Chapter 13: Pretending

Stella finished cooking and called them into the living room. "Actually I am full so I will go home now." Tyros said and smiled at Stella. "Thank you for your offer!" He added and pleaded away. Stella just watched him leave and looked at Brandon who was also looking at Tyros. "Are you not going to eat too?" Stella asked him, and Brandon immediately sat on the chair.

"I'm hungry!" Brandon answered and started filling his plate. "Then let's eat!" Stella said and sat on the vacant chair. They started eating and no one broke the silence they had. After eating, Brandon decided to do the dishes. Stella didn't say anything about it and let him do that.

Stella was sitting in the living room when Brandon came and sat beside her. "You don't need to sit close to me." Stella told him, and Brandon immediately looked at her. "My father will be here at any time so we should at least pretend that—

"We don't need to do that!" Stella cut what he was saying so Brandon just nodded his head. "Okay! Let's do that!" Brandon answered and moved away from Stella. He looked at her and saw a bruise on her arm. "What is that?" Brandon asked her while pointing out her arm.

Stella immediately covered her arm and shook her head. "Nothing, don't mind it!" Stella answered and stood up from the couch. They were startled when the door opened and Alpha Raven showed up. "Oh! I guess I came here at the wrong time." Alpha Raven said while smirking at Brandon. "No, Alpha Raven! We are just having a conversation." Stella answered and smiled at their Alpha.

"I will go now, sorry for interrupting your conversation." Alpha Raven said and nodded his head at them. He left the house, and Stella immediately smiled at Brandon. "That is so easy!" Stella answered and walked towards her room. "You should treat your bruises!" Brandon told her, but Stella shook her head. "I can handle—

"Good to hear that!" Brandon cut what she was saying and stood up from the couch. "I will be gone until midnight so will be alone here." Brandon added and got his ball cap.

Brandon left their house, and Stella was alone there. "That is what I expected from you, Brandon!" Stella told herself and went inside her room.

Stella took a bath and when she got out of the bathroom, it was already dark. She was drying her hair and looked outside from the window. She looked at the moon, and it was so bright. "I want to go outside but Flora is busy right now." Stella said and put the hair dryer on her side table.

It was already midnight and Stella was still awake waiting for Brandon to come home. When she heard a noise from the door, that's when she decided to go to sleep.

Morning came and Stella woke up early so she could cook breakfast for them. After cooking, she started cleaning the house because Brandon was not there anymore. "I will not be here until midnight so don't wait for me." Brandon appeared and he was fixing his polo. "Where are you going?" Stella asked him, and Brandon looked at her. "You don't need to know about that!" Brandon answered, and Stella just nodded her head.

Brandon left, and Stella continued cleaning their house. She ate breakfast alone and stayed in the living room after cleaning the kitchen. She was listening to music when someone knocked on the door. She stood up from the couch and went to the main door.

She opened the door and saw her father outside. "You should welcome your guest, Stella!" Remus told his daughter and went inside the house. "But I don't want to!" Stella answered, and her father glared at her. "What's with your attitude, Stella?" Remus asked her, and Stella couldn't stop herself from smirking at him.

"I got it from you!" Stella said while smirking at her father. "Did Alpha Raven go here?" Remus asked her, and Stella nodded her head. "Alpha Raven was so respectful whenever he would visit us." Stella answered and sat on the couch.

"You are not going to offer me anything to drink or eat?" Remus asked his daughter, and Stella shook her head. "I know that you will not eat or drink that!" Stella answered and yawned. "You are being disrespectful towards me." Remus said to his daughter, "I am!" Stella answered.

Remus shook his head in disbelief and nodded his head, "Fine, I will leave now!" Remus said to his daughter. "Thank you for doing that!" Stella told her father and watched him leave her house. Stella took a deep breath and leaned her back on the couch. "I need some rest!" She told herself and stood up from the couch.

She drank some water from the kitchen and went back to the living room. She decided to sleep on the couch because she thought that Brandon would not come home early.

—

"How will you explain to her about—

"Don't mention her name, Tyros!" Brandon told his friend, which made Tyros smirk at him. "Okay, but you need to be honest with Stella." Tyros told him, and that's when Brandon looked at Tyros. "I will but don't rush me!" Brandon answered and cleaned his spare.

They decided to go home early after getting a lot of meat from hunting. Brandon was carrying two wild boars and went to their mansion.

"What are you doing here, Brandon?" Alpha Raven asked him, and Brandon stopped walking. "I got some meat!" Brandon answered and gave the wild boards to their maid. "Why don't you stay in your house and not leave your mate alone?" Alph Raven told him, and Brandon looked at his father. 

"You know the reason why I am doing that." Brandon answered, and Alpha Raven held his head. "You should respect your mate, Brandon!" Alpha Raven said, and Brandon nodded his head. "I am respecting her, don't worry!" Brandon answered and started walking away.

