The meeting
1462 Words
Chapter 18:
/-Skylar’s POV-/
A knock sounded at my door just then, startling and making my heart rate quicken. I stumbled towards the door, dread filling the pit of my stomach.
I had kissed Adonis. I let him touch me.
Guilt and anger filled my already racing heart the moment I pulled the door open to find Dwayne standing there with a worried look on his face.
“Sky? What’s wrong?” He asked, stepping into my bedroom before I could do the worst thing at the back of my mind - shutting the door in his face.
Once again, I cheated on my boyfriend.
My lips quivered as I fumbled for the right words. I probably looked like a complete mess right now.
“Ah, Dwayne, Good morning.” I forced a smile on my face as I stared straight at him, trying to sound natural. “What’s wrong?”
He narrowed his gaze at me, then reached out to touch my cheeks. I flinched instinctively but relaxed when he felt my cheeks instead.
“Sky, you don’t look okay. What happened last night? You just left the party without us.” His voice was laced with worry, and the guilt came crashing back at me.
I shook my head and tried to pull his hand away.
“Just tell him to get lost.” Aria sneered.
“Uhm, I’m fine. I… I actually, uhm…”
“Skylar? What is it?”
How was I supposed to tell him that I left with Adonis? That I let him touch me in his car on the highway?
I took a shaky breath and tried to think of something, anything, that would make sense. My head was still pounding from the hangover, and I could barely think straight.
“I… I got really sick,” I said finally, the lie coming out in a rush. “When I went to the bathroom, I started throwing up. I felt so terrible, and I didn’t want to ruin your night, so I… I called someone to pick me up and bring me home.”
Dwayne’s expression immediately changed from worried to concerned. “Oh no, baby. Why didn’t you come find me? I would have taken you home.”
The guilt twisted in my stomach like a knife. He was being so sweet, so caring, and here I was lying straight to his face.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” I said, avoiding his eyes. “You were having such a good time.”
“Sky, you’re my girlfriend. You could never be a bother,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “I was so worried when Mel said you had just disappeared. We looked everywhere for you.”
I felt like I was going to be sick all over again, but this time it wasn’t from the alcohol. The way he was holding me, so gentle and protective, made me feel like the worst person in the world.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered against his chest. “I should have told you.”
“It’s okay,” he said, stroking my hair. “I’m just glad you’re safe. But next time, please come find me, okay? I don’t care what’s happening, I want to take care of you when you’re sick.”
*He’s so nice,* I thought miserably. *And I’m such a terrible person.*
“You did nothing wrong,” Aria said firmly in my mind. “Adonis is our mate. Dwayne is just some random wolf who means nothing to us.”
“Are you feeling better now?” Dwayne asked, pulling back to look at my face.
“A little,” I said, which wasn’t really a lie. My stomach had settled down, even if my heart was still racing with guilt.
“Good. Do you want me to stay with you today? I can cancel my plans and we can just relax together.”
“No,” I said quickly, maybe too quickly, because he looked surprised. “I mean, I think I just need to rest some more. And you shouldn’t cancel your plans because of me.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but then he nodded. “Okay, if that’s what you want. But call me if you need anything, alright? Even if it’s just to talk.”
“I will,” I promised, hating myself even more.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently. “I love you, Sky.”
The words hit me like a physical blow.
After he left, I sat on my bed and put my head in my hands. What was wrong with me? How could I do this to someone who cared about me so much?
“Stop feeling guilty,” Aria said impatiently. “You’re not meant to be with him. You’re meant to be with Adonis.”
“I’m with Dwayne now,” I said out loud. “I chose to be with him.”
“You chose wrong,” she replied simply. “And now you have a chance to make it right.”
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to talk to Adonis. I needed to tell him that what happened last night was a mistake, that it couldn’t happen again. Maybe if I said it out loud, I could convince myself it was true.
I got up and walked to my closet, pulling out a simple blue sundress and some flat sandals. I didn’t want to wear anything that might remind either of us of last night.
After I got ready for the day and brushed my teeth, I looked at myself in the mirror. I still looked a little pale from the hangover, but at least I looked more put-together than I had when Dwayne arrived.
I took a deep breath and left my room, walking through the pack house toward Adonis’s office. I needed to get this over with before I lost my nerve.
But when I got to his office, it was empty. I asked one of the pack members where he was, and they told me he was in the court having a meeting with the pack elders.
The court was a formal meeting room where important pack business was discussed. It was usually off-limits during meetings, but I didn’t care. I needed to talk to Adonis now, before I chickened out.
I walked quickly through the halls, my sandals making soft sounds on the marble floor. My heart was beating fast, and I could feel my palms getting sweaty.
When I reached the court, I could hear voices inside. They were discussing something about pack security and border patrols. Under normal circumstances, I would never interrupt something so important.
But these weren’t normal circumstances.
I pushed open the heavy wooden doors without knocking and stepped inside. The conversation stopped immediately, and everyone turned to look at me.
Adonis was sitting at the head of a long table, surrounded by about ten older pack members. They all looked shocked to see me, and a few of them looked annoyed at the interruption.
But I only had eyes for Adonis. He was wearing a dark gray suit today, and his hair was perfectly styled. He looked every inch the powerful Alpha.
His dark eyes met mine across the room, and I saw something flash in them. Surprise, maybe, or recognition. For a moment, neither of us moved.
“Alpha,” one of the elders said, clearly uncomfortable.
Adonis’s gaze never left mine as he spoke. “Everyone out,” he said quietly.
“Alpha?” another elder questioned.
“I said everyone out,” Adonis repeated, his voice firmer this time. “We’ll continue this discussion later.”
The pack elders began to gather their papers and files, some of them casting curious glances between Adonis and me. I could feel my face getting hot under their scrutiny, but I didn’t move from where I was standing by the door.
One by one, they filed out of the room, murmuring quietly among themselves. I stepped aside to let them pass, but I kept my eyes fixed on Adonis.
When the last elder left and closed the door behind him, we were finally alone.
Adonis leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes studying my face. He didn’t say anything, just waited for me to speak first.
But now that I was here, now that we were alone, I couldn’t remember what I had planned to say. All the words I had rehearsed in my head seemed to have disappeared.
“We need to talk,” I finally managed to say, my voice sounding smaller than I had intended.
“I’m listening.”
- Writer
