Reed’S POV.
Alpha Kai is recovering. I figured out the person behind the sudden attack in the woods. Everything is calm again…
For now.
I can finally breathe, but there’s one person I need to talk to before that happens.
Halle.
I need to talk to her.
I need to thank her for keeping Alora away from the news and making sure she didn’t come in contact with anyone who could tell her about what was going on. I would not have been able to deal with her drama and Alpha Kai’s situation.
I fish out my cell phone from my pocket and my heart soars and plummets as I search for her phone number in my contact list. I have no idea why I’m so excited at the thought of me seeing her soon.
When I dial her number, she picks on the fourth ring.
“Where are you?” I ask with a raspy voice. I try to keep it as emotionless as possible. No matter what I feel, I cannot afford to let Halle be aware of what goes on in my mind and heart and body as a whole when I’m in her presence or when I merely think about her.
Jesus!
“Somewhere.”
“I’m guessing that somewhere has a name and is accessible.” I tell her plainly. She lets out a small sigh.
“What do you want?”
“You haven’t answered my question. Where are you?” I can hear her rolling her eyes on the other end of the phone. That’s not a problem as long as she’s going to tell me where she is.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Halle.”
“Luna Alora’s private training arena.”
“I’ll be there in five. Wait for me.” I end the call and take long strides over to my car.
“Omega Reed, do you need me to drive you?” A young soldier asks and I quickly shake my head.
“Thank you Charlie, but I’ve got this.”
“Alright.” He steps back and I open the driver’s seat door and hop into the car. My heart race increases at an increasingly rapid pace as I drive all the way to the pack training centre.
I’m going to see her.
I’m going to speak with her.
I am going to inhale her perfect, mind-blowing scent.
I’m excited. I can’t even deny that fact.
“Halle.” I whisper her name the moment I step into the arena and spot her sitting in a far corner of the room. Luckily she doesn’t hear me. I take out time to adjust myself and wear my most serious look before walking towards her.
She is not allowed to know I’m excited to see her. That I think about her every second of the day. That I have a fat crush on her.
And most importantly, she can never know that she is the first girl that has ever made my heart beat abnormally.
“Omega Reed.” She calls and rises to her feet and bows the moment she turns and sees me approaching.
That formal act of hers irks me.
I wish I could tell her to call me Reed. To not bow whenever she sees me, but I can’t. I stop a few metres from her and shove bother hands in my trouser pockets.
She’s dressed smartly as always. A pair of black joggings, black t-shirt and black shoes and black sling bag over her shoulder.
She has a thing for black.
Black’s my favourite colour too.
“You got the day off, why are you here and not at home instead?”
“Just because.” She shrugs her shoulders. I nod my head and Sit on the bench. She does the same. “Why did you want to see me?”
“To thank you?” I look at her. Surprise flashes in her eyes.
“Thank me?” She places her right palm on her chest in surprise. “What for?”
“For taking Luna Alora home the moment I commanded you to and keeping her away from the media and making sure news about Alpha Jayce’s predicament did not reach her before it was time for me to tell her everything. That was a brave and difficult thing to do.”
“You have no idea. She’s feisty. Almost ripped my ears off with her screams.” She chuckles a little and her dimples don’t go unnoticed.
Jesus.
She’s pretty.
I clear my throat and try to focus my mind on something else.
“Exactly why I need to thank you for putting up with her.”
“Anytime. It’s my duty to protect Luna Alora from anything that might bring her pain, be it emotionally or physically.” I simply nod my head. A moment of silence goes by.
The normal me will tell her that’s all I came to say and leave, but the me right now, who has a fat crush on this girl sitting by my side, is calmly seated on this bench, not knowing what to do with myself.
“I heard you led the troops into the woods to save Alpha Jayce. Are you alright?” She asks softly and I turn to look at her. I drown in her green eyes.
“Were you worried about me?” I ask out of nowhere. My heart leaps when she nods her head.
“Yes, I was.”
“Why?”
“Because you are the Omega of the pack. We all need you. Without you, things will go wrong around here.”
Disappointment tugs my heartstrings.
I wanted her to say something different.
“Just that?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m disappointed.” I mutter under my breath.
I thought she was worried for a personal reason.
“Huh?”
Thank God she didn’t hear that.
“Nothing.” I rise to my feet. “I’ll take my leave now. See you around.” I walk away without a heavy heart.
Halle apparently doesn’t feel the same way I do for her.
****************************************
Halle’S POV.
I give several gentle pats on my chest with my right palm, trying to call my raging heart. Sitting in close proximity to Omega Reed. Breathing the same air as him. Talking with him always makes my heart careen out of control.
Whenever I am in his presence, I get intimidated, excited, amused and afraid all at once because of his powerful domineering aura and the irony of it all is that it makes him charming, dreamy.
I have the fattest crush on him and only the moon goddess knows how much I try to keep myself together and act normally when I’m in his presence.
I love everything about him and admire every moment I spend with him.
And let’s not forget the fact that he always smells so nice.
Like heaven.
“Halle.”
Fuck!
I hate when people interrupt my thoughts.
Especially the sweet ones.
I turn to see who just called and I’m shocked to see Tania approaching me with a shy smile on my face.
Ever since that embarrassing encounter I had with her at the cafeteria, I haven’t had the mind to face her because of what she probably thinks about me.
She comes over and sits by my side and I’m still looking at her in awe.
“Here to pick up from where you ended the other day?”
“I don’t understand. Pick up with what exactly?”
“Berating me about hating Luna Alora.” She chuckles and sighs. I’m surprised.
“About that.” She’s rubbing her palms together and giving me a strange look. “I have something to confess to you.”
“What’s that?” I have a neutral look on. I refuse to be humiliated once again.
“The truth is, last time when you told how much you hated Luna Alora and castigated you for saying such a thing, I was pretending.” My head detonates like ten dynamites. Chills run down my spine and my eyes widen in shock.
“What?” I ask, shocked to the core. She nods, smiling very hard.
“Yes. I was. And I did so because I didn’t know if you were being serious or not. I didn’t know if it was a plan to weed out Luna Alora’s foes and have me fired. You know, I really need this job even though I hate doing it.”
I’m looking at her in awe. My mouth is hanging on my kneecaps.
I’m flabbergasted! I am dumbstruck!
This can’t be happening.
“Wow!” I chuckle and shake my head. “Wow! You really got me scared that day Tania. I thought you were going to rat me out and I’ve been walking on eggshells around you all this while. You have no idea how relieved I am to know that you and I are on the same page.”
“I know right. It feels good to have someone you can badmouth Luna Alora with.”
“It’s refreshing” I force a laugh. She joins me and it feels good.
It feels good because I’ve caught her.
Perhaps, Omega Reed was right.
Tania could indeed be working with people who want to get rid of both Luna Alora and Alpha Jayce.