Her Best Friend’s Alpha Father

Chapter 25 Ronan Restraint

Jax carefully studied her, then nodded calmly. "

Fine," he said. "Just don't stress yourself too much. You're doing enough already by carrying my pup. Don't ever forget that."

It was more like a chain on her neck, but Elara nodded calmly instead, refusing to show anger, or anything that would enlongate the discussion.

"I remember."

But right inside her, she was breaking down. She yarned to break off, to become herself once again. Maybe this time, she would do things differently, and avoid crossing paths with some people if the need arises.

As Jax finally left later that evening, Elara was left to wallow in deep thought. She was all alone in the house, as her mother hardly stay at home due to the nature of her job. The worse wasn't battling with how to tell her best friend, and those that cared about her. It was her wolf. She constantly pushed her, pressing the cages of her ribs, more like her heart was trying to escape.

Her chest was heavy, and for the first time, she whisper alot to herself! "I can't keep torturing myself like this."

Her hands were shaking, too much that she almost didn't recognize herself. To her, it wasn't just a lie anymore, it was slowly becoming her prison. And the walls, the longer she stayed in breaking them, the sooner they were closing in on her.

*******************

For Ronan, sleep had suddenly become a luxury. He no longer sleep at night. For weeks, he found it so difficult to sleep.

The house had suddenly become too quiet, but not his mind.

His wolf was worse, restless, and always pacing around. He was longing to claim her, take what was ours, end the hiding they had been doing.

Ronan exhaled sharply, as he gripped the edge of the desk he was leaning, pouring his anger on it.

"Enough," he muttered to calm himself down. But it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

He stood up, then made his way to the hallway. The whole place was silent, calm and controlled. But everything inside him was a direct opposite. It was pure chaos, and he seemed not to have control over it. The heat, the anger, the next to have her in his arms. He could not come to terms with the lie they were both forced to live.

When he finally got tired of staring at the ceiling, he decided to take a walk, at least, to calm his restless mind and wolf. But that didn't even help him, because he could still feel her. It has always been her, no matter the distance, he could smell her.

Then, he sensed her to be close, and he hoped so much within him that Elara could be close to him again. As he continued moving, he saw her, and his steps slowed down. Her arms were wrapped around herself, her head bowed, and she looked small and fragile, completely unaware that she was being watched.

Ronan stayed like that, watching her with his breathe hitched, but it lasted only for a second, because the next one, his wolf was already urging him to go to her.

Ronan clenched his jaw, holding himself from breaking.

"No "

The sound came out very low, but sharp at the same time. And this is because his feet had already started moving toward her. She looked up when she perceived that someone was coming close, and their eyes met. Immediately, everything stopped moving, nothing else mattered, except the both of them.

Elara strengthenrd up immediately, like she regretted being in his space, to be seen by him again. Like she wanted to disappear and never be on the same path with him. Ronan saw it, saw everything. And that hurt him, because he thought she would eventually change.

This made him stop a few steps away. "Elara," he called quietly.

Her throat moved as she tried to speak, because it was as dry as anything.

"Alpha," she replied instead.

They were back to the title again. The distance showed it before she even acted it. The defense, the control. It kind of irritated something in him. It wasn't anger, but pain.

"You shouldn't be out here all alone," he said.

Elara laughed, but a bitter kind of laugh. "That seems to be everyone's favorite line lately."

Ronan studied her carefully, observing she was very tired. It was too much, and hiding even more. His wolf growled softly inside him.

"You're avoiding me," he said finally. Elara became stiffened, slightly.

"I'm not avoiding you."

Ronan took a bold step closer, thinking she would move backward, but she remained that way.

"Then, you should look at me," he said.

Elara slowly lifted her eyes, and just her eyes on him, he lost control. Though they looked exhausted, emotionally drained, and scared, he could not stop himself from being lost in them.

"You're not safe with the way you are." He said quietly.

Elara frowned, slightly touched.

"Safe? Safe from what exactly?"

Ronan paused for a few seconds, thinking about his answer. He knew that whatever he said might end up causing more harm to her.

She needed to stay safe away from Jax, away from the pack, even from himself if she must remain sane. But he said none of that. Instead, he replied;

"I mean the pressure on you," he replied. "From all the expectations. And even the bond which you're obviously forced into."

But Elara shocked him, by taking away the words he was trying to hide away from his mouth.

"You mean from Jax?"

Ronan clenched his jaw, as she had already caught him.

"Yes "

"It's obviously not your concern, Alpha," she said softly. Ronan didn't know which one was painful. The fact that she thought he wasn't supposed to care about her, about the pup, or the one that she had decided to be addressing him officially.

Ronan felt the restraint, his eyes failing. "I decided what concerns me," he said firmly. Elara looked away, restraining herself.

"That's not how this works."

He moved close to her, now dangerously close.

"Elara..."

Her name came out of his lips, lower this time and strained. It was almost pleading, and that was the moment that everything about him changed. His wolf was stretching to claim her right away. Ronan closed his eyes briefly, fighting so hard.

"I'm trying to respect your space," he said quietly. "But you keep making everything impossible for me."