The Luna of Pearl and Silver

Chapter 11: Unrequited

As Marcus sat on the rock waiting for Thessalia, he couldn't help but think about his conflicted feelings towards Charice. He had always been drawn to her, but he couldn't ignore the feelings he had for Thessalia either.

For a few days, he had been struggling with his growing feelings for Thessalia, knowing that he can never act on them because of his loyalty to Charice. He knew he had to reject Thessalia despite his desire for her because he didn't want to risk jeopardizing his relationship with Charice, whom he cared deeply for. Despite this, he couldn't deny the pull he felt towards Thessalia, and the memory of their one-night stand left him feeling conflicted and unsure of how to proceed.

When Thessalia finally arrived, Marcus tried to push his thoughts of Charice aside and focus on the matter at hand. He watched as she approached, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation. He wondered what she was thinking and whether she was open to having an honest conversation.

As she sat down on the ground, he couldn't help but notice the distance she kept between them.

He cleared his throat and began to speak. "Hey," he said, his voice soft.

Thessalia swallowed hard, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. "Hey," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

She felt the weight of his gaze on her and it made her uncomfortable. She shifted her weight, looking down at her hands, trying to avoid his eyes. The silence felt heavy and oppressive, but she didn't know what to say. She wanted to break the tension, to say something to ease the discomfort between them, but her mind was blank.

Meanwhile, Marcus was feeling the same sense of awkwardness. He wanted to start the conversation but wasn't sure how to begin. He knew that this was a delicate situation, and one wrong word could ruin any chance of repairing their relationship. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, and looked up at Thessalia.

"So, how have you been?" Marcus finally asked, breaking the tension.

Thessalia shrugged, feeling a mix of emotions. "I've been okay. Just trying to stay busy."

"Thanks for coming," Marcus said, trying to break the awkward silence. "I know this isn't easy for you."

Thessalia looked at him, her expression guarded. "Let's get one thing clear, Alpha Marcus. I'm only willing to discuss certain topics. I won't talk about anything that might cause drama or disrupt the pack."

Marcus nodded slowly, his eyes downcast. "I understand," he said. "I just want us to be able to move forward, to be able to work together as a pack."

Thessalia sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "I want that too," she said. "But if it’s about our mistake that night, I don't really think there's anything to talk about, Marcus. You have made it clear that there is nothing we can do about it as it was a mistake."

"But there is, Thessalia. I know things between us have been complicated, but we can't just ignore the tension between us. We need to talk about it before things get worse."

"I know there's tension, but I'm not sure talking about it will do any good. It might just make things more complicated."

"That's exactly why we need to talk. We can't keep pretending that everything is okay."

Thessalia nodded slowly, her expression guarded. "I agree. But there are some things that I'm not willing to discuss and I don't want to make this into a big thing. I hope you understand, Marcus."

Marcus nodded, his heart sinking a little. He had hoped that they would be able to talk about everything and clear the air between them, but he respected her boundaries.

Thessalia remained silent, and the two of them fell into a tense silence. Marcus couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him, but he knew that he had to face it head-on if they were going to have any chance of resolving their issues.

"Look, Thessalia," he started, his voice uncertain. "I know things have been complicated between us, and I want to make things right. I know that what happened between us wasn't planned and it was our mistake, but I can't ignore the fact that I feel something for you. I just don't know what to do about it."

Thessalia looked up at him, surprised at his confession. She had never expected him to admit his feelings so openly. Her heart raced with a mixture of hope and fear. She wanted to believe that they could work things out, but she was afraid of getting hurt again.

She hesitated for a moment before responding, knowing that Marcus's feelings towards Charice were a complicating factor. "I have no idea what to say," she said finally, her voice soft. "I appreciate your honesty, but I don't know if we should pursue anything between us. There's too much at stake. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship or your relationship with Charice."

As they talked, Thessalia couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her. She knew that she needed to confront her feelings for Marcus, but she didn't know if she was ready for the potential consequences of doing so.

"Thessalia, I don't want any bad blood between us. I know we've made mistake, but I want us to be able to work together as a team, for the good of the pack."

She remained silent, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Marcus could tell that she was still guarded, and he couldn't blame her. He had made mistakes and he knew that he needed to earn back her trust. "I understand if you're still upset with me. We can't ignore what happened between us, Thessalia. We need to talk about it." His voice was hesitant, but there was a determined look in his eyes.

Thessalia hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Yes, you’re right. I feel like we've been avoiding the issue between us for too long," she said. "I know that I haven't been the easiest person to deal with, and I'm sorry for that. But I also feel like you haven't been completely honest with me, Marcus. I need to know where we stand. I need to know what happened before that night."

Marcus took a deep breath, knowing that this was going to be a difficult conversation. "You're right," he said. "I haven't been completely honest with you. But I want to make things right between us. I care about you, Thessalia, and I want us to be able to move forward together, as a united pack."

Thessalia looked at Marcus with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice softening slightly.

Marcus took a step closer to her, his expression serious. "I've been holding something back from you," he admitted. "And I know that it's been causing tension between us, but I want to come clean about it now."