20.

-HIM-

“Who’s the propagator of news this time?” I asked Rodrigo while eying all the new files that had accumulated beside the old ones. Someone’s been going back and forth to trade information between us and the lycans.

We do meet each other sometimes but most of the time, we prefer to not see each other. It just makes it easier for us to deal with each other.

“It’s a seer by the name Tim,” Rodrigo answered.

“Was he here this morning?” I enquired.

“Yeah. He was and they sent a Lycan with him,” Rodrigo paused before he added drily, “Commander Deviller,”

“Javier,” I muttered, remembering the other lycan in Ace’s unit. He was their tracker and a pretty annoying lycan, “Why was he here, tho?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“To brief us about the attack. It was him who was with Ace’s mate when the attack happened,” Rodrigo revealed. I was somewhat surprised at the new updates. A lot had happened in the past week.

A sense of urgency breathed down my neck as I looked further into the papers, “And, yes. Tim will be here tomorrow. He says he wants to have a word with you,” With that, Rodrigo left. I sighed after realizing that tomorrow’s going to be a considerably busy day.

I’d have to go down to the properties to see the work there and then come to the office and do some extra hours.

Apart from all of this, I had pissed off Vipsania. I didn’t know what to do about that. Should I apologize to her? But the way she treated Anna, I didn’t like it a bit and it should be Vipsania who should be apologizing instead.

I dreaded the drive back to the lodge because I knew I would see Vipsania there. I was afraid that she might make this worse if she ever breathed a word to Valter and that too about Anna. Valter didn’t like Anna much and he was very suspicious about her from the very beginning. He’d definitely breed suspicion about me too if he ever got to know that I fought with his sister just because of Anna.

Damn it, this was already starting to give me a headache.

Fortunately, Vipsania wasn’t anywhere to be seen when I reached the lodged. I breathed a sigh of relief as I headed to my suite while the day neared its end. I was getting ready to have dinner in my own suite, Valter called me.

I was holding my breath until he asked casually if I’d like to go out with him to have a drink but I politely declined. I wanted to have some time alone with myself- something I hadn’t been able to have since I had come down to Itaville.

Then meeting Anna wasn’t easy. Every time I see her, my self-control is tested. She is my Czira but I am bound by the Legacy’s rules. I wonder if my father faced the same issue when he met my mother. It was a mess at his time and I didn’t want to repeat it. Besides, I had worked hard for my position, I just couldn’t let it go just because of a woman. Could I?

I worked out and had a shower before going to bed. Next morning, I was up early to go to the properties. Unfortunately, Vipsania showed up too. Valter sent her on his behalf. I gave her an acknowledging nod and drove to the properties with her. No words were exchanged during the drive.

First, we went down to Valter’s property. Anna and the interior designer were already waiting there for us. The interior designed happened to be a younger guy and I didn’t miss how his eyes lingered on Anna for longer than necessary.

I couldn’t help but ground my teeth whenever I saw them talking. Meanwhile, I couldn’t do anything about the situation because my hands were tied due to Vipsania's presence. My eyes locked with Anna for a moment while Vipsania talked to the interior designed. She was very quick to look away.

I didn’t really know the reason behind why she was acting like that but it was somewhat getting on my nerves. And that interior designed guy, Hugo was internally pissing me off. I glared at him when I found him staring at Anna and it didn’t take me long to figure out that Anna was trying to avoid me.

If anything, this was fuelling my anger. It made me want to pull her aside and have my way with her until she'd be screaming my name.

Fortunately, Vipsania decided to leave after we were done with Valter’s property. I dropped her at the lodge before driving to my own property where Anna was already with that guy. They seem to be having a good talk with each other before I interrupted them with my presence.

Anna was quick to look away from my pensive gaze before we got down to discussing my property. I would notice how she would avoid talking to me and looking at me as less as possible. Even if she laid her eyes on me, she would soon look away as if I were the ugliest thing in the world.

I was grinding my teeth all the while and counting all the minutes and seconds until this would be over so that I could get her alone.

“I think this should be all for today,” Hugo said nervously as I glared at him for the last time today.

“Okay, we’ll catch up tomorrow,” Anna commented as she stole a glance at me but looked away quickly and headed outside with him. I followed her closely behind, breathing right down her neck. I saw her shiver lightly but she maintained her calm.

As soon as I saw Hugo step out of the house, I held Anna’s wrist and spun her around all of a sudden. She was taken by surprise but she quickly recovered from it and stepped back.

“Anna?” Hugo had the nerve to call for my Czira once he went outside and found that she wasn’t following him. Anna opened her mouth to speak but I was quick to answer him instead, “You can go without her,”

I didn’t hear anything from Hugo next as I stared down at Anna while she glared at me, “Let me go,” She gritted while trying to tear my fingers off her wrist. I maintained my hold on her very adamantly.

“What’s with you ignoring me?” I asked her instead as I stepped closer to her.

“I am not ignoring you, Theo. Let me go. I am busy today,” She spoke as she looked away momentarily. I knew she was lying.

“Then talk to me,” I told her.

“We are talking,” She said to me with a glare, “Just let go of my hand,” She grumbled.

“Then tell me why were you ignoring me?” I pressed.

“For the last time, Theo,” She gritted as she successfully freed her wrist from me and added, “I am just maintaining distance,” Her response took me by surprise. My eyebrows came together as I looked down at her in bewilderment.

“Distance for what?” I inquired. She shuffled on her feet nervously and again looked away momentarily before answering, “You’re already with that woman. Why would I want to do anything with you after that?”

Her words took me by surprised but the intensity of my eyes increased as I took a step closer to her and asked, “What if I tell you that I am not with that woman. Would you want to anything with me then?”

She flushed in response