I managed to change into the outfit, which had been carefully laid out on the king-size bed.
I couldn't quite tell who had prepared it for me, but I was relieved to finally take off Christian's shirt, which seemed to cling to me with his scent and served as a constant reminder of his control over me.
For reasons I could not pinpoint, this reminder hurt. The outfit was a simple blue-black dress that hugged all my curves.
As I stepped downstairs, I heard unfamiliar voices coming from what must have been the dining hall; anxiety began seeping through me at the thought of meeting the pack.
When I walked into the large room, everyone immediately turned to look at me, and the silence that ensued was almost palpable. About six other shifters were inside the hall, including one blonde woman with porcelain-like skin and hazel eyes.
She broke the silence first with an excited exclamation. "Finally! You are here!"
I tried to compose myself and smiled awkwardly, introducing myself. "Hello, I am Trisha, it is really nice to meet you all."
"You don't know how eager we were to meet the woman who finally holds our Alpha's attention," she replied cheerfully before introducing herself as Binnie and revealing she was also mated to a shifter in the pack.
"Oh, I'm sorry - I forgot to introduce myself. I am Binnie, mated to the Beta." She gestured towards a tall man standing beside her with dark brown hair and stoic green eyes.
"Sorry Ms. Trisha, we weren't able to welcome you last night. Actually, we were out for a pack run. Came back home late and was very tired " Kingston apologised while explaining the reason.
That piqued my intrested. i felt the sudden curiosity clawing through me at the word 'pack run. I have always been a sucker for knowledge of these species.
Licking my lips with a glint in my eyes, I asked, "What is a-a pack run?"
Kingston and a guy sitting next to him passed a look at each other but didn't answer me.
Disappointed, I looked at Binnie.
Looking at my face in pity, the poor girl had no choice but to answer me.
"Please ignore these two guys! They are broody as hell. Well, a pack run is where all of us, the pack mates, go out to run in our wolf form. We can also consider it as a-umm- yeah! A pack bonding time," she explained with a look a teacher bears while explaining the students.
It kind of made me smile for real. Binnie is a friendly person. In the past few minutes, I am sure that I like her already.
I questioned if only pack members were allowed for pack runs.
Everyone had resumed what they were doing before I had come here. Only Binnie was still focused on me solely.
'YEAH! I definitely like her.' I thought to myself.
She bit the side of her lips as if thinking something before she went back to her usual optimistic self.
"Don't worry at all! Everyone knows here that you are welcome in every way, that includes pack runs too! In fact, why don't you come for this week pack run with Alpha Christian?" Binnie suggested cheerfully, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
I grinned. "That sounds great! I will come for sure," I agreed happily. Although, at the mention of Christian, my eyes wandered around the room.
Where he might be? I thought to myself.
Binnie noticed my wandering gaze. Clearing her throat, she leaned into me to whisper in my ears.
"Alpha is in his office, strangely he didn't come for dinner. I am sure he must be waiting for you! You can go and grab him while I prepare a coffee for you both." She turned me toward the door and playfully pushed me out.
A laugh escaped me as I walked out.
'Could it really be that Christian was waiting for me?' The thought of it makes me blush happily.
I found his office in front of the staircase. The door was slightly ajar. I was about to open it when I heard the conversation taking place inside the office.
"You can't do this to me, Christian!" A woman's chirpy voice half-whispered and half-yelled at Christian.
In return, Christian growled, "Do not forget your limits, Katherine! You and I both know it was nothing serious ever," His answering voice was calm. But there was a tense edge in it.
The woman-Katherine - laughed. "It might be nothing serious before, but it definitely is serious now that last night you were with me when your chosen was sleeping in your bed. What? She couldn't please you the way you thought she will? So sorry to burst your bubble, but you know that she can't satisfy your needs like me~"
The lava of poisoning words would have continued flowing if I had not mistakenly dropped the vase near the door.
No voice came from inside. I was cupping my mouth so my shaky breath didn't betray me.
Not wanting to be found, I turned on my heals and walked upstairs. My breath choking on the tears wheeling up my eyes.
Once I was in Christian's room, I locked the door behind me and leaned to it.
"Of course it was too good to be true! I should have known that I am nothing more than a Slave. But no! I was stupid to think that maybe, just maybe, I can live a new start with him," I said to the empty room.
"I don't care about him! He can fuck himself! I will just run away the first chance I get!" I promised myself.
If I don't care about him, then why does it hurt so much? Why I could not forget that last night when I was here waiting for him? He was with someone else?
I don't know what is happening to me. What is it about Christian that causes me to lose control of my emotions? Dominic was far more a gentleman than Christian.
Then why my thoughts don't engage Dominic but Christian?
I sat leaning on the door and cried. Cried for everything I wanted but never had. Cried and cried until eventually sleep consumed me whole.