CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

"Avyanna, is everything alright?" Baron did not comprehend the magnetic pull that he felt which compelled him to whoosh to Avyanna's side immediately he saw her in panic mode. He had concern written all over his face and his bodily expression was enough to tell that he wanted nothing to do than save Avyanna from her state of utter shock, confusion, and mental dishevelment.
Ericson was more piqued and confused at Baron's show of compassion for Avyanna, than he was worried about the way she was. It was obvious that Baron cared so much for his wife, at that point, more than Ericson himself did.
"I'm so sorry, it's nothing really serious and I am perfectly fine." Avyanna gasped for breath as she gave her response. The bone of contention between Ericson and Baron was inevitably buried because Avyanna had become the centre of concern in that moment. It didn't even seem like her husband and Baron were in an argument a few minutes ago.
She knew she couldn't tell them that she just heard her wolf's whisper because Ericson wasn't aware of the fact that her wolf was missing in the first place. Saying it would have made the situation more complicated than it was already, and Baron would have been flummoxed.
Immediately Baron realized that his primal instinct to care for Avyanna was as obvious as the look of care and worry for her on his face. He further realized that the same instinct has pushed him too far; to the extent that he was too close to Avyanna and in an almost intimate position.
Realizing this, he re-adjusted his shirt and walked back to his seat like nothing had happened and he didn't just show a side of him that was dormant.
"I think the Luna needs to rest. She has been so stressed out lately." Ericson concluded as he massaged Avyanna's shoulder slowly. He pecked her cheek and forehead consecutively.
Avyanna was disgusted by her husband's fake show of care. If it was in the past life, she would have felt loved and would have cherished such a moment like this, thinking that her husband cared deeply about her well-being but at this point, she understood and knew things. The information of the things and the mere thought of the things, which she was privy to, hurt her so much because Ericson was someone she envisioned her entire future, life and existence with but now, he was just a facade to her; a facade that she planned to completely get rid of in no time.
"Nothing is wrong with me Ericson, I am doing just fine and the Lycan Alpha and I aren't yet done with our conversation." Avyanna gently shoved her husband away from her personal space so that she could catch a glimpse of Baron's face and the expression on it. She discerned a worried and perturbed look in his eyes; although he still acted like he harbored no feelings and had everything under control.
Avyanna pondered on everything that had happened between her and the Lycan Alpha right from the Feast until that ephemeral moment he rushed to ensure that she was safe and sound; how he danced with her, how he came to her house far away from his Lycan territory just to keep her company all in the name of meeting to discuss what could have easily been done on a phone call.
"Are you sure?" Ericson asked Avyanna.
"Yes. I am." Her voice was sterner.
Avyanna's mind lodged thoughts of Baron and the attention he had been giving to her ever since he arrived at the pack house. She wondered if he could possibly have a thing for her but she instantly doubted it due to what the Lycan Alpha had said to her during their first phone call conversation. Coming across men such as Baron, Avyanna knew that he could have any pretty lady at the snap of his finger without having to do much persuasion and men like him broke hearts and made emotional tears flow like it meant nothing. She was already suffering from the pain Ericson had caused her in her past life and also trying to prevent further hurt in her second life, so falling for a man like Baron wasn't an idea she could ever welcome; not in a million years. It wasn't even an option. Avyanna just wished to create an alliance with the Lycan Alpha in order to prevent what happened in her past life from reoccurring a second time. There was no way in hell she was going to waste the second chance the Moon Goddess had given to her.
"Okay fine Avy, I just don't want you to be to hard on yourself." Ericson bent his face towards hers while pouting his lips like he was preparing a kiss. He planted his pouted lips on her forehead for a brief second before he let out a subtle 'mwah'. He stayed a moment to sniff in and further caress her face as he took his lips away from her forehead. She looked up at him in reserved anger and concealed irritation.
"Isn't it disrespectful to do that when a formal meeting is going on?" Baron asked in his usual calm manner in as much as he hated to see Ericson touch Avyanna in such a manner.
