Behind her eyes
1193 Words
June.
I took in a sharp breath and took my gaze off him.
“…you have Juma watching you, you should act right.”
“He’s with you.”
“You should be acting right with him. I’m not going to fit into your perfectionism.”
He gritted his teeth. “I’m not asking you to be perfect, I just want you to do exactly as I asked, that isn’t supposed to be hard but you never do…” His phone rang and he reached out to take it from the table. He placed the phone to his ear. “I’ll be there in a minute, don’t do anything, and don’t inform the Alpha till I get there, I will have to check and write a report before anything else, we need to know what could have caused the death.” He glanced at me, and didn’t say anything else for two minutes, and then he dropped his phone on the phone.
He exhaled deeply. “I have work.”
“And I’m doing everything I can to keep my kids safe.” He got up from the chair and grabbed a jacket from the chair in the living room.
“Make sure you always pick up my calls wherever you are, and…” He watched me tenderly. “Ralph reported a case to us, he wants us to find who attacked him,”
“It could be anyone random.” I shrugged.
“A random person couldn’t just attack someone like Ralph.”
I rolled my eyes.
“And what are you going to do when you find out?”
“I will bring time to custody because it’s an attempted murder.”
I folded my arms. “How are you going to find him, detective?”
He gave me a side glare. “Don’t doubt my work, June, because I couldn’t find…” He stopped.
I knew what he wanted to say, so I looked away from him.
“I still haven’t stopped searching for her.”
“It’s been eight years.”
“I don’t care if it takes more, I will keep looking,” he put on his jacket and headed towards the door.
“I might come home late.”
I nodded. He stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him.
The house became quiet the second he was gone, Juma came down, taking his plate into the kitchen, and I sat there in silence.
“He hasn’t changed has he?” I asked when Juma came up, and he shrugged. “He’s trying.”
“To fix something that has already been broken.”
“He’s suffering.”
“He’s not the only one, you were five when everything fell apart, I’m suffering too, he shouldn’t make it all about himself.”
“I don’t know anyone June.” He said, I stood up from the chair, and walked over to give him a warm embrace, I patted his back gently. “It must’ve been hard on you too,” I whispered, and I heard him exhale deeply. His arms went around my back as well, and that was the least we could do to comfort each other.
“I’m Alpha Junior.” He stretched out his hand to me, while I lowered my head, refusing to take his hand, he was the Alpha of the pack. He became Alpha three years ago, after his father became bedridden.
He dropped his hand when I didn’t take them. He was tall, around 6’1, his skin seemed flawless, his eyes were almond green, and his face was narrow. He would have passed for a model rather than being an Alpha.
“I heard Gamma had a daughter, this is the first time I’m seeing you.”
“I was there at your coronation, Alpha,” I said respectfully with a small bow, and he smiled satisfactorily, then threw a glance at my dad, who was behind him.
“You have a beautiful daughter, Gamma.” He commented, and Dad lowered his head at him. Alpha Junior Cossom was around twenty-five, and had school abroad, away from the pack, probably somewhere in another country, not here in North America.
He turned to me, his hands neatly tucked into his pocket. “You are here for the mating ritual, I suppose.”
“Yes.” My dad answered.
“Unfortunately, June hasn’t found her mate yet.”
He nodded, took a hand from his pocket, and rubbed his jawline. “You might get lucky tonight.”
“I don’t think I have ever been lucky,” I replied, and he chuckled amusingly.
“You are pessimistic.”
“No, I’m just being realistic, Alpha.”
The corner of his lips held a soft smile, and then he nodded.
The mating ritual was starting, and he was called out for an opening speech. Dad made his way down to me, slightly concerned. “Don’t keep looking like I forced you to be here.”
“You did.”
“It’s what’s best for you.” He whispered.
“So put a smile on your face.”
“I’m not happy to be here.”
“Pretend.” He retorted.
“I don’t want to be like you.”
His mouth closed, and he bit down the words that he wanted to say. I kept standing with my arms folded the entire time, didn’t care to speak to anyone or react to anything.
I just didn’t care about it. The mating ritual started, Dad had gone out, making sure everywhere was being secured in and out of the pack, and if there was anything suspicious, I watched Alpha Junior talk, he was soft spoken and fluent with his speech.
In the midst of everyone, smiling, giggling, moving around in pairs, I was the odd one out here. I brushed past, I just stood there, everything was moving so fast, but not for me, the sight of everyone in the hall became blurry, the shouting, the celebration, the howl.
They found their mates, most.
But I wasn’t part of them.
“June.”
I didn’t speak to him as I walked past him out of the hall.
“June…”
I pushed the double doors and went out, he didn’t come after me, which I was glad about. I walked home, letting the cold air slap against my skin, leaving me with spots of goosebumps.
After that night, we didn’t speak, and I told him I was leaving, he simply nodded, the next morning, I had my things packed, and left.
“I told you to inform me, when you’re coming.”
He lifted my chin with a finger, I thought he could see everything that I had lain buried behind my eyes, everything that I hid from everyone. “You don’t have to put up with anything you don’t like, June.”
“So go ahead, and talk to me.”
A tear slipped out of my eyes in a second, and the next second, I was in his arms, smelling him again, and staining his white shirt with my tears.
- Writer
