“Oh, Nova’s fiance is here,” Father utters as Kingsley and David walk toward everyone.
“Alpha Arthur!” Kingsley rushes toward Alpha Arthur. The two give themselves a tight hug like long lost friends. My eyes widen as I stare at the scene right in front of me. So these two were so close. How was it possible that I was the only one who didn’t know Alpha Arthur?
The only things I knew about him was what I’d heard a copy of people say about him. Funny how those things turn out to be false. Alpha Arthur has been standing right in front of me ever since we were pups, but I never noticed him.
Maybe if I’d met him earlier, I would have been the lucky lady in his life and not Elara. I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I had been wishing I could spend more time with Alpha Arthur before we got to my father’s pack. But the Goddess was one who always had her own plans.
“Hi, pretty, nice meeting you,” Kingsley stretches his hand forward for a handshake. His voice brings me out of my thoughts.
“Hello, Kin…” Clearing my throat awkwardly, “Hello, Alpha,” I return his handshake. I can only address him as an Alpha because I have to pretend I don’t know his name. He’s next in line and Father is handing over to him soon.
“I’m yet to be an Alpha. Call me Kingsley,” his eyes travel through my body, and I roll my eyes up. I know for a fact that my brother loves she-wolves a lot, but never knew he didn’t understand boundaries. I’m his sister for fuck sake, and even if I wasn’t, I’m Alpha Arthur’s woman.
I break off the handshake and try to focus on my meal.
“Alpha Arthur, meet David, he’s my little sister’s fiance and my best friend,” I hear Kingsley introduce.
I whiff, and shake my head, “When did these two become best of friends?”
“What do you mean?” David’s voice floods in my head from the side and I immediately bow in his direction. He was already seated next to me. “I heard you, Elara,” he states and my body freezes in shock. Did he just call me, Elara?
“I told everyone your name. You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t hear me introducing you to them. So ease up. The fear written on your face is very pronounced,” Alpha Arthur whispers to me.
I gulp hard.
“Are you alright?” David asks me.
Shooting him a glance, “Yes, I am. Why do…” I bite my lips. I was about to casually ask him why he was asking. That was one of the ways that we’d get to communicate with ourselves. I had forgotten that I wasn’t in my real body. Stupid me.
“You look so uncomfortable,” David comments.
“Um, I told you I’m fine,” I make a loud noise with my throat as I tuck my hair behind my ear.
“Elara,” Alpha Arthur seeks my attention. “You’ve not eaten anything. Is that man over there bugging you?”
“No. No, he’s not,” shaking my head. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t think I’m famished right now. Can I go back to the room? I think I’m feeling some sort of headache,” my fingers rub my temple.
“It’s fine, Elara,” Alpha Arthur responds to me. He clears his throat into his fist, “Excuse me, Alpha Maxwell. My mate wants to go in and have some rest,” he announces.
“Oh! Dear!” Mother cuts in. Gazing at me, “You’ve not even touched your food,” I can hear the concern in her voice. Her words made me suddenly pick up my spoon and dig into the food. I scoop a spoonful and eat.
Taking more and more.
“Are you pregnant, Dear?” Mother utters out of the blue and I spit out my food in shock. The particles splash on her.
“Oh, no! I’m very sorry, Mu…. I mean Luna,” my hand cups my mouth.
“It’s fine, Dear. I understand why you felt uncomfortable. Pregnancy news can be embarrassing for a first time mum,” she dusts the food particles off her face. Father helped her with it.
Why does she keep speaking about pregnancy in the presence of Alpha Arthur and David? She makes it look like sex is not a big deal.
“Are you that shy?” Alpha Arthur whispers and chuckles hard. I can tell he’s having the fun of his life.
“Don’t know why she is speaking about pregnancy like it’s nothing,” I mutter the words to him.
“I like your mother already. She is a fan,” he chuckles even more.
Without responding to him, I start digging into my food again. My mind darts everywhere as I try to take it off the conversations that are going on. Mother was still speaking about the pregnancy stuff. Don’t know why she is so excited to hold Alpha Arthur’s pup.
