Chapter 9

Ashina's POV

My eyes bulged as I turned to see Warrick standing by the door. He had a robe on and he leaned against the door frame.

Why didn't I hear him opening the door? 

Esmeray shifted in me as I stared at him. She was silent, but I could feel the tension in her.

Is she scared of him?

“No, just cautious,” she whispered back.

“Why?” I thought to her.

“Because he's too calculating. He measures everything. Stop tapping your leg, he's looking at it.”

“Why are you nervous?” Warrick asked.

I froze, dropping my feet and hands flat down.

“Told ya he's clever.”

“Erm. I—”

“Stop stuttering, raise your head, look him straight in the eyes as you reply to him, girl.”

I gulped. 

“Why do I have to do that? I can't—” I asked her in my head.

“You can. And you have to, because that would teach them all not to mess with you.”

Warrick pushed himself off the door frame and walked up to me slowly, his slim fingers adjusting his robe. I caught his toned chest peeking out the front of the robe. 

“Were you talking about me?” 

I blinked and looked down. 

“Raise your head,” Esmeray said.

My chest tightened as I looked up to see him pretty close to me. I leaned back on my seat and looked up at him.

He raised a brow as my eyes met his “Were— you— talking about me?”

“No.” 

My brows furrowed as I struggled to hold his gaze. The side of his lips lifted up in a smirk.

“Are you sure?” 

I nodded. It was already hard to say that one word looking in his eyes. 

“Okay. So where were you going last night?” 

I was out in the woods, running around till I lost consciousness.

“I went for a walk.” I bit my tongue after my half truth. Still looking at him.

“A walk? But your room was a mess.”

“How did you know?” I asked, in my mind, I wondered if he'd come looking for me. 

He stepped back and looked away. I loosened my fist and heaved a sigh, relieved that the stare down had ended.

“Now, start eating your food slowly, pretend like you don't care about what he is going to say or do,” Esmeray told me.

I swallowed, trying to move out the lump on my throat. Then I picked my fork and started eating slowly, though my hands were shaking as I breathed heavily 

“Well, If you're thinking that I came looking for you and found out you weren't here, then you're—” as he paused, I held my breath, looking at him. “Right.”

I blinked and continued eating. 

He came looking for me? Why? Was he worried about me?

“I thought to call you down for dinner as I was passing by your room. If I wasn't passing I would have just asked Vera to call you up.”

I swallowed. “So when you saw that I was missing, did you think I'd left?”

He chuckled and faced me. “You can't leave.”

My heart flinched as I saw the gaze in his eyes. “Why?”

“Who do you want to bring shame to?” He shook his head. “I already told my kin that I finally found my mate, there's no going back.”

“So because of your reputation and nothing else?” I found his eyes and they went blank.

“Yes, just that.” 

“Okay,” I replied, just as cold as he responded, looking away. “So tell me. Why didn't you go after me?”

“Because there was no way you could cross the magical barrier around my castle. I wasn't surprised when they brought you back unconscious. It knocked you out.”

My jaw downed.

“That explains it. I knew I wasn't that weak, even though I was locked away for years,” Esmeray chirped in.

He narrowed his eyes on me, banged his hands on the table and leaned in. Too close, I couldn't breathe even though I tilted sideways.

“Don't you ever try to leave, do you hear me?”

I nodded. “I was just taking a walk,” I repeated. Even though it was actually a run.

He closed his eyes, leaned in closer and sniffed at me as his eyes rolled up.

“That scent is—” his eyes snapped open and they had a golden hue in them. “You're smelling different.”

My grip against the handles of the chair tightened till my knuckles turned white. 

“I think he can sense me,” Esmeray added. 

“What?” My voice came out as a whisper. “How do I smell?”

“Sweet. You— you have a wolf now?” He asked, getting closer to my neck as he smelled me.

The warmth of his breath against the side of my face made my heart race. My body felt hot the closer he got.

I couldn't take it anymore—

I sprang up from my seat. “Yes.” 

He got up and arranged his robe. “Oh. That is new. At least my kinsmen would not worry about having a wolfless luna.”

He stepped back as his forehead formed a thick line, with eyes locked on me.

“Yes, I guess.” I licked my lips and dropped back on my seat, my fingers went for the fork which I held tightly.

He narrowed his eyes at me, as he placed his hand on the table slowly. It almost touched mine, but I moved quickly.

His eyes shifted from my face, down to the table. “Well, Vera will bring the outfit for tonight's event.”

He backed away, turned and walked out, leaving the door wide open.

I heaved a sigh of relief. “What was that?”

Esmeray was silent, but I felt her presence heavily.

I shook my head and pushed the plate of food away. I’d had enough already. 

“Well, that was weird,” I said with another sigh. “I can't eat after all these dramas. I need to get some air.”

I closed the door and then went to the bathroom, took my bath and wore a pink floral printed dress in my wardrobe.

It was cute with the halter neck. The back was open, so I couldn't wear a bra. It cupped my full boobs well, though they peeked out from the sides.

The dress was barely below my knee. I checked the wardrobe and found a pair of white sandals that matched my dress. 

I loved my look as I twirled in front of the mirror. My eyes caught my baggage at the corner behind the wardrobe.

My smile faded off as I sighed. Most of my old clothes were bought by Leo. Wearing those clothes would remind me of him and I didn't want that.

I walked up to the baggage and ran my hand over its top. 

“Thinking of you causes me so much pain, Leo. So I rather forget— everything.”

I pulled the bag over to the centre of the room. 

“What do you want to do with that?” Esmeray asked me.

“I am going to burn them.”

“Do you think that would wipe him out of your heart?” She asked.