Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It's been been 2 days since Reui went to the neighbor pack to discuss things with his co-alpha. Just what he had suggested, I interacted with some members of his pack. Now that he was gone, I no longer feel awkward. Mommy Cam and Ingrid toured me around the pack house during the first day since Reui departed. Ingrid was just the same age as me and she's gonna be my aid while I stay here and she's also gonna come with me in the university since she's 18. I've learned that the class will start 3 weeks from now, which meant the school administration along with the werewolf authorities were still searching for every werewolves whose age are of 18 to 19.

“Why do they need to forced teens to attend it? We're just having a peaceful lives out of any packs!” I whined as I slumped down on the couch with a junk food on my chest.

“Well, it is already a law few centuries ago,” Ingrid tried to reason out but I just couldn't wrap my head around this stupid law they made.

“You know what? They are stupids. Yeah! Definitely stupid!” I hissed and took a mouthful of potato chips.

I heard her chuckled. We continued to chitchat while watching televisions together. I haven't had any friends before but I could already consider her as my first friend. She's so nice and lovely. She tells me everything I want to know. She cooks food for me and she even dressed me up! I feel like having a twin sister.

Speaking of sister, I actually doesn't know how it feels like to have a sibling because I grew up alone.

I was raised in an orphanage until I reached the age of 8, someone adopted me. She was a nice person. She worked as a doctor in a private hospital. We rarely see each other because she was always busy. She supported me and my studies but that's all. She doesn't show any emotion on her face when she talks to me. She's indifferent. Until 2 years ago, she said she's going abroad to visit her dead daughter but she never came back. All her properties was given to me but I refused to take it. Besides, I was minor that time. I can't take the money. But even after I turned legal now, I spent the money giving to charities and orphanage. I have no idea when Ms. Cloud right now but I knew she's still alive.

It must be painful to lose a child...

The reason why I was adopted was because her 8-year-old daughter died due to illness. But the poor mother seems to be couldn't get over with it. She can't replace her daughter. I can't replace her daughter's position in her life.

It was okay to me, though. I wasn't planning on replacing her daughter. I love Ms. Cloud because she adopted me and give me everything I needed, but she didn't actually stood like a mother figure to me, rather she stood like a mere guardian.

I wonder how she is right now. I've actually missed her.

I sighed heavily.

“Hey, Ingrid?” I called her name. Days of spending time with her, I already felt comfortable with her company.

“Yes?”

“I feel like strolling outside the house. You told me there's a small town in this huge pack land, right? Can we have a walk there? My feet actually hurts now without using them often,” I said. She had told me almost everything about the pack. There's even a small hospital, school, marketplace, and some bars that anyone could go in to drink excluding minor, of course. Minus the brothels, too, because it is forbidden in this pack. Loyalty and respect are their on top priorities.

“But the Alpha reminded me not to let you out unless he's here to accompany you, Katia,” she said seriously with her brows furrowed.

I narrowed my eyes and pouted my lips. “Don't mind him. He just doesn't want me to look at men.” I rolled my eyes and stood up. “I will go whether I have his permission or not. I would appreciate it if you come, but you wouldn't want to go, it's fine with me as well.”

“K-Katia, wait!” she exclaimed when I started walking away.

I hid a smirk and flashed a gentle smile instead. “Really, no need, Ingrid. I know you respects your alpha and you follow what was told by him but I have my own decision. I am not a property he owns. No need to accompany me if you're not really willing to. I'll just go alone—”

“I'm coming with you,” she firmly said. I beamed in happiness internally. “But in one condition. We will be having two men to guard us up, okay? The pack house is quite far from the centre of the whole pack land. Thus, we will be walking in the woods for about 30 minutes before reaching the place.”

I smiled gratefully, grinning mentally. “Thank you, Ingrid. I owe you a lot.”

**

We arrived at the centre and I was in awe. I felt like I was inside a book— a historical book to be specific. With tents full of merchandise, shops filled with different type of things, restaurants, funfair, old people selling cotton candies, balloons, and some stuff. There are also some people who were up to entertainment to entertain kids.

“I have never thought you guys were this... many!” I exclaimed, amused. “Really, how many members of Exodus pack?”

“Around 2,000 and more,” she said and my eyes nearly bulged.

“Really?! Wow!” I couldn't help but to get awed again. They are too many than I actually thought. “This pack land must be so wide and huge!”

