The Luna of Pearl and Silver

Chapter 10: The Tension between Us

As Thessalia stood there, lost in her thoughts, Charice noticed her silence. "Hey, are you okay?" Charice asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You seem really quiet."

Thessalia forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just a little tired, I guess. I want to go home now."

Marcus looked at her with concern. "Do you want me to walk you back to your place?" he asked. "It's getting late, and I don't want you to be out here alone after what happened to you just now."

Thessalia shook her head as she didn't want to cause any trouble or inconvenience. "No, that's okay," she said. "I'll be fine. Thanks though."

Charice nodded in understanding. "Okay, well, if you need anything, just let me know," she said, giving Thessalia's shoulder a squeeze before turning to walk away with Marcus.

As they walked away together, Thessalia couldn't help but feel even more isolated and jealous. She knew that she needed to confront her feelings for Marcus and figure out where they stood, but she didn't know if she was ready for that kind of conversation. For now, all she could do was try to push her feelings aside and focus on being a strong member of the pack.

A few days later, Thessalia tried to focus on her work and put the events of the past behind her, but found it difficult to do so. She can't shake off the feeling of Marcus's eyes at the last pack event and how he had saved her from the rogue werewolves. Those moments stayed with her and haunted her every day.

As she continued to avoid him, she noticed that he was doing the same, and it only added to her confusion and anxiety.

One day, as she was delivering some supplies to the pack house, she spotted Marcus in the distance. She quickly turned around and tried to make a run for it, but she heard him calling out to her.

"Thessalia, wait!" Marcus shouted.

She stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around to face him. She can feel his presence behind her and her heart started to race.

"What do you want, Alpha Marcus?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Please, I just wanted to talk to you," Marcus said, his tone hesitant.

Thessalia remained facing away from him as she replied firmly, "We don't have anything to talk about."

Just as she began to walk away, Marcus called out to her. "Thessalia, wait!" He said, taking a step closer to her. She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to hear what he had to say. But before she could say anything, Marcus spoke again. "I know we have a lot to talk about, and I don't expect things to be resolved easily. But I just want you to know that I care about you, and I want to make things right between us."

Upon hearing his words, she halted her steps and took a deep breath before turning to face him. For a brief moment, she gazed at him, attempting to read his emotions. She noticed that his expression mirrored her own inner turmoil, indicating that he was equally conflicted. "Thanks for your concern," she said indifferently, "but I think it's best if we keep our distance for now."

Marcus looked crestfallen at her words. "Thessalia, please," he pleaded, taking another step closer to her. "I understand that things are complicated between us, but we need to talk about it. We can't just keep avoiding each other forever. We need to talk about what happened between us."

Thessalia remained silent, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. But even as she stood there, her heart racing with nervousness, she knew that Marcus was right. They couldn't keep avoiding the issue forever. It was time to confront their feelings and the situations that had led them to that moment.

He took a step closer to her, hoping to break down the wall of tension that seemed to be growing between them. Thessalia didn't move, but she didn't pull away either. She met his gaze steadily, her expression guarded and unfriendly.

She took a step back as Marcus tried to approach her. She held her hands up in front of her, as if to create a physical barrier between them. "Please, don't come any closer," she pleaded. "I don't want to attract the attention of many people. I just want us to stay the way we were."

Her voice was low and urgent, betraying her anxiety. She couldn't afford anyone to know the truth about their mistake, especially now that the pack was facing so many challenges.

"I know it's not easy," Marcus continued, "but we owe it to each other and to the pack to work through this. Whatever happened between us, we need to talk about it."

Thessalia crossed her arms in front of her chest with guarded expression. "I just don't think it's a good idea right now," Thessalia finally replied, her voice still guarded. "There's just too much going on, and I don't want to complicate things any further."

Her expression remained guarded as she shifted her weight slightly, her arms still crossed tightly in front of her chest. She felt conflicted about the situation and wasn't sure if she was ready to face whatever the conversation might bring.

Marcus, on the other hand, appeared determined to have the conversation they needed. His eyes were searching hers for any sign of willingness to talk.

Thessalia couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by his persistence, but she knew that he was right. They couldn't keep avoiding each other and pretending that everything was okay. They needed to address the elephant in the room.

Marcus looked like he wanted to argue, but he seemed to realize that Thessalia was not going to change her mind. He sighed and took a step back, giving her some space.

He looked like he wanted to say more, but he hesitated. "Why? We do need to talk soon before things get complicated."

"I know," she said after taking her breath. "And we will. But not right now. This might not be the best time or place,” she said, glancing around the forest.

"So, where do you suggest?" Marcus asked.

Thessalia pondered for a moment before suggesting, "What about meeting at the lake tomorrow night? It's a neutral place, and there will be no one around."

"Alright, that's a good idea," Marcus responded, sounding relieved.

Thessalia agreed with a nod and turned to walk away, leaving Marcus standing alone in the clearing. She was determined to stick to her decision. As she walked, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach, knowing that their conversation would bring up difficult and complicated emotions.