Jackson looked at me and took a step forward, then stopped abruptly. It was as though I had pricked him.
If only I could.
If only I were a porcupine shifter or something-if those even existed. All those little needles to protect myself from all these Alphas and their tempers.
He let out a huff. “I don’t need you to flatter me. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
I’d readied myself to fight with him; I didn’t expect him to say such a thing.
It threw me off-kilter.
And now he was smiling, which threw me off even more.
He seemed genuinely concerned about my physical condition and asked a few more questions.
Jackson turned around, picked up the plate on the table, and handed it to me. “Eat something first.”
I did not respond, just stared blankly at the food on the plate.
“Taya?”
When Jackson called my name, I slowly raised my head to look at him.
I tried to keep my expression bland and indifferent, but I couldn’t help the tears in my eyes.
My hopes that he didn’t see them were dashed when I saw his chest heave and his eyes soften.
He was about to speak, but I didn’t want his pity. How dare he.
“If you want to make sure I’m fine, then why did you treat me like that five years ago?”
Jackson didn’t have an answer.
Five years ago, he had just lost his memory and was unfamiliar with everything and everyone.
Every single thing in his life was strange, was a struggle. And Taya came to him every day and explained over and over again. It didn’t matter how many times she said it-he didn’t remember.
In the midst of that, he received information about her, and it didn’t show her in a great light. It made her appear to be conniving and scheming.
He’d snapped.
That was why he ordered the security guard to throw her out, even though she was still kneeling at the door then.
It was the worst thing he could have ever done to her, and the guilt was unbearable.
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… I was so overwhelmed…”
Jackson couldn’t find the right words to continue. A strange feeling spread through him, and he struggled to try to figure out what it was. His wolf nudged him, and his realization took him aback.
Embarra*sment. That’s what it was.
Definitely an emotion that Alphas didn’t tend to have a lot of experience with…
Even if Taya had bad intentions at the time, he shouldn’t have ordered pack guards to physically throw her out.
His thoughts had gone off track, and he hadn’t directly answered her question. She didn’t care that he was overwhelmed and confused five years ago; she cared about how he’d physically hurt her.
Subconsciously, he probably didn’t want to discuss it, so his wolf had derailed his thoughts and made him deflect.
Taya didn’t ask any more questions, and Jackson was puzzled by her silence after being so forthright with him just a few minutes ago.
When she came to the airport to pick him up, he had apologized.
It didn’t matter, and she’d blown him off, still didn’t like him.
Now, when he apologized to her again regarding having the pack guards throw her out, she still didn’t respond.
What more did she want from him? He’d already given her two more apologies than any other Alpha would offer up.
He couldn’t figure it out and wanted to ask more questions, but Taya said lightly, “Alpha Sterling, please take me home.”
Jackson set his jaw, his eyebrows narrowing a bit.
It was clear they weren’t going to get anywhere with this conversation. She’d s hut him down and z hut him out.
“I’m so sorry to trouble you, Alpha.”
Where was this demure, quiet woman coming from? It was a drastic change in tone from her previous words to him.
She must be desperate to get home, to get away from him.
And he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
Jackson handed the plate of food to me. “I’ll take you home after you eat something.”
I didn’t have much of an appetite, and the last thing I wanted to do was cat. But when he promised to take me home after I ate, I obediently took the plate.
After breakfast, it took some effort to change into my clothes.
I’d worn a professional suit to attend the bidding conference yesterday, and thankfully, the loose-fitting trousers covered up my swollen legs.
After I changed, Jackson came in again as I was thinking about how to ask him to help me get downstairs. My legs were so stiff, I didn’t think I’d be able to manage on my own.
As if Jackson had read my mind, he walked over and gathered me up in his arms.
He took me surprised, but he said lightly, “If you could leave on your own, you wouldn’t have asked me to take you home.”
I dipped my head, a bit embarra*sed that he could see through me so easily.
The woman in his arms was too light.
No matter how much she weighed, it wouldn’t matter given his wolf’s strength.
But this…she felt like a feather in his arms.
It seemed that a slight gust of wind could b low her emaciated body away.
Jackson’s heart ached to see Taya like this.
“Taya…”
After he carried her out of the villa, he called her name softly.
Taya looked up at him and waited quietly without saying anything.
After a moment of silence, Jackson lowered his head. “I’m sorry I forgot you. Please don’t hat e me.’
She searched his face, and he hoped she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
Frowning, her eyes furrowed in thought, she asked, “Did you really… lose your memory?”
Jackson nodded. “I tried to regain it, but whenever I fought to remember something, I would be overcome with migraines.”
Especially when he thought of her.
That was when his head hurt even more.
It was like his brain was preventing him from recalling anything related to Taya.