I Can Hear You, Alpha

03: Questions

AVERY:

It was already night. Everyone was kind of excited at the meeting. Everyone was in their best attire. The women were pretty and gorgeous.

The red dress that I was going to wear was already hanging on the wall, waiting to be worn. It was a high-slit body con dress perfectly hugging my body. It was expensive, but I prepared for this event only to find out that my mate did not want me.

One by one, the alpha's started coming into the pack with their mates or daughters.

'Will I tell Father I found my mate? f**k. This is not happening.'

I froze inside my room as Alpha Echo's thoughts were on my head. Which only meant one thing. He was near.

Outside my room, I heard someone pacing back and forth. Alpha Echo. He was deeply troubled knowing I was his mate.

I bit my lower lip and struggled to contain the tears from my eyes. I thought he would accept me.

'Where is that omega? I want to see her. No. Not because I wanted to see her. I wanted to verify if she was my mate. I cannot believe it. Why was I paired with that woman?'

I inhaled deeply.

Alpha Echo wanted to reject me? Then, fine. If he wanted to do it, mind as well be presentable so that he would think of it for a few seconds.

With that in mind, I hurriedly wore the dress and applied make-up. It took me nearly an hour to finish everything. And when I was done, I no longer heard Alpha Echo.

Where was he?

He wanted to see me? Fine. I won’t be a coward and hide from him.

Nervous, I gathered my courage before I forced my way to the banquet hall where everyone was required to be present. The meeting had already ended and it was already time for the party.

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I could feel all the eyes burning every part of my body.

‘Who is that chick?’

‘Her face is familiar.’

‘She’s pretty.’

P-pretty? I was pretty?

That was the only compliment I received from the pack so far.

Before stepping out of my room, I never glanced at myself in the mirror nor checked if I was presentable or not thinking about what was the use if he rejected me anyway.

Just the thought of me being rejected was already painful. How much more if he does it face-to-face?

Now, there was only one man whom I wanted to see as of the moment. Alpha Echo. Where could he be? Knowing him, he did not know my name and what room I was occupying.

Too bad Alpha Echo left early. If he does not, we will be able to talk and maybe I could coax him into changing his mind by not rejecting me.

That was too painful.

I already lost my Father. My mother was nowhere to be alone And now, I was about to lose him too.

The crowd’s voices were becoming unbearable. They were loud. My head spun, as my world danced.

Too much. If I didn't get away from this place, I would faint.

With that thought, I was about to escape from the crowd when a pair of hands gripped my wrist.

When I looked up, it was none other than Alpha Echo, looking as dashing as ever. The crowd’s voice muted and it seemed like it was only the two of us in the middle of the hallway, staring at each other.

Alpha Echo looked at me from head to foot and backed to my face.

I looked away and shifted my weight from foot to foot. He looked like a piece of diamond, making everyone look in his direction.

‘Damn. Is this the omega? My mate? She looked smoking hot. Where is the shy woman I had talked to earlier?’

My cheeks burned. He found me beautiful, but he could not keep me as his own.

I even faked a more surprised look to hide the pain in my eyes. “A-Alpha Eco…M-May I know what I can do for you, Alpha Echo?”

He leaned in my ears. I stopped breathing as his scent washed over me.

“Let’s talk somewhere else. Somewhere private. Follow me.”

He backed away.

“W-where could it be, Alpha Echo?”

‘Will I reject her or not?’

“Somewhere quiet.”

My heart beat wildly against my ribcage while following Alpha Echo. His thoughts were the loudest of all while on the exterior, he rarely talked.

‘A few minutes from now, Father will look for me again. I must do this fast.’

And you will be introduced to the woman whom you will marry for the rest of your life.

“You okay?” Alpha Echo asked. He kept on asking me as if he was concerned about me.

If he was, he should not think of rejecting me.

“I-I am, Alpha Echo. I-I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“How long will you keep on saying sorry? It’s irritating.”

“S-sorry.”

“There you are again.”

We stopped in the pack’s garden. The moon was shining above us, the perfect time for this meeting.

“I-I’m so-...I mean why did you want to talk to me, Alpha Echo?”

‘Will I tell her or not? Is she faking it? Is she oblivious that we are mates? If that’s the case, it would be easy for me to inform her since she would believe me without a doubt. Not knowing we are mates maybe because she is a hybrid. The result of her human mother and werewolf father. What a tragic life she had. I feel sorry for her.’

If you feel sorry, you won’t plan on rejecting me!

