Chapter 135 Heated Argument
Kristen's POV
"Time to put up with the attitude," Calhoun tells me immediately after we get home.
"What attitude?" I am halfway taking Aiden away from the servant. To be honest, I wasn't completely at ease when I left him here alone with the maids. I kept thinking about him, worrying if something would go wrong.
And Calhoun waits for all the servants to evacuate from the room before he speaks.
"Being all strong and valorous, and talking about performing the Luna's rite."
Holding Aiden with care, I raise my head to stare at his father.
"It's my duty, Calhoun. You don't expect me to shy away from it," I am blunt.
"I know you Kristen and this isn't you," Calhoun has an unsure look on his face, and it's rather upsetting that he's still bringing this up. I thought it all ended at the council hall.
"What do you mean by that, Calhoun?" I inquire, ensuring my voice is low because Aiden is awake and cooing, and I don't want to upset him.
And it seems like Calhoun is having a hard time telling me what he has to say in mind because he's running his hands through his hair.
"Say it," I urge him, even though I have this feeling that it's something that would affect me deeply.
"I know you're scared and weak..." Calhoun starts and ends up getting interrupted by me.
"Weak?" Why does it hurt the more it keeps replaying in my head?
"Let me finish, Kristen. I am just trying to be your man," Calhoun tells me in a much calmer manner, but I know I won't let it slide.
"Not to the extent of calling me weak, Calhoun. It's almost like an insult," I point out, schooling my face to hide the hurt I feel because he'd still see me as weak.
"I will never insult you, my words just came out wrong," He explains with all shades of honesty in his eyes. And he takes a step closer to
me.
While I shake my head and move back, my hands are still securing
our son.
I just gave birth yesterday and now I am holding the child in my arms and arguing with his father.
It's insane.
And I can't help but notice how things are starting to change with Aiden in the picture.
"Is this how you've always seen me?" I ask softly.
"What do you mean by that?" Calhoun has a confused frown on his face.
"Weak," I blurt out the exact word he used on me.
"No, no. You're very fragile and you deserve protection," Calhoun tells me.
"It's the same thing as calling me weak, Calhoun," In a rush, I put Aiden in his arms.
Calhoun seems more than confused at this. His hands are trembling a bit.
"What are you doing?" He inquires.
"Giving you our child, you neglected him yesterday. Now it's your turn to look after him," I say without even thinking.
"How can you even say that?" Calhoun is at this point holding Aiden like an egg in his arms, scared he'd drop off our child. And if I wasn't already upset, I would have been amused.
"You know why I stayed away." He sighs.
"That's what you always do, Calhoun. Run Away when things don't go your way," my tone is a bit louder than his.
"You will not speak to me like that," He shoots me a flat look.
"Fine," I say after letting silence pass. My gaze is cold on him.
"Wait, are we fighting?" Confusion takes over his face once more.
"Ask yourself, Alpha Calhoun," I don't even hide my glare.
"Don't get upset by overthinking things, Kristen. I am just trying to protect you."
"By calling me weak?" I ground my teeth until my jaw begins to hurt.
"You're starting to overact."
"Well, it's all your fault."
"Stop taking things to the extreme."
"I am not taking things to the extreme, Calhoun. You're seemingly
upsetting this morning."
"No, your insecurities are doing a great deal at manifesting
themselves right now."
I pause in horror.
"My insecurities?"
For fucks sake, how can he even say that?
Calhoun pants and puffs out a breath as he stares at me with regret.
"Kristen..." He begins.
"You just see me as this weak little girl whom you impregnated!" I yell, with my shoulders rising and falling. Out of all the things he's said today, this is more infuriating.
"And oh, she's still a child, so I won't let her perform the Luna's rite. I'll look for a way to fix things as I always have." I add.
"This is a misunderstanding, I am sorry." He apologizes, but I can't accept it because the damage has already been done.
"No, don't apologize for anything. You never saw my mom as weak and insecure."
"Oh," Calhoun closes his eyes for a split second, and it gives out that if he wasn't carrying Aiden, he would have face palmed in distress.
"Why are you bringing your mother into this?" He has disappointment in his eyes when he looks at me.
"Cause it's the truth." I bite out, my chest rising and falling due to
how upset I am.
"Don't be so dramatic, Kristen. See why I said you aren't strong enough to carry out the ritual." Calhoun points out, looking
completely pissed.
Do I even know this man as much as I think?
He's been hot and cold since we returned from the council hall.
Or he's been hiding his true colors because I was under his wings all
along. And now that I am trying to fly on my own, he's against it.
Upon thinking about how he has such little faith in me, it causes pain
to hit my chest.
"You know what, Calhoun? I can't deal with you right now," I turn away from him.
"What are you doing?" He asks in a surprisingly calm tone.
"Going away from you," I say, with my back still turned to him.
"You know that's impossible, you're going to nurse Aiden." "Who says I will leave him with you? I am taking my child with me,"
I take a step forward to Calhoun, but he ends up moving backward
with our son.
"Aiden is only a day old. He'd get a cold, something which is unhealthy for a newborn. Do not be insensitive, you're not like this." He hisses at me.
And I have never felt so humiliated, hurt, and upset in my entire life.
"Stop talking to me!" I yell at him for the first time in a long while. And Calhoun pants and puffs as he stares at me with displeasure. This is rather stomach-churning because he hasn't looked at me this
way before.
"Maybe you shouldn't yell at me that way, I am your Alpha and I will
be your husband."
"Your tone was condescending," I point out through gritted teeth.
"Fuck, we've never fought before." Calhoun sighs, with regret clouding his face.
"Don't use vulgar words in front of a child!"
"You know what? I think you need some time alone to blow off some
steam. Because you're trying to be what you're not, and still failing woefully at it!"
My heart jumps in my chest when Calhoun's words hit me.
He's never spoken to me this way before.
"It's been a long time since I've watched two people argue, yet it
could be seen on their faces that they still love themselves deeply," a familiar voice speaks up from the entrance of the door and when I fasten my gaze there, I get stunned.
Because it's Calhoun's grandmother, someone who I wasn't even
expecting to see.
"Nana Joyce, I thought you weren't coming back until a week," Calhoun doesn't hand over our son to me as he goes to meet his grandmother, no. Instead, he side-steps me, still carrying Aiden in his arms. It seems as though he's starting to get used to holding him.
"I couldn't continue with the trip, had to return after hearing the news of my great-grandchild," Nana Joyce explains. Her eyelids are twinkling with excitement.
With no words, I step aside. Calhoun's hurtful words are still piercing through me.
"Christ, he's such a big baby," Nana Joyce takes Aiden off from Calhoun, and beams at him, "A beautiful beautiful boy. It's such a
relief to hold my grandson in my arms at last. I thought this day
would never come."
"What's his name?" She asks with interest.
"Aiden," Calhoun and I chorus, and our eyes immediately meet and stay still. His eyes are soft as he looks at me. But today, I am not moved. To think he sees me as weak, insecure, and insensitive all these while.
Maybe I am a bit insensitive because it never crossed my mind that a newborn isn't fit to be outside until it's past a week. I have never been around anyone with children.
Still, I made up my mind to stop being weak since last night, when I
heard about the Luna's trial.
And I know I don't need to do what Calhoun wants this time.
I'll do what I want.