Chapter 2 - The Green Eyes Man

CARLENE

"Huh?"

I was looking at the clear green eyes staring intensely at me.

Me?

Why?

As my brows furrowed, I couldn't stop watching him, who showed his stiff face while gritting his teeth. He seemed angry, though he said something that sounded pleasant. The only thing that resembled his state was how he looked at me. I could feel his longing, pain, and slight bliss through his eyes.

Once again, why?

"Can you let go of my hand?" Instead of questioning the reason why he suddenly grabbed my hand, I asked him to release me. It was the right thing to do, wasn't it? I didn't want to have a conversation with someone I didn't know. Moreover, the one made me uncomfortable.

He remained silent without having the intention of complying with my request. His eyes still locked on me, like I was the only person he could see.

"Hello, can you hear me?" I waved my hand to him to draw back his attention to me. Although he looked at me, he seemed lost in his deep thoughts.

My patience was on the limit. I didn't like to be ignored. Who would like it? Nobody would. And he did it in our first meeting and automatically ignited a bad image of him. He wasn't a person I would like to be friends with. Ah, I didn't even want to speak to him anymore. But I needed to because my hand was still in his.

I pulled my hand, trying to remove his grasp. It was pretty difficult because he gripped me tight.

"What's happening here?" I heard someone ask from my back and recognized the voice right away. It was Mr. Todd.

I turned my head toward him. Mr. Todd was coming with his wife and his first son, Flynn. Behind them, there was a familiar face. A girl in a pink midi dress, Alyssa. She was the one that led me to know the Todd family.

I was a private tutor, by the way. I had been working for them for almost two years by teaching Alyssa and helping her with her painting skill. That was why I was closed to the family and sometimes invited to their small gatherings. They were so kind. They treated me as if I was part of the family.

"He suddenly grabs my hand and doesn't let me go." I tried not to make my voice sound like a complaint. It was not the right place and not at the right moment. I shouldn't bother his family with this, especially since they were the event's owners. It was Flynn's wedding party. That was why they demanded me to come.

He looked at us—the green eyes man and me—thoughtfully before flashing a calming smile. "Don't worry, Carl. He's my friend. I'll ask him to be nicer to you." Then my eyes followed his movement toward the green eyes man and stopped when they were facing each other. "You should let her go, Alpha, or she'll be scared of you." He said while placing his hand on the man calling Alpha's shoulder. Watching their interaction, they seemed close, which raised hope in my chest. I wanted him to remove my hand before... before we attracted more attention. Oh, I could feel eyes spying on us.

However, the green eyes man didn't budge as if Mr. Todd had never said those words. "Don't you hear him? Let me go." I said louder, with annoyance in my voice. What was wrong with him?

No response and I thought I would explode now. Damned with the embarrassment! It disappeared along with his negligence.

But before I could say more, I felt a movement from behind me, which turned into Flynn walking toward him. "Alpha, you need to remember that she is a human. She doesn't know about these mate bond things." Different from the father, Flynn said respectfully.

I glared at him, showing that he really pissed me off. He had two men to coax him, but they were still not working.

"Alpha."

I felt his grip tighten for a moment before he finally released me. He looked at me, Mr. Todd, and Flynn peevishly, then let out a growl. It was the opposite for me. I could be free from him and curved a smile as I immediately took a step away, out of his reach.

But then, I flinched when Alyssa took my arm and said, "Carl, you should see Laura. She's so beautiful in her dress." Alyssa chirped while pulling me to follow her. She was two years younger than me, which made us like friends, not a tutor and a student. 

And I decided not to look back at the scene. 

"Congratulations on your wedding." I congratulated Laura as I hugged her. She was gorgeous in her long white gown. It fitted her body well, showing purity and sexiness at the same time.

"Thank you, Carl. I'm happy you made it to the party."

"But I missed the ceremony." I pointed out. I had a job during the day, so I couldn't come to witness the vow. It must be touching yet rejoicing. It was a sacred oath that would last forever. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, dear. We understand." Laura patted my back before releasing me. "You're here now, and that's enough." Her words and understanding smile reassured me. And I could only answer her with a grateful smile. She was another friend of mine.

"Excuse me, ladies. Do you mind if I join in?"

A sudden motherly voice came into my ears and made me turn my head to the source. I found a fine lady with a motherly look already within my reach. But she seemed younger than the expression she resembled on her face. And strangely enough, I found Laura bowing her head to her with respect, like someone answering to a superior.

"Luna Julia."

The call didn't escape my ears. So did the acknowledgment smile Laura gave to her.

Luna Julia then shifted her gaze to me, reaching for my hand and squeezing it slightly. "What's your name, dear?"

"Carlene."

"We call her Carl, Luna," Laura added information, and I nodded to that.

"Carlene. Carl. What a lovely name." Luna Julia said excitedly, radiating the same excitement in her eyes. "I'm Julia, and I'm so pleased to finally meet you."

Julia? Wasn't her name Luna Julia?

But I didn't voice out my thought. Instead, I answered Luna Julia with the same hospitality. "I'm pleased to meet you, too." I left her name out to avoid mistakes.

"I'm the mother of the man who grabbed your hand earlier. I'm sorry for my son's rudeness, and I hope he didn't hurt you."

No. That man just pissed me off.

But again, it was only my mind speaking.

"No. He didn't hurt me at all. But it's better if he asks someone nicely instead of suddenly grabbing their hand." I hid my sarcasm behind the pleasant tone and smile on my lips.

"I'm really sorry for him." Luna Julia stroked the back of my hand. "He may look indifferent, rigid, and a bit rude, but once he opens to you, he'll be the most caring person you've ever met." She gave me a calming and meaningful smile. I knew she tried to convince me, but I didn't think it would work now.

But before I could give my response, her eyes darted to my back. "Here he is." Then she smiled at me one last time before pulling me to turn around to face her son. Yes, he was already in front of me with his eyes fixed on me.

Luna Julia moved to his side, took his arm, and rubbed it while saying, "This is my son. His name is Jacob." She took the role of introducing us to each other. "And this beautiful lady is-"She supposedly hung her words unfinished for me to continue.

"Carlene!" I wanted to say casually, but it turned out to be in a bit higher tone.

For a moment, I saw changes in his eyes. They dilated into darker colors, almost black, but they were not. They were still green. Beautiful dark green eyes.

But then it disappeared at the same time I realized the change. Those eyes were back to clear green, as I noticed in our first exchanging gaze.