Chapter 23 Anxiety and euphoria
23\. Anxiety and euphoria
"You look unnecessarily stressed, Aura!" Brian commented, disengaging Aurora from her thoughts.
She discerned his face through the mirror and forced a nervous smile.
"You think I would be like this if your Alpha had been in his sober state of mind." She replied, playing with her fingers.
Obviously the answer was NO! She would not have been like this if he had been a little considerate towards her.
She would not have travelled all the way to Cape Town from Manhattan if he had been a little easier on her for misunderstanding him.
Aurora was sad and nervous. She did undertake a bold step and came here, but now she was clueless as to how she would face him. They were currently in a car driving to his hotel.
"He loves you to infinity. Just a look at your face and he'd melt! I can assure you of that." The beta broke her from her trance once again as he sought to keep her occupied in a conversation.
Since she was extraordinarily gorgeous with flawless skin and perfect facade, her features looked dull when she stressed herself. Brian can see a blush of fear on her cheeks and worthless biting of lips made her mouth plump and swollen.
She was straining herself more than required— which was not good for her.
"How long will it take to get to his hotel?" She asked him, holding her stomach carefully.
The plan was that she would instantly see him without wasting any moment. Aurora actually didn't trust his manhood at the moment. Several bad thoughts crossed her mind, and before any of them could be true; she wanted to go kiss him for reconciliation.
"Twenty minutes or so." Brian returned her a smile before a reply.
Aura acknowledged his words with a nod of head and resumed looking out of the window.
She was not scared because she was going to face him after hurting his sentiments but because she was worried about his reaction.
Back in the mansion after it came to her realization that he wasn't cheating, he didn't let her utter a word. Damien only said what was necessary and left her to mourn in pain. He didn't give her a chance to propose how sorry she was.
She was afraid of how he would react now. Would he walk away? Would he slam the door of his suite on her face? Or... Would he punish Brian for bringing her to him?
So many shaking questions and answers were none. Only Alpha Damien can answer it.
Anyways, since Aura was back to being agitated and lost in her deep thoughts, Beta Brian cleared his throat to get her attention. When she did turn her face in his way, he forced a smile at her and said, "Only if you have seen yourself with his eyes, you'd know how important you are to him."
Handicapped at head and frozen physically, gorgeous Aurora's thick velvety lashes blinked in amazement. Those words reminded her of Damien's own words. He had said exactly the same thing to her when they were together sharing a beautiful moment of love and sweet smiles.
"I know he loves me... Which is why I am here for him." She
smiled back at her chauffeur, cherishing his words.
"Then rest assured coz your pale shade is frightening me. And if Damien sees you like this... He'll accuse me and kick my ass for reckless driving and for the late night flight we hopped into. It's a different thing that your face has become like that because of him. But anyways in the end, I'd be the one getting blamed. Huh." They both shared a small laugh before Brian went to concentrate on his driving.
Damien Hunter was predictable when his reactions at certain places are concerned. He sure can kick his beta's ass— not once but twice... if Aura is seen pale.
The very thought of that happening cheered her up, and she said, "Do not worry. Your Alpha will only thank you once he sees me."
"Fingers crossed, future Luna!" His remark stunned her and then Aura excitingly smiled before shying away.
Any connection made with Damien makes her heart jump. The complement of being his future Luna radiated the scarlet shade on her cheeks. She was blushing hard.
'I can't wait to meet you, Damien.'
She wondered and caressed her tummy feeling her baby.
'.... And I can't wait to tell you about our baby.' She closed her eyes and pictured his various reactions he would give at the revelation.
Aura was relishing her imagination when the car came to a halt, causing her tired eyelids to unfasten. Brian suggested her to catch some breaths of relaxation before going to see Damien but she refused. She wanted to meet him right away post their flight's landing.
And from the look of the lovely building standing across from her car, Aurora swallowed her saliva because her decision was not useless. She was barely some floors away from the father of her baby. Her alpha.
"Damien's staying here?" Her voice was a mixture of fascination and mirth.
She gawked at the massive hotel standing right in front of her car proudly. It was so tall and big that under the dusky evening sky, it glistened. She cannot look at the top of the building as the perimeter of clouds surrounding it has submerged the top in their curtains.
It was just lovely!!!!
"Just so you know, your Alpha lover owns this hotel under a partnership. Also, this is his favorite hotel in the entire Cape Town. This is where he mostly likes to stay when we're here. " Brian informed, inclining her fascination to another level.
"I am in love with this place. It's so..."
"So?"
"So unfathomable!" Her remark made Brian smile.
