by Rua Hasan
I was pulled from Alex’s arms and into Aiden’s. I rolled my eyes at his possessive attitude. Always depend on Aiden to get jealous over anyone, especially a forty-year-old.
Alex gave me a confused look.
“You used to come here with Jimmy all the time, but I’ve never seen him before,” he said.
I could feel Aiden’s hold on me tighten when he heard Jimmy’s name.
“Alex, this is Aiden, my mate,” I mumbled.
Alex gave me a huge smile when he heard that I found my mate.
“Ah, that’s wonderful. So what do you want? The usual?” Alex asked, and I nodded my head.
The whole time we were in the shop, Aiden was quiet. But I could tell he was sending death glares to Alex.
Once we were done, I said goodbye to Alex, and we got into the car with the flowers in my hands.
“Can you tell me what’s going on! Who was he, and who’s Jimmy? Why on earth do you have flowers with you? What’s so important about today?” Aiden asked all in one breath.
“You’ll find out soon. Just drive while I give you the directions,” I said, and Aiden sighed in defeat.
Twenty minutes later, we made it to the graveyard. I got out of the car with Aiden following behind me. I made my way to Alice’s and Mason’s graves. Before Alice died, she told me that she wanted to be buried next to Mason. So that’s what I did. Who am I to separate them even at death?
Once I was there, I sat next to Alice’s grave while Aiden stood in front of me. I laid the flowers on Mason’s and Alice’s graves.
“Meet Alice, a special person to me. She was like my sister and best friend.”
I paused.
Aiden didn’t say anything. He just stood quietly.
“Alice and I went to high school here. She was a werewolf, and I’m a vampire, which meant we were supposed to hate each other, but it was a completely different story. She was my motivation in life and still is. She died many years ago and asked to be buried next to her mate,” I said as I pointed to Mason’s grave.
“Once she died, my world stopped. I felt like it was the end, and I promised myself never to get attached to someone ever again. I come here every year. Jimmy was her grandchild, but he died years ago too. Now it’s just me. And I fear it will forever just be me.”
I didn’t know I was crying until Aiden sat next to me and pulled me into his arms. He wiped the tears from my cheek and brought my face to the crook of his neck as he patted my back.
“Let it out,” he whispered, and that was all I needed to let it go.
Chapter 11
The birds were singing, and the trees were dancing with the wind. The sun was shining so bright that day I had to wear sunscreen. The leaves made crunching sounds as I stepped on them and made my way through the forest.
It had been two days since I went to visit Alice’s grave, and I was really embarrassed to face Aiden. I knew I shouldn’t be, but I couldn’t help it. I tried to avoid him as much as possible by hanging out with Marie and sleeping in her room.
What does he think of me?
Probably some kind of weakling.
I talked with my parents every day, and yesterday they told me that they will have to stay with Uncle Robert for much longer. His health was fine. The bruises and injuries he got from the fight were healing. It was his mental health that worried my parents. They told me he lost a special human friend that was involved in the fight, and it was ruining him. I understood completely because I knew how it felt to lose someone special.
I made my way through the forest, swinging my picnic basket back and forth, while Sarah was ahead of me, chasing a butterfly while laughing. I asked Emily from the orphanage if I could take her out today, and she was more than delighted to accept.
We stopped near a lake and sat under a tree. I laid the blanket I brought on the green grass and put the basket on top of it.
Sarah sat on my lap as she took a sandwich from the basket and had a bite. I grabbed the book I stored in it and turned to the first page as I took a sip from the blood bag I brought with me.
The book was called A Place Called Here. I began to read it to Sarah, and she listened carefully. The past few times spent with her, I could tell she was a really wise girl even for her age. I grew attached to her the moment I laid eyes on her. Yes, cheesy, I know. When I told her to call me Stella instead of Luna, she came up with Stel.
As I read through the third page, Sarah grabbed a strand of my hair and twirled it with her fingers. It looked like she was lost in thought.
I bent the corner of the page, so later on, I would know where I stopped.
“A penny for your thoughts?” I asked.
She looked up at me with her mesmerizing big brown eyes which I could get lost in.
“Stel, do you sometimes feel like you don’t belong?” she asked.
Woah.
This is what I meant when I called her wise. You don’t usually hear an eight-year-old ask that.
I nodded my head at her.
“It’s normal to feel out of place at times. You feel lonely and like everyone’s against you,” I said, and she nodded her head.
“But that doesn’t mean that we don’t truly belong. It just means that we have a different way of seeing things.
“We look at the thing as if it’s giving the wrong impression, but that’s not always the case. But our ‘enemies’ aren’t always the bad ones. It’s sometimes us. We put negative thoughts into our own minds, like ‘They don’t like me’ or ‘I don’t belong here,’ and we forget to learn how to love ourselves.”
“Tell me, Sarah, what do you love about yourself?” I asked.
My question must have hit her by surprise because she took a while to think before she answered.
“I love the color of my hair,” she said.
I nodded my head for her to continue.
“I also love the way my voice sounds when I sing. Mama used to say that all the time,” she whispered the last part.
