After three days of reuniting with Alaric, it was finally time for me to go back home. The thought of returning to my motherland curled my lips into a smile, planting joy and happiness on my face. I've dreamt of this every day for weeks, and my dreams are about to come true.
"Are you thinking of me?" Alaric teased as the door opened. A smirk formed on his lips as he walked closer to where I was, leaning on the white walls of the ward room with his bulky arms crossed on his muscular chest that was hard not to notice due to the plain white T-shirt he wore.
"Why would the thought of you make me that happy?" I asked, matching his energy as the smirk on his face disappeared into a frown and was quickly replaced by a scornful look. If only he knew how many insane thoughts I've had about him in the last few days, none of my jokes would ever make him frown.
"That was unnecessarily harsh." He groaned, pouting his lips like a child, as he restlessly paced around the room without a destination while waiting for a sweet word of apology from me.
Since he found me, he has also found an extra spice of grumpiness and always tends to need attention from me. He has also never left my side, and if he was to attend to important things, he'd leave and return in less than ten minutes. That happens less than three times in a day.
"You're not waiting for an apology, are you?" I asked, crossing my arms under my chest as he scoffed. Something about the way he scoffed seemed to have pleased me for an unknown reason, as I soon found myself lost in his beautiful face. He looks so much better than the first time I saw him on the rogue bus, and his face isn't always frowning.
"It won't be an apology if it's not coming from your heart, so I don't want it," he said, scratching the back of his head and looking at every single thing in this room but my face.
With a chuckle escaping my lips, I cheerfully stood up from the bed and slowly walked towards him with my arms wide open.
"Don't you want a hug?" I asked, knowing he couldn't deny it. He always wants to be on my skin every minute; hell, I was sure he'd wish he could be permanently glued to my body, but what I wasn't expecting was for him to brush past my open arms, ignoring my apology, and reach for the almost empty water bottle that was lying on the little table beside my bed.
"I don't want your hugs." He scoffed, muttering some words that I couldn't grasp as I shot a death glaze at him.
With a sigh, I decided to go in for another hug; after all, there wasn't any harm in trying again.
"I know you want it," I said with a smile and with my eyes squinting as I approached him with my arms wide open, but what I didn't know was that there was definitely harm in trying again. He didn't just brush past me this time; he made me fall on the sofa.
"Don't touch me," he grumbled as I watched him in disbelief.
If he's not willing to take the easy path, then I'm also not willing to talk to him. Let's see how long he can handle it.
"Alaric" A voice called as the door opened wide; it was Simon, but what could have brought him here, and why did he want to talk to Alaric?
"What do you want?" When Alaric asked, the tone in his voice changed from the grumpy tone to a much harsher one, with his hands balled into a fist and his veins piercing through his skin.
There has been something going on between Alaric and Simon, but I have no clue what it might be. Starting from the moment Simon recognized me as Alaric's mate down to the first time I witnessed Alaric with Simon.
There's always this tension between them, but it's in no way a good one; rather, it felt as if they had both known each other and were rival enemies, but whenever I brought the conversation up with Alaric, he would deny knowing Simon beforehand, and his answer was always that he signals bad blood from Simon and doesn't want him near me.2
"When will you be returning to your pack?" Simon asked,
"None of your fucking business," Alaric replied, the tone of his voice increasing and being filled with anger while Simon was calm.
"I mean no harm."
"Then why don't you stay the fuck away from Lenora if you mean no harm?" Alaric roared, interrupting his sentence, as Simon raised both his arms in the air while his head lowered.
"I promise you that I mean no harm, and I'm not a threat to Lenora or you." His arms were still in the air, and his head was bowed as he spoke calmly. His gesture seemed to have lessened Alaric's anger as the evident veins on his arm and forehead slowly faded.
"We're leaving today." I answered his question.
"I'll come with you," he said, but before he could take a breath, Alaric's arm was quick to deliver a heavy punch to his face, sending him across the room and damaging a glass decoration.
"Why did you do that?" I yelled. Out of concern, I dashed over to Simon and checked his body for any signs of harm.
"Lenora, stay away from that man, and let's go." Alaric commanded, but his words only angered me more.
"You have no right to tell me what to do or what not to do." I flared back at him, my eyes piercing into his soul as his anger vanished.
"I'm sorry, my love," he apologized. I shifted my glance away from him as I spotted an injury on Simon's right leg. A thick chunk of glass pierced into his skin, but as I tried to touch it, he held my hands, stopping me from touching it.
"I'm fine," he said, adjusting himself as he stood up from the ground, and I followed.
"Forgive me; I shouldn't have talked to you like that," Alaric apologized again as he approached me. Gently, he grabbed my hand and led me away from Simon and to the bed. The moment our skin touched, I could feel the rage coursing through his veins as he tried his best to curb it.
Alaric wouldn't act without reasons, and there must be something wrong with the way he treats Simon; I don't think he's the one keeping secrets but rather Simon. After all, I still don't know how he got to know that I was Alaric's mate. I should be careful around him.
"I'm sorry, Simon, you can't come with us," I replied. A scoff escaped his lips as he stared at me in bewilderment.
"What do you mean?" He asked as he stared at me with a look of disbelief, like I had just betrayed him.
"After everything that I've done to save you in that kingdom, you want to throw me away because you're done needing my help?" He asked again.
"It's not that, Simon."
"Then what is it?" He shunned me. The muscles on Alaric's arms tensed as his grip on my hands became firmer, but he was trying his best to remain calm for me.
"You're seriously going to send me back to that place after I betrayed my own kingdom for you?" "Do you want them to welcome me with open arms, or do you believe I won't have my head chopped off the moment I set foot on that land?" He inquired, the pain in his voice palpable as his eyes turned red.
I can't let him go back to Latvera because I'm the reason he can't go back. I caused harm to him and had to put him up against different problems. He did all of that to save me, and I can't afford to push him aside. I still haven't gotten over the death of Evelyn because it was something that happened because of me, and Miriam has refused to see my face ever since. I can't let that happen to Simon.
"Alaric," I called, giving his hand a soft squeeze as I looked him in his eyes. I'm sure it won't be an easy decision for him to make since he hates the sight of Simon around us. Talk more about Simon living in his pack.
"Lenora, he's dangerous," he softly said as he contemplated his decisions.
"Fine, he can come." "For as long as I live, no one will come close to harming my love," he said. As I shifted my face to look at Simon, a smile formed on my lips, which slowly faded. What if Alaric is right about Simon?
"You might as well pack if you're coming with us; I'll be your Alpha after all," Alaric added after a brief silence in the room. Could it be that they will get along in the pack? I guess only the future can tell.