135 A Long-Awaited Reunion

135 A Long-Awaited Reunion
Three and a Bit Years After the Escape

Tanya Velichko:

"How’s my little pumpkin doing?", I ask Alina over video call, making a silly face at my nephew.
"Your pumpkin already wants to see her aunt in person!", my sister grumbles. "Maybe it’s time to stop running around? It’s really sad to watch Zavir."
Hearing that name made my heart do quite a flip. All this time I’ve been in hiding, he hasn’t left my troubled mind for a single day. Though I tried my hardest to banish him from my thoughts, burying myself in studies and other activities.
I settled in the capital, right under Aiden’s watchful eye. He, like a strict guardian, responsibly took on the role of my caretaker and, I won’t lie, also as my best friend.
Of course, we never crossed the line into romance, unlike him and Alina. He’s still single and free, like the wind across the fields. Yet, I’ve long noticed a certain sadness in his gaze. I thought it was related to my sister’s wedding, but he said it was partly connected to something else. Once, during an honest chat with me, he admitted that a certain girl had captured his heart—but she rejected him.
How could anyone reject such a handsome, simply incredible man? Handsome, charismatic, wealthy, funny, intelligent, fascinating in every way, and… rejected?! That girl must have had truly awful eyesight!
I finished the last year of school here with honors and would have received a gold medal if I hadn’t been in hiding. After all, my name was fake, and I didn’t provide grades from my previous school. But I didn’t need the medal. I already know what I’m capable of.
After school, I enrolled in university in the Faculty of International Relations and have almost completed two years. It’s May now, and there’s barely anything left of the academic year. I stay true to myself and keep getting excellent grades, which already guarantees me automatic credits in many subjects.
I absolutely love student life; I have a sea of friends and acquaintances with whom I participate in numerous events and various intellectual competitions. I take everything from life… well, almost everything.
"Oh, if he wanted to find me, he would have already!", I snort, feeling a pang of hurt and disappointment in my chest.
"You know, it’s not that easy to find someone protected by the Alpha and the Luna", Alina looks at me reproachfully, speaking the truth. Still, it means he didn’t try hard enough!
"Oh, enough! I don’t want to think about him!", I sulk. "And I’m not really drawn to him anymore. My human feelings have dulled quite a bit during my absence, so I can live peacefully without that shameless womanizer! He’s probably slept with the whole pack by now," I murmur quietly, but at that moment, Wayland, who had approached, overhears me.
"He hasn’t," the alpha laughs into the screen, greeting me and kissing his family. "I didn’t even notice any girls around him. Either he’s learned to hide the scent of intimacy from me, or he’s been on a dry streak all these years," the leader teases his friend.
"Pff! I’ll never believe it in my life!", I snort again, rolling my eyes. Who ever heard of lustful dogs tying their member in a knot?
"Oh, little one, I warned you! Just don’t provoke the beast," Wayland said mysteriously, laughing before disappearing from my sight.
I chatted with my sister about various things before we went our separate ways. Despite speaking with my loved ones, I felt awful inside. Zavir had ripped open old wounds again!
Almost every night, he comes to me in my dreams, tormenting me sweetly until I wake up soaking wet, even in the most secluded places!
The sun shone softly and warmly. It was Friday, classes were over, and I decided to visit our huge, beautiful park. I’d buy some ice cream and arrange to meet Nata.
After standing in line at the kiosk for my favorite ice cream, I happily walked to an empty bench. I dropped my backpack and sat down, opening the treat I’d been craving.
Damn! My dessert had started to melt—probably another freezer problem. I quickly licked the treat, trying not to drip on my skirt, when suddenly a shiver ran across my skin.
It felt almost like panic, though I couldn’t figure out why. Despite the cold ice cream, warmth spread through my body and my cheeks flushed.