas had never been seen close by a woman before, but why now?What was I thinking? I shook my head and looked the other way. If Atlas seems to be with a woman, that's good for me.The existence of that woman may help Atlas stay away from me. If she does, then I will be very grateful to her. But strangely, I fel
Atlas's POVI stared intently at them. I'm sure Elsie saw me earlier, but she ignored me and kept walking together with that guy.How annoying!My chest felt hot and thunderous seeing Elsie and Seth walking together and what that woman was doing. I repeatedly told her she shouldn't get close to other men since she already had a mate.But Elsie wouldn't listen to me at all. She was so stubborn. I was almost at my wit's end to deal with her. Elsie was making me tormented and struggling with her attitude of not listening. My hands were clenched tightly, staring at them."Atlas, what are you looking at?" I sighed as I heard a soft voice that was sickening because it sounded like it was made up.The woman placed her hand on my arm and tried to grab me. I quickly brushed her off without turning my head towards her. Her being there was enough to annoy me, and what else did she want?"Atlas, we came to this place for a walk, but you don't seem to be focused on me." She was audibly whining wit
Atlas’ pov"What are you doing here, Atlas?" Elsie was shocked to find me there. She immediately got up from where she was sitting and looked at me with a disturbing look.I could see the difference in her attitude towards me compared to her attitude toward that man. Even just the way she looked at me was like a 90-degree contrast.I understood that everything was difficult for her. But that's because she just kept quiet and blamed the situation, even if she was tired of fighting she should have said what she felt to those people, defending and protecting herself was what she should have fought for so that she didn't see that everyone was wronging her.Understanding her wasn't easy and I admit that I was wrong at first, but afterward, I slowly tried to understand her in my way. Everything was awkward for me, and I never had the experience to treat others in a good way. No one ever bound me, and didn't need to make others feel my sincerity or need to impress them.So I didn't know how
Atlas pulled me closer to him, his lips pressed against mine. My hand, which was originally trying to push him away, now moved up and draped around his neck.This wasn't our first kiss, but it felt very different. If that day, I was in a confusing position between wanting or hating his kiss, but right now, my whole body reacted honestly to him.I no longer prevented myself from touching him, reaching out to his body and rubbing the back of his neck, pressing his deeper into the bond. I don't know where this feeling comes from. Like something pent up, it finally overflows and goes wild.In my head, various things pop up and make me urgent until I act in a hurry. Something seems to burn, and my whole body feels like it's being tickled by something foreign to me.Atlas pushes my body against the wall, he holds my body there to stop it from moving while he also looks so impatient, and then the kiss is broken.The sound of my labored breathing is matched by Atlas' breathing, which sounds h
I don't know when I fell asleep afterward, but when I woke up, Atlas was still lying next to me. He hugged my body that was lying beside him tightly.I blinked. What had happened to us flashed through my head like a video recording playing. My heart was beating with quite a fast rhythm, and my face heated up, remembering the few times I reacted boldly to him.My hand covered my mouth tightly, keeping my breath from escaping and being heard by him. I slowly removed my hand from his embrace and placed it gently on the bed. My feet padded slowly on the floor, heading to the bathroom to clean my body."How am I supposed to deal with him after this?" I closed my eyes, submerging myself into the warm water in the tub.It was still quite painful down there. Perhaps because it was the first time for me, I felt very uncomfortable afterward. It felt like I hadn't soaked that long in there, but when I got out, I saw Atlas preparing breakfast."Are you done?" Atlas lifted his face. He smiled fain
Elsie's povAtlas' confession still left me in a state of confusion. Who would have thought that someone like him would have an interest in someone like me?I mean, I'm not great at all. I'm an omega. There's nothing remarkable about that. In a place where status is everything, it was like hearing a fairy tale when he confessed his feelings for me. It's almost impossible for me to have someone who likes me for who I am."Stop doubting. Can't you see that Atlas has genuine feelings for you?" Rory's voice popped into my head with her support for Atlas.Sincere? Can someone like me sincerely?But how could they? I'm not that naive. There has to be something to gain to bond, but I'm not giving her any benefits."Elsie, because of your low self-esteem, you've become sensitive and narrow-minded. Liking someone doesn't mean you need something from them." Rory was again shouting in my head.My head was hot, and she triggered my temper. "Shut up. You don't talk when you show up for your inter
Elsie's pov"You didn't go back home?" I looked at Atlas in front of me.Atlas seemed to be sitting quietly on the small sofa in the living room. He was looking at me, who had been busy with the book I was reading.Atlas improved his sitting position. He leaned his body more on the sofa. From where I was watching him, he seemed to be sitting there sinking comfortably.In his half-lying position there, his eyes looked up at me reluctantly. "I still want to be here." She curled her body there, placing her arms folded over her chest.I sighed softly. What was he thinking by staying here? I'm sure Alpha Harry must be looking for her, especially since she missed the training camp scheduled by Alpha Harry himself, as well as me.I don't know what happened at the training camp. I'm sure people will talk about me even more for not being there. They would start cursing me because an omega like me dared to miss the training."Go home. You can't stay here. There's a lot you need to do." I tried
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