Chapter 49 CHAPTER 49
Michael’s POV
The next few days took a different routine. I found myself waiting in the kitchen longer than I would after my morning workout because I wanted to see her sleepy face, her disheveled hair and the smile on her face when I handed her a cup of coffee. That morning she woke up too early. When she strolled into the kitchen, I was just making my protein drink.
“Good morning,” she whispered.
I tried to keep my eyes on her face but they fell to her spotless neck and the skin that showed around her collarbone to the plumpness just beneath her large cotton sweater.
“You are up early,” I said.
My eyes lingered on the red mark on her collarbone. She had thrashed on the bed the first night she had slept on my bed and she had injured herself. It was now an unsightly red scar on her collarbone.
“It’ll be gone soon,” she said, noticing I was worrying about it. She reached for the kettle of warm water and poured some in her favourite mug.
“Couldn’t sleep?” I asked her.
“Not much these days,” she replied, stopping herself from saying much.
“Any nightmares?”
She shrugged. “None.” She looked at me. “Do you always stare at people like that in the morning?”
Her question threw me off balance. I wasn’t sure if she was teasing me or if she was serious. I shrugged.
She moved closer to me, stirring the coffee and stirring something in my heart. “Had nightmares? About me?”
She was just within inches of me. I reached for the mug in her hand and placed it safely on the counter. Then I held her and pulled her close to me. She didn’t blink. She smiled instead. She smelled heavenly. All I wanted to do was to run my fingers through her hair, to kiss her and tell her the kiss meant something. Everything. My eyes fell to her lips and I smiled instead.
“You aren’t scared of me anymore, Evelyn Moon?” My voice was ragged.
She raised her finger and traced my jaw line. “I’ve seen worse.”
She twisted and reached for her mug and slid out of my embrace. Just as she got to the door, I called her out. “We need to attend a pack meeting tonight. Are you up for it?”
“Sure,” she said, without looking back. “Let me know what you want me to wear.”
I returned to work that day. I had been absent for days, taking care of Evelyn and bonding with her in ways I didn't think was possible. After the night in my room, we had breakfast together and then she laughed over my fake British accent. We talked about world politics. She was very sound. We spoke about the books we had read. When she finally napped that evening, I knew something had changed in me drastically.
I was hardly seated before Rosaleen walked into my office. She pouted her lips and looked at me grumpy.
“Alpha Michael, why have you been avoiding me? You’ve not taken my calls or responded to any of my texts.”
“What do you want, Rosa?” I asked. “I’m busy.”
“Busy?” she repeated. "You've been home playing husband with Evelyn Moon.”
“I need you to leave right now,” I said, clenching my jaw.
She stepped forward. “I won’t. Why are you treating her like she is supposed to be rewarded for what she did to me? And you are ignoring me as though I did something wrong.”
“Drop it.”
“I left everything in Milan to stay here because I value you, Michael. Because I think despite everything, we can still be something. I don’t care for the money or anything. And to prove that I said I don't need a salary. How many more tests do you want me to go through? Why is she sleeping in your goddamn room?”
I stood up. “You can cut the bullshit, Rosa. I know why you are here in New York."
She moved back as I stepped forward. “I had you investigated. I know that you had a case of money laundering and tax evasion that suddenly went cold. And that your PA, Marcus, is currently doing time for something I can’t quite understand.”
I saw the fire in her eyes get extinguished. “You don’t know what you are talking about,” she said.
“Don't I?”
Her voice trembled. “You are wrong, Michael. I would never -’
She turned away and left without another word.
–
The pack meeting occurred twice in a year. It was an opportunity for members of our original pack all over the world to meet and discuss leadership, politics , family matters and dine. My father had been the leader of the pack for many years and he was highly respected. More than anything, he wanted their support for his political ambition.
Evelyn was beside me in a green dress that looked spectacular. Her hair was packed up in the custom of our pack and she looked radiant. The wrong part of the meeting was gradually coming to an end and champagne was being shared around. Laughs were erupting around us and the atmosphere was light.
“It’s my pleasure to invite the newest member of the pack, Evelyn Moon, to give us a speech,” the MC said suddenly and the spotlight fell on her.
‘W..what?” she stammered, smiling. She looked at me. “I don't know what to say.”
I smiled back. “Just say anything. You are too brilliant to worry about that.”
She rolled her eyes and rose up.
“Thank you so much," she said, collecting the microphone. “I’m Evelyn Moon as I've been rightly introduced earlier.”
She told a story of our pack , a story everyone would have heard before. But she drew important remarks from it, and I had never imagined the story that way.
She was like a beautiful ball of light in a dark room.
I rose up just as she was about to finish her speech. I wanted to get her a surprise for such a splendid speech. I moved away and found the woman selling the beautiful bouquet. I pointed at the one I thought she would love and returned to the hall, smiling. Then I looked around and she was gone. She was no where within the hall.