Chapter 6 - Summers

I held onto my bag tightly, my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. I tried thinking of whatever I might have possibly left behind on that table, but with the panic in me, I couldn't think straight.

Reid turned, and I was speechless for a few seconds when he held up a dead flower that piqued my curiosity a few days back. I was trying to see if it had any medicinal benefits, but I had abandoned it on the table when I couldn't find anything.

I was starting to worry that I got busted. I muttered under my breath as I explained what it was. He looked like he didn't understand what I was saying, so I just impatiently glanced at the door. He probably noticed because he dropped the flower back on the table and walked forward, offering to help me with my bag. I was surprised at the kind gesture, but I still let him carry it anyway without uttering a single word. I walked behind him, shutting the door as I took a last glance at the house that was starting to feel familiar despite spending just a few days there.

When I turned away from the house, Reid was leaning against a very expensive-looking black car, a soft, tender expression on his face. I looked away, not wanting to stare at his face, and walked towards the other side of the car and sat down. He put my bag in the trunk and got in beside me. Through the corner of my eye, I watched him try to reach out and hold my hand, but he didn't and just kicked the car into gear.

He began driving, and the silence was awkward. I pressed my face against the window, refusing to stare at his side. Instead, I watched the green blur of trees as I let myself get comfortable in my seat and the cold silence until he started a conversation which I very much wished he hadn’t.

“I didn't get a chance to talk to you properly, but I'm sorry about your uncle…” I intended to ignore him, but I was wondering what exactly happened to my uncle.

“What about him?” I asked.

“You were going to pay your last respects to him…” he pointed out.

Oh…that. I can't believe I actually forgot that lie I gave when I wanted to leave.

“I had to drag you from your comfort to help my dad…”

“It's fine, you didn't force me to,” I said, cutting him off sharply and wishing he would stop talking. Reid noticed my coldness.

“You don't talk much, do you?” he asked, chuckling awkwardly as if he was trying to ease the tension. But I gave him his answer by not saying anything, and he didn't bother talking about anything else again until we got into the part of the pack I could recognize.

He drove towards the pack palace and parked. I got out of the car and stared at the exquisite building that had more than a hundred staff working for them. I was going to be staying here from now to whenever. Staying with the murderer that destroyed my family. I found my hand instinctively reaching towards my neck for the locket and stopped myself midway when I remembered that I wasn't wearing it again.

“You missed it, right?” Reid said, coming up beside me, my bag now in his hand, a small smile pulling at his lips as he stared at the house with me. I stared at him for a few seconds.

“I don't think so,” I said sharply and walked away from him. He somehow caught up with me before I got lost in this house and told me I would no longer be going to the guest room but a special part of the pack palace house.

He smiled and walked to the front while I followed behind him with a blank look. I was led to a room that was just a few rooms away from His dad's.

I hated the thought of sharing such proximity with a man like his dad, Alpha Derek, but looking at the bright side, I could easily sneak in and do whatever I wanted to him. I didn't know I was clenching my fist really tight until I had to release my fingers when pain started to kick in.

I've managed to enter the most ruthless and feared, but not so seemingly dangerous pack, with the so-called ruthless alpha heir treating me like a little puppy instead of the ruthless way he was rumored to handle things. I felt unstoppable at this point, and I knew I was. Collecting my bag from his hands, I muttered a low thank you and walked into my new room when he grabbed my hand.

Despite the car ride and everything, we hadn’t had any body contact, and now that we did, I stilled for a moment as everything around me seemed to fade into a blur. Tingles spread through my wrist where his fingers wrapped around them gently.

My head whipped up to say something nasty to him, but the words got stuck in my throat. I stared at him, my eyes trailing down his lips for a split second before I snapped out of my daze and yanked my hand off.

Reid shifted back apologetically and ran his long fingers through his dark, thick hair. There was a tiny part of me that was aching to run my fingers through them, but I pushed it away.

“Your uniform would be brought to you…” I gave him a weird look.

“But of course you can choose to dress however you want to; I just felt having you in a uniform would be more presentable when the elders come later to get acquainted with you,” he said.

“Sure thing,” I replied curtly and shut the door after me the instant I entered my new room.