Chapter 165 The Masked Man (II)
Kristen's POV
Reluctantly, I leave my seat because I cannot say no to Calhoun, or else he will be suspicious. I should be grateful he didn't ask the man to take his mask off because Theodore will quickly oblige and even state that I am his mate. But on the other hand, I hope this man is not trying to play games with me and my husband, because he's not even afraid of Calhoun at all.
And it's clear he has an ulterior motive.
Placing one unsteady footstep after the other, I walk until I reach Theodore's side.
His height is intimidating of course, and he still has that deep and rich herbaceous smell, something which my nostrils fancy, just because he's my frigging second mate.
The stupid connection is effective on me, and upon seeing how Theodore is staring at me with so much yearning and desperation in his gray eyes, I can feel vomit climbing up to my throat.
Stay calm, it will be over before you know it. I assure myself with these words and harden my jaw, just like Calhoun does when he's about to make a tough decision.
I won't give Theodore the impression that our mate bond is still powerful, nor will I make a fool of myself in front of everyone, and mostly my husband.
"Kristen..." Theodore has the
effrontery to utter my name like we've been long-time lovers.
"It's not too late to quit and return to the place you came from. My husband will kill you if he sees your face, so you're doing yourself more danger than good," I glare at Theodore as I snatch his number tag from him.
"You know why I'm here, Kristen. This is one of the rarest opportunities I am handed, without picking a fight with anyone. And to hell with Calhoun. I don't care what he thinks, you're all that matters to me." Theodore replies while holding my gaze.
And because eyes are on us and I don't want anyone to think I'm having a hard time getting closer to this man, I near his side just to put his name tag on him.
Theodore on the other hand seems to have his hands in fists, and veins are beginning to get evident on them. Giving out that he's fighting against the urge to touch me.
"If this is the only way I'd get to be with you, then so be it," Theodore says, and I am left wondering if he's referring to his demand earlier when he asked Calhoun to make me help Theodore with his number tag.
"You're no different from a fool," I hiss at him before withdrawing from his spot, just in time to see Calhoun watching us through a squint.
The look on his face shows that he's
trying to figure out what sort of conversation we're having.
Calhoun's POV
Who's this man?
Firstly, he arrived in a mask to cl test in the pack run. Something no one
hasn't done before. But this man
seems to want his identity to stay hidden.
I could have ordered my men to seize
him and force the mask off his face because he might be an enemy.
But I didn't.
Instead, I let him participate because
it's the Greyhound pack run.
Secondly, he demanded I make Kristen
help him put on his number tag, something which I wanted to turn down immediately, but because I don't want people to raise rumors about me, I adhered to his wish. And now his lips
are moving, he seems to be talking to my wife.
Thirdly, he's making my wife seem uncomfortable. As if she's in a tight position where she needs rescuing but has no clue on how to even call out for
help.
Is it that I turned a blind eye to Kristen's worries since Aiden's birth, or I am just being a bloody idiot lately?
She's traumatized by Jack and her mother, and she's showing such signs with this masked man.
Do they know themselves?
Why am I not settled?
Is it because he has an attraction for
Kristen, and she seems disgusted by it because he kind of reminds her about Jack the rogue psycho?
Is this why Kristen seems frigid like an iceberg?
Mainly looking at them, one would think they have something going on.
I've never seen Kristen act this way with anyone before.
Perhaps she's upset about something?
Worst of it all, I can see how the masked man doesn't tear his gaze
away from Kristen as she retreats from
him.
Maybe I am overreacting because I tend to get jealous when it has to do
with Kristen. And the masked man just admired Kristen and nothing more. Because she's my wife, mate, mother of my son, and Luna of this pack. Maybe, just maybe it's just a harmless admiration.
No sane person would be infatuated
with a young woman like this, will
they?
When Kristen takes her seat beside me, she calls her young servant to bring Aiden. And as she raises him, she beams at me.
Blowing out a low breath, I try to stay
calm.
Nothing is happening after all. My overthinking was just doing a great deal at manifesting itself. Although, Kristen and I haven't been close for
two weeks. There's this odd behavior she seems to be developing and I don't want to take it so seriously because she's a young mother and they tends to get mood swings at times. Handling her duties as a wife, mother, and Luna
is still something she's struggling with.
But why does she keep pulling away from me?
It's almost like I don't know her anymore.
She's grown so distant. Ever since the
evening, I barged into her room and literally interrogated her. And upon thinking all she needs is
space from me, I start putting some distance between us, even though I don't want it. But because she's a
person and not an item I possess, I let her be.
After the contestants are given a few minutes to warm up and ready themselves for the run, they wait for
the whistle to be handled by the whistleblower.
There's a count of three before the
whistle gets blown, and I try to relax in
my seat as the race begins.
But I can't.
I don't know why it feels like something is so wrong.