Chapter 21: TWENTY-ONE | A DIFFERENT RONAN

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE | A DIFFERENT RONAN

ASPEN

I would have jumped off my bed to go give him a hug if not for the fact that Rachel was there and it would seem suspicious to her.

I don't think she has any idea that we're mates yet. She probably didn't hear that part the day she listened in on our conversation. I doubt she'll be this sweet and kind to me if she finds out we're mated.

"Ronan!" she exclaimed, rushing up and practically throwing herself into his arms.

He caught her easily, but his eyes were on mine. I held his gaze, wanting to know if he was fine. If they didn't hurt him. The way they spoke about the room they wanted to take him to for punishment didn't seem too pleasant.

He must have gone through hell there, and the way shallowness swam in his eyes as he gazed at me told me everything I needed to know about that place.

"I was so scared for you. Are you fine? Did they hurt you? Was it painful, baby?" she asked, touching his face and biceps to make sure he had no wound on his body.

I rolled my eyes. Of all the places she could have checked, she had to check his manly chest. She could have checked anywhere else. Now it just seemed like she was blatantly showing off that she had a hot boyfriend.

"I'm fine," was the only response he gave her.

His eyes were void of all the emotions that were in them before. Even the usual anger that was always evident in his eyes had disappeared. He looked numb… utterly numb.

And the way he moved so robotically, as if it wasn't his body anymore. It reminded me of a movie I watched with Adrian one time, when we sneaked into the human world. It was about humans being invaded by aliens, and the aliens gave them a virus by spitting some sticky white substance onto their faces. Basically, white slime. The virus penetrated them instantly and they became walking dead. They were alive but at the same time not living. Like walking dead, acting only under the control of the aliens who had taken over their minds.

The movie was stupid as hell, and Adrian and I were so mad that we had to spend such an outrageous amount of money to watch something so stupid. Everyone knew aliens didn't exist. Witches do, vampires sure as hell do, werewolves exist, fairies exist, and so do sirens and mermaids, even though we're not in direct contact with them. But aliens? They were simply some sort of messed up myth.

Besides, if aliens truly existed, they wouldn't want to have anything to do with humans. Humans weren't as important as they thought they were. They would more likely want to invade us, steal our bodies, and use them to do a lot of atrocities in the human world.

"Thank God you're alright, baby. I made sure Daddy made your punishment reduced," she whispered into his ears and gave him a light kiss.

When she pulled away, he pulled her face back and gave her a slow, controlled kiss, like he was savouring every taste of her.

My nose flared as jealousy hit me in waves. I wanted to march over to them and rip her off him, but I held my head back. What was the point in doing all that? Ronan had no plans to accept me, after all.

When they were done making out as if I wasn't present, he let go of her and she landed on the floor, grinning and blushing at the same time.

I rolled my eyes, taking my gaze away from the couple rubbing their relationship in my face. It was so annoying.

"Oh, babe, I have so much to tell you. You've been away for so long," she gushed, pulling him over to the bed and making him sit.

She sat down on his lap, straddling him so that their faces were only a few inches away. As if she was about to ride him on my own hospital bed.

At that point, I had more than enough reason to lash out at them both.

They were acting as if I wasn't present at all.

My brain registered the fact that she said he'd been gone for a long time, which meant that I had also been in a coma for a long time. Great. Even when I wasn't in a coma, I found it hard to keep up with what was being taught at the academy. Now I was way behind and might have no chance of catching up.

I should just drop out now.

"Tell me everything I missed," he said, pulling her closer and placing his hands firmly on her butt.

Even his voice was completely different. It was as if he was a different soul in the same body.

And what baffled me the most was that Rachel didn't notice anything. She looked as normal as she did. She even looked happier. I wasn't sure if it was the overexcitement of seeing him after a long time that was blinding her to his condition, but the changes were so obvious that even a blind person who just met him yesterday would recognize it.

"Well, someone asked Aspen out. She's going on a date," she squealed, bouncing on him.

"Rachel!" I yelled, covering my face in embarrassment.

Why would she tell him that? I haven't even agreed to go on a date with Ryker.

"Is that true?" he asked, still acting numb.

"Yeah. Ryker found out she wasn't a guy when you almost killed her and they had to give her medical attention. I lied about her identity though. I only told him she was an Omega running from a lunatic Alpha. He asked her out instantly. He must have seen just how gorgeous she is."

Ronan finally looked at me. His gaze dragged over my body in a dismissive way that could make the most confident woman feel insecure instantly. "I don't see it. He must be blind, or just desperate to get laid. But even if I was desperate, I wouldn't go for someone like her. Especially with that look."

The silence that surrounded the room after he dropped the bomb could have been cut through with a knife. My fists clenched and unclenched, and even though I didn't want to, tears gathered in my eyes.

Without hesitation, I ripped the drip off my hand for the second time, walked over to them, pulled Rachel back, and gave him a slap that I hoped would reset his brain.