Chapter 98 CHAPTER 98
Michael's POV
I emptied the remaining content of my drink down my throat. The day had started well and ended with a lot of questions.
What did I do to make her feel unsure about us?
Was I going to lose her eventually?
I returned to the home with breakfast around 11, giving her and her mum enough time to talk to each other. Jasper and I had used the time to set our “conference trip” story together.
We thought it was believable. Then I asked him about Tamara.
He sighed. “It was all true. She told me everything.”
“Is she…?”
He shook his head. “She isn't coming back. I did the paternity test last week,” he said, his voice breaking. “I got the result this morning. They are all mine, Alpha Michael.”
I decided I would try to talk to Tamara through her sister. I could see the break up was affecting Jasper deeply. He was less organised and less focused.
I patted his shoulder. “Give it time.”
When we returned to the room, we ate breakfast together. We talked about a few things, updating Anna Moon about everything that had changed since she went into a long sleep.
Sometimes when she looked at me, I felt my heart race. I remembered my mother lying in cold blood and the thought that her kind had ruined my childhood would creep in. She looked at me as though she could see through me to my soul.
I knew it was going to take a while to get used to her.
When she took a nap, Evelyn and I went out for a stroll. She was looking a lot better and her eyes were getting brighter. We walked across the large garden, kicking sticks and making small conversations.
“How was the experience?” I asked. “Meeting her?”
I guessed a part of me began longing for my own mother after seeing both of them together. I thought I had blocked off that need from my mind many years ago.
“It feels like having a best friend from day one,” she said. “It's a great feeling.”
I nodded.
“I never asked you about your own mother,” she said suddenly. “Wanna tell me about her?”
The image of blood on the tiles flashed in my head again.
“Another time.”
She swung her hand and pulled a stem of flower from one of the trees. “I always believe people who grow up with their mums alone turn out better than those who grow up with dads alone.”
I arched my brow. “Do I smell shades being thrown at me?’
She laughed. It rang in the quiet field. “We are both good examples of my theory,” she said.
We stopped under a tree. I stood in front of her and held her hands.
“Our kids won't suffer the same thing, Evelyn. We'll raise them together, that's a promise.’
She groaned. Then she pulled her hands away. “There can't be a world where there's the two of us, Alpha Michael,” she said, looking away at the field.
“What do you mean?”
She looked back at me. “Your kind is meant to hate my kind. I didn't know about my identity before. Now that I know, I'm not sure I can promise you that we'll have a chance.”
She wasn't joking. Her face was serious even though her eyes glistened brightly.
“Don’t say things like that, Evelyn," I said, reaching for her hands again.
She pulled them away. “I wish we didn't have this thing between us. But I can't spend my whole life hiding who I really am. Everyone will hate you when they find out I'm a fox. It's better for both of us.”
A single tear dropped from her eye and streamed down her face. She wiped it off and sniffed.
“Thank you Alpha Michael for showing me the beautiful side of love. I wish I don’t have to do this.” She pulled off the ring from her finger. “But I can't. I know you understand.”
She took my hand and placed the ring in the centre of my palm. Then she blinked fast and looked away. “It's such a beautiful view to waste it on crying,” she said and she laughed.
It felt like my heart had been pierced by a silver dagger. My wolf stirred within, angry and restless.
You can't let her go. She's mine, he growled
“Do you mean this?” I asked instead, cupping the ring in my palm.
She nodded.
I felt anger and a turmoil in my chest. She was the first woman I'd ever confessed my love to. I flew across the ocean and got stabbed looking for her. Why couldn't she be bold and fight for our love?
“Say it,” I said, my voice low. “Say it out that you mean this. That everything we have means nothing.”
She looked at me and her eyes were filled with tears. I was fighting the strong urge to pull her in my arms, wipe off her tears and tell not to say those words. The elections be damned, I couldn't lose her. My father would forgive me after a few years. But I'd live everyday in regret if I lost her.
But I didn't do that. I stood there in that empty field, watching her and waiting for her to say those final words.
“I meant everything I said,” she said.
I twisted my hand tight until the ring hurt my palm. I clenched my teeth so tightly until I felt my jaw snap.
Then without saying a word, I turned around and walked away.
I hurled the glass cup against the wall and it shattered with a loud crash. I yanked the shirt on my body off with force, tearing it at the seams.
I wasn't sure I could remember my world without Evelyn Moon in it. And I was
not willing to return to that world.
Still, our contract was not over. She could still me mine.