Alarick's POV
"Man, you look like shit!", Leon joked with a smirk on his face when he saw me entering the kitchen, where he was already ready for work drinking his coffee. I only glanced at him and grunted acknowledging his statement.
Damn! How can a woman have such an effect on me? I'm worn out from lying awake all night. I should have just gotten myself off instead of restraining myself. A mere non-wolf woman kept me awake all night, made my body crave her with lust. No, It can't be lust, I already felt it but what I'm feeling now is completely unknown to me… or maybe it is love?
All I can think of are her lips, which I gently caressed with my thumb. They were so close I could have kissed them… owned her, but I decided to leave her and everything that had anything to do with her behind me. I swallowed loudly at the thought of our lips touching igniting a fire within us. I was not even nearly drunk yesterday. There is no excuse for my poor judgment and behavior. I poured myself a coffee and sat down by the kitchen island, I was not ready to talk yet.
"Hey, Rick. Where's your head at?" Leon stressed his question provocatively raising one brow, "I've already called you five times." He pauses and thinks, while I furrow my brows and look right through him. "Now I see!" it bursts out of him, and I roll my eyes thinking there's no way he knows anything, "You're having girl problems." My eyes nearly fell out of my face, and I was dumbfounded; how could he have guessed? As if he guessed what was happening in my head, he answered, "I've never seen you like this. You can always count on me." He stood up and went about his day, and I was left alone with my thoughts.
Leon could clearly see it in my face. If this is love or lust, how would it feel to have a mate? I lost the chance to kiss her, to have her… No, I decided against it. But why can't I let it be, or why can't she let me be? Or maybe what I'm feeling is lust, and I didn't recognize it because I'm actually feeling it for the first time. This must be it. Now I think I can comprehend my brother and his temperament at least a little bit better. Some say that losing my pack's ability to find a mate was a curse, but the more I think about it now, I'm almost sure it is a blessing.
I've always been the most composed wolf in my pack, and due to our pack's particular constitution, we were considered to be more disciplined than all the other packs. There should be no need for me to be worried. All I have to do now is leave her behind and forget her. I will have forgotten her in no time. All I need to do is to avoid her for the time being. My feelings are probably still fresh because I have just recently met her and because I got so close to her yesterday.
I should make myself ready for work. But every cell in my body wants to either run to or from Lina. So I decided to take some time off and go to the pack house. I went and packed my stuff, trying to find out, what to do against these feelings.
Maybe I restrained my lust for too long since I came back to Wolfsville. When I was younger, I often played the field as a future alpha. Women often felt attracted to me whether they were wolves or not. I also really enjoyed the time I studied abroad. During this period, I was even so open that I considered falling in love, but I wasn't so fortunate.
Since the full moon pack has no mating tradition and no recollection about it since it's already been a long time since we lost this ability, all we have left is to fall in love as humans do. Though the experience shows that we aren't even really able to experience love as humans do, the chosen relationships can be described as good friendships at best. Still, often they are just partnerships of convenience to release pressure or to gain power. Especially in my family, we usually marry for power, so when I returned to Wolfsville, I had already made up my mind to give in to my duties and to accept whatever path my parents chose for me as I always did. So, I might as well have some fun while I'm at it, or so I thought. But as soon as I arrived, I was swamped with work. I think a little bit of distraction and sexual release could be just what I need at the moment.
I sigh loudly… I should definitely call Coco to make all the needed arrangements. I get up and get ready."Coco, I didn't manage to look into the progress in the museum, so you will have to sort this out for me with Ms. Wilson. Furthermore, I'd like you to take over everything regarding the museum and Ms. Wilson. I will also be working from home for the days being. Keep me updated on everything necessary. If anything is urgent, you know you can rely on Leon." "Sure…, I will do as you say," she replies. I hung up the phone and started my day with the feeling of having accomplished everything I needed but actually didn't want to.
Since I had already decided to work from home for the next few days and didn't want to see or be seen by anyone, I headed to our family residence and pack house by Lake Lowell. I don't expect to meet anyone there since it is the start of the week and since so much is going on in Wolfsville at the moment. After a two-hour drive through different parts of Wolfsville and, lastly, through the forest, I finally arrived at our family residence. To my devastation, I instantly saw my father's car. I was about to make a turn and drive back when my father approached my car from the back, and I knew there was no escape. I exited the car and took my bag from the back seat while he waited for me in front of the door, "Alarick, you arrived just in time." In time for what? What did I get myself into by coming here? And here I thought I would be able to escape my problems here. "In time for what?" I answered rather confused but at the same time trying to sound composed. "Take your time and get yourself settled in first. I will meet you for dinner so we can talk later," my father nonchalantly replied, as always not caring about my plans. Since I still had work to do, I just went in to get settled and started doing my own thing.
Coco's POV
I was already wondering what happened to Mr. Lowell since he hadn't come in yet. It is very out of character for him to be late and even more without leaving a notice. I was expecting him to have spent the night with Lina and for them to be in bed all lovey-dovely. So, I was really taken aback by Mr. Lowell's request by phone, but maybe Lina rejected him, or things just didn't work out with them. He was so eager to spend time alone with Lina yesterday that I had to entertain his brother the whole afternoon. Fortunately, I'm an attractive and competent secretary, and luckily his brother is rather simple-minded. I guess that everything I did was just in wane. I leaned back and furrowed my brows with annoyance. All the time I had to entertain and endure Rawson yesterday was just for nothing, and there I was, thinking I was giving him some time alone to bond with Lina. I should have believed the feeling in my gut that Bambi was just not up to the task of dating Mr. Unapproachable.
I was almost sure she would contact me today in order to reach Mr. Lowell and to make an appointment to visit the venue of the event since they didn't manage to go there. Maybe I should write to her first, to ask how everything went yesterday and if she needs something? On the other hand, she may need time to process whatever went on between her and Mr. Lowell yesterday. Therefore, I decided to wait for her to contact me, and since the inauguration is in about one month, I believe she will contact me very soon. I would even say she might contact me today, but it really depends on how everything played out yesterday.
I should definitely think about how to break the news to her that Mr. Lowell is avoiding her on purpose. For some reason, I feel that we could get along well, and therefore, I don't want to hurt her feelings. I only hope they didn't do the deed. This would make everything even worse. I'm sure Mr. Lowell is not a man who can be easily forgotten once he… I feel my mind drifting into inappropriate thoughts and stop instantly. According to my experience, the best way to break up with someone is by telling the truth at a dinner date. Now, at least, I know how to handle Lina if she calls, though I'm not sure what exactly the truth is regarding their relationship. I might learn more about what happened yesterday, and the best part is that I'll be there for her if she feels sad or heartbroken.