19.
1065 Words
She had an innocent look on her face as she spoke. Her brows furrowed while still keeping her eyes on me, and she looked so beautiful that if I had a heart, it would have broken at the sight of her.
Damn, I wanted to gather her in my arms and tuck her into my chest for days.
"One moment, you are sweet and kind, and the next you are suddenly angry and possessive. It makes it hard for me to figure out the real you behind all those emotions surfacing." she said.
"Arwa..." The words caught in my throat, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
What was I supposed to say? That even I couldn't find my real self anymore? That while hiding behind the facade of a strong man, I had lost myself as well?
"We promised to take things slow. And I will give you a chance at this. But you need to sort out your emotions for that to work and..."
"I'll work on myself, I promise," I cut her off.
She smiled, a slow smile that stretched on her lips before it vanished, and a worried look replaced it.
"Can I ask you a question?" she said, pulling away completely.
"Go on," I replied.
"Do you...you know...do you... eat humans?"
"What?" I asked, surprised by her question.
"Wolves are wild animals. I'm not saying you are wild, of course. But if a wolf lives within you and all, do you eat humans? And other animals? Do you like the taste of blood and the taste of raw meat in your mouth? Do you..."
I laughed. I actually just laughed. I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed this hard, and in just two days, Arwa had managed to remind me how good it felt to laugh.
"I am so sorry for laughing," I said in between laughter, as I forced myself to stop. Goodness! She looked so innocent.
"To answer your question, no. We don't eat humans. And we eat cooked meat."
"Oh, so no one is going to eat me when we get there, right?"
"No one would dare," I said with a slight chuckle.
"Well, that's settled then," she said with a small smile. "I feel at ease now."
"Can I hug you?" I blurted, without thinking. With all the emotions surging through me, I couldn't make sense of any of them, and I wanted nothing but to have her hug me.
Not the type that just happened during the swirling of the carriage, no. The type that would make me forget my worries and embrace her instead. Plus, it seemed as though the mate bond was working its wonders here, again. I wouldn't want to miss the chance to use it.
She stared at me for a while, possibly trying to take in my expression, as well as the request I had put in.
"Um, maybe a kiss here for now?" she whispered, stretching her hand towards me.
Although it wasn't what I was hoping for, I couldn't resist kissing her hand. At least, there seemed to be an improvement between us.
"We'll find a way to get your mother and brother, I swear it on my title."
A sad smile graced her lips as she nodded.
"Thank you."
Whatever magic had been in the moment suddenly ended when a loud knock came from the door of the carriage, and before I could say anything, the door was pulled open and Imani peeped in.
"It's been minutes since the carriage has stopped. What are you two still doing inside?"
"No... nothing," Arwa quickly replied as she pulled her hand from mine. "It's nothing."
Ah, she was shy.
"Come. I'll take you to your room so you can rest before we meet our mother and the parliament tomorrow," Imani said as she pulled Anisa towards her. “Mother went to the neighboring village to visit her sister but I’m sure she’ll be back tomorrow.”
I wanted to stop them, and have Anisa stay with me in my room. I don't know if I’ll survive the evening and night without my mate beside me. But like Imani had advised, it would be better if I gave her some space from time to time so I won't overwhelm her with everything. So, I simply watched on as they walked away without her sparing me a single glance.
"You seem to have enjoyed the ride, Alpha."
"Shut up, Kosey," I grumbled as I walked towards the large building. I was glad that Kosey and Imani had cleared all the Omegas and ranked wolves around, otherwise Anisa would've been scared seeing everyone watching her.
The large compound was empty, save for Kosey and I. Two large buildings stood opposite each other. One completely belonged to me, while the other had Kosey, Imani, and Mother there. My pack was large, the third largest pack in the kingdom, and I was proud of it, even if I wasn't proud of myself.
We had used the back alleyway which I mostly used when I wanted to go for a run alone, hence why Anisa didn't see anything or anyone else.
After the meeting with the Parliament tomorrow, I planned to show her around.
"Lacie was here."
I stopped in my tracks, the throbbing I had thought disappeared suddenly returning.
"Did you tell her anything?"
"No, not yet. She said she'd be coming back tonight or tomorrow. I suppose she must have heard already.”
I massaged my temples, wishing all this would end once and for all.
"Where is she now?"
"She went to the bakery. Although she was all smiles with me and didn't say a word about this, I'm sure she's not happy."
"Not now, Kosey. I need to rest for a few before I meet with the court members. The pounding in my head is too much."
As I made my way through the large hallway that I had always kept with light, I felt the increasing pounding in my head continue nonstop. I was also reminded that I got headaches as bad as this every time those damn blisters momentarily appeared on my skin. It's the third time now, yet I have no explanation for it. Which was why, as soon as I stepped into my room, I crashed on the cushioned couch and fell into a deep slumber.
- Writer
