MAGDALENE’S POV
“Leave my hand!” I snapped when we finally got out of eyeshot.
August’s expression was still as wild and nonchalant like he was when he rejected me.
“What is the meaning of this madness, August?” I couldn’t hold myself back anymore. “You rejected me just three days ago, came to my room last night, became cold to me at the dinning this morning and now you were saving me from bullying? Just what the heck is wrong with you?”
To my surprise, he didn’t say anything. Eyes not leaving mine, more like I was mad.
“Say something and stop looking at me, you motherfucker!”
“You really are very interesting, stepsister. Just a day at school and you are already a celebrity”
I blinked foolishly. This is what he will say after everything I ranted about?
“Are… you perhaps into drugs?”
His ruthless face slipped back. “Are you ready to hear what I wanted to talk about or…”
Urgh! I hate his cockiness. I rolled my eyes. “Wanna tell me to leave your brothers again? Or…. .”
“Your mum and my dad will be in this pack in the next one hour”
The world stopped.
“Y… You say what?”
August pulled his phone and showed me a map. “I guess they will be here after than I expected”
My breathe became uneven. Eureka! It’s finally happening!
“So, if you still want your happiness to last longer, stick with me to distract them until you convince those bastards to reject you”
My brain refused to process it, Mum and Alpha Moses coming back definitely mean I’m doomed!
The alpha will find out I was his sons mate and will divorce mum.
And if mum gets divorced at this important and happiest days of her life…
“No!” Every hair on my body stood up. “August no! Mum must not find this out!”
He grabbed my trembling hands. “So get your dumbhead together and come with me!”
••••
“Um, H..Hello Mum?”
“Hey, you okay? We will be home soon, Missing mummy already?”
Urgh! Only if she knows the kind of situation I am right now. But August was sitting right before me, eyes narrowing like that of an owl.
“Em…I just have an opinion and I thought I should tell you about it. So….”
August raised his hand, signaling me to stop.
“Baby? What opinion? Can’t it wait until we arrive? We just crossed the border and we’d be there soon”
August nod his head to give me the go ahead and I continued. “Mu I think you should stay with the alpha more, these days”
“What…”
“I had a fight with July!” Lie worked its way out of my lips like August had taught me.
Mum gasped. “Darlene are you mad? Having a fight with your brother?”
“Mum! If Alpha Moses comes back now, he would be too busy to have time for you. July and I fought because of that argument. I don’t want to prove him right that you don’t matter to Alpha after you guys comes back”
I held my breath, lips tight, toes clutching togther. Will it work on Mum?
She didn’t reply in a while. I sadly looked up at August and shook my head. It obviously failed.
“I wil…” I stopped midway as Mum cleared her throat.
“I never thought would be this thoughtful, Dalene” Mum sniffed. Moses has been complaining that the elders would listen to his on until he come, and many more things he would be busy with.”
“But aren’t we becoming inconvenient for him?” My emotions got in my head and I started talking out of the lie August and I built. "Are the elders being harsh because of us?"
Mum went silent again and I know what her silence means.
In ordinary situations, it would have meant that I should stop talking and that she doesnt want to hear me talk again.
But in this situation... "I will make him come back with me and spend some time together" She concluded quietly. "He doesn't wish to come back yet because here, we were totally free and always at peace with everything."
"Will that be okay?"
I slightly felt guilty and embarrassed at the same time that I was considering my own feelings without thinking of Mum too.
'I'm sorry, Mum. I just need you to keep the alpha off until things are calmer and more approachable'
She ended the call, August jumped up and rushed at me. "Why did you talk out of script? Do you want to get caught so bad?"
"Why are you even helping me?" I asked me gently, but something guilty still ringing in my head. "Your brothers should be the one getting worried, right? "
August froze, something about his eyes made me realize something unclear. Was he in love with me? Was he doing this because he regretted rejecting me?
"Talk to me, August! Why do you keep to yourself so much!"
He gently stopped back and unlocked his phone to show me something. "They're not coming back anytime soon. The route just change towards the airport"
I moved to him with braveness I never knew I had. "That is not what I'm asking you about!"
August finally paused, and looked at me deeply no one talking for a while.
"Hun?" I urged him.
"I..." He stopped, looking very uncomfortable.
I grabbed his hand. I may not get this opportunity again. "You don't gain anything from locking up your own emotions. It only hurts you over and over again"
August said nothing, but his body temperature increasing and something inside of me telling me to withdraw my hand or else.,..
My first attempt to withdraw my hand failed. He snatched my hand from slipping off, breath thickened and just when I thought he would stop, August's face was before mine and something hot, sweet, soft and maybe....savoury landed on my lips.
My knees weakened slightly. His thumb brushed my temple, sucking on my lower lip slowly.... My pulse spiked up without permission.
I'm really doing this with August of all people?
It lasted for less than a minute. He leaned a way and whispered the words I wasn't expecting to hear from something as aloof as August. "To keep my brother's life safe, I would f**k the devil! And if rejecting you will save them, I would do it times without number"
"W...What?"
"Dad and your mum coming back would tear my brothers apart. But you're the string that bring them together for now. That's the only luck that saved you"
He didn't let me process that before slipping off.