Chapter 74. Life And Threat
Chapter 74 The strange woman on my bed .
Alpha Ashton's POV
Pacing around in my study room, I grabbed a book to read but flung it back to the shelf.
Nothing seems to penetrate this head of mine.
I kept glaring at the time from my watch, my eyes simultaneously locked to the window to catch up with Jared once he entered the pack house.
It's been five hours now since I've been waiting for Jared to return with a message from Annabelle.
I was worried. Worried about her safety and her wellbeing together.
Since four days Annabelle left the pack house, grief had fed on me daily, making me leaner than anyone could imagine.
I couldn't even participate in Luna Phoebe's funeral. Beta Albert and the pack elders did everything all by themselves.
After laying Luna Phone to rest, Beta and the rest of the elders decided to Visit the late Alpha Throne's pack and they were yet to return.
As I kept pacing around, I heard a slight knock on the door.
Quickly, I composed myself, my face brightening.
“Come in” My voice struck.
The door opened and Jared walked in.
“You took ages,” I said to Jared, my voice filled with worry.
Jared stepped forward and bowed slightly.
“ I'm sorry for taking longer. I had to wait for Annabelle and her sister to arrive before departing” Jared revealed and raised his face.
Annabelle wasn't at home when Jared arrived. Where could she have to?
“Do you have an idea where she and her sister could have visited?” I asked, demanding every piece of information about my mate.
“Beta Drew told me Luna Annabelle and her sister went out for a walk in the pack” Jared explained and I nodded.
“She’s not worried about me like I thought” I muttered faintly to myself.
“Are you referring to me?” Jared raised his brows thinking I was talking to him. But I wasn't. I only got lost in my world of thoughts.
I didn't have an idea that I was uttering those words out.
“She can't do this to me” I muttered again, pacing disturbingly around.
“Alpha, are you alright?” Jared's worried-filled voice penetrated my ears.
Very swiftly, my eyes shifted to Jared. “ Does Annabelle seem healthy?” I said again.
This is the first time he's seeing the vulnerable part of me.
“Luna seems healthy, Alpha.” Jared confessed. “ She misses you too. She asked when you'd be visiting." he added.
My jaw tightened and I gave out a small unnoticeable smile.
“Can’t wait to have her back. “ I muttered to myself before shifting my eyes back to Jared. “ How has it been going between you and Sarah?”
Jared sighed, darkness descending on his face.
“ It's been challenging. She never seems to like me”
“Have you found out what her reason for rejecting you could be?” I replied.
“ It's the same old saga, Alpha” Jared gave out a frustrating sigh.
Without asking, I already knew Sarah's reasons for pushing Jared away.
She doesn't seem to give up. She keeps hoping I'd announce her as my mate someday.
Weird!
“The werewolves feast is just around the corner. Let's wait and see what fate brings” I said, my voice cold.
For a long now, Jared has been pushing his luck on Sarah. Although it was planned from the beginning, we agreed Jared makes Sarah fall in love with him so he could reveal some hidden things about her to me.
Down the line however, the game became real. Jared then genuinely confessed to me that Sarah had stolen his heart.
I was happy for him although this didn't affect our plans in any way.
But Sarah has been unruly towards Jared, refusing to give him a chance because of me.
“I do hope the moon goddess bound us together.” Jared said retiredly.
“I hope so too” I said and dismissed him.
The evening came earlier than I had expected. I was supposed to go for treatment in Sarah's place but I didn't want to ever set my eyes on her again after what happened between us the last time.
I had to stop her completely from visiting the pack house.
That evening one of the maids came to inform me about the dinner. I was really hungry and hadn't had anything to eat since the beginning of the day.
My appetite, which had long gone slowly returned the moment Jared came back from the Dark Wolf Pack with news of Annabelle’s safety and well-being. I also learned that she missed me just as I missed her.
As I hurried to have dinner, in the private dining room, I surprisingly bumped into someone in the hallway leading to the maids quarters.
“Mira?” My eyes dropped as I kept wondering why she came. Did Annabelle send her to me?
However, Mira didn't seem like someone being sent on an errand but someone on a deadly mission.
“You look malnourished, Alpha. What happened to you?” She said as blunt as always. She didn't even greet me before bombarding me with questions.
“Did you bring a massage from Annabelle?” I asked, ignoring her questions.
Scoffing, she rolled her eyes as if she would explode from hearing Annabelle's name too often on my lips.
“That is all you care about…really?” A bitter huffed escaped her lips.
I was right. Mira is on a mission in the pack house and wasn't sent by Annabelle.
“Well, there's no space for you in the pack house. I'm giving ten minutes to vacate this building” I warned, and angrily walked away.
Mira didn't say anything. That was the last time I heard from her before I retired to eat dinner.
Dinner tasted differently that evening. It has always tasted better with Annabelle by my side and on the table.
However, I ate in silence, hopeful about Jared's massages.
I respected Annabelle's reasons for leaving the pack house. She had every right to be mad at me.
After dinner, I retired back to the royal chamber to take a shower and rest my body.
I had too many things on my mind that I forgot to bolt the door before sleep took me away.
At night when I became pressed and needed to use that bathroom, I felt soft delicate hands wrapped around my waist.
I jerked off the bed at once.
When I'd rush to turn the lights on, to see who was lying next to me,I realized I'd be stripped naked with no clothes on me.