Chapter 146: Longing

Chapter 146: Longing

Sylvia's pov.

For several seconds, I couldn't breathe.

I simply stood there, staring at him as though one wrong blink would make him disappear.

The corners of my eyes stung as I fought hard to bring words to my lips, quivering, I asked, “What… what are you… what are you doing here Ezekiel?”

His chest rose up and down as though he had run a marathon just to be here, his eyes crazed, never for once did they move away from mine.

“You…should at least pretend to be happy to see me,” he said in between huffs.

With each step he took into the room, I took the same back, a thousand emotions crashing down on me at once, happiness, relief, fear, shock…

I watched him sigh before closing the space between the both of us in a blink of an eye, his hands cupped my cheeks, pulling them closer as he smashed his lips against mine.

Taken aback, my eyes widened in shock momentarily

"What... what are you doing?” I pushed him inches away, still within his arms, I could feel the warmth emanating from his body.

Our gazes locked, my lips tingled after feeling the loss of contact, even though it was for a split second, my heart sighed, wanting more, but…

“I've missed you, and the only thing I can think about right now is this…” he dove back in, connecting our lips once more.

Oh dear goddess.

“Wait….wait... .wait….wait…..” once again, both of us were disappointed, “We can't be doing this right now, not here.”

The fear in my heart was the only source of reasoning, silently whispering the dangers of this meeting, “You aren't even supposed to be here, how did you get past the security?” I whispered hurriedly while his hands circled me.

The pack had gone under a state of emergency after the news recently, so it should have been impossible for him to be here.

My heart pounded in my chest, so loud, I could feel my blood rushing beside my ears.

“Hey, hey, calm down, calm down, we are fine….”

“No, we are not fine!” I cut him off before he said anything more, he didn't know the danger he had placed himself in.

He didn't know the danger he had placed me and my family in. Oh God, my family.

The fact that there weren't any guards bursting through the doors at the moment, meant that they hadn't noticed anything, but I didn't know how long that would last for, “You need to leave, NOW!”

I pushed him towards the door, while the corners of my eyes stung as unshed tears pooled.

Ezekiel was shocked to say the least, brows narrowed, “What!!” He paused by the door, “What are you doing?”

Trying to save your life?? And mine!!!

“First you disappear with not a single word, leaving me with nothing, then you refuse to pick up my calls and when you finally do, I hear the sound of that douché bag, I find my way to you and now you want me to leave?” his chest heaved angrily.

“I thought something was wrong and he might be misusing his alpha privileges,” the disgust in his face was very eminent, “I thought if I showed up, you'd be… happy.”

I sighed in frustration, “Look, Ezekiel,” I steadied myself by placing both hands on his shoulders to calm him down, “You have no idea how thrilled I am to see you here, no idea.”

“Sure doesn't look like it.”

“You don't understand, Ezekiel, my pack already suspects that I am a traitor, they are trying so hard for it to be true and your presence here would only prove them right,” I didn't know how much I could explain it better to him. The fear in my voice couldn't have gone unnoticed.

Ezekiel shook his head, fixing his gaze on me, “Look, I understand the risk of being here, but I needed to see you. I had to see you because I didn't know what was going on.”

That was totally my fault, “Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me leaving, I really am, it was an emergency and I didn't have a choice.”

“And now I am here, now you have a choice.”

“Do I?” I questioned, “With you here, all my choices and rights to speak would be nullified,” I argued back.

This was going on for far too long, my gaze kept flickering towards the door, I was afraid that they might burst open anytime soon.

I wonder why they haven't already.

I took a deep breath before exhaling, “Look, you have no idea how much I have missed you,” I didn't even know how much I did.

“Then stop trying to shoosh me away!”

It was silent for a minute before he continued, “Everyday I tried calling just to hear your voice, to know if you were okay, to know if you've had lunch, or dinner… everyday I would be worried because you weren't close to me, I have become so attached to you that I can't help but think about you every night I go to bed.”

My heart fluttered at his words and the butterflies in my stomach whirled around in a tornado.

The corners of my eyes stung as I reached up and cupped his cheek, my thumb brushing gently against his skin.

I knew exactly what he meant because I felt it too, that longing.

The unbearable weight of being separated from the one person I had spent so much time trying to forget.

But I couldn't hold the tears back any longer as the first one slipped down my cheek.

“It was torture being separated from you.”

The hurt in his eyes made something twist painfully inside my chest, and the guilt I had been carrying only grew heavier.

Hurting him had never been my intention.

I had only wanted to protect him, to protect my family.

Ezekiel reached up and gently pushed a strand of hair away from my face, his fingers lingering against my cheek.

“There was no way I could stay away,” he whispered. “Not after hearing his voice. Because I realised…”

He stopped.

For a brief moment, he simply stared at me, almost as though he was trying to convince himself to say whatever was on his mind.

My heart pounded.

“Because I love you.”

The words dropped between us like a bomb.

I froze.

So did he.

For a second, it seemed like he hadn't even expected the confession to leave his lips.

But then his expression softened, his gaze never leaving mine.

This time, there was no hesitation, no uncertainty.

“I love you, Sylvia.”