Chapter 28: Harem

CHAPTER 28: A HAREM?

ANNA'S POV

"Is there something you want to talk about?" I asked, still with a smile on my face. My eyes were a bit narrowed as I observed her expression. On the other hand, Nate who was still in pain, looked at us weirdly.

"Yes..." She let out in a shaky tone and I raised my brows at her. I could guess what she was about to say but then I couldn't care anymore. I gave her the opportunity to give me an answer but then I never got one.

"What do you have to say?" I asked, just to keep the conversation going. However, I had no intention of going through with it.

"About the question you asked me. I want to..." She said but I was quick to cut her off.

"I don't want to know what you have to say, Aria. It's long gone and you should have given me an answer at that time." I explained as I didn't plan on keeping my thoughts from her.

"But, I was confused." She let out, in a pained tone and her eyes showed the different emotions she felt. Dilemma was evident on her face and I wondered if she was no longer confused.

"So, what changed? You are no longer confused? You have been enlightened, huh?" I asked, with a small and mocking smile on her face.

"I'm no longer confused. I have my answer..." She said, in a resolute tone and I chuckled lowly. My eyes twinkled and the moonlight which was already setting in shone on me, as well as Aria. She looked really beautiful and at the same time, sad. However, the look on her face hadn't convinced me whether she was really not confused.

"Or do you just want to say what I would love to hear? Huh?" I asked, with raised brows and she frowned.

"Are you..." She let out and went quiet for a few seconds. Surprise fleeted across her face and then she continued, "Are you trying to say I'm going to lie to you? Are you indirectly calling me a liar?" I heard her say and I shrugged, nonchalantly. I didn't see why she wasn't, seeing the way she handled Jonas and Nate.

"Why wouldn't you lie to me?" I asked back, in a nonchalant tone and a look of distrust. I saw a look of pain fleet across her face and I wondered why it was so. Was she so bothered about my words, huh?

On the other hand, I pinpoint why I was so angry at her for having two men dancing to her tune.

"It's all because of Jonas! I have my eyes set on him!" I heard Kyra say and I gasped, in shock. I wasn't expecting to hear such from her at this point.

"Shut up, Kyra! Jonas has nothing to do with this!" I said, in my head, in an irritated tone. Her feelings were starting to rub on me at this point. She wanted a mate and she craved it so badly. It wasn't news to me that my wolf's eyes were set on Jonas. It was one of the reasons why she pestered me so much about going back to the rogues while I roamed around, in the forest.

"We need love too, Anna." She said to me, in a pained tone and my heart wavered for a moment. I knew I needed love! Especially from a mate. How does that feel? I had no idea.

"Jonas belongs to Aria!!" I yelled to my wolf but then my eyes widened, in shock realizing what I had done. I was so lost in thoughts with my wolf that I didn't notice that I had said those words aloud.

"What do you mean, Anna?" I heard Aria ask as she looked at me, with so much disbelief.

"No..." I shook my head, in dismay.

"No... It's nothing." I said, quickly, with wide eyes. I couldn't believe what I had just done. On the other hand, Aria continued to look at me with a gaze filled with disbelief, and on the other hand, Nate was nowhere to be found.

He had disappeared while I was lost in thoughts.

"Anna, tell me what you mean by "Jonas belongs to Aria"," Aria asked, with wide eyes as she stepped closer to me.

At this point, I knew I couldn't face her at all. I was disappointed in myself for all the emotions I had been feeling toward her. Toward Jonas as well.

Was I filled with jealousy?

Envy or what? I couldn't pinpoint what I felt and without that, I couldn't even stand before Aria.

In the next second, I turned away and started to run. Maybe some other time, I would explain what I meant and felt. But at this point, I needed to clear my head. I needed to clear Kyra's head as well. I couldn't decipher which were my emotions. Was it all mine or Kyra's?

"Anna!!" Aria yelled as she ran after me. I could hear her running footsteps and it was deeply disturbing to me. How did things escalate this fast? How?

"Aria, where are you running to?" I heard Nate's panicked tone as he called after Aria. No matter how far I had run, I still could hear her voice.

"Stay back, Nate. I need to deal with this." I heard her say and immediately, she continued to run after me.

Just like I wasn't ready to hear what she had to say, I didn't think she would be ready to hear what I had to say.

In the next second, I let myself go and for the first time, in a long while, Kyra took over. My hands and legs morphed into limbs and in the next second, I landed on all fours, covered in fur and with clothes torn all over, on the forest floor.

