Chapter 8: Proposal of Marriage
1303 Words
Astria sat on the seat with her legs up and hugged against her chest. She leaned against the window in a daze.
What now?
That's what Astria wanted to know as well.
What now?
Until an hour ago, Astria still felt confident about herself. She wouldn't let herself frown. There was hope no matter how small. But what now?
She couldn't find a hint of hope in the darkness that was now synonymous with her life. There was nothing but spilled ink and the smell of rotten heart.
"I don't know what to do," Astria whispered and sighed.
Bryce frowned in distress. He didn't want her to give up. Although a mountain of problems rained on her, he wished she'd persevere through it and find a new path for herself. She was like a little challenger back then. Now that he turned his head, he saw a defeated woman who was tired of life.
What exactly did they do to her to break her spirit like this?
Bryce opened his mouth ever so slightly, not sure how to comfort her while also encouraging her to not give up when Astria spoke again.
"I don't know what I'm going to do. But staying still never helped anyone."
Bryce nearly broke his neck at the steady voice. His dark grey eyes darkened, reflecting the firmness in her own eyes when she looked at him.
"I am going to ruin them." Astria smiled, her light green eyes curled like two crescent moons, just as he remembered years ago.
"Sorian was a storm. I will bring her back. Do you want to stick around to see the aftermath, Bryce?"
"Sorian?" Bryce mumbled in a trance-like state. His wolf was going crazy.
"Yeah. Didn't I tell you about her?" Astria raised her eyes towards the road, almost like she was remembering the days.
"You vaguely mentioned the name. Tell me more. I want to know."
The excitement in his light grey eyes was hard to conceal. Only Bryce knew how much he wanted to pull over, pull her close, and have her talk about herself for hours to no end.
"I chose the name myself. I was only 5 years old and I used to watch the most ridiculous TV cartoons. I thought naming myself after my two favorite characters was the coolest thing ever. So I chose the name when I entered the academy."
Bryce gulped and nodded, "Uh huh. What academy?"
He already knew the answer.
There was only one such academy in the entire pack where Astria could become Sorian.
The Alestar Academy.
"The Alestar Academy. I was a warrior by the age of 15. I was the youngest graduate in the history of the academy. My father personally trained me. You can say I came in through the back door. And I'm not ashamed. I possess the ability to win."
Although she spoke of it like this in a situation where she was internally broken, those were all the good memories resurfacing one by one and the hint of smile couldn't help but spread on her face.
Bryce's heart was restless and his wolf was having a panic attack. He was going through a whirlwind of emotions. He was sure. There was no need to confirm anything. There were no doubts and no conclusions.
Astria was it.
She was the Sorian he wanted, and the mate he needed.
But...
Bryce glanced at her one more time. His mate didn't know. She was unaware of their bond. He didn't know how to wrap his head around it.
So he didn't.
He let it go for a while.
He focused on her voice instead, it soothed him on levels that the best of medicine were never able to.
"I went to participate in contests and won prizes."
"Did you win a lot of them?" Bryce asked, a knowing smirk raised on the corner of his lips. He gave her a side eye, waiting to see her pout and complain about her loss.
But who could have guessed that instead of being a complaint box, Astria would gasp in delight and her light green eyes would start to sparkle like jewels worth millions?
"I lost once," Astria grinned as she recalled her only loss.
Bryce was stunned and asked, "Once?"
Why are you so happy about it? He got the answer without asking.
"I lost only once. It was the first match I participated in and I've never felt the same thrill again."
The car accident changed lanes because Bryce couldn't hold the wheel properly. He gripped it too hard and almost pulled it out of its socket.
Bryce quickly changed lanes again and apologized, "Oh, sorry. Got distracted."
Astria chuckled softly, and then the corners of her lips turned down as the heavy weight pressed down on them once again.
"I may be in the marshes now, but I won't stop fighting. I will keep trying until my last breath to get back what they owe me. That's what my father taught me. His blood flows through me. I am an Alpha no less than him. It's my right and I'll kill for it if I have to."
Bryce's lips twitched into a proud smirk. Yes, that's the Astria he wanted to see. The girl who could provoke others without thinking of you about consequences.
She won't hesitate to dirty the ground she walks on.
For this, Astria and Bryce would give his unconditional support. After all, he had been thinking of the light green eyes for the past 9 years. It would be a waste not to act on his thoughts now that he had her secure in the palm of his hand.
"It will be interesting to watch." Bryce slowly pulled up into the underground parking of the hotel, his amused tone caught Astria's attention.
"Hmm?"
"I think I should be honest with you about one thing," Bryce turned to her completely now that he was not driving. It felt a million times better to face Astria when talking.
"What?" Astria frowned. Her red reindeer nose made her serious appearance unexpectedly funny.
Bryce clenched his fingers so they wouldn't act on their own and do something inappropriate. Gulping down the growing wolf instincts, he opened his mouth to speak properly.
"Even if you have the ideas, it won't be easy to go against someone who has been scheming for decades. You have been calculated against not yesterday but for years. Everything has added up slowly and eventually thrown down on your shoulders. Do you think everything will go back to the way it was in a matter of few days?" Bryce explained seriously.
He had the expression of sticking up a deal and Astria couldn't pretend not to notice it.
"I never thought of it as a short term goal. I know it's not going to be easy. My goal is to get my pack back and destroy them at the same time. My goal is clear, but the road I will be taking has yet to be determined."
Bryce nodded, "That's naturally the case. After all, they took you by surprise. It's not easy to overcome the effects of a backstab. You've been betrayed in the worst way possible. Also, you can't walk alone no matter what road you take to get to your goal."
"What are you suggesting?" Astria held her breath as she waited for Bryce to reveal his intentions.
Her light green eyes went wide when Bryce held out an open palm towards her and said, "Bryce Lamont, Alpha of Lupine pack. I have a proposal that can benefit both of us."
There were expectations brewing in Astria's mind, but what he said was not even within the scope of those expectations.
An Alpha?
Alpha of Lupine of all places?
- Writer