"I don't think it's disrespectful when it comes to my wife." Ericson answered the Lycan Alpha carefully selecting his choice of words, and the tone he used to address the Lycan king.
"I thought as an Alpha you should lead by example, rather than act like a kid. If she is your wife, then kissing her while a meeting is going on should not matter because she is going to be with you for a lifetime except you have other plans in mind like rejecting her." He put on an unbothered smile on his face as his hand gripped the handle of the chair he sat on, squeezing it vehemently to take out his anger on it.
"Your Majesty!" Avyanna cried out.
"I don't think it is in your position to tell me how to act in my territory." Eric stuttered. He couldn't say much to the Lycan Alpha because he knew that Baron made a point in what he had said. The rhubarb that was going on in his household, between his wife and the Omega, rendered him indecisive of what to do about the situation; especially when it had been tampering with his peace of mind and the well-being of the pack house.
"Luna Avyanna, we still have a lot to discuss and I don't think meeting like this will grant us enough time to deal with everything. As for today, you need to rest but you will be coming over to my territory after three days and you will stay there for at least a week until we are done with working together. I do not entertain distractions like this during work hours so I expect you to take note of that." Baron said authoritatively, disregarding the presence of her husband and focusing every word of his sentence on her.
"No! I would not let such a thing happen while I am alive." Ericson growled respectfully but in disagreement to what the Lycan Alpha said.
"Are you suggesting that I come and reside in the Lycan territory for a week?" Avyanna asked innocently, ignoring Ericson's statement of disagreement.
"I wasn't suggesting, I will send my men to pick you up, three days from today. I hope that will be enough time for you to rest." Baron did not know when and why those words came out of his mouth, but one thing was certain: He couldn't just go away like that without setting plans of seeing Avyanna some other time, for every fibre of his being longed to see her again.
"I cannot allow my wife to leave the pack house for a week!" Ericson protested.
"I never made an alliance with you Alpha Ericson and before your wife made an alliance with me, she knew what she was in for, I do not joke with my work. So she will do as I say if we are going to be working together in the long run."
With that, Baron got up slowly from his arm chair and straightened his regalia. He smirked darkly at Ericson and smiled faintly at Avyanna one last time before he turned away from the duo and walked out of the office.
Ericson was angry but he dared not show it until Baron walked out of the room.
Avyanna began thinking about how staying in the Lycan territory with Baron for a week would be like. The surreal part of what she felt was the absence of fear about any harm coming hwr way at the Lycan territory. She wasn't the least bit scared that any harm would come to her there, rather she imagined herself being protected by the Lycan Alpha. Judging from the way and manner he sounded during their conversation, and the way he took her very seriously, Avyanna could not think of him having any evil intentions in mind even though she didn't understand where he was heading to with his possessive and absurdly affectionate nature.
"Avyanna are you really going to stay in the Lycan Territory for a week?" Ericson snarled when the Lycan Alpha was not within ear-shot of Avyanna's office.
"You heard the Lycan Alpha already, I can't say more or less." Avyanna looked away from Ericson and paid more attention to her thoughts.
"My spirit doesn't like the Lycan Alpha." He said.
"Why? If I may ask?" She finally paid attention to him. She knew that the main reason why was because he was jealous and she wanted him to say it.
"He looks cunny and I am afraid he might hurt you." Ericson replied.
"But at least it would be less painful than the way you have hurt me already." Avyanna replied nonchalantly, ignoring him again and returning to her thoughts.
Ericson understood that he was not heading anywhere in the conversation. He had lost control over the conversation seeing that his wife wasn't an easy person to convince.
"Just be careful with the Lycan Alpha and you can call me anytime you need me." Ericson stood in front of Avyanna, holding her hands.
"I don't think I'll need you besides you will be too busy with the Omega while I'm running the affairs of the pack house. She needs you, so stay here and protect her from any danger." She took her hands out of his disregarding his presence. As the seconds passed, he realized that his relationship with Avyanna was no longer within his grasp.