Freya's POV
I gazed directly into Kingsley's furious eyes, almost sensing the inner wolf within him growling with seething rage!
My heart raced in pain.
This cursed mate bond! It always made me susceptible to his emotions.
Then Kingsley's voice reached me, dripping with malice, "Freya, do you even comprehend what you're saying? No kidding!"
With determination, I retorted, "Of course I do! I have a better grasp of what I'm talking about than anyone else. And you, Alpha Kingsley, do you understand your actions? Do you genuinely know what you want?"
Kingsley's cold gaze bore into me, as if tearing me apart. "Very well... My Luna!! You did a great job!"
He delivered those words in a frigid tone before departing, even shooting a cautionary glance at Finley.
I released a deep breath before making my way to my seat to steal a moment's respite; the confrontation with Kingsley had drained my resolve.
I closed my eyes, allowing my mind to wander. Abruptly, a jacket landed on my shoulder.
"I'll take that back." I opened my eyes and raised my gaze to find Finley by my side. "It's late; you should head home."
Go home?
I bowed my head in silence momentarily, then turned and inquired, "Could you take me to the hospital?"
Finley nodded. "Of course."
Once inside the car, I didn't utter another word, opting to rest with my eyes closed.
As the car came to a stop, I opened my eyes. "Have we arrived?"
"Yes."
Glancing out the window, I returned the jacket I had been wearing to Finley. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Reach out if you need anything." Finley's considerate words washed over me.
I evaded his tender gaze, offering a nod before unfastening my seatbelt and exiting the car.
Waiting for Finley to drive away, I entered the hospital and proceeded to my mother's ward.
Livia lay there, as usual, unconscious.
However, I simply wanted to remain by her side, much like how I wished to stay beside my mother when I was upset during my childhood.
Even if I couldn't find solace, I still felt greatly reassured.
The doctor always advised me to converse with my mother more, but I truly didn't know what to say. Throughout my childhood, my mother and I had very little communication.
I attempted to share something about our past, delving into memories, but realized that I had very few anecdotes to recount. Eventually, I let out a soft sigh and gently stroked my mother's hair.
"Mom, if you were here, I'm certain you would have supported my decisions, no matter what they were. I wouldn't be as isolated as I feel now."
The following day, as I descended to the hospital to have a decent breakfast, I received an unexpected call from Novia.
She whispered through the phone, "Freya, did you and Kingsley have an argument?"
I felt a bit taken aback. "Why do you ask?"
"Kingsley reached out to me out of nowhere last night, in the middle of the night, asking about your whereabouts," Novia candidly revealed, "He seemed genuinely concerned about you."
Concerned? I suspected he might just be worried that I was spending time with another man and betraying him!
At the thought of the previous night's events, a shadow passed over me. "We didn't have a fight."
I lied, not wanting my best friend to fret over me.
"So, where are you now? When do you plan on returning?"
"I'm at the hospital. The nurse practitioner got in touch with me and mentioned that my mom appears to be improving lately. Hence, I intend to spend more time with her, talk to her, and perhaps rouse her early."
"Is that so? Fantastic! I'll drop by to see you later." Novia's cheerful voice sounded.
I conversed a bit more with Novia before ending the call.
I dedicated another morning in the hospital, and assuming Kingsley would be at work during this time, I intended to head home, pack a couple of changes of clothes, and return.
When I arrived home, as expected, Kingsley was nowhere to be seen.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, unscrewed the cap, took a big gulp, and just as I closed the fridge, Kingsley's gloomy face suddenly appeared before me.
The sight was so startling that I spewed out a mouthful of water, coughing uncontrollably.
"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped at him, my mood far from pleasant.
It was then that I noticed Kingsley's bloodshot eyes and disheveled beard, as if he had been awake all night.
Kingsley glanced at me and sulked, his voice carrying a hint of irritation. "Where were you last night?"
"I was at the hospital taking care of my mom," I replied.
Kingsley fell silent for a moment before asking, "Why didn't you call home if you weren't coming back?"
Surprisingly, I detected a touch of wronged feeling in his tone. Perhaps it was just my imagination.
"My cell phone is broken," I explained.
Kingsley appeared slightly annoyed and his voice took on a more serious tone. "Couldn't you have used a public phone? Or asked someone to borrow their phone? Is it really that difficult to make a phone call?"
Annoyance welled up within me at his relentless questioning.
Why did he always have to be like this? Clearly, he was the one who had done something wrong, yet he consistently managed to act as if nothing had happened and turned the tables on me.
It was the same now.
I regarded him coldly and spoke, "Why do you assume that I should inform you of my whereabouts? Just because we're mates?"
"If that's the reasoning, it's absurd! Especially considering you completely ignored me the moment you left with Tracy last night."
At the end of his statement, even the wolf within me emitted a plaintive whimper of agreement.
Kingsley gazed at me and attempted a half-hearted explanation, "Tracy was injured..."
"Oh," I responded calmly, casting my gaze downward. "Is she dead?"
Perhaps due to my rather harsh tone, Kingsley couldn't help but frown. "Do you really have to speak so unkindly?"
"What? It's not like she'll keel over just because I said so."
Just as I said that, my cell phone suddenly began to ring. I glanced at Kingsley before sidestepping him to reach the balcony and answer the call.
After hanging up, I changed my clothes and prepared to go out.
Unexpectedly, Kingsley appeared out of thin air once again and obstructed my path, grimacing at me. "Where are you off to now?"
I rolled my eyes. "So, as your Luna, I don't even have the freedom to go out and enjoy a coffee with my friends?"
With that said, I brushed off Kingsley's reaction and departed.