He wasn't unaware of the fact that this was her first time leaving NYC. Aurora never got to see the other parts of the world. She never got out of Manhattan as her parents were very poor and could only afford her education that was too very hard.
So he was happy that he got the opportunity to take her out of Manhattan. He also loved her expressions when the flight was taking off. She was just adorable.
"Oh, well, Aura, wait back in the car and I'll go take a look at him. So you know... Uh, you don't, I mean... Ugh, I know you know what I am trying to say. So yeah, just wait here till I come back." She nodded in approval while Brian got down from the car, leaving her with crossed fingers and a crazily beating heart.
She very well perceived the meaning of his words and what he meant by checking up on him. He wanted to make sure Damien was alone! She wished that he'd return with a bright smile and thumbs up.
After five minutes when he returned, Aura observed his eyes were narrowed to a thin slit of irritation and teeth gritting.
"The manager said that jerk Alpha switched to his beach house in the afternoon. He's no longer staying here." He said with an irritated face while a muscle at his jaw flicked.
An annoyed look suited him more than his cheerful look . It made her grin as she put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"Do you know the address of that beach house?" her eyes beamed as she asked him with strong hope.
In reflex Brian smirked. He licked his lips like a devil as he raised an eyebrow, "You can call me a pendrive holding all his secret information!" He stuck a tongue out.
She was starting to like this guy more and more.
"What are we waiting for then? Let's go." He hooted loudly at her reply and ignited the engine again, taking her to her final destination.
As the car moved at a moderate speed on the road among other vehicles, Aurora's rib cage quaked because of her uneasy heart beating. It seemed as if the whole universe wished to reunite her with Damien.
The road was empty and Brian's driving was smooth. It hardly took him a few minutes to (or that's what she assumed) before the car was pulled aside on a deserted street with no sign of human presence. They were here! The look of Brian's face confirmed her guessing as he winked at her.
"We are here!"
Aurora felt a sudden eruption of feelings in her chest and eagerly opened the door to step out of the car. Across from her— Stood one of the best designed places she's ever seen. Perfectly fancy.... With a beautiful building, looking too good to be existing, greeting her as at the same time cold evening winds kissed her skin.
She was busy drinking the beauty of her surroundings when Brian stopped behind her and whispered into her ear, "Did I mention that Damien is in a meeting at the moment— and that his beach house is empty?"
Instantly her face rose over her shoulder and she stared at him, "He's not in there?"
"Nope. Uh, because he's asked to organize all the meetings at evening or at night time. But he will be here any time soon. I checked with his guard and got to know that his meeting will be ending anytime now. Or if it's already ended, I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders, giving her shock as well as a pat of relief.
Dead silence of several seconds lingered between them. Brian didn't think it was necessary to bother her when she was already so shy about seeing Damien. He quietly led her inside the spacious, well designed and sapphire themed interior of the beach house, taking her on a tranquil tour.
It was a two story building wherein the first floor contained an amazingly infrastructures hall with expensive decorating stuff. There was a vast, very vast set of velvety couches with cotton-like cushions. A tantalizing chandelier tinkled over her head when they entered the centre of the foyer; the second floor was nothing but a big bedroom, having a huge— very huge hall with plush couch set in the left wing. The right wing, on the other hand, comprised a king-sized bed and walk-in balcony with seashore view.
The sliding doors to the balcony were closed yet Aurora's ears rustled with rumbling waves crawling at the seashore one after another. From where she stood in the balcony, the water occurred silvery white as it complimented dark sundial yells sand at the beach under a cloudy violet sky.
As she was blinking beautifully at the heart warming scenery in the front, Brian came up from behind. Unlike how she behaves usually at close proximity with other men, she continued to stand there as if she was alone. Brian's warmth did not affect her. In fact, it was soothing. It felt like that of a homie.
"I should take your leave now, Aura. I am tired and need to catch some sleep." His voice pulled her wandering gaze back to the balcony as she turned around.
"Where are you going to stop by?"
"In the same hotel we visited previously."
"Okay," She nervously shook her head as she allowed his words to sink in.
He would leave her here. Which meant... She would be left alone with her anxiety until Damien's return.
"Hey," Brian walked closer and rubbed his palm on her arm as he sensed her turmoil. "There is no need to freak out. You... Are a woman. A pretty woman with a clever mind. You already know how to melt him." That was kind of a hint he gave her before taking her into a hug.
They did not share any conversation after that! Just some shy and naughty smiles. Then after bidding Aura bye with 'best of luck' muttered, Brian took off.
It was now Aura left in the spacious beach house alone— with her pounding heart.
Tbc…