MALIA’S POV
For the rest of the time I was in the kitchen, my whole mood was down after the thought of Zade had passed through my head. I didn’t even get to finish the meal before my instinct forced me to get up and leave the kitchen. I just wanted to be alone all of a sudden.
“Oh gracious, you haven’t even finished the meal just yet” Mary exclaimed with a displeased tone as I gently slid out of the stool.
“I am full to the throat and I need some air” I had to force myself to not let my current mood betray the lightness I have imputed in my words.
“If you say so then. I hope I will be seeing a lot of you around here” Her smile was so contagious that I had to smile too when I looked up at her.
“Oh sure you will. I have rummaged around this part of the palace and so far this is my favorite place so of course you should be expecting me every other minute of the day” I assured.
“Alright, till then” she waved with a chopping knife in her hand as I strode out of the kitchen. Immediately after I rounded the corner which I was sure she wouldn’t be able to see me again, I picked up my pace and began to jog toward my room.
I thought running away from home would rid me of anything Zade-related. While I had successfully removed myself from around him, to some extent, I was completely wrong. The memory was still tied up to me like a sour wound and I couldn’t run away from.
Just the thought of him had me holding back my tears in the presence of others. And all I wanted to do was lock myself in a secluded read and cry my eyes out. Fueled by that thought, I ran toward my room.
“Shit!” I collided with a wall and held my forehead in an attempt to ease the almost unbearable pain. I slammed my head so hard that my vision was blurry for a second there. Or was it the tears?”
“Oh no! My bad. This is my fault and I deeply apologize for that” What I thought was a wall turned out to be full full-grown adult werewolf and was engrossed in apologizing.
“You don’t have to apologize” I still held my head while I spoke. “This is a mistake from the both of us. We should have been a bit more careful with our steps”
“Here, let me see the head” He gently moved my hand away and examined the forehead while I, in turn, used that opportunity to do an examination of his face.
I have never met him, that is correct but at the same time, he looked eerily familiar. I didn’t know how to explain that, but I felt I had seen that face somewhere even when I knew I had never.
“There is no damage, thankfully” His words forcefully tore me away from my thoughts and I shifted my gaze away from his face immediately.
“Err…yes, thank you” I responded, shaking my head to ease the awkwardness that was starting to set in.
“I am Ronan” He stretched his hand forward toward me.
“It’s nice meeting you Ronan” I held his hand firmly, carrying a firm smile on my face also.
“I have never seen you around here.”
“Oh yes, I just arrived today” I responded rather too fast for my liking but he didn’t seem to mind.
“So how is our palace treating you?”
“I haven’t had the opportunity to explore just yet but so far with the few places I have been to, I think it will turn out better than I expected” I answered back with honesty.
“You are going to like it here, that I am sure of. Are you here to visit a friend? A family?”
“No, I uhm…. I was rescued?” my response came out like a question.
“Rescued?” He frowned, his tone filled with confusion which he tried not to show.
“Yes, by someone, and I was brought here because technically, I have nowhere else to go” I shrugged like it meant nothing.
I didn’t even know why I was opening up to a stranger I just met, but somehow, I didn’t regret it.
“This person that rescued you, do you happen to know his name?” He was suddenly very interested in knowing who it was.
“Ryder. He told me his name was Ryder. He gave me a room and everything essential. I don’t know much but he seems to be some sort of important figure around here” I stated truthfully.
“Oh!” He exclaimed. “That is my brother and he is the Alpha technically” He responded with a light chuckle, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“What?” I couldn’t help but yell out. “He is the Alpha of this….” I waved my hand around the place indicating the pack.
“Yes,” He nodded without a doubt. “My brother is the Alpha of the Red Claw pack” He replied as a matter of fact.
Now that I knew what his position was, many puzzles began to fall into place. No wonder he had this air of strength and superiority everywhere he went.
The way he carried himself, the respect from all over the place, it all made sense now.
“You were going somewhere I believe?” He questioned and began to move beside me toward my room.
“Yes, to my room” I replied, still in a daze.
He walked me to my room as I led the way until we stopped right in front of my door.
“Thank you for keeping me company Ronan, I appreciate.”
“What do you say dinner? In my place tonight?”
I wanted to say “no” right away but I hesitated because he hadn’t given me any reason to. So I settled with, “That won’t be a problem. You will have to come and get me though”
“I will do that, thank you….?”
“Malia, I am Malia”
We shook hands again and he strolled away while I walked into my room.