“Yes, it is,” she proudly replied with her chest out and hands on the back.

“I've never actually thought of it. I thought wewolves' packs are boring as f*ck!”

She chuckled and shook her head.

“Wait! Let's go in the bar!” I exclaimed, making the smile on her face vanished. She tried to decline and shook her head but I've already pulled her to me, dragging her inside the bar. We sat on the bar counter and ordered some drinks.

“Katia, this is a bad idea,” she nervously said as she accepted the glass of tequila in her hands.

“Nah. Come on! Loosen up! Let's have some fun!” I said and drank straight the tequila. The bittersweet taste of the alcohol burn down on my throat. Whilst Ingrid just winced and almost puked out. She tried to stop me from next few drinks and even threatened the bartenders but I dismissed her off, laughing at her distressed face.

“My life... sucks!” I said drunkenly after the fifth shots. “My real p-parents abandoned me! They could've killed me, right?! Why did they even had to gave birth to me if they would just throw me like a piece of dust on their way!” I cried. “You know what's even the saddest part of my life?! When my foster mother decided to abandon me, too, and that's when I first shifted! No one was there for me! It hurts like a bitch!”

“Katia, hush, you're drunk. Let's go back to the house—”

“Shut up! I'm not finished yet!” I shut her off. I gulped down another glass of alcohol. “I want to meet them to tell that if they don't like to have me as their daughter, neither do I! I don't need them! I can live on my own!”

I wiped the tears on my face. “Fuck them for abandoning me!”

“Katia...” she said sympathetically as she tried to hold my arm. I raised my hand, stopping her.

“I don't need your pity. I just... I want to spill these out! I have no one to talk to because no one was actually willing to befriend me! I mean, yeah, I can't blame them if they avoid me. I'm cold. I'm weird. I am not a normal person like them! And... and it's saddening because m-my life is so l-lonely and no one's willing to love me...” My voice broke and a sob erupted through my chest. All the emotions I've hid for years suddenly burst out and I have no means to stop it. I can't stop it. I'm breaking. “Then R-Reui suddenly came! He's showing his affection towards me and I could see it in his eyes that he really cared about my well-being. He would sneak into my room in the middle of the night just to put some cover on my body and before he'd left, he would kiss my forehead. B-But I always pretend to be sleeping because I don't want to ruin the moment. I'm s-scared that if I open my eyes, he'll be gone! My trust issues were worse I can't reciprocate his feelings easily because of the fear of being abandoned again!”

I angrily slammed the glass on the counter and laughed at my pitiful life. “No one actually stayed with me. People gets easily tired of me because I'm a cursed child. Yeah, I am.”

“That's enough, Katia. You're already drunk,” she said softly and held my wrist to stop me from drinking again. I shoved her hands.

“Do not tell me what to do! I do not belong in your pack. No one owns me! Therefore, I could do everything I want to do!” I hissed. “Besides, it's not as if I went here with all my willingness! If it's not because of the fact that Reui is my mate and I need to attend the university, I wouldn't have to come here in the first place!”

“But it's getting dark and Alpha Reui would get mad once he learnt about this—”

I cut her off for the hundredth time.

“He's nowhere here! Why do you fear so much if he knows that we sneaked out! He wouldn't know because he's not even here! Just relax and let me enjoy my freaking night!”

I rolled my eyes heavenward and raised my tequila in the air, pretending as if I was toasting with someone. I drank the whole drink in one gulp.

I wiped my mouth through the corner of my mouth before I giggled at the now paled-face Ingrid. “Reui is not here so don't you worry.”

But then, she only get even more paler as her eyes grew wide like a dear in headlights.

“Hey, I'm talking to you! What are you looking at—” I couldn't finished up my words when a strong scent of fresh woods and caramel invaded my nostrils. I immediately felt a presence behind me.

“I see, someone's enjoying her precious, little time on this bar.” Those cold voice sent shivers down my spine. All my drunkenness seemed to vanish as my whole body went tensed. I slowly turned my body around and my face hit his chiseled chest. Looking up nervously, I was greeted with my mate's handsome yet angry face.

Dumbstruck, I uttered, “R-Reui...”

He smirked darkly as he lifted his hand and caressed my face gently. “I'm back, baby. Nice surprise, yeah?”