Chapter 26

LUIS:

I have no idea why Soma is here, but the expression on her face when both of our eyes meet might have said something about her intent. With the way it is, it might be something about this being a plan of hers to get to see me. The thought of that has my mind going in disarray, and I don’t mean it in a bad way.

I could be wrong, though. But ever since that day at her office, we have not had the chance to communicate because I did not drop any means of reaching out to her. And neither did she. No one was even informed about a possible meeting between the two alphas. This then would be the only way. This also means my analysis could be correct.

To avoid any attention to me, especially after seeing the Luna there with her — and, yeah, her sister too — I make a turn away from the direction I was initially going. It would be better I do that because Soma could very well make it obvious something was occurring between us.

Thankfully I was quick to change my course of destination because it was at that moment I saw the Luna and Soma’s sister look in my direction. Sort of made me all nervous. Guess I would have to forget about pack training this morning.

My reaction to this whole thing is starting to make me confused. I should be acting tough, you know, trying to make it seem like I care less about what is going on. But no, my reaction has been the complete opposite and it kind of seems that I have something I’m feeling that I cannot explain.

Didn’t I tell myself already that I was not going to have anything to do with her? Then I should be less worried whenever I see her. Probably even ignoring her totally.

My instincts suddenly kick in and that was when I bend a little to avoid bumping my head into an overhead fraction of a wall as I round a corner. And it is only because I lost focus of where I am heading.

“Hi...” the voice I hear has me turning around to see Soma standing a few steps away from me. The wind blew a little hard now and it caused strands of her red hair to get in her face despite the smoothness.

“Hey,” I reluctantly say while watching her tuck the strands away from her face. “Are you here for a meeting?” I throw the question regarding her supposed reason for being in our territory.

“No,” was her immediate response.

I stay quiet for a whole before I then say, “Okay?”

A little twitch on her face results in a sly frown. And do I know her reason for that? Obviously not.

“What do you want to know?” she asks, raising her brows. I think it should be making that gesture and not her.

“I thought I would just know why you’re really here,”

“I’m pretty sure you think it’s because of you...”

Of course, I do. Why wouldn’t I think that way? Everything screams such so if I have that thought generated in my head already, then it isn’t any of my fault.

“I do not think that way.” my response was blunt. Not even trying to beat about the bush despite it being a lie.

“Well, it’s because of you,” she suddenly confirms what my speculation has been all along. “And your Luna is going to be my cover up for the time being,”

“Did you make her know your real intent of being here?”

Panic mode kicks in immediately. I don’t want to know she actually told Luna Hailey that she came here for me. That would be the biggest disaster because if the Luna finds out, then it would mean others would most probably know.

“I’m not stupid. I know how much pressure you are going through so it would be wrong of me to go about adding to your pressure. I told you she is a cover-up, which means I’ll be using her as the reason I’m here when there’s a totally different reason.”

She seems offended after explaining to me. Guess my paranoia shouldn’t have kicked in a way that would make her look bad.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” I tell her.

“You already did. Why are you really so afraid about others finding out that you might be my mate?”

How do I explain this to her? How do I explain to her that I am seen as an outcast and no outcast would be welcomed as the mate of a leader? Doesn’t she know about this already?

“I told you already... I cannot handle the pressure that comes after it. I even told myself that I would not be having anything to do with you,”

Her countenance changes. “Are you being serious about it?”

“I am. And I’m sorry but I think it will be hard for me to go on with your wish for us to find a way around this. I’m just not ready for anything that would put a lot of pressure on me,”

“Wow. I don’t know if I should be hurt or offended by that statement,” There was no denying it that she was hurt because the tone of her voice has changed drastically.

“I didn’t mean for it to be offensive, but I’m only looking out for myself.”

“You’re just a coward.”

“Excuse me?”

And she looks up at me, annoyance etched deeply on her face. “You heard me right. I said you’re a coward,” she doesn’t hesitate to repeat the words right in my face. But I have no idea how to react to it. “I’m not disputing the fact that you have something to lose from being with me. But as much as you have something to lose, so do I. The only difference between us is that I care not about any of that. I am going to be facing my challenges unlike you who wants to chicken out.”

“I am not running away from my challenges. I’m only trying to keep my mental health stable,” I rebuff.

“By being a coward, yeah, yeah. That’s one good way to be stable,” she sarcastically says, rolling her eyes as well. “So what are you going to do now? Reject the bond? ‘Cause if that’s what you’re going to do, then I’ll advise you do it now.”

“But I can’t reject something I cannot feel.”

“Then what am I going to do about me? I can feel the bond, and I’m goddamn sure you can feel at least a little. Don’t make me feel like it’s one-sided because I know it’s not,”

I think it’s already escalating to a point where I would call it a fight. She’s visibly annoyed with me and there was no lying about it that I was being a jerk. But I’m not being a jerk. I’m only scared of a lot of possibilities that come with any decision I make with her.

“Let’s forget about the one-sided idea and talk about the reasons this cannot work,” was my statement to address the situation.

She rigorously shakes her head. “I’m not talking about anything with you. The only thing I’m going to be talking about with you is to know if you would be rejecting the bond. Are you going to be doing that?” she demands from me.

Now, that is one decision I would not want to make while being put on a spot. I could end up making the worst of decisions. “Can we talk about this later?”

“And when will later be?”

“Anytime. But what I do know is that by then, I should have made up my mind.”

“You better do. Because the next time I’m seeing you, we should be thrashing this out. I won’t be going over it again with you,” and like a switch, she changes from being annoyed to looking calm. “So where are you heading to now?” was her question after the change of mood.

“My quarters. I need to rest for a while before I get prepared for my afternoon shift.”

“At the usual?”

I don’t seem to get what she means by that, so I ask, “What do you mean?”

“Are you going to be at the same place I met you two times already?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s the location I was appointed to guide.”

“Okay,” she says, sounding more like a whisper to me.

We both stand there staring at each other while unmoving for a while. During the time frame, I feel so much mesmerized by the way she is.

If it hadn’t been for my insecurities, I probably would have jumped at the opportunity of being with her regardless of her less womanly attitude. Yeah, that was something I have realized about her. She hardly portrays the act of a lady, and I have known that about her ever since I saw her fighting at the clubhouse that night.

I don’t know what pushes me to look up to see what is behind her but I was glad I did because I got to see someone standing a little distance away and looking in the direction of where we were standing.

Beta Leonard!

Now, this is a messy situation for me because I know what is ongoing between the beta and me ever since that day he interrupted my personal training to talk to me.

What I do next is to look down quickly because I wouldn’t want Soma to know he was watching us. While staring at her now, I start to back away, “I have to go now,” I tell her to which she frowns.

“Are you walking out on me?” she inquires in probably the most annoyed she has been since we started talking today. I’ve screwed up again.

“I promise I’m not. But I really have to go,” I hastily mention and then spin around to completely leave the scene. She might not understand what’s going on now but what I do know is that I might have gotten myself into a mess with the beta.