Chapter 4
1035 Words
Bella
I woke up bright and early. Relieved that I was able to sleep after all! I momentarily wondered if he really did wait till I fell asleep before doing anything else...
Did he think of me?
Snorting at my pathetic thoughts, I started to get ready to start my day. Suddenly, Laxton strode into the room. I was pleasantly surprised when he hugged me from the back. I turned to hug him in return.
"Laxton... I haven't seen you in 4 days..."
"Mmm... I've been busy."
"What have you been doing? Wyatt and Rob have been looking for you. You gotta bring them along so they can protect you. You're the Alpha and the war is coming to us."
I snuggled in his chest, breathing in his scent and taking comfort in his presence. Although I couldn't decipher what his scent smells like, it still comforted me to some level. Due to our defective mate bond, he smelt like any other individual werewolf - I knew his distinctive smell but nothing more than that.
"I know what I'm doing, Bel. You gotta trust me."
I nodded.
"I love you, Bel. I love you so much."
I nearly cried when he said that. The confusion is too great and has nestled in my heart for too long.
If you love me, why do you find comfort in other girls? Why put us through this? It hurts.
I nearly asked him this. But I knew that it would escalate to an argument real quick and no solution would be found.
So I loosened myself from his hug and as I did, I noticed that there were scratches on his arms. Scratches that haven't healed even with his fast werewolf healing especially as an Alpha could only mean that those were very deep cuts or that it's made very recently. But I didn't feel any pain through our mate bond this morning.
I held his arms but he jerked them away.
"What could you do?"
I stood frozen on the spot. Our mate bond was defective, I couldn't heal him and neither could he heal me.
"Bel, why did you look for Elaine yesterday?" His finger under my chin, holding my head up to look at him.
"... She barged into my office while we were discussing the upcoming Lycan meeting. She started sneering at me for being a w***e who seduced you away from her last week and told me that you had bought a house to stay with her. She did it in front of everyone," I said calmly, my poker face betraying no expressions.
He grunted and let go of me.
"Stay away from her. I don't need the drama and I thought you are better than this."
"What have I done wrong?! She's the one who barged into my office. Or did you give her permission to?"
"Of course I didn't!"
"Then who did? If none of us did, then she's in the wrong. She called me a w***e in front of everyone. Where were you when that happened!" I couldn't control the feelings of injustice bubbling within me anymore.
"Where were you when you're not protecting me from her? Did you tell her to stay away from me?"
"Of course I told her to stay away from you," he said, his head low as he sat at the side of the bed, not looking at me.
"Then why was she there?! What the f**k do you both want from me!" I am too used to cursing, it isn't specific to arguments and he knew it so he didn't react to it.
"I just want you to stay away from her, ok? I just want that."
Haha! I managed a short derisive laughter.
Laxton, why do you protect her but not me? How could we even be arguing about her when you do not admit that you're f*****g her?
"Laxton, who is she to you?"
"I've told you, there's nothing between us and why must you always bring her up? Aren't you tired of this topic already?"
"You are the one who brought her up first!" I swung my arms up in frustration.
He looked up, his eyes hot. He stood up purposefully and strode angrily towards me. He took my arms and shook me.
"I SAID TO LEAVE HER THE HELL ALONE, BELLA!"
I looked at him in shock as he manhandled me. He then walked out of the room without looking back.
I stared at the door, tears threatened to fall but I did not allow it. My heart felt like it's broken to pieces and all I could do was to hold on to one of the pieces and try to survive this life with just that piece. Hoping that it's enough, hoping that from that one piece, I may grow a new heart.
I made my way to a meeting room in the pack house.
*
"Hey guys, let's talk logistics and key protective procedures when the Lycans are here. Do we know who is coming and how many?" I sat at the head of the meeting table. Laxton is nowhere to be found.
"Bella, it's Alex Gundulf who's coming. He's bringing his beta, personal guards, one of his generals, and some warriors. We're expecting around 30 of them," Laxton's Gamma, Rob briefed us.
A collective gasp went around the room when he said Alex Gundulf. I frowned. Alex Gundulf is known to be ruthless and merciless when it comes to military tactics. I wonder how he is as a person though. That aside, 30 people is not hard to accommodate.
"We'll place Alex on the fourth floor of the pack house with Laxton and I, his beta in a room beside him, and the rest on the third and second floor, whichever you deem fit, Rob." Rob nodded.
"Now as for protection while they are here. Since the war is drawing closer and we're discussing strategy and planning here, we have to be extra vigilant. We may be attacked just so that they can chop off our head before we can fight back. What are your recommendations, council?" I said firmly, starting the long meeting of the day.
- Writer