I gave her a hug, rested my chin on her head, and ran my hand through her hair.
I pointed to a bunch of birds flying above us.
“You see that bird that is behind all the other birds?” I asked.
Sarah nodded.
“He’s behind not because he’s the weakest or the slowest. He’s behind because he’s the wisest. While all the other birds are using up all their energy to fly the fastest, he’s taking his time and saving his energy for later use. So when the time comes, he will be the one flying in the front.”
Sarah looked up at me and spoke, “So what you’re saying is that all things happen for a reason. That sooner or later it will become better?”
I smiled at her and nodded as I grabbed the book and continued where I left off.
After I had returned Sarah to the orphanage, we said our goodbyes, and I promised to come back again soon.
I made my way to the kitchen and saw Aiden eating an apple. I turned around hoping he would not notice me, but it was too late.
Once he saw me, he threw his apple away and rushed over to me. He grabbed my wrist, and I felt those sparks return as pulled me to his chest.
“Why are you avoiding me?” he growled.
I put on my best confused face and spoke, “What are you talking about? I’m not avoiding you.”
He didn’t look like he believed me. He cornered me against the counter with his arms around. He bit my earlobe, and shivers ran down my spine.
“Sunshine, you’re being naughty today. First avoiding me, then lying. You should be punished.”
Before I could say anything or realize what was happening, his lips touched mine.
This kiss was rough, no sweet and gentle one. I didn’t want to get too into the kiss because we were in a public area and I didn’t want to risk having someone come in and see us. But something also told me that I was lying to myself. I was afraid of getting attached all over again.
His lips fit mine perfectly. I coul
dn’t resist it; my instinct took over, and my lips moved on their own accord.
A few moments later, Aiden bit my lip, asking for entrance, but I pulled away before he could ask for more and said, “You think of me as some kind of weakling, don’t you?”
My question made Aiden chuckle.
“If it’s about what happened two days ago, then you are wrong. I don’t think of you as some kind of weakling,” he said as he caressed my cheek.
“I think you are a very strong woman for what you’ve been through. It made you the woman you are today.”
I nodded, letting his words overflow my mind. No one ever told this to me in my face. I guess I was just too shocked to deny his words.
Is this how he sees me? Strong?
He pulled away and grabbed my hand. He dragged me out of the kitchen and into the living room.
“Want to watch a movie?” Aiden asked.
It’s been a while since I actually relaxed and watched a movie. I guess it wouldn’t be that bad.
“Ya, sure, what’re we watching?” I asked.
Aiden was looking through the cabinets, then he took out a CD and showed it to me. Once I saw what the movie was, I laughed real hard: The Lion King.
The big bad Alpha was going to watch The Lion King. Yeah, it’s a great movie, but I couldn’t imagine Aiden snuggling up in a blanket as he cried his eyes out. That was a sight I was willing to see.
“What? Why are you laughing? Is there something on my face?” Aiden asked.
I shook my head at him and sat on the couch, getting comfortable.
Aiden shrugged his shoulders then started the movie and sat next to me.
During the movie, I would check on Aiden to see if he was tearing up. But I finally gave up when nothing happened. He seemed to be really into the movie while I was dozing off. I’d seen this more than twenty times.
I don’t remember when, but somewhere during the movie, I fell asleep.
I woke up to see the moon shining into the room. I was in bed with Aiden. I grabbed my phone and checked the time: 2:00 am.
My throat felt dry, so I got up and headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
When I got there, I saw the lights on. I walked into the kitchen and found Liam stuffing a sandwich in his mouth.
“Well, somebody’s hungry at a time like this,” I teased as I grabbed a glass from the cabinet.
“Hey, I’m the Beta. I need all the energy I can get. Give me some credit,” Liam said.
I laughed at his lame excuse and poured the water into the glass then took a sip.
“So how are things going on between you and Aiden?” Liam asked.
It took me a moment to answer his question. I didn’t really know what to say.
Yes, I have been warming up to Aiden, but it’s complicated.
“I don’t really know. It’s so confusing,” I whispered.
“Because you’re immortal and he isn’t?” he asked.
I nodded my head.
“Aiden is a really confusing guy. Trust me, I know. All the years I’ve spent with him, he had always been the lone wolf. He grew up learning to be responsible because he is the heir of the pack. So that’s why he’s always so serious. But ever since you’ve arrived, he has been more cheerful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile at anyone other than me, Marie, and his parents.”
The mention of his parents made me curious.
“Where are his parents? I mean, I haven’t seen them,” I said.
Liam took the last bite from his sandwich and spoke, “They’re spending their anniversary in Paris. They left a day before you and your parents arrived. They will be coming back in two days.”
Two days. I’m going to meet my mate’s parents in two days. That’s a very short time.
What if they don’t like me because I’m a vampire? What if they make Aiden reject me?
All these possibilities were running through my head.
“Don’t worry, Stella. I bet they’ll love you,” Liam said.
“Pft. Who said I was worrying?” I said as I made my way to the door. I was getting tired, and I wanted to go back to sleep.
