HIDING FROM THE MATEBOND

11.Tensions

Aerion

Tomorrow Arya and I would start working together, but it wasn’t like I was counting down the days. I was working on the major things I needed her to attend to.

The evening had barely settled when Rose invited herself over, her voice laced with the usual complaint:

"We never spend enough time together."

She did not even call, just appeared at my doorstep.

I could already sense where this was headed. My wolf, Drakos was restless, grumbling in the back of my mind.

I don’t want her here.

But Rose was already pushing her way inside before I could respond. She made herself comfortable, throwing herself over the couch like she owned the place. I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to tell her to leave. It wasn’t worth the argument.

By the time night fell, Rose had decided she was staying over.

"You don’t mind, do you?" she asked, but it wasn’t really a question. I didn’t answer, letting her come up with her own conclusions as she settled in. Drakos growled his disapproval. We both hated this, her presence, her scent marking our space. Sometimes I always regretted having picked her for my ruse. But it was either her or Luna Amber's nagging on a daily basis.

In the end, she finally took the guest room, but not without a fight.

It was a restless night, but morning came all too quickly. I was halfway down the stairs when I saw her—Arya-at my doorstep.

My heart did a double-take as confusion and surprise washed over me. What was she doing here? And more importantly, why was she talking to Rose who was suspiciously only wearing the shirt that I had thrown in the laundry basket last night?

“Arya?” I called, descending the steps faster than I meant to, my gaze flicking between her and the dry cleaning draped over Rose’s arm. I hadn’t expected to see her until later—definitely not here, and definitely not like this.

Her answer only deepened my confusion.

“I got your message,” she said, holding up her phone as if the proof would clear up the bizarre situation. “It said to deliver these to you.”

I frowned, stepping closer to glance at the screen. A message about coffee and dry cleaning—tasks I had never asked for but sent from my phone.

“I didn’t send that,” I said, shaking my head. “I never ask anyone to do these things for me.”

For a second, Arya looked as surprised as I felt, but then I noticed the shift in the room. Rose was leaning casually against the doorway, watching our exchange with a sharp glint in her eyes. There was something territorial in the way she stood there. She was making a statement.

I dismissed Arya but Rose stepped in, that damn infuriating smile plastered across her face.

“Oh, Arya, before you go,” Rose called out, her voice laced with something that immediately set me on edge. I saw the way Arya braced herself before turning. Rose was up to something, and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“I wanted to invite you to something,” she said, moving closer to me, her hand casually brushing against my arm as if staking her claim.

Here we go, I thought.

Rose gave me a sickeningly sweet look before inviting Arya to an engagement party that I had no idea about.

Drakos snarled, his displeasure vibrating through me. He hated how Rose made it sound like there was something real between us when there wasn’t. And now she was using it to try and unsettle Arya.

Arya was polite about it, but she saw through it, and she wasn’t about to let Rose win that easily. The silent battle between them made the air around us tense.

I watched the exchange, wanting to tell Rose to drop it, to stop pushing whatever game she thought she was playing.

This is a mess. Drakos echoed my thoughts exactly.

But before I could say anything, Arya turned her attention fully toward me. Her eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, everything else seemed to fade into the background. She flashed me a smile that caught my attention.

“Well, Alpha,” she started, her voice soft but carrying enough weight to hold my attention completely. “I guess I'll be seeing you around. Don't miss me too much before ten.”

And then she winked.

I froze, caught completely off guard. I had not expected that. My mind scrambled for a response, but nothing came. Drakos, was no help. He preened at her words, practically basking in the attention like some overgrown pup.

“She likes us,” he purred, far too pleased with himself.

But all I could do was stand there, staring at her dumb struck.

Rose, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, clearly displeased with Arya’s parting shot. But I barely noticed her reaction. All my focus was still on Arya as she turned, giving us a small wave before leaving.

For a few seconds, I stood there replaying the moment in my head.

Rose then looped her arm around mine, pulling me closer, but the warmth I was supposed to feel wasn’t there.

“She’s nice, isn’t she?” Rose said, her tone light but with that edge I was starting to resent.

“Yeah,” I muttered, distracted, but then I remembered one very specific detail. The message. That was enough to shift my mood completely.

Rose left my side and sauntered over to the kitchen counter. She poured herself a cup of coffee, and I was right behind her. I needed to address whatever had happened.

“Rose,” I called. My sudden shift in tone made her pause, cup halfway to her lips. She glanced at me, one eyebrow raised in mild curiosity.

“Did you send that message to Arya?” I asked.

There was no point in playing around the bush. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

Her reaction was quick, too quick. She set the cup down, a sly smile curling her lips. “Yes, I did.” Her tone was so nonchalant it only fueled my anger further.

“Why?” I demanded, stepping closer.

Rose sighed, as if this was all some minor inconvenience and I was overreacting. “Because, Aerion, I knew you wouldn’t introduce us or even tell me about her. You have been avoiding it, haven’t you?” She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing.

“And I wanted to meet her.”

My fists clenched at my sides. I felt so angry. She was now overstepping in all aspects of my life.

“That wasn’t your decision to make.”

Rose’s expression didn’t change. In fact, it seemed to harden with a strange resolve.

“Oh, please. You’re attracted to her, and it’s obvious.” Her voice lowered, almost taunting now.

“I’m not blind, Aerion. I saw how you looked at her. But guess what? I don’t care.”

