Gone, Found and Freed

Chapter 13 - Accountability

**** Hello readers - Apologies for the longest wait ever. But your girl finally finished college and is now FREEE! Writing updates will now be A LOT more frequent. Stay tuned! ****

POVAlina

As I sit here in the shower thinking over the last few days and their events, I can’t help but blame myself. I knew I didn’t want this. I knew I didn’t want to do this, but I did it anyway. I let him mark me not knowing anything about him or his past, well, I guess present anyways. Layla is still his present and to be honest, I really don’t know what that means for our relationship. I get that we’re mates, but I’ve seen alphas reject their mates or use them solely for power only all the while choosing a stronger she-wolf to take the position as Luna. I don’t want that to be me. Lily doesn’t deserve that. I get that I’m technically a rouge, rogues are the lowest of the lows in the wolf world. They live alone and slowly lose it due to not having the support of others. As wolves, we need to have a pack. Most importantly, we need to have an alpha to direct us and make us feel protected.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

“Alina?” I hear Ace calling me out of my thoughts. I haven’t even properly showered yet. I’ve just been sitting here under the water crying and getting lost in my own thoughts. Maybe if I just ignore him he’ll go away and I can get back to my super depressing shower.

The next thing I hear is the bathroom door opening. Great. I really don’t want to talk to him right now or even look at him. Who knows what he did while I was gone? I mean, he didn’t exactly go after me or anything and truthfully, if it weren’t for Lily and Max, I probably wouldn’t have ever come back here.

“Alina? Can you hear me? Are you okay?” Gosh I really wish he would just go away and leave me be. Can’t he just take a hint? I obviously want to be left alone right now. I’ll just continue ignoring him. Maybe that will work. Maybe?

“Alina, I know you’re mad at me. I’m mad at myself too. I know that I shouldn’t have gotten so mad earlier. You’re right, I’m the one to blame for all of this. Can you come out so we can talk? Please?” Here we go. Should I just lay into him or take an easy approach to this?

‘I say we take an easy approach. You have to remember, Max is still there too and he didn’t do anything wrong.’ Lily didn’t hesitate to remind me.

‘Yeah, I know Lily, you’re right. It doesn’t make it feel any better though.’ I responded.

‘I know it doesn’t, but we’re in this together. Layla is gone now, so obviously he wants us here rather than her.

‘So what should I do exactly then Lily? Just run into his arms and tell him that I forgive him?’

‘That’s not what I’m saying Alina. I’m saying that he should have to work for it. That he should have to work for us. Yes the whole Layla thing is bad, but granted, ever since we’ve met him he’s been here with us. It’s not like he ran off and was with her in secret. We would know about it.’

‘You do have a point. Plus, he kind of did completely upgrade the cabin. As annoying as it was, it was still sort of sweet. However, I would like to add different things to it.’

‘Do we have to talk about your choice of décor right this second? We’re sort of trying to make a huge life changing decision right now Alina.’ I can almost feel her roll her eyes at me in the back of my head.

'Right. I’m just saying. I don’t want him to pay for the new stuff either. I’m independent, I always have been. I don’t need him doing crazy stuff like that for me.’

‘Wellllll, if you ask me, that sounds like a perfect idea. It is about time to get ready for the flea market in town. We have to set up the stand and what not. That may be one way that he can prove to us that he accepts us?’

‘You want me to ask him to sell fruit? Just to prove his love to us? That sounds crazy Lily.’

'Well don’t just outright ask him. Just do what you normally do and prepare the fruit to sell. I can talk to Maximus and tell him to encourage him to offer to help with the fruit.’

‘I don’t want him to help because someone else tells him to Lily. I want him to help because he WANTS to help. How can I trust Ace if Max is constantly helping him? If it weren’t for Max then we wouldn’t even be here right now. As much as I trust Max, I just can’t trust Ace like I thought I could. He had every opportunity to tell me about Layla and he didn’t. So how do I know he isn’t keeping other secrets from me?’

‘I don’t think he is Alina. Maximus has told me just about everything. I mean, what are you wanting to know exactly? What secret do you think he’s keeping? Do you think he secretly works for the FBI or something?’

‘Honestly Lily, I wouldn’t put it past him.’

‘You’re being ridiculous, Alina, and you know it. Just talk to him and give him a chance. We have to get the fruit ready anyways because if we don’t, then we’ll have a bunch of fruit that will end up going bad before we can eat it. Unless you want to wait for the vegetables to get ripe as well, then we need to harvest the fruit.’

'The last time we did that the fruit had bugs in them and we couldn’t sell any of them.’

‘Exactly, like I said, the fruit needs to be harvested and Ace needs to help you do it. Maximus agrees with me. He thinks a little manual labor will do Ace some good.’

I stand up and run my face under the water one last time. I have to at least appear to be strong. After this, no more crying! I can’t let this get to me anymore. He’s mine now, not hers. Why am I still so stuck on all of this? I internally groan at myself and run the fresh water over my eyes. I grab some of my shampoo and start washing my hair when I hear Ace make a noise. I look through the glass of the shower and see him sitting on the bathroom counter looking at his phone.

“Are you texting your girlfriend?” I ask. Sorry, I just can’t help myself sometimes. I know, it’s pathetic.

“No actually, I’m reading over my work emails.” He answered. I could tell he was trying to keep his cool. I guess poking the bear was a bad idea? Or I guess big bad alpha wolf? Whatever. I guess there’s only one thing left to do. Poke him some more.

“If you say so, I bet Layla even works with you.” I really can’t help myself.

“Actually, she doesn’t. She really doesn’t do anything.” He responded. He’s starting to get annoyed now. Why? Does he still care about her?

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask. This time I’m honestly curious.

“She doesn’t work. She doesn’t do anything.” He answered.

“But all pack members have to contribute in some way, right?” I ask. He sighs.

“Yes, but I guess since Layla and I were a slight item, she felt that she didn’t have to do any work. She honestly has no ambition. She doesn’t strive to do or be anything. When she graduated, she had the opportunity to work as an intern at the hospital in the pack. But she turned it down because she said it would take up too much of her time.” He answered, sliding off the counter and putting his phone in his pocket. He stepped closer to the shower door and leaned his forehead on it while looking down. “Alina, are you going to come out sometime soon or are you just going to keep questioning me through this glass wall?” I could tell he was getting inpatient, but I really didn't care.