Logan
After the meal, the first guests to live are Cole and Kurt with their mates. It has been a successful evening, except for my mate pitching me to her friends. I have decided to take it lightly but the empty seat next to mine has made it impossible. I don’t get her attitude toward me. I don’t understand why on earth she is being so repellent to me.
I have managed to keep a jovial hosting mood, and all my guests look satisfied.
The next guests to leave the table are Jordan and Katherine.
“I think we should get going. Thank you for the meal, alpha,” Jordan says, pushing back the chairs they were sitting on.
“Arya, can we meet and talk tomorrow? You can call me and let me know if you are up to it,” Katherine tells Arya, a bright grin on her face.
“I will. Thank you for coming,” Arya responds, getting out of her seat and moving to her. The two ladies embrace themselves, being overdramatic, I think, on Katherine’s side.
“Good night. Take care of yourself,” Katherine says to Arya, kissing her on the cheek.
“Good night, too. I will,” Arya responds and the two separate from each other. There is a sudden swell of pride when I realize how fast my mate was accepted and loved by my pack members. It goes with how willing they were to fight for her and her pack. I can’t help smiling at that.
Alpha Eric and his Luna get up thereafter and both kiss Arya, saying emotional goodnight though they are going to be in the same house for the night. Anyway, being in different wings, it might feel like they will be indifferent houses.
When they live, Jex and Penelope are the last to get up. While they hug Arya good night, they are more melodramatic than Katherine and Ella combined. Arya does seem not to want them to leave.
“Can I escort you? I want to see where you are sleeping,” Arya asks Penelope.
What?
“You can come and check tomorrow. I think that would be better,” Penelope responds, her voice unsure.
“I want to do it now. It won’t take long,” Arya insists.
What the hell!
I am still in the room.
I can hear you, for fuck’s sake!
She sounds too desperate to run away from me.
Penelope’s nervous gaze reaches me. I try not to show any emotion, keeping my calm and composed demeanor.
“Come on, let’s go,” Arya says, holding Penelope’s hand and leading her to the door.
Balling my hands behind my back, I don’t say or do anything. I just look on as they all head out the door, leaving me alone in the vast dining room.
This is when I realize that whatever the matter is, it is so serious that Arya wants so badly to run away from me.
I thread my hands through my hair and tug at the roots in frustration.
Fuck!
What have I done this time that has made her hate me to this point?
Is it about the battle? Did Donovan do or say something that turned her off? Is she mad at me because I took long to come and save her?
The list of reasons seems big though they don’t make any sense. There I no reason why she would want to run away like that like… Like I am her enemy?
I go back to my seat and add more champagne to my flute and sip. I don’t know what better thing to do. I can only hope that Arya has it in her mind to come back to me. It seems more than possible that she will end up sleeping over with her friend so that she wouldn’t have to spend the night with me.
I won’t be able to sleep. I can’t sleep well without her there in my embrace. I am hating the way she has made my happiness, my peace, and my sanity so dependent on her. I would do everything on my own before she showed up, but after… Nothing makes sense. I can’t even slumber peacefully in my bed without being wrapped in her scent, her warmth, and her presence…
The servants come in to clear the table and I let them. I watch as they do their work, trying hard not to make any mistakes because my presence is enough to make them unsteady.
I chose to leave the room so that they can be more comfortable while they do their job.
“Bring me a bottle of wine to my room,” I order one of them.
“Yes, Alpha,” he responds.
I head upstairs to my bedroom with a very slim hope that Arya might be in there waiting for me.
When I open, the door, it is only emptiness that welcomes me.
Shit!
I feel even more depressed than before I brought her home!
It is now clear that she is not going to come back to me tonight.
My bottle arrives with two glasses. He places them on the table and quickly leaves.
Two glasses? Is he mocking me?
No, it is the universe mocking me.
I pull off my shirt, suddenly feeling so hot, and walk to the window. I pull aside the curtains and open the windows unveiling the balcony. It hits me that I haven’t brought Arya here yet. Now she is more than the least interested in knowing its existence.
I carry the tray to the balcony and place it on a small table between the two sofas. I can see my entire pack from up here. It was dark, except for the street lights out of my driveway and the lights from all the homes around mine and the pack house. The world looks peaceful. The story was different two days ago at this hour. I don’t want to go back there.
I open the bottle and pour it into the glass. I settle into the sofa that faces the pack and lean back, sipping the wine and hoping that I will stop overthinking because it is starting to make my head hurt.
The night is generally silent and calm, with no breeze, just peace. I wish all nights were this peaceful.
