Chapter 40 THEY KNEW
Edeline
He had a soft smile on his lips, his eyes glancing down at the top of my head. He was looking right at me.
Oh, if only I had known about his love for me back then... and if he had only known about my feelings for him...
I finished packing my things just before Nixx arrived at my doorstep. The door swung open after a quick series of knocks, and I turned quickly, greeting him with a big smile. He still had that tired look in his eyes, but his smile managed to reach them this time.
We were both going through tough times, carrying heavy burdens in our hearts. On the outside, we might’ve seemed fine, but inside, we were struggling with a sense of emptiness and despair. Like zombies, really. Strolling, breathing, grinning for all to see, but deep down, lifeless.
"Hey, sis. You all set to go?" He leaned casually against the door frame, taking a quick glance around at the few boxes and two large suitcases I had ready to go. They were the only things left in this bare room, aside from the furniture it came with. I hadn’t been living in the pack house for very long, but the memories here were already terrible—ones I never wanted to think about again.
“Yep. I’m ready.” I grinned at my brother, his messy dark brown hair giving him a laid-back vibe, like he’d had a restless night’s sleep. But it suited him well. His fans would absolutely love it. I chuckled to myself, imagining their reactions when they found out he’d actually found his supposed mate.
Nixx let out a sigh, a grin spreading across his face as he effortlessly lifted my two heavy boxes in his strong arms, emitting a slight grunt. Wow, he’s really grown since the last time I saw him... like, a lot!
"Wow, what do you have in here?!" he groaned.
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched him struggle to keep the boxes hoisted up. “Just a few things I need. I only brought the essentials when I moved in here.”
With an exaggerated sigh, he glanced around the room, “Looks like you pretty much took everything.” Then, with a playful smirk, he added, “Let’s get out of this place, princess.”
I smiled as I grabbed my suitcases. This was gonna be awesome. I just needed to be with my family again. I was leaving the pack house and heading back to my room at home... which happened to be right across from Nixx’s. We were always there for one another.
The walk back to our house felt like it dragged on forever, even though it was just a short quarter mile. But lugging all this extra weight was really starting to wear me down. As we walked, I spotted some pack members around our age hanging out, laughing and enjoying themselves. But as soon as they noticed us, the girls stifled their laughter, sneaking glances at Nixx before turning their attention to me and my luggage. Their whispering was accompanied by sympathetic looks. The guys, on the other hand, just shook their heads, their sad expressions lingering on me.
It was like they knew.
They couldn’t stand Percival... even though he was supposed to be their future Alpha. He’d already messed up in a way that could put his title at risk when it was time for him to lead the pack. It wasn’t great... and Alpha William knew it too well. That’s why he was constantly doing damage control, making sure everyone believed his son was making the right choices.
But by the wrong woman... at least in our opinion.
"Hey, everything okay back there, Edeline?" Nixx let out a laugh, clearly amused by my labored breaths and the occasional groan.
"Sure, just keep walking!" I shot back, a bit more direct than I intended. This scorching heat had me all worked up, sweating like crazy.
When we finally reached our doorstep, relief washed over me. We walked inside, dropping my bags and boxes by the front door. Nixx kindly closed it behind us, and we both collapsed onto the couch, exhausted, needing a moment to catch our breath.
Well, I needed a moment. Nixx had no problem hauling that much.
“Hey there, everyone.” Mom’s voice drifted from the staircase as she came downstairs, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “How did everything go? Did you get everything?”
I glanced at her, noticing the subtle signs of exhaustion she tried to hide. “Mom. We’ve got everything covered,” I replied with a small smile, trying to reassure her. It seemed like she wasn’t getting much sleep either. Mom and Dad should be the last ones losing sleep over this, but ever since both of their pups were wronged by their mates... it was all they could think about.
Mom stood there for a moment, looking at the two of us before speaking again. “That’s great to hear. I’m glad that packhouse is behind you. Your dad and I were chatting, and we thought... why not take a vacation? You know, send you to your cousins’ pack or even to human territory? Maybe you could enjoy a beach vacation! We’ve got a good amount of cash stashed away. I just want you two to be happy and have a chance to escape. I could tag along if you want. It might be a good time for your father and me to take a little break too. He’s got some vacation time coming up, and with everything that’s been happening, I don’t think Alpha William would object.”
She tried to sound cheerful, but her bittersweet smile gave her away. I could sense her eagerness for us to leave the house, even though Nixx had only been here for a few days. Honestly, I could relate to her feelings. The idea of getting away from all this mess was tempting.
Oh, that reminds me…
"Hey, Nixx." I started hesitantly. "Darius mentioned the idea of us joining him on a trip to his uncle's place. I wasn’t sure if you'd be interested, and honestly, I’m not even sure if I am. But…"