Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen


DAMIEN'S POV

"two weeks? That's a bit too soon, don't you think?" I asked, trying to be reasonable, but the man just looked at me with a closed off expression. I knew that expression all too well.

It meant he had decided, and I had to follow through. No fight, no dispute.

"that's more than enough time to get her a dress, and for you to get a tux. You have everyone at your disposal for decoration and planning. This doesn’t have to be overdone. Something nice and sweet for the lady, because well, women appreciate the nice and the sweet. But this doesn't have to be dragged on. We really don't have the time for such a thing."

"crazy how I don't have a say in my own wedding."

"son, as long as you bond with your mate, you can have all the say in your marriage. "

"yay." I said dryly, and he just smiled.

"cheer up. This is definitely going to be the start of a lifelong wonderful adventure. I hear she's a looker, healing hands. If she fights as good as she looks, you'll definitely  have one heel of an adventure."

"as long as she isn't fighting me." she said and shrugged and the men laughed.

"I think we've said enough for today. Go on home to your wife to be. I'm sure there is much for you two to discuss now."

"well, you've definitely made sure of that." I said, and began to rise, "best be taking my leave now." I said, and bowed to the other men.

"two weeks, sire. Two weeks." the older man said, as I turned my back on them.

"aye!" I called out back, without turning to face them. "two weeks." I repeated to myself.

JASMINE'S POV

I wasn't avoiding him. At least, that was the lie that I tried to convince myself of. But deep down, I think I knew the truth. And the truth was, after the little episode we had last night, and how I had blatantly ruined it by asking to go back to sleep, I wasn't sure how to present myself to him. Which was why, knowing that he would be down for breakfast, I had asked that my breakfast be brought up to me. I just hoped that he wouldn't sniff out my behavior and hound me.

A knock came and I turned to the door biting my lower lip.

"come on in." I called out, and remembered that I had asked for my breakfast to be brought up.

"silly me." I whispered and went to open the door for the girl. Her hand would be full, and she would not be able to carry a tray and open the door at the same time.

"oh ma'am. " the maid said, when I opened the door, "you didn't have to, I could have handled it."

"nonsense." I said and tried to retrieve the tray from her, but she dodged me and walked right to the table to set up my breakfast.

"you shouldn't have to always feel like you need to look after those who look after you, Ma'am." she chided gently as the opened up a bowl of fruits.

"I'm just trying to be humane." I said, and she nodded.

"and I'm trying to do my job." she said, watching me closely and I sighed. I didn't see myself winning this argument, so I gave it up. Next time, I would just join Damien for breakfast.

"thank you, regardless." I said, and walked to the table, then paused, turned to face the girl, who still watched me.

"The Alpha and his beta, are they down."

"yes, they are, and…" and as though she felt she had spoken out of turn, she trailed off.

"and?" I pushed, and she shrugged.

"it's just that, the Alpha saw me bringing up  your meal and wondered if you were sick. I told him you looked tired, but doubted you were sick. You aren't sick, are you?"

I smiled and shook my head.

"no, I'm very far from being sick. Tired was a more appropriate answer. Thank you for bringing up my meal." I said, and sat in front of the table.

"would you like me to come later to run you a bathe?" I smiled and nodded.

"yes, that would be nice."

About an hour later, when a knock  came again, I thought that was the maid, ready to draw me a bathe as planned, but when I asked her to come in, it wasn't her, but rather it was Damien, and he had a very very unreadable expression.

"Damien?" I questioned, and it felt just like Déjà vu.

"are you sick?" was his first question, and it blew me out of proportion, so that my only reply was a shake of my head.

"so, you are indeed avoiding me , then?" he asked, and I bit my lower lip.

"I sent you away. You were trying to speak to me and I sent you away."

His brows furrowed in confusion , and then his expression cleared, before he shook his head.

"you were sleepy, Jasmine. I found you sleeping when I came, and of course you were still kind of sleepy."

"but you were being emotional, and all I could care about was returning back to sleep."

"did you see me argue with you?"

"I argued with myself when I woke up."

"which I find pointless, because I didn't mind at all that you were sleepy and wanted to go back to sleep."

"you didn't?"

"of course not. I'm always tired after a long day dealing with this pack. I'm hoping you'll be understanding when it's my turn to want nothing more than to go back to sleep."

"not when I'm talking emotions."

"then I'll wait till you're done talking emotions and let me go back to sleep."

"you'll make it sound easy."

"I sure as hell don't want a hard marriage."

I pressed my lips together and sighed, "I'm sorry I avoided you. I was being silly."

"no." he said and walked further into the room, took my hands in his and squeezed, "it wasn't silly. It was an understandable reaction to how you were feeling."

"you get ten points for understanding." I said shyly and he smiled.

"I'm hoping my ten points will still be there when I tell you that we have only two weeks to become man and wife." he said awkwardly, and it took a couple of moments before his words registered.

"what?"