Alpha Echo leaned on the fountain and folded his arms in front of his chest. The stars were twinkling above us while the crickets were singing in the background. From where we were standing, the noises coming from the party were like a soft lullaby.

I hugged myself, feeling the cold enter my pores.

“You’re cold?”

I nodded curtly. “I-It’s fine, Alpha Echo. I know this will be quick.”

My teeth ground each other as the air became cooler. Being a hybrid meant I did not have all the qualities of werewolves. I easily got cold compared to Echo and the rest.

My brows furrowed when he took off his jacket sauntered towards me and put it around my shoulders.

“You should not wear clothes like that if you’re cold,” he commented and returned to his spot.

I was stunned for a moment and gawked at him.

“W-why are you giving this to me?” I questioned.

He shrugged off his shoulders. “I just feel it. Besides, I don’t like to see women suffering.”

My heart melted at his statements. He was sweet. But he will reject you.

I sniffed at his jacket and closed my eyes. His scent clung to my nostrils and it felt like a drug inside me. I would never get tired of his smell.

“Thank you, Alpha Echo.”

‘You won't be able to thank me after I reject you.’

His voice was full of sadness and worry. For me? Did he think about my well-being?

“Don’t mention it. That’s the least I can do for you.”

Silence swallowed us. And to make it less awkward, I kept on glancing at the hallway. Some visitors had already found their mate and were kissing on the balcony.

Good for them while for me? I would be kissing myself alone and wallowing in pain after this night's end.

“Soooo…you’re the shy type? You rarely talk and you never have friends.”

I did not know that this night was also about rubbing my weaknesses right in front of me.

I only talked with Alpha Echo. And yes. I don’t have friends after I was demoted as an omega of the pack.

I had a lot of friends, but they started drifting away and looked at me with disgust when instead of books and pens, I started grabbing mops and brooms for cleaning. They said they no longer wanted to associate themselves with someone like me—an omega.

Funny how they promised to never leave my side for eternity, but the moment I became a slave, they just disappeared and pretended I did not exist.

“Mother left us. Father died. I don’t see the point of being with anyone aside from my mate, Alpha Echo.” It did not escape my eyes that I saw him flinch. “If people would only leave me in the end, what’s the point of befriending them?” I explained.

I had a fair share of friends before and where were they now?

They were nowhere to be seen and evaded me as if I brought the plague with me.

“Wow. That’s the longest word I heard from you. You can talk.” I’m starting to get guilty, he whispered in his mind.

“I…I talk but seeing my packmates do not want to associate with me, Alpha Echo, I don’t think there’s a point to open my mouth.”

Besides, I’ve been encountering lots of voices in my head every day, draining my energy away.

Alpha Echo scratched the back of his head and exhaled a long one.

‘Am I doing the right thing now? I felt sorry for her.’

I smiled sadly as I continued listening to his inner conflict.

I only wanted someone to accept me despite the ample things I could offer. Was that too much to ask?

“You don’t have to feel sorry for me, Alpha Echo.” I brought his jacket closer to my body as if asking for solace in that piece of clothing.

Damn.

No wonder Father died because of Mother. Now I understand how painful it was to be rejected by someone whom you were expecting too much.

“I never said anything,” he muttered, confused.

My breath hitched. “I-It’s written all over your face. You feel sorry for what happened in my life.”

“Ah….that one? Did I offend you?”

“I had worse than that,” I whispered softly and glanced at the lonely sky. Well, everything seems lonely to me right now. “Don’t be sorry for me, Alpha Echo.”

I sighed in relief when he bought my alibi.

Eyeing him lazily, I asked, “Why did you want to talk to me? Do you want something?”

‘I have to reject her.’

It felt like a knife was plunged into my chest. I braced myself for what would happen next.

Rejecting me might be painful, but…so far, this man treated me right.

“Do you know who your mate is?”

“Ah. That one.”

‘It looked like she had no idea.’

I looked away and pretended to play with my hands. “I-I’m afraid I don’t know who my mate is, Alpha Echo,” I mumbled to myself, straightly lying. “I don’t know.”

Alpha Echo breathed heavily. “I see.”

“Mind telling me why you asked that?”

“You listen to me. What’s your name again?”

He had to know my name so he would reject me. Rejection without saying your mate’s name was invalid.

“Why are you asking me your name, Alpha?” I mumbled.

‘Rejection. I’m sorry, woman.’

The most painful of all? I felt no malice coming from him.