Athena
"What are you doing here, Aaron?"
He stared at me, something weird crossing his orbs giving away the signs of hesitation he attempted to cover with his best shot at acting confident despite being under the red light— Maybe he had not expected to be caught or it could be the case— He'd not anticipated this particular question. Either way, I didn't care.
Sebastian's Beta following me could mean only one thing— It was Sebastian's command. And if that man could send his beta behind me, he, himself knew every detail of my whereabouts and that was dangerous for me. It'd taken me long enough to actually fit my life that I gathered piece by piece, in one place and now the last thing I wanted was to see Sebastian trampling this start of mine too.
"Athena, I-I...." Aaron hesitated, seemingly drowning in the misery the lack of words has poured over him.
"You are following me because of Sebastian's order, aren't you?" Rage crawled up my insides at the remembrance of that man invading my world once again.
My wolf fell silent— Completely silent at the mention of my s0-called mate who fucking chose to stick to his demons at the expense of our lives— A life I'd once....dreamt for us.
His brows rose and eyes widened but surprisingly all of it screamed disbelief.
"No! Alpha hasn't ordered me to do it," He spoke up quicker than expected.
"Oh cut the crap, Aaron," I spat, "You don't need to lie to cover up for him. I know he is the one who has sent you."
"It's not true, he has not sent me," Aaron stepped closer but kept an appropriate distance, "In fact, he doesn't even know your location."
"Oh really? You come up with these stupid, flimsy lies and expect me to believe them? I thought you'd at least be smart to present some reasonable false narration to prove your point, judging the fact that you are none other than the mighty Sebastian Valdez's beta," I laughed, venom dripping from my voice, "But, no, You thought you could fool me just like your boss."
"Athena, it's not what you think. You are mistaking it—" His attempt to speak failed as I cut in, refusing to spare him a chance to speak nonsense.
"I'm not mistaking anything. I am just saying what I see here and everything's very clear to me," I nearly shouted, unable to keep my calm and behave normally, "Just get this straight in your head Aaron— I am not falling for your Alpha's ploys again. Just go back, tell me to respect my choice and the fuck of my life! I am okay at where I am, I don't need any more destruction or any false hopes, I have wanted peace and I have finally got it. If he tries to destroy my world again, I'll forget the fact that I once loved him and I'll fucking kill him."
With that, I turned around and began to walk away.
I was not going to let Sebastian enter my life again. He was the reason I lost everything that ever belonged to me. He ruined both of our lives and directly or indirectly he was the reason why I lost my......No! I wasn't even going to let his shadow get near me.
He was lethal just like venom— And any life that'd get close to him would get burned to ashes.
"I know what you have gone through— I have witnessed it all. Just think once—If Alpha was the one to send me, don't you think in all these months he'd at the very least try to reach you or talk to you?"
My feet halted, and every fibre of my body was suddenly nothing but stiff and cold just like ice. I didn't really turn around and the reason for my sudden hesitance was a mystery but the closest assumption my conscious reached was— The lack of courage that'd prompted upon his words; Each of them spoke nothing but the truth.
"I couldn't do anything that time to help you because my hands were tied; I was helpless and to say it short— Forced to be silent because o my duties. I couldn't help you even though I wanted to, things were impossible at that time," He spoke, and I heard his footsteps getting closer, "I know saying all of these to you now, may seem unreasonable to you, and it's obvious for you to doubt my intentions. I can understand why you can't just trust my words, but believe me....I just wanted to make sure you are safe because you and I, both know the fact that Alpha has changed but that has not done any change to the past he had and the lives he ruined—Some foes might have become his friends, but the enemies are still his enemies and they'd want to hurt everyone close to him. All I wished to do was to ensure your safety."
This was when my body finally allowed me to turn around. A flicker passed through his eyes and something crossed his expression, nonetheless, I could not read it since he was far too quick to wipe every trace off of his face and that too with such perfection that it was impossible for anyone to even notice a slight hint of its existence.
To say I was confused would have expressed my feelings the bare minimum. I did have one single idea about what did he actually want and how was I supposed to react to this?
Listen to him and walk off? Or ask him the questions that were stirring awake in my head with every sentence that left his mouth. Perhaps the second option was a wise choice. When has walking off from a situation ever brought anything?