It was already dark when Brandon was heading home. He noticed that the lights inside their house were still off. He went inside their house and found Stella sleeping on the couch. 

He didn't want to wake her up so he didn't turn the lights on. He went to the kitchen to get some water and went back to the living room. He noticed Stella's arm again and decided to get his first aid kit. He cleaned her bruises and put a bandaid on it. He decided to take a bath so he got some clothes and went to the bathroom.

Stella woke up and it was so dark, she stood up and turned on the lights. She noticed that it was already dark so she went back to her room. She was fixing her bed when she noticed a bandaid on her arm. She was thinking if she did that but she couldn't remember anything. 

Stella heard that someone was walking in the living room so she immediately went outside to see it. Brandon was startled when Stella appeared beside him. "Oh! So you are awake now!" Brandon told her and sat on the couch. "You did this?" Stella asked him while pointing out her bruises.

"Yes, you don't like it?" Brandon asked her and looked at her. "I thought you would come home at midnight?" Stella asked him, "I also thought about that!" Brandon answered and dried his hair using the towel.

Stella rolled her eyes and went back inside her room. She looked in the mirror and saw the bandaid that Brandon put on her arm. "He cares for me, huh?" Stella asked herself and held the bandaid.

She removed the bandaid and hid it on her centre table. She decided to take a bath so she went to the bathroom.

Stella forgot to bring clothes with her so she got out of the bathroom just wearing a white towel. She was looking for clothes when the door of her room opened. She immediately looked at the door and saw Brandon looking at her. "Close the door!" Stella yelled, and Brandon immediately did what Stella said.

She immediately dressed up and didn't want to go outside, "Hey, I'm sorry! I just want to borrow some towels." Brandon told her from outside her room. "You should knock first before getting inside!" Stella told him and was fuming mad at him. "I didn't see anything!" Brandon answered, and Stella heard his footsteps walking away.

Stella decided to lay on her. While looking at the ceiling, she was thinking about what happened earlier. "That was so embarrassing!" Stella told herself and shook her head. She didn't notice that she fell asleep while thinking about Brandon.

Stella woke up early so she could do the house chores again. She was cooking in the kitchen, and Brandon was still sleeping on the couch. Stella didn't make any noise so she couldn't disturb Brandon from sleeping.

She was busy checking what she was cooking when she felt someone's presence near her. "What's that?" Brandon asked her and looked at what Stella was cooking. "It smells nice!" He added and walked towards the bathroom. Stella was waiting for him to get outside of the bathroom so they could eat their breakfast. 

"You should tell me how I can help you here!" Brandon told her, and Stella just looked at him. "I can do that alone!" Stella answered and finished her food. "Okay, if that is what you want." Brandon answered and also finished his food.

After eating their breakfast, Stella did the dishes and went to her room to take a bath. She was drying her hair when Brandon called her name. "Why?" She asked him when she got outside of her room. "Someone is looking for you!" Brandon answered and pointed out the main door.

Stella went to the main door and opened it, she saw Sky so she immediately went outside. "You didn't tell me that you will visit me!" Stella told him and they were walking inside the woods. "I want to surprise you!" Sky answered and smiled at her.

Brandon was sitting on the couch and trying to calm himself down. He was looking outside the window but he couldn't see Stella and Sky anymore. "My Dad will be here at any moment. I need to find them!" He told himself and stood up from the couch.

Stella and Sky stopped walking when they reached the spot where they used to meet. "How's your life with Brandon?" Sky asked her, and Stella wanted to say something when Brandon approached them. "I'm sorry for interrupting both of you but I need Stella right now. My father will visit us so we need to go back to our house. " Brandon said, and Sky nodded his head. 

"I get it! I will visit you again, Stella!" Sky said while looking at Stella. She nodded her head and smiled at Sky. "I will wait for you!" Stella answered, and Sky walked away. "Let's go!" Brandon said, and they went back to their house.

They were waiting in the living room when they heard a car stop outside. "They are here!" Brandon said and looked at Stella who was looking at him seriously. "They?" Stella asked him, and he nodded his head. 

"My brother is with my Dad right now." Brandon answered and went to the main door. He opened the door and saw his father with his brother outside. "Are you waiting for us, huh?" Alpha Raven told them, and Brandon just smiled at him.

They went to the living room and Stella immediately stood up when she saw their alpha. "Good morning, Alpha Raven!" Stella greeted him and looked at Brandon's brother. "Nice to meet you, Stella. I am Theo!" Brandon's brother introduced himself to Stella and offered his hand to her. "Nice to meet you!" Stella said and accepted his hand.

"Okay, let's sit now!" Brandon said and looked at Stella while tapping the space beside him. Stella didn't have a choice but to sit beside Brandon.