On my third glass of wine, my eyes start to droop. I wanted to get drunk until I pass out into sleep because I doubt if I can manage to sleep alone with a sober mind. The moon has come out. It has started raising late. It will disappear soon and the nights will be completely dark.
I place the empty glass on the table and close my eyes. If I sleep off the balcony, I will wake up in the middle of the night to go to bed. I can’t get myself to stand and walk to bed because I know my bed still has Arya’s scent and it will hunt me, reminding me of the fact that has run away from me. I won’t be able to sleep in my bed.
Arya’s scent floods my nostrils, but I don’t move. I am probably just hallucinating. I might even be drunk. I doubt that though, I can only get drunk after a whole bottle.
I close my eyes once more and decide to let sleep take me.
Arya’s scent becomes stronger, and now I am sure that I am not just hallucinating. I open my eyes and turn to find Arya standing by the entrance to the balcony leaning against the frame.
“I was sure you were not coming back,” I tell her.
“That is what I was up to. Penny made it impossible for me to sleep over,” she replies, folding her hands in front of her chest.
“Your friend has always been more in support of our relationship than you are,” I tell her.
“It’s obvious,” she mumbles.
“You can take the bed. I will sleep here,” I offer, deciding not to go to her because she will shut me down, and I am not risking getting my feelings hurt.
I turn away from her and pour myself some more wine. Sleep has already jumped me. The silence between us stretches for a whole minute.
“It is your bed, I have no right to take it,” she says.
“It is your bed too. You should know that,” I tell her. There is another minute of silence.
“I didn’t know you had a balcony over here,” she says.
“I should have shown you. I don’t know how I forgot,” I respond. I hear her suck in a deep breath.
“I can’t sleep in that bed without you,” she confesses.
“Neither can I without you. My bedsheets smell like you,” I tell her.
“Are you still angry at me?” I ask her, without turning to look at her.
“Yes,” she responds bluntly.
“Why?” I ask, turning to look at her this time.
“Because I can’t trust you, Logan,” she responds
“Why is that so?”
“It is still too difficult for me to comprehend,” she replies.
“What is the matter, Arya? What is bothering you? Tell me,” I implore her.
She licks her lips and looks down at her bare feet.
“Come here,” I tell her, giving out my hand. She comes without objecting. She puts her hand in mine.
“Look me in the eyes and tell me what it is that makes you want to avoid me so bay,” I ask her. She looks into my eyes and chews on her lip. “And be frank because I will know if you are lying.”
“Logan, I know you were part of the plan to kill my brother and take over my pack. That is why Donovan did not kill me because I am your mate. What I don’t get is why you saved my brother yet you wanted him dead,” she says and then tries to pull her hand from mine but I hold it tighter.
“Is that what Donovan told you?” I ask.
“Partly, yes. I figured out the rest by myself,” she replies.
“And you believed him? You believed that I was capable of doing that?” I ask her.
“Yes, because there was no reason to doubt that. I saw him when he came here to meet you, to discuss your plans. I remember when I came into the office, you were so furious because apparently, I was interrupting a very important discussion. I know that is what you were up to. You set up the introduction ceremony to make it convenient because my family would be together traveling so you could capture us and kill my brother and his deputies! I know it all. I know heartless you are! You connived with the vampires to destroy my pack just for the gold!” she is yelling by the time she finishes. She pulls her hand away and I let her go this time. Tears are flowing down her cheeks.
“Why would I want to kill your brother and then save him? Why would I risk losing my warriors to fight for your pack? Why would I let your pack members take refuge in my pack? Why would I even go ahead to kill Donovan if we were partners in this mission?” I ask her.
“Did it ever cross your mind that Donovan could be lying to you? Why would you believe the words of the one who attempted to kill your brother with his own hands? Maybe he said all that to spite you because I had refused to cooperate with him in their plan. Maybe he just wanted to create this fuse between us because he just enjoys creating chaos,” I tell him. “And you believed him? Just like that? You let him come between us?”
“I had no choice, Logan. I was traumatized. I knew I had lost my brother and he was sure you are going to annex our pack to yours so that you can efficiently exploit our minerals. In that state, I could believe anything.”
“I won’t deny that I knew about their plans. Donovan came here to propose it to me but I refused because I care about you, and your family, Arya. I am not entirely heartless. I don’t just ton wealth. I work for it. My pack is wealthy enough we are not so desperate for your minerals. We wouldn’t stoop so low to the level of causing such massive destruction and bloodshed,” I tell her. I pull in a deep calming breath.
“You just don’t know me, Arya. It is just absurd that you are my marked mate and you don’t have an ounce of trust in me,” I say, my voice hasty with sadness.