Chapter 23: Part 23
My legs stopped moving almost automatically and Avon came to a halt as well, tripping over the uneven ground and just catching himself, dishevelled and slightly out of breath. The Alpha apologised profusely, letting go of my arm and putting a few inches between us.
The wind blew gently and zigzagged along the red-bricked walls. It blew my hair into my eyes, making me blink and shake my head gently, hoping to get the fine strands out of my face without having to use my hands. In the end, I had to brush my fingers along its curve, tucking its end behind my ear.
We were standing outside a small pond, the water was relatively still, and it painted a beautiful sight with the clouds gathering at the horizon line. A sigh escaped out of my parted mouth, content to gaze at the contrast that the grey sky offered as it is reflected in the water—a few of the pack members passed by us but none too nosy to stop.
"I am so sorry, Emma, but let me explain..." Avon started before I could start yelling at him. The Alpha had the audacity to appear embarrassed, scratching the back of his neck. He seemed slightly out of place, shifting on his feet one too many times.
"Please do!" I crossed my arms, feet tapping against the ground and lips pulled together. Anger coiled in my belly the more I thought about the situation. Especially after that kiss in the hallway.
"In my defence, I had no idea that he will be attending this gathering. Abel usually avoids these kinds of gatherings no matter the event. I don't know why he bothered to show up today." Avon exhaled hotly, almost rankled by his presence.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Maybe you should start with the fact that you did not mention being in the same pack as our Professor, Avon."
"Oh! I don't like to talk about that." He made a face, scrunching. "It's not something to brag about, honestly. We have been in the same pack forever, like most people in this town. What difference does that make?”
“For you, it may not change anything but….” I stopped myself, swiping a tongue over my bottom lip, exhaustion slowly seeping in. “I get it! Still, it would be best if you had at least told me about it. I am so embarrassed right now." I clenched my eyes shut, the sharp nails digging painfully into my sides as I saw that look on his face. The whole exchange in that study room was awkward, and I wanted the ground to swallow me.
"Emma...you are fine. I am sure Abel doesn't care about it!" He snickered; the pure hatred in those eyes is almost alarming. “Besides, it’s none of his business if we are dating or now.”
Only if you knew, I thought under my breath, rubbing my clammy hands on the side of my jeans. Abel has been annoyed about us being together to the point of bringing it up twice. Ultimately it resulted into us fighting over it when there’s no truth behind it.
Still, I gave him an unsure shrug.
"What's the deal with Leon anyway? He doesn't look like he's Professor Abel's brother at all."
"It’s because he is not. They are not biological siblings."
I gathered that from their obvious looks, but it still shocked me to hear from Avon. Leon and Abel couldn't be more opposite if they want, ranging from their facial bone structure to personality. One was an academic intellect while the other roamed around streets like low life gangsters. A shudder racked through my body as I imagined them both in the same room.
"Mhm, I guessed. What's their story?"
"It's complicated. Not worth getting into that."
"Okay." I paused for a second too long. "What's your deal with our Professor? Why don't you like him?"
"Who said that?"
"I have eyes, Avon. I can see you both have underlying tension."
He was caught off guard by that comment, looking away. So I was right about it. The Alpha tugged on his bottom lip, his shoulders defeated.
"It's complicated."
I didn't push it, sensing the discomfort on his face. Even though I was curious to know but I respected his boundaries.
"What about your Pack Luna? Why does she hate everyone except her
son, Leon?"
Avon shrugged in response. So useless. I was hoping to get answers to the dozen different questions going through my head, and he was being unresponsive. So much for trying, I thought under my breath.
"Are you going to be like this with all my questions?"
A chuckle burst out of him, that easy-going grin curving around his lips again. He shrugged in response.
"You are impossible. I want to break up with you right now!" I joked, twisting my lips.
"Tough luck. We are in my pack house now, and I am not letting you off so easily." He shook his head. "That sounded way better in my head."
Just before I could respond, my ears picked up on whines and sniffles coming from my right side. I angled my body only to see a pup standing near the pond and furiously rubbing her eyes.
Abandoning Avon, I rushed to her side, his loud steps echoing behind me. I found the pups big brown eyes looking up at me, her cheeks rosy from the chilly breeze. I tried to offer her a fond smile, kneeling down, so we were face to face.
"Hi, lovely. What's the matter?"
She pointed towards the pond, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "M-My doll...I dropped it in there."
"How did that happen, Jo?" Avon asked with a curious look on his face. It did not help the situation and only made her sob harder.
Good going. I gave him a look.
"That's okay, Jo!" I mustered a weak smile when the pup rushed into my arms, falling forward until she was on my chest. Surprised, I wrapped my arms around her, leaning my cheek against the top of her head and releasing soothing pheromones.
I could feel the fabric of my top turn wet due to her tears. Tightening my hold, I rocked our bodies until she finally stopped crying.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Avon rush forward, and without a second thought, he jumped into the pond. The water almost sloshed and splashed around but never hit us.
I watched in rapt attention as he gently pulled the doll out of the muddy side of the water. I cringed as I saw almost half of the ragged beauty stained with grass and mud.
"Your doll is out of water. Look!"
I gently nudged her, while Jo only nodded her head, keeping it against my chest, not yet ready to detach herself. My nose scrunched up in fondness, and I didn't know how long we stayed like that. When she finally pulled away, I used my thumbs to rub at her wet chubby cheeks and let my omega scent surround us. Her tense shoulders relaxed, and she put her thumb in her mouth, sucking on it.
"Ask your mother to wash her, and she will be good as new," Avon said, approaching her, drenched in water from head to toe.
"Thank you!" Jo ducked her head, snatching the doll from him, and I watched as she dashed out of the door, eager to clean her doll.
"Wow! That was fast."
I let out a soft shriek as Avon rest his head on my shoulder, the water seeping into my top. He pulled back and gave me an apologetic look.
"Eh, it's alright. You did save Jo's doll after all."
A proud grin took over him, and he puffed his chest as we started walking inside. He was soaked and needed to get a change of clothes.
“That was very cool of you.”
“Thanks!” He mumbled, looking at the drenched shoes that made a sound with every step he took. “You are very good with pups.”
“I love them. They are such pure and innocent creatures. Back in my pack, I was assigned to babysit most of the pups. They also loved to be around me.”
“I can see why.”
A blush formed on my cheeks, settling and slowly trailing towards my neck. I folded my lips, matching his steps. Panic began to grip at my insides when I felt a ball forming in his throat, but it thankfully didn’t progress any further. We were drawing closer to the house, the sound of blood rushing echoing in my ears.
Abel was standing at the doorstep, his face blank and eyes shifting between both of us. When he saw Avon, he slightly raised a brow but did not say anything.
Abel turned to me, his gaze sharp and piercing. “There will be a bonfire in an hour, so all the omegas are busy setting it up. Why don’t you go join them?”
I looked at Avon, who gave me a nod that further irked Abel. What was I getting myself into?
***