The forest smelt damp but familiar and before Aria could get to me, I willed my wolf to get away.

___

A few hours later, deep within the forest with the moon shining bright up, in the dark sky.

"What do we do, Kyra?" I asked, with a sad smile on my face as I rested on the forest floor, with my back against a large tree.

"Answer me..." I let out, asking again as Kyra didn't give me a reply to my question. After running away from Aria, into the forest, Kyra became really bruised and I had to take over.

At this point, she whimpered deep within me as a result of what had happened.

"Can Jonas not be ours?" She asked with a whimper and I closed my eyes, in annoyance. How could she continue to do this to me?

"Take your mind off Jonas, Kyra. He is not ours and can never be!" I said, through gritted teeth. At this point, I didn't care if anyone was going to hear me, though there was no one around.

"Look at what your silly feelings have brought us to. How do you want me to face Aria now?" I asked, in a shaky tone as I was trying to hold back my tears, rage, and irritation.

"But she has two men under her belt! She shouldn't be so greedy!" She replied and I gasped, in shock, wondering when Kyra started to harbor such emotions. How could she think of someone that way? Or was it my emotions that were starting to rub off her?

I took a deep breath, just to stabilize myself as I was still reeling in shock at her words.

"We have no business with what a person has to do with her life. They could be having a mutual love triangle, you know? Who are we to dictate what is right or wrong for them?" I said those words, and let out a long sigh. I realized that was what I should have thought when I started to suspect Nate and Aria.

"So what if she has Nate and Jonas under her feet? She should love them and they should love her, just the same way. That way, everyone lives happily." I continued to say, however, I could feel my wolf's disagreement toward my words.

"Then what about you? Aren't you meant to be loved?" She asked and I chuckled.

"You have been saying that for some time now. You should stop using that to overcloud my judgment." I let out, in a loud tone as I wanted to make things clearer to her.

"I loved my mate, Lucas but where did it get me? At the Prince's place, right? Even though I was against being a substitute bride, I couldn't do anything other than just accept my fate..." I explained to Kyra and my tone, drew out.

And then, I continued, "Even in all that, I still wished to be loved by the prince if I eventually got married to him. However, where did it get me? Here in the damn forest!" I replied with a pained look.

"So, don't speak about love and tell me I need it! I do not!" I said, through gritted teeth and with red eyes. The tears in my eyes threatened to fall and Kyra went silent.

As I continued to mull over all that had happened, I realized everything I had been thinking was just based on my assumptions and imagination.

Jonas and Aria never confirmed their relationship status however they seem a little too close and in tandem.

Moreover, I saw the look of longing and sorrow on Jonas' face when he held onto Aria's almost dead body.

"What are you saying, Anna?" I heard the least expected voice, just behind me and immediately, I snapped out of my thoughts. I shot to my feet immediately and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Aria just beside me. How did she get here all of a sudden?

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" I asked, in a shaky tone but she looked back at me, with disbelief.

"Everything you said just moments ago? Was it all true?" She asked.

At this point, I realized she had heard everything and there was no need to hide things from her. However, I didn't even know what to say to her or how to start explaining all that I meant.

"Did you really think I have something to do with Jonas as well as Nate?" I heard her ask and her tone was filled with so much disbelief and disappointment.

Why did she sound so disappointed?

Why?

At this moment, it struck me and my eyes widened in shock. Everything that I had thought was a lie, or was it not?

"Did you really believe that I was two-timing?" She asked again and this time, I nodded. There was no use denying what I had thought.

"I noticed you were in tandem with Jonas. I saw the way he looked at you when he held you in his arms when you were almost dead. That was a lover's look." I let out, and she gasped.

"But I was surprised when you became so close to Nate and you let him hold you everywhere while Jonas was away or watching." I continued to explain and she gasped, once again.

"Was that why you came to the conclusion that it must have been a mutual love triangle? A harem?" She asked and I nodded, with a bow of my head, in shame.

"I forced myself not to think so bad about you. You look incapable of such acts but then I didn't know what to think." I said but then I knew that no matter what I say would justify my thoughts or accusations.

"I'm sorry, Anna.." She let out and my head snapped to look at her. Why was she sorry?

"Why are you sorry?" I asked, with raised brows.

"You are dense!" She said, in a straightforward tone and I frowned.

"What?" I asked.