I froze, disbelief flooding my system. “You don’t care?”

The words came out in a scoff. That little show few minutes ago was definitely not her caring.

“No. I don’t care,” she repeated, her eyes glittering with something I couldn’t quite place.

“If you want to sleep with her, fine. I won’t stop you. Maybe that way, you’ll actually touch me for once.”

I had never touched Rose. Not in the way she wanted. Not the way I should have, as her supposed mate. And that was not going to change even if she thought the offer would make me guilty or agreeable.

“I don’t have time for this,” I said coldly, turning on my heel to leave.

“I’m going for training.”

But before I left, I stopped at the door, glaring at her over my shoulder. “When I get back, you better be gone.”

Rose blinked, stunned by the sudden shift in my demeanor. She opened her mouth to protest, but thought better.

Without waiting for a reply, I stormed out, the door slamming behind me.

I hit the training grounds working through the motions of combat drills with some of the pack members. The familiar thud of fists hitting pads, the crack of bones against bones—it all worked like a balm, drowning out the noise in my head, as the tension from the morning bled away. But that wasn’t enough to drown out Drakos.

No matter how hard I pushed myself, Drakos wouldn’t shut up.

Arya told us not to miss her. I’m pretty sure that means she misses us too.

I grunted, trying to ignore him as I squared off with Liam, one of the patrol wolves, for another sparring round. He was my regular sparring partner.

Liam raised a brow as I took my stance, a smirk already forming on his face.

“What’s with you today? You came in looking all pissed off, and then you started grinning like an i***t all morning,” Liam teased, blocking my first strike with ease.

“I’m not grinning,” I replied, though I could feel the corners of my mouth twitching.

“Oh, you absolutely are,” Liam laughed, easily deflecting my next move. “Care to share with the class what’s got you in such a good mood?”

I didn’t answer, mainly because Liam was not a friend. Telling him I was flustered by an omega who was practically a stranger flirting with me, he would question my ability as Alpha of the pack. He saw me as his leader, nothing more.

But goodness, every time I thought about it, that wink of hers, Drakos would puff up with pride, practically wagging his tail inside my head.

She likes us. She definitely wants us, Drakos purred smugly. This was a side of Drakos I had not seen before.

I growled internally, dropping Liam with a quick sweep of his legs just to regain some of my focus. But Drakos was relentless, constantly nagging me about her until the training session was over.

We should stop by the office, Drakos nudged, sounding far too pleased with himself.

I grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from my brow. “We’re not going to the office half-dressed,” I muttered under my breath, heading toward the showers. “We need to be professional.”

Professional? Drakos scoffed.

Didn’t she tell us not to miss her? Well, I miss her. He grumbled, clearly trying to get his way.

“Your cheap seduction tricks aren’t going to work on her,” I said out loud, knowing no one else could hear Drakos.

You’d be surprised, Drakos purred.

Besides, this isn’t about seduction. This is about showing her who we really are. Let her see the Alpha in his raw form, not the stiff suit you hide behind.

I let out a tired sigh. Drakos could be relentless when he wanted something, and right now, his target was clear. He wasn’t going to shut up until I gave in. I hated admitting defeat, especially to him, but sometimes... he wasn’t wrong.

Fine, I relented, feeling his satisfaction ripple through me.

But if this blows up in our face, I’m holding you responsible.

Drakos practically purred in triumph as I wore my pair of spare pants that I kept in the training ground lockers and let my chest and hair air dry.

I grabbed my jacket only to pretend like I had the intent of putting it on later—and headed toward the office.

I could practically feel Drakos’ smug satisfaction radiating through me.

You’re hopeless, I muttered as I pushed open the door to the office.

Arya was seated at her desk, but the moment her eyes landed on me, they widened in surprise. A deep blush crept up her neck, and she quickly averted her gaze.

“I... I didn’t think you’d be here this early,” she stammered, clearly flustered.

“Sorry again about this morning. I—”

I cut her off, raising a hand. “No need to apologize. I should be the one saying sorry for the whole mix-up.”

I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling a little awkward standing there half-dressed. Drakos, on the other hand, was reveling in her embarrassment.

Look at how cute she is, he practically purred.

“I wasn’t planning to drop by right away,” I said, trying to make the situation less uncomfortable.

“But... well, I guess I missed you .” The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I instantly regretted it. Moon Goddess! Why had I said that. Now I was making everything awkward.

Arya’s face flushed even deeper, her eyes flickering up to meet mine before darting away again. “I—I didn’t mean for that to sound so…” She trailed off, biting her lip.

For a moment, the tension from earlier in the morning hung between us, both of us standing there, unsure of what to say next.

Drakos, of course, was having the time of his life.

Told you. She missed us too.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to focus. “Let’s just... call it even, okay?” I offered, trying to lighten the mood. “No hard feelings.”

Arya nodded, still looking mortified, but she managed a small, grateful smile. “Yeah, no hard feelings.”

“I’ll, uh... head to my office now,” I mumbled, feeling like a complete i***t. I turned to leave, but Arya voice stopped me.

“Alpha,” she said, her tone now playful like before. When I turned back, there was a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. “Next time, maybe throw on a shirt.”

Drakos howled with laughter, and despite my own embarrassment, I felt a grin tugging at my lips. Professional, I had told myself. And yet, here I was, anything but.

“Noted,” I said, before finally making my way to the privacy of my office, wondering just how much further down this rabbit hole my wolf intended to drag me.