"Why? Why do you want to keep me safe?" I asked, shallowing the sigh that was on the verge of leaving my mouth, "And what is the point of telling me all of these now? You and I have barely talked. Well....in reality, we have never even talked. You were only a bystander and, to be very honest, I never expected anything from you, any favour or the slightest bit of help and even now, you have no responsibilities for me nor are you obliged to help me in any case or be held responsible for my safety. Your and my paths are different.....we are barely anything other than strangers. Then....why?"
I did not know why my palms were getting all sweaty and there was a rush in my breathing— It was a dilemma to solve for another time but right now, the dilemma standing in front of me demanded more attention to being solved and unfortunately, I was unknowingly giving my absolute worst job in it.
He fell silent for a few solid seconds, perhaps trying to read through my questions and statements I let out right the way they came out of my heart. It was a mystery if it was hard for him to solve the puzzle, however, he could have the answers that could just fit in there and complete it.
But was he going to choose to be honest? Or did he not know what to say himself?
"I can't really explain it, Athena," He let out a sigh of relief, for a moment proving my second assumption right but then again, that was not it, "It's just that....I have seen you suffer and I don't want you to go through something worse. I'm not a cold-hearted man or a servant loyal like a dog who'd ruin someone else's life just to gain the favour of his superior. I don't want to see people suffer, I don't want to see lives getting destroyed and if I could save even one person from the gruesome intentions of someone, or the cruel ways of this world, I'd be absolutely thrilled even if it is done at the expanse of my life."
"So sympathy? That is it, right?" The question left my mouth on its own, the bitterness seeking its way out, "You think I need your sympathy to survive in this race? You think it's your help that'd save me and I wouldn't be able to protect myself without you being around?"
He looked shocked by my sudden outburst. Obviously, he made it too obvious with his expression that he hadn't expected this reaction of mine.
"You are taking it the wrong way again. Sympathy is not where all of these are coming from," He spoke, having much more control over his voice and the mastery to stay calm, "What I am trying to say is that....." He hesitated for a second, and in that short period that was no more than a heartbeat, he decided to keep his sentence unfinished for the best— The contemplation and introspections all were done in his mind, far beyond my understanding, not that I wished to comprehend any of it.
He looked at me, taking another attempt to read something even I did not know about. I had mixed feelings about this entire conversation, I was shocked, confused, and bewildered the most and trying to get through the unrest curving like a giant curveball. Yet none of it felt bigger than the weight on my shoulders— The memories that have come back attacking me like a destructive wave at the shore which resided just right there, around the boundaries I have built around myself, chaining my spine to the cold walls, only so that I never get the chance to walk there, by myself, deep into the storm.
I did not let out a single word. I wanted him to speak, to say out his reasons loud and save me from this confusion— The last I wanted was to get any hint that he could actually be lying and was here solely to fulfil the order of that man, whom I have thrown out of my life.
Aaron was about to say something and a bunch of people walked past us, a few of them sparing us side glances that held curiosity and unnecessary speculation one usually has for two strangers.
But then again....there was not much space on the table to question their move cause right now, both of us looked anything but near normal. The dismay shrouding the face of the man standing opposite to me, at a distance of a few feet and the coldness shading on mine was just unmistakable.
"Listen, let's just go and talk somewhere else," Aaron spoke, taking the initiative to step closer to erase the awkward space between us, he glanced around to check if there were a few suspicious stares fixated on us but when he found none he turned his attention back to me, "Please."
"No, I'm not going anywhere with you," I shook my head, immediately denying his polite request that was partially harmless if I let go of my doubts.
"You don't have to go anywhere with me. It's just the cafe beside the river, you have already been there a couple of times."
"So you have followed me there as well?" My voice came out accusing, just like it should.
He let out a sigh of defeat, "Please, Athena. Try to understand. I am not your enemy..."
"Nor are you my friend, Aaron."
"I know, I am more aware of it than you are. And Trust me I'm not going to do anything that'd cause you any harm. I just want to talk, that's it." He added as if he'd my mind, or I could say the suspicion in my mind, "It's just a conversation and I promise to take not more than ten minutes of your time."
He didn't seem like he was lying......
His intentions were genuine, at least, that's how it seemed.
And before I even knew it, my mouth decided to do the grace and open itself without my permission just like it has always done and brought nothing but a bunch of problems for me.
"Okay, only ten minutes— Not even a second more than that."
"You have my word."