Chapter 79: I Miss My Girlfriend

Chapter seventy-nine: I Miss My Girlfriend


Bernard

Today, I finally returned back to work. I had been working from home for the past few days but after my last check up with Liam, he gave me the go ahead to fully return back to work. I was also cleared to train which was good because I was starting to feel like I was losing my mind. Elena came to visit last night and I wanted nothing more than for her to stay for the night but I had to remind myself to respect her boundaries. She wanted to explore and build her independence and I had to respect that. It may not have been something I liked but I knew it made her happy and that is already enough for me. I checked my laptop home page once more to see what was on the agenda today.

No one knew that I was back to work today except Liam and I wanted to keep it that way. I wanted to see how the Pack went without me. Did they sink without their leader or did they rise to the occasion as I taught them to? I wondered how Nicholas had gotten on with the sudden, temporary promotion to Alpha. I knew that it was not the easiest thing to handle but I was certain that he rose to the occasion. I had picked him as my Beta for such a reason, he is organized, and disciplined and he didn't scare easily.

Jasper had aired out of his concern about Nicholas, I knew that maybe it was just his slight dislike towards him that drove him suspicious but a part of me told me that I needed to keep a closer eye on Nicholas. My phone pinged and I looked down to see a message from Liam.

"Happy first day, man. I know you are excited to be back but take it easy. Don't overwork yourself and make sure you don't over exert your wolf." I smiled and replied.

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it, I could have recovered without you. I will come to check on you later." I closed my laptop and left my room.

The sun had just peeked through from the back of the mountain, it was a new day and I felt hopeful. I am back in full health, I had my mate and the rogues were kept at bay. And soon enough I would talk to Ronald about canceling our agreement. Thankfully, I had an out in the contract we had signed so I am not eternally bound to Helen. I had made sure that I left myself protected, I couldn't have risked my land or my Pack. Future I was thanking past me a million times over.

I had opted not to take my car and decided to walk. It was only when certain things were taken away from you did you truly appreciate them. I had been confined to a hospital bed for more than two weeks, I had lost my energy and my body didn't feel like my own. I wasn't able to go out for walks like this, I wasn't able to move the way I was currently moving, it was only when those simple things got taken away from me did I truly began to appreciate their value in my life.

I entered the Packhouse and I could hear the early hustle and bustle of the cafeteria during the morning rush. Children getting ready for school and adults getting ready to go to work. I decided that now was the best time to make my return known. I walked through the archway that led to the cafeteria. No one noticed me at first but the little child that was sitting at a table with friends pointed my way with a huge grin on his face.

"The Alpha is back!" He screamed and everyone followed the direction of where he was pointing. Everyone stood up from their seats and bowed their heads in greeting.

"Alpha." They said in unison.

"Good morning." I raised my hand.

"Please sit and enjoy your breakfast." Everyone took their seats and went back to eating and chatting.

I was about to turn and headed for my office but then I felt something tugging on my shorts. I looked down to see the child who had announced my entrance staring up at me with the biggest doe eyes.

"Welcome back, Alpha." He beamed up at me.

"I missed you." He then hugged my legs before unlatching himself from me and ran away.

Technically, no one was allowed to touch me without permission but for him, I didn't mind at all. It never bothered me when the children in the Pack would come up to me and give me a hug. It made me feel more connected to them like I understood them and they understood me. I was never a leader who liked to rule from a place of fear. I wanted my people to not only respect me but also love me. It was something Nicholas and I never see eye to eye on.

I walked out of the cafeteria and made my way upstairs where my office is and when I opened the door, I felt like I was returning home. Everything was just as I had left them. I walked to my seat and settled onto my desk, I looked at some of the emails I had gotten from my captains and warriors. A few complained about Nicholas and others were talking about updates they made to the training schedule as per Nicholas's instructions.

'Nicholas, please will you come to my office now.' I called him through our mind link and within ten minutes, he was already knocking on my door.

"Come in." He entered my office looking like his usual stoic self.

His expression was neutral but his eyes were different. He seemed shaken for some reason and I couldn't quite place my fingers on it but I could tell that something was troubling him.

"Alpha," he bowed his head.

"Good to see you back on your feet. How are you feeling?" I leaned back in my leather seat.

"I feel like myself again, please have a seat. I need to talk to you about a few things." He moved to the chair at the other end of the desk. He sat down and stared at me.

"It has come to my notice that you changed some of the training protocols that I had previously assigned. Why?"

"Yes, I did. I had to update some of the training schedule because it was needed at the time. The warriors had outgrown our original training program and needed something more challenging."

"Hmmm." I leaned my elbows against my desk.

"I was recovering, not dead, Nicholas. You could have checked in with me before you decided to make any changes to my training regimen." I saw the veins in his forehead protrude out slightly. I knew he hated it when I reprimanded him like a child but he deserves it. He knew the rules and he continuously defied my authority time and time again.

"It won't happen again." He murmured.

"Good, now tell me, are there any updates or important things that you need to update me on?" He shook his head.

"No, Alpha. There is nothing to report." Somehow I found that hard to believe but I didn't press him. I would find out soon enough and I didn't want to dampen my morning by going back and forth with my Beta.

"Very well, now you may leave." He nodded and stood up from his seat but before he left my office, I called out to him.

"Thank you for holding down the fort while I was recovering." He only nodded and turned away exiting my office.

I may not have seen eye to eye with Nicholas but I knew that he had the Pack's best interest at heart at all times. And that is what made him such a great second. I worked throughout the morning and caught up on everything I had missed and by the time I finished my last morning meeting, my stomach was empty and I was craving the sight of my mate.

I got up from my desk and headed out of my office. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face as I headed towards the bakery. I have missed her like crazy from the moment she left my house. She was meant to come over in the night but I couldn't wait that long. Even if it were only for a few hours, I needed to see her.

I reached the bakery sooner, I had wanted to get her roses but I didn't want everyone to catch on. I didn't mind about being public with Elena but I still had to sort out issues with Ronald and his daughter. The majority of my Pack still believed that Helen was to be their Luna.

I walked into the bakery and saw her and when she heard the bell ring as I entered, her head flicked to the entrance and our eyes connected. Time stood still, and the world around us dissolved, leaving only us to exist in our little bubble. Her face split into a gorgeous smile and she rounded the counter to come to me. There weren't any customers in the cafe since the lunch rush hadn't started yet. She ran the remaining distance into my arms and jumped, wrapping her legs around my waist. I spun us around causing a fit of giggles to come out of her mouth.

"Hi," she breathed into the nape of my neck.

"Hi." I chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" I shrugged.

"I missed my girlfriend and I was feeling hungry. So why not kill two birds with one stone." As if it was possible, her smile grew even wider and brighter.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?" She muttered.

"Once or twice but u wouldn't mind hearing it a few more times."

"Well, I love you." She leaned her forehead against mine.

Even though I didn't want to, I placed her on the ground and out of my arms. Just because there weren't people here didn't mean that there wouldn't be some lingering outside of filtering in.

"So, what do you say, sweetheart?" I brushed the back of my hand on her cheek.

"Will you have lunch with me?"

"Of course." She leaned into my touch.

"I am almost done with my shift, then we can leave."

"Okay." I replied.

She swiveled on her heels and made her way back to the backroom to finish off the remainder of her shift.

It still amazed me just how I had survived without her all these years because now I simply couldn't imagine life without her.