Chapter 6-friction

Natasha's POV

I didn't want to say anything to him here.

My face had already suffered enough embarrassment moments ago, forgetting everything in the midst of kissing in a place like this. It's a hospital, and apart from us, there are several patients receiving IV drips and nurses around.

I lowered my head, deliberately choosing to ignore the faint but noticeable gazes fixed on me.

Exiting the IV room, I walked briskly. Despite my short stature and petite frame, I took two steps, and Jaclyn Dills caught up with just one step.

Therefore, by the time we reached the emergency room door, I was already slightly out of breath, while Jaclyn Dills continued to follow me with an unhurried pace.

It was well past eleven at night, and the early winter evening breeze carried a bone-chilling cold.

Lifting my gaze, I could see distant, dimly lit lights and some desolate streets beneath the chilly glow.

At first glance, this place resembled Red Valley Pack. Same bustling city, the noise settling into the quiet of the night, a chilly mist adding a sense of vastness.

However, this wasn't Red Valley Pack; this was Red Moon Pack, an adjacent city to Red Valley Pack but a different urban landscape.

I didn't know why I chose to settle here. It's the place where my mom was born, where my parents once pursued their education, and where they had a romantic yet cliché encounter.

Mom, caught in the rain without an umbrella, and Dad passing by, offering his umbrella. Mom returned it, and the rest, as they say, is history—they became lovers and got married after graduation.

Thinking back, they must have been deeply in love at that time. Yet, these two people, so deeply in love, agreed to divorce when I was only five. Despite life wearing down their love, it left behind the most beautiful and unforgettable memories.

Sometimes, I think Mom still loves Dad, but her pride doesn't allow her to cling desperately to a man after love has faded. That's Mom— a woman with integrity but a bit foolish.

With my parents' example set before me, I never had grand plans for my own marriage. Considering our social standing, our family is considered a lofty connection in the prominent Dills lineage of the pack.

Yet, in terms of conditions, compared to those debutantes and elegant ladies, I am really not worth mentioning.

My appearance is not the breathtaking, nation-toppling kind of beauty.

So, marrying him is already a miraculous gift from heaven. Long-lasting love and growing old together are just wishful thinking; I am well aware.

Therefore, I am quite pragmatic.

Jaclyn's POV

I draped my cashmere coat over her, the hem barely reaching her knees, extending almost to her ankles when wrapped around her. She looked even more petite enveloped in my black coat.

I let out a slight sigh, realizing that I wasn't much stronger than the alpha males.

No matter how harshly I spoke with my wolf, Jacob, about what I would do when I saw this woman, I found myself unable to carry out those plans upon meeting her.

She seemed even more endearing than two years ago, her apparent timidity coupled with the courage to face me. It softened my heart.

I never considered myself a softhearted man, but in front of my Luna, even the most hardened heart couldn't stay that way.

As the saying goes, heroes struggle in the face of a beautiful woman.

Though my Luna couldn't be classified as a beauty, I still found it difficult to resist her. What to do when you can't resist? Embrace her and keep her in my arms for the rest of her life. She won't get a second chance, and divorce is out of the question. That darn agreement has long been thrown into the fireplace and turned into ashes.

Regardless of what she thinks, she is mine for life.

Watching her obediently get into the car with her head slightly bowed, I naturally assumed that now that we've reunited, we should return to the home of the Red Valley Pack.

Although I hadn't figured out why she was avoiding me, since she came looking for me without blame, she should be more considerate.

So, when she reached out to stop me from turning the key in the ignition, I was briefly stunned. Then, furrowing my brows, I turned to look at her. Her gaze met mine for a moment before she turned her head away.

"Thank you for bringing me to the hospital. It's very late, and I should go home now. Um, goodbye."

She stumbled through her words, ignoring my astonished reaction, swiftly shrugged off my coat, opened the door, got out of the car—all in a rapid and well-planned sequence of actions.

I pursed my lips, squinting slightly. This woman was challenging my limits.

For the first time, I realized it wasn't just my imagination. After two years apart, my Luna had become significantly bolder.

Especially as I watched her briskly walk away, my anger became almost uncontrollable.

I was wrong. This woman didn't understand the concept of quitting while ahead.

With her, I couldn't afford to be even a little soft. Softening would only lead to her pushing boundaries. Igniting the engine, I drove after her without hesitation.

Natasha rushed onto the road, prepared to hail a taxi.

The winter night street was unusually cold and deserted; not only were there no taxis, but even other cars were scarce.

She shivered in the chilly wind, standing there for a while, but not a single taxi came into view. However, my peripheral vision had already caught sight of her not far away.

I extinguished the cigarette in my hand, arms crossed as I watched the petite woman ahead. Despite her seemingly frail appearance like a rabbit, she possessed a stubborn determination that could clash with my own temper.

In the one year of our marriage, she was mostly silent and easygoing.

During her silent moments, she wasn't working; I didn't allow her to. I didn't see the necessity. She had resisted my decision for a while, mentioning that she had attended the pack university and worked at a big company for several years, on the verge of a promotion.

I frowned and outright refused, saying something like, "As the Luna of Jaclyn Dills, you shouldn't be serving someone else. If you insist on a career, why do you need your own mate?"

The little woman surrendered, obediently becoming a full-time housewife.

In my opinion, staying at home was beautiful. When you got bored, you could go shopping. Why be someone else's servant?

Until now, I insisted that my viewpoint was correct, but she clearly didn't agree.

She wasn't happy.

Honestly, at first, I didn't feel much of a difference between being married and not, except for having a silent little woman at home.

She was too silent.

When we first got married, we lived in a villa on the outskirts.

In the vast villa, she always found a corner to stay in. Her favorite pastime was daydreaming.

I didn't know what she was thinking because she lowered her head, holding a book, sometimes sitting there for half a day like a statue.

She could cook, and it wasn't bad, but it couldn't satisfy my picky taste.

Having tasted her lovingly prepared meals twice, I hired a maid to do the cooking and housekeeping.

At first, I doubted whether she was unwilling to marry me, but her reactions repeatedly told me that she did have feelings for me.

When I kissed her, she went from initial timidity to acceptance, eventually involuntarily embracing me, slender arms encircling my neck, closing her eyes, letting me deeply kiss her.

Her scent was delightful, and kissing her posed no pressure for me.

As someone with a bit of cleanliness obsession, I rarely kissed a woman's lips, even during passionate moments in bed.

I often feared smudging with lipstick, but Natash Yael was very clean.

At home, aside from regular skincare, she never wore makeup and wasn't fond of perfume. Several bottles I had gifted her were still untouched on her vanity.

Without the aroma of perfume, there was a faint scent of milk mixed with the fragrance of orchids, resembling that of a child.

She had a habit of drinking milk at night. However, as I held her just now, I felt that the milk fragrance seemed stronger than before.

I wondered if it was just my imagination.

I didn't approach her, but I showed no intention of leaving either. I just stood there, staring at her.

Natash Yael felt every hair on her body stand on end. She was well aware that this man wasn't easy to deal with.

In fact, I was almost unreasonable in my dominance, possessing a strong desire to control, especially over things I deemed belonged to mine—my luna included.