Savannah’s POV
“Please believe me. I really don’t want you to get hurt”
“I am hurt” I replied as I looked into his eyes “I am really hurt. And the person who hurt me was not anyone else but you. It’s you who hurt me so much. Why? What kind of sin did that hurt me like this?”
Hardwick closed his eyes for a moment. I can see the pain reflecting on his face. Most of the time his face would remain emotionless but today seeing his painful look it suddenly clenched my heart. It felt like his pain was stabbing me deeply.
He let out a heavy sigh “I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you no matter what” he shook his head.
“But you did,” I told him. “I asked you so many times to tell me the truth. Because I knew it would come out one day whether you like it or not because the past doesn’t leave us when it is too dark. It hurts me so much to know about the past which involved you greatly whether you were willing or not. I am hurt because I wanted to know the truth from you but unfortunately I have to find it from other people. You said we are mates but you couldn’t trust me enough to share your past events. Is this how you put your trust in your mate?”
“No don’t say that” Hardwick shook his head “please don’t say like that. I knew it was my fault for not telling you the truth but I was scared”
I frowned. Am I hearing right? The great Alpha of Dark Forest was scared? But scared of what? What made him so scared that he could not tell me about his past?
Before I could question him he said again “I was scared to lose you. It has been so many years that I was trying to find my mate but I never got one. Then I started to lose my interest in finding one and buried myself in pack work. After my parents died I only focused on my pack. That was until you walked into my life and changed everything. I kidnapped you that day because I couldn’t control myself. I wanted you to stay by my side forever. And the reason I refrained myself from talking about my own past is because I didn’t want to lose you. It was already hard enough to find you and if I told you about my past and if you had left then I couldn’t bear that pain. I never want to go through the feelings of loneliness again. So I tried to hide it from you. But I never expected that that damn bitch will show up out of nowhere”
I looked at him as he explained himself carefully. I let each and every word of him to digest in my mind. I sighed.
“I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t. If I knew that she would come back to ruin my life again then I would have taken the situation in my hand” he gritted his teeth. “I would have never let her step in my pack again”
“That’s why I said you don’t trust me much” I told him. “If you trusted me enough then you wouldn’t let fear consume your mind and heart. You would have told me everything that happened”
He looked at me with guilty eyes. I really don’t want him to have such an expression. So I cupped his face “I followed you from my pack to yours why? Because I have placed all my belief and trust on you along with my heart. Then how come you thought that I will leave because of your past. I am hurt because it was not you who told me about your past. It’s kind of insulting to know the secrets of your mate from another person. I just wanted you to have trust in me that I will never leave you, no matter what. You have to trust me on this point” I tried to explain myself to make him understand me.
“The matter of Delaney and I happened when we were teenagers. She was sixteen and I was twenty. Delaney and I almost grew up together but separately. She used to be the daughter of a pack priest. But I never gave any importance to her. Dad used to trust Ajim, Delaney’s father in pack matters. On the day of my 20 birthday Delaney confessed to me saying she has a huge crush on me and wanted me to take her as a girlfriend. I denied it because I never saw her in such a way. For me she was always the member of the pack and a daughter of the priest. I never had any like romantic affection towards her”
“What happened after that?” I asked.
Hardwick sighed “after the celebration, me and some of my friends had toast. It was a happy time and I was enjoying my time with my friends. I never thought that after being rejected Delaney would choose another way to make me accept her. She spiked my drink and I was so drunk that I couldn’t understand what’s happening around me. I was tipsy and couldn’t even walk properly. I felt someone helped me to walk. My vision was blurry and my mind was messy so I don’t know who it was. After we walked into my room my body fell on the bed and then I really don’t know what happened next. In the morning when I work up I found myself naked and Delaney was sleeping besides me”
I frowned at his explanation “that could have been just some act. How come it was clear that you two had sex that night?”
“Well even though I don’t know what exactly happened that night, the next morning Delaney had hickies on her body and there was blood on the bed. She was a virgin and from all of those aspect everyone concluded that we slept together”
I rolled my eyes. May be they really had sex but this matter was not clear. Hardwick was drunk so the person who helped him to get into his room was absolutely Delaney. She plotted it too well for everyone to think that whatever happened between them was a mistake.
“What did others say about that matter?” I asked him.
“My parents didn’t take the matter too seriously while Ajim made it a big matter. He wanted me to give him a good explanation about his daughter. She lost her virginity and in future when she will find a mate it will be difficult for Delaney because no man will want a woman who lost her virginity to another male. At that time Delaney said it was her fault and she has a crush on me. Ajim asked me to take his daughter as my wife when time comes if not then he will not leave the matter easily”
“It more feels like he is colliding with his own daughter” I rolled my eyes.
Hardwick chuckled “at that time I was not sure of it. Firstly because of Delaney’s terrible act. And secondly because because of what we had that fucking night”
“What happened then?”
“Ajim started to nag to give his daughter a title. Because of this matter dad started to get angry and finally removed Ajim from his post. It made Ajim more ferocious. Delaney cried and asked me to help her. I confronted her then she admitted that it was her who spiked the drink and she was the one who lost her own virginity to me” He rubbed his temple.
“She could stoop to that low point? Looking at her no one could tell how black her heart is. She could do anything to get what she wanted. She could even utter nonsense that you both had deep affection and I am middling between you two”
“She is just a bitch who couldn’t control her greed” Hardwick hissed.
I knew the story but the deep connection between him and Delaney was opened by him. Luina’s aunt also said that He and Delaney were found sleeping together the next day but how it was unknown. Now hearing the story from Hardwick I can finally understand this matter.
“How was the reaction of your parents after she confessed the truth?”
“Ajim was shocked. He never thought his delicate looking daughter would do such a shameless thing at such a young age. As for dad he was too angry. Because of Delaney the whole pack elders started to accuse me of molesting an innocent girl. So when Delaney confessed in fear dad was beyond angry. She caused the reputation of the pack drown in the sea of Shame so he ordered to send Delaney to East side”
“East Side?” I frowned. I have heard this name. I also got to know that most of the pack Elders live there but why was Delaney sent there? Is it because of her sin?
“She was, the next morning without anyone Knowing. Ajim didn’t even look at his daughter after her confessions. I really pity him for putting so much trust to someone who couldn’t stand on his ideals”
“How long is that matter?”
Hardwick smiled “so curious to know huh?”
“Tell me please” I shook his arm.
He chuckled “7 years”