She is a fan of Alpha Arthur and Elara. I wish she knew what she was doing to her daughter.
“Father, there is a new update on Nova’s case,” Kingsley utters.
“And what’s the update? I already asked you and David to stop searching for Nova. It’s been 4 months already,” Father replies.
So this fake David is also searching for me after what he did to me? I wish I could recall the actual event of that day. I knew David played a major role. He’s not qualified to search for me. I feel like screaming it out to his face but he’s not worth it.
“A new witness has emerged,” Kingsley informs Father. I couldn’t tell what Father’s expression was like, because my face was buried in my food.
“We always have witnesses coming up. Kingsley, we are tired of hearing their false testimony,” I hear Uncle Goddard utter.
“The news this time is different,” Kingsley continues. “The witness said he saw Nova’s body being taken away by two ladies after the incident. Nova is alive.”
Instantly, I pause. I gulp down, pressing onto the spoon in my hand. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes. My heart races as my body slightly begins to tremble. It felt like something actually consumed my body the moment I heard I was alive somewhere.
If that’s the case, then Elara’s soul is actually the one present in my body. She must have been looking for her body and how to return to it. Elara is closer than I think. My time with Alpha Arthur will soon come to an end.
“How sure are you that this witness is speaking the truth? A lot of people in the pack come with different news about Nova, just to end up extorting money from us,” Father utters.
“I believe and trust this witness. What’s there to lose? We just have to follow this person wherever and see things for ourselves. Nova’s life is worth more than money,” David adds to what Kingsley is trying to say.
Hypocrite! That has always been his personality. He acts like the perfect person in front of everyone but he’s a different person behind the scenes. I used to trust his words just the way my family still trusts his words. But not anymore. I now know him for his true color and I promise to expose that soon.
“Why don’t we give this witness a chance? This person might be right,” Alpha Arthur comments.
He also can’t wait to get rid of me and finally reunite with Elara. The thought of it is killing me so badly.
“Okay, everyone. We’ll give the witness a chance. He better be right about it this time,” Father finally accepted.
“When do we get to meet with this witness?” Alpha Arthur asked.
“Tomorrow. We already booked an appointment with him first thing at dawn tomorrow,” Kingsley responded.
“Alright, that’s fine. I will…”
“I’m done here. Can I go in and have a rest?” I cut Alpha Arthur off. My face is still buried in my food. I couldn’t take a gaze at their faces because of the tears that had already blurred my sight.
“It’s fine, Elara. I will join you soon,” Alpha Arthur gives me the permission. I immediately sprint up from my seat and storm right into the room. I slam the door shut.
My hands press onto my temples and I let out a soundless scream. The tears in my eyes begin to drop down my face. How could they? How could they all speak about me in such a manner and not consider my feelings? Father thinks I’m dead, and he’s not ready to risk spending money to search for me.
David keeps pretending to care when he doesn’t.
Alpha Arthur just wants me gone, without a second thought. The time I spent with him. The sex, the laughter, the events, all meant nothing to him. Because I’m not Elara, then I’m nothing. He couldn’t even acknowledge my feelings and think about me even once.
Just once, Alpha Arthur.
I would have felt alright even with the fact that I’d to returned to my body. Speaking and thinking about it all, the pain in my heart keeps increasing, my tears gushing down my cheeks uncontrollably.
Alpha Arthur suddenly opens the door and enters the room. He walks right straight to me, tugging me by the arm. “What is even wrong with you, Nova? Are you insane, that you want to mess things up? Why are you acting this way out of the blues,” I notice the anger that sparks in his light blue eyes.
I snatch my arm from his hand, looking right into his eyes, the pain in my heart keeps kicking. “Do you think I’m insane? Does my feelings look insane? Alpha Arthur, I love you. I’ve fallen for you and I want to be with you. What if I tell you I don’t want to return to my body? What will you do about it?”