Chapter 18 Belong To No One
Russell nodded, his countenance drained of its brightness.
He took a deep breath, and then he pointed to the food set before them. “We should eat, Mia. I am famished.” He cleared his throat to get rid of the clog that besieged him.
Grabbing the fork, he dug into the food, chewing silently.
He glanced at Mia at every opportunity he got, having so many words to say to her.
They washed down the food with the glasses of wine they were served, and Mia couldn’t stop looking at the bottle, wondering why the wine tasted so different in a good way.
The moment she was done eating, she wiped her lips, and then she sighed heavily.
Her eyes met with the Alpha’s, but she quickly looked away, staring at the empty plate before her.
The silence between them continued, even after the waitresses had come to clear the dishes, leaving just the glasses of wine on the table.
Mia took a deep breath, preparing to break the silence.
“Why did you insist on going out on a date with me?” She couldn’t stop thinking about the question, her eyes demanding a quick response.
Russell sighed softly, and with a low tone, he responded, “Because I want to get to know you, Mia.”
“Why?” Mia’s inquisitive expression intensified, curiosity buried deep inside her eyes.
“Because you are mine, Mia.” Russell’s response left her speechless, her eyes wide open.
The Alpha cleared his throat, and then he leaned forward, looking her in the eyes.
“I know how this is going to sound, Mia. But you are mine.”
“I heard that the first time, Alpha Russell,” Mia grunted, rolling her eyes at the Alpha.
“I belong to no one.” She declared with a scowl, her eyes burning with annoyance.
Russell took a deep breath, and then he cleared his throat.
“Well…” He paused for a while to be certain that Mia was listening to him.
“Tristan says otherwise, Mia.”
“Who is Tristan?” Mia arched her brows, taking a deep breath.
“My wolf,” Russell responded, and a bright smile appeared on his face.
Mia huffed, shaking her head slowly.
“Tell your wolf that he is wrong, Alpha Russell. I belong to no one, and certainly not you.”
“Why?” Russell asked at once, looking Mia in the eyes.
She sighed softly, her eyes still sparking with annoyance.
“You know why, Alpha Russell.”
“I see.” Russell nodded with a wry smile, and then he cleared his throat.
“I am sure you know that Alpha Darrell will never want you back, Mia. He chose your sister over you.”
“Yeah. You don’t need to remind me, he already made that clear by putting a baby inside her.” Mia grunted, her rage fueled by the rage of the memory that crashed into her mind.
Her chest tightened, her fists balled tightly.
“I think we should leave.” She demanded, taking a deep breath.
Russell sighed. “So soon?”
“Yes, Alpha Russell. I told you that I was only going to be here for an hour. I gave you more than that already.”
Russell nodded, refusing to do away with his smile.
“Very well…” He stood up slowly, pushing the chair backward.
“Shall we?” He offered his hand to Mia, but again she refused him, marching on her own outside the building.
She stood by the car, waiting for the Alpha’s arrival.
The moment Russell got the door for her, she went in and sat down quietly.
She refused to say a word even when she had so many thoughts running through her mind.
They finally arrived home, and the Alpha followed her to her doorstep.
Mia turned, taking a deep breath.
“Thank you for tonight.” She said calmly, causing the Alpha to chuckle softly.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Russell remarked, holding onto his smile.
“Don’t get used to it.” Mia retorted with a wry smile, and then she grabbed the door.
She went into her room, and just when she was about to shut the door, Russell pushed, creating enough space to let himself in.
Mia grunted, staring with annoyance.
“What do you want?” She asked, rolling her eyes at the Alpha.
Russell pointed to the pearl necklace on her neck. “You forgot to return it, Mia. Don’t tell me that you want to keep it.”
“I don’t.” Mia quickly dropped the purse on the table beside her, removed the necklace, and handed it over to the Alpha.
“Here you go. Have it.” She insisted when Russell just stared at the necklace without saying a word.
Her hand was hanging in the air, the necklace carefully placed on her right palm.
Russell shook his head slowly. “I can’t take it back, Mia. It’s a gift from me to you. You can keep it.”
Mia looked at the necklace, and then she shifted her gaze to the Alpha.
“Why then did you demand it if you wanted me to keep it?”
“Because I knew that you were not going to return it, Mia,” Russell said confidently, and a smirk appeared on his face.
“You should wear it always, Mia. It looks perfect on you.”
Mia scoffed, shaking her head slowly.
“You are unbelievable, Alpha Russell.”
“I know,” Russell affirmed with a nod, and then he grabbed the necklace from Mia, reaching for her neck.
He moved behind her and hooked the necklace while she stood still, watching from the corners of her eyes.
Russell nodded in satisfaction. “Perfect.” He chuckled softly, returning to his previous position in front of Mia.
He watched as she gently touched the necklace, admiring it.
“You should go, Alpha Russell. The night is far spent, and I need to get some sleep.” She moved to the door and opened it, turning to face the Alpha.
Russell sighed softly, and then he started marching toward the door.
Just when Mia thought he was about to walk out of the room, he shut the door, looking into her eyes with a coy smile.
“What if I want to stay, Mia? Hmm?”