Chapter 45

Aria

After waiting for an entire hour, I finally got to see Hunter entering the room. Unexpected lines of stress showed on his features for some reason.

His eyes fell on me and he flashed me a smile as he walked closer, "Hey."

I could tell he was about to pull me to my feet to hug me but the question I had suppressing the whole left my mouth before he could do that.

"What were you doing with Ashley?"

His body froze and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"What?" He was dumbfounded.

"I am sure you heard me, Hunter."

I was dead serious right now. I didn't even know why the rage was crawling up my insides at the butter feeling of betrayal even though it was yet to be defined if the situation was actually what I'd thought.

"Aria, listen it's not what you think. Ashley and I just had a normal talk. Don't take it that way." He tried to reach me but I swatted his hands away.

"Don't touch me right now, Hunter. Just don't."

"Aria, she just wanted to talk to me. That was it, there's nothing else between us. Trust me." He tried to convince me.

"If it was only a talk then why the hell did you have to go all the way to the backyard leaving your office? And you better not give me a flimsy excuse!" I spat.

"I did not want you to see Ashley talking to me because I knew you would think something like this. This was the only reason I decided not to have a conversation with her inside the packhouse."

"And about that long hug? What excuse are you going to make up for it?" I crossed my arms over my chest which heavily rose and fall because of the anger that burned inside me.

"Ashley wanted to apologize for all the drama she'd created and stuff, she wanted to wish you and me a good future together. All she wanted was to remain friends and end everything on a good note, not like the way it had ended."

"End what? Both of your so-called relationships that she only persuade because she wanted to be the luna and achieve her goal even if it meant letting you sleep around almost every she-wolf in the pack?!" I knew my words were harsh and thrown at him in the most disrespectful way possible but I had no control over myself at all.

Watching him and Ashley together made me lose all my restraints.

"You are once again digging up the past, Aria." His voice this time was more likely a warning.

"Yes, I am, because you decided to get close to your old fuck buddy once again. The same Ashley with whom you made my entire school life a living hell, the same Ashley whom you wanted to give the position of luna...my position, that same fucking woman who did not refrain from announcing to every fucking member every time she had sex with you!"

"You told me that you wanted to have a fresh start, Aria. You told me that you do not want to let our past ruin our present and future then why the fuck are you bringing all those up again?!" This time anger could be spotted in his orbs

"Yes, I am because you are pushing me into those horrible nightmares once again—You are triggering them!" Unknowingly tears streamed down my face.

Hunter's eyes softened and he tried to reach me but I moved away.

"No, don't come near me. I don't want to talk to you right now." I did not have any idea why was I crying and only to cover my weakness that showed up evident in my tears I turned around to sprint inside the bathroom but...

Hunter did not let me, instead, he slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me in his arms so that my back hit against his chest; Too close, he pulled me so close to him that I could feel every detail of his body against my skin.

"Let me go, Hunter." I tried to get out of his hold but he didn't allow me to even budge an inch.

"Shh.." He whispered resting his chin on my shoulder, "Calm down."

He held me there, the feel of his calm and steady heartbeats meeting against my back and his warm breathing melting into the heat of my skin.

It was fucking ridiculous how my body listened to him without any protest whatsoever.

"Ashley will never come between us; You should know that I won't let it happen." He murmured, taking my silence as a sign of my lessened anger.

I felt my racing heartbeats calming down along with my heavy breathing.

"But you let her..." Hunter cut in before I could speak.

"It was nothing. A hug does not define anything. Things between Ashley and I were never serious and it ended for good. I never loved her nor I ever would, if any woman is going to be in life that is you and nothing can ever change the face that you are the only one I have always wanted and keep wanting till my last breath."

I did not say anything but instead found my escape from the burdening thoughts in the silence and effects of Hunter's statements.

A few minutes later he slowly turned me around once he knew that I was not going to try to run away anymore and he cupped my face in his hands wiping away my tears with the pads of his thumbs.

He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against mine almost as if he knew it was what I needed at that moment and I kissed him back without any reluctance.

This mate bond can feel so peaceful and hurtful at the same time; I have experienced it in both ways.

As he broke the kiss after a while he looked at me and brushed away my hair strands from over my forehead, "Do you feel better?"

I nodded in response and he once again pulled me in his warm embrace. The peace surged in once his scent wafted into my nostrils.

"Promise me...you'll never lie to me," I said and looked up to stare into his eyes.

I did not know if it was my hallucination or something else but Hunter's body froze though it was for less than a mere second.

He remained for a solid minute before he finally spoke, " I Promise."

Once again he pulled me in his arms and I breathed out a sigh of relief. For now, I did not worry about anything and everything seemed right but....

Why did this promise of Hunter did not held as much potency as it was supposed to?