Liam rolled his eyes at me as we made our way upstairs.
Before we walked our separate ways, Liam called out to me. I turned around to look at him when he said, “Give Aiden a chance. You’ve made him a better person.”
And with that, he walked off and disappeared into the empty hallway, leaving me thinking about what he just said.
Chapter 12
Aiden
My eyes opened as the sunlight shined into the room. The birds were singing as they flew by the window. The smell of strawberry and chocolate filled my nose. I inhaled the heavenly scent. I look down to see Stella snuggling into my chest. I couldn’t help but smile.
The very first moment I laid eyes on Stella I knew she was special. She was different. And she was strong.
I didn’t want to get up. All I wanted to do was lay in bed all day as I watch Stella sleep, but I couldn’t do that.
This was going to be a very busy day. My parents were coming that night, and the pack was holding a welcome home ceremony.
I remember when I told my parents that I found my mate. They didn’t care that she was a vampire. I mean, yes, they were a little concerned about her immortality, but I told them that I didn’t care if she ages or not as long as she’s with me. Other than that they were so excited, especially my mom. She wanted to see my mate so badly. They told me that I had to take good care of Stella and treat her like a queen.
If only she can just give in. She’s been resisting me since she first saw me. I know that she’s worried about the future and what’s coming, but sometimes you just got to live.
Of course, I’ve thought about some solutions with Stella about living my life with her as a vampire, but she shut me up almost immediately. She didn’t want to go through the risk of turning me into one. She said that it’s really dangerous and sometimes might not work. And if it did work, it would be difficult to handle with all the pain and craving for blood, which will make you go crazy.
Another reason was that my title as the Alpha of the most feared pack would only draw too much attention if I were a vampire. The elders would probably take away my ranking, for a vampire as an Alpha was never heard of.
These were Stella’s words, not mine. I couldn't care less of what ranking I was or who I was to the pack. As long as I had Stella by my side, I wouldn’t care.
I kissed Stella’s forehead and got up to take a shower. Once I came out of the bathroom, Stella was still asleep. I made my way to the door quietly, not wanting to wake her up.
I walked to my office and opened my laptop as I sat down. I called Clarke, the third in command in this pack, and made sure everything was ready for the party. I didn’t want anything ruining tonight because my parents will finally meet my mate.
Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I yelled.
Liam opened the door and walked right in. He had a worried face on, which got my guards up.
“Aiden, another two rouges were found hanging near the border,” Liam said.
I sighed in annoyance.
We never really had a problem with rogues. They didn’t dare cross the most dangerous pack in America. It’s just lately they were found near our border seeming suspicious. I didn’t send my guards to kill them because they weren’t trespassing, I had them sent away far from the pack, but they just keep returning.
It’s like they want something, and they won’t leave me alone until they get it.
“What did you do?” I asked Liam.
“We had them sent away far from here. Again.”
I ran my hands over my face and said, “Increase the guards around the border. If they step one foot into the pack, then don’t hesitate to kill them.”
Liam nodded his head at me then walked out of the door as I continued to work on a couple of papers.
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Half an hour later, I got a call from my mom. Once I picked up the call, her cheerful voice boomed through the speaker.
“Aiden, how are you doing?” my mom asked.
“I’m fine, Mom. How are you? When does your flight take off?” I asked.
“Me and your father are already seated. We’re waiting for the flight to take off in about five minutes. Just wanted to say hi before we take off.”
I heard my father’s voice in the background.
“Oh, and your dad asks if there is going to be any chicken wings when we get back,” my mom asked playfully.
I laughed at my father’s question. He always had a thing for chicken wings.
“Yes, Mom. I’ll make sure there will be a lot,” I said.
I said goodbye to my parents then hung up.
I looked at the time: 8:00 am. My parents were going to arrive around eight to nine pm, so that gave us enough time to prepare. The ceremony was going to be held in the same place where Stella’s ceremony was held, the center of the pack.
I continued working for another two hours until the clock struck ten. Stella must be up by now.
I got up and made my way towards our room. I saw Stella showered and all dressed.
Her scent was overflowing the room which was what I liked most. Ever since I saw her, my wolf wanted to mark her, but I had to control myself. I didn’t want to do something that will make her hate me. I couldn’t lose her after all those years of looking for her.
“Let’s go have breakfast,” I said and pulled her to my chest. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and we walked out the door. We got in the car, and I drove off to my favorite place to eat.
Half an hour later, we were seated at our table with our breakfast in front of us. I ordered scrambled eggs while Stella ordered toast. We were both eating in silence as I admired the way she was eating. Simply beautiful.
“So, Stella, tell me more about yourself. What do you like to do? How did you grow up? What’s your favorite color? How many boys have you dated in the past?” I growled to myself when I asked that last part quickly. I didn’t want Stella to have a history with any other man but me.
Stella rolled her eyes at me and said, “Well, I like to read and watch movies—you know, the usual. I grew up traveling with my parents, but the four years of high school I spent it in Ervin with Alice. My favorite color is red. It’s the color of blood, and I don’t remember how many guys I’ve dated. They’re simply too many.”