Chapter 77 077
Danica's POV
I couldn't bring myself to go back to that dining hall, face Alexander and pretend like nothing happened in the restroom, so I went back to my room without so much as a second thought.
And I hated to admit it, but I wasn't nearly over my insecurities and somehow, they'd kicked in really hard after hearing about a betrothal I knew nothing about.
A very rational part of me wanted to think that the betrothal; if it were ever true, could be just an act of pure business. Pack to Pack alliances of the sort. But another part of me, the one that had my brain and heart in wraps could only feel hurt.
Not anger, not a need to flare or a need for accusations. Just pure, unfiltered hurt that I couldn't control.
So I shut myself out. Slept through the night without getting anything decent for dinner. The planned dinner turned out to be a disaster anyway. So when Jasmine knocked on my door, sometime around 10pm? I told her to leave because I wasn't hungry.
And I truly wasn't. Not last night and definitely not this morning when I woke up to realize it wasn't just a nightmare after all. It was reality.
Alexander had been bonded to another woman legally. And he kept it from me, and even smiled at me through the lies.
It wasn't particularly a nice feeling.
I promised myself not to shed a single tear, but my head throbbed even harder, the more I thought about the possibility that he had done nothing but deceive the naive me.
A Lowlife.
And the more I thought about that possibility, the more it dawned on me that I don't belong here and all that confidence about finally having someone to lean on was probably all fake.
I curled tighter into my duvet, feeling like a disgusting mess from lying around all day.
Then the fourth knock came on the door.
Jasmine. It was probably lunch?
"Your dinner is ready, Young Miss" she announced, her voice quieter now, as if she already knew what my response would be.
Right, dinner. Not lunch.
"I'm not hungry, Jasmine."
And I truly wasn't. I didn't even realise how long I've stayed locked up in here.
I'm just tired, weak. I want to disappear.
"You haven't eaten anything since last night, Doctor. I'm sure you would never like to watch your patient do this to themselves" she muttered, concern lacing her tone. And honestly? She almost got me there.
Almost.
But instead of moving to the door, to bravely yank it open and face what reality had to offer, I sniffled back tears that had begun to fall without my permission.
"Go away, Jasmine. I'm not a patient." I choked out on a sob and there was silence at the other end for a beat or two, before silent thuds of footsteps finally receded.
'I think you're being dramatic, Danica. Is your heart hurting or is it just the freaking cramps?' Aurora murmured, tone almost soothing like she didn't just say that to my face.
"Fuck you, Rora." I whimpered, completely forgetting the reason why I was crying in the first place as another gut twisting pain coiled in my lower belly.
And here's just another obvious point that proves I never belonged here, anyway.
Not the backgrounds hidden behind the perfect family name. Not the wolfless nature. And definitely not the menstrual cycles that were considered weird and just totally off around here.
It was something Thorn had announced so openly when he rejected me. And I literally made it to the top list of all gossip the entire month.
'I could be a human for all they cared. And the last thing they wanted was a stray human wandering around in a world of supernaturals. I was almost stoned to death for simply breathing the wrong air and Thorn watched. He was right there, all in full height, and capable of saving me but he watched without a single hint of remorse.
It was that moment I swore I'd never let myself trust any man ever again.
The memories came flooding back before I could stop them. The sinister look on my sister's face as she clung onto my mate's arms that day. The blank look on his face after dropping the bombshell, the judgemental glances and glares everyone sent my way.
Alexander hasn't even made my humiliation public, and this hollow ache in my chest is only based on my assumption and what Rosetta said. But the thought of it being true, hurt more than anything Thorn might have done to me.
After what seemed like an eternity, another knock came, a bit harsher than the rest. So I flared.
"Go the hell away, Jasmine. Don't make this harder for me!" I yelled as I forced myself into a sitting position with my legs tucked under my hips.
"You don't want to make this harder for me, either, little mate." The response came, but it wasn't Jasmine. It was Alexander.
I felt my breath hitch. And even then, despite myself, I felt relief course through my veins at the very sound of his voice.
"Come on, talk to me, Dani. What's wrong?" His voice came again, unbelievably soft and I couldn't help but scoff out loud.
Of course that was how he got me to fall in love with him. Those damn deceitful fall of his tone whenever he tries to make me feel better.
But do I hate him for it, even now? No, I don't.
"I don't want to talk to you, Alexander. You're the last person I'd talk to right now." I murmured sternly, hoping he didn't hear the crack in my voice.
"And you don't expect me to actually leave just because you don't want to talk to me, right? Because if you are, then you're sourly mistaken" he said.
"Just go away, Alexander. I want to be alone" I argued, strongly determined not to see anyone. Especially not him.
"Then tell me why you've been skipping your meals, Danica. And for what? Twenty four hours?" The question came off angry, I could literally feel his anger from this freaking bed but he could go to hell and lie there for another twenty four hours for all I care.
"I'm not hungry, is why. So leave me the hell alone!" I growled at this point but he wasn't having that as well.
"Open the damn door, Danica, or else..."
"Or else what? You're going to break the damn door down?" I yelled, my tears pouring out in waves now.
"Fucking yes, Dani. That is exactly what I'm going to do, trust me" he retorted but I didn't move an inch. I was too hurt to hear the sincerity in his voice.
He wouldn't possibly break down doors worth billions because of a mate he only accepted to keep that part of him that craves the bond sane and happy.
Or at least, that was what I told myself until a loud bang jolted me back to reality.
Another bang followed, and then another. Two more bangs and the door fell open in a shameless thud, startling me right out of my skin.
But I remained at the center of my bed, still sniffing back tears like the coward I am as I watched his eyes roam the room before finally locking with mine.
"Jesus Christ, Danica" he muttered under his breath as he crossed the space between us within a few long strides.
"What the hell happened, little mate? Did you fall? Injure yourself? Did someone hurt you? Just give me a name, and I'll detach their heads from their neck entirely" Questions and more questions poured out as he held my face between his hands, a pair of worried and piercing blue eyes boring into the very depths of my soul.
"Well, it's nothing much, just that I fell for a man who was already betrothed without letting me know." I blurted before I could stop myself.
He squinted, as if trying to process what he just heard.
"What the hell does that even mean?" He asked, looking utterly confused.
"What I mean is, the princess, Rosetta, told me you two were engaged. Betrothed, to be precise. But no difference, right?" I added, sarcasm dripping off every word.
"What?!" He exclaimed, disbelief crossing his features. "Betrothed?! Rosetta and I? She said that?" He asked, scoffing in amusement.
"Yes. She said that. And she's here to know more about her husband-to-be and his traditions, apparently. But the groom didn't think to tell his mate" I replied, another fresh round of tears rolling off my cheek and he looked awfully awestruck, like I was speaking in parables or something related.
His lips parted, closed, parted again. But he couldn't get anything out of his mouth. Not an excuse, not a backlash. Just silence as he stared at me. And then ever so slowly, a cocky smirk curled up his lips. Like he just couldn't believe my entire reaction to everything I just told him.
And that only made me even more anxious. Hopeful, yet anxious.