The Lycan's Healer Mate

Chapter 6 I'm a Woman of My Word

Mia's POV

Only when Ryan is out of my sight, does it occur to me that I have lost my directions. It is too late to catch up with Ryan and I have to look up at the sky, trying to use Polaris to navigate myself. After I pinpoint the Big Dipper, I succeed in identifying Polaris which shines significantly brighter than the surrounding stars, thereby figuring out the general vicinity of North and manage to find my way back to the pack.

The sky gets brighter and brighter while the star gradually fades into the morning twilight. It is already morning when I reach my pack. I make my way noiselessly, hoping I can sneak into the pack without being noticed by anyone. I am only one step away from the entrance when someone suddenly grabs my arm from my left side and yanks me towards him. I am caught off my guard and stagger, nearly fall to the ground due to the sudden force but eventually manage to keep my leg.

"Mia? "The man recognizes me and stares at me in disbelief.

"Gamma Jack. "I greet him with a faking smile, and try to free myself. The connection makes me uncomfortable.

"Where've you been?" Jack doesn't loosen his grip as he looks me up and down.

"I—I've gone for a walk. "I manage to keep smiling.

"A walk? At midnight? "Jack gives me a suspicious look, "Are you aware that you're totally soaked? You look like a mess."

"Thank you for pointing it out for me." his condescending tone makes me annoyed and I struggle with all my efforts and eventually free myself from his hold, "I must excuse myself then. I need to change my clothes."

"Mia!" I breeze past him and he calls me from behind.

"What?" I halts with my back to him. I am exhausted and in no mood to be interrogated again.

"You shouldn't have been out alone at night. It is dangerous outside. You'd never know what kind of creatures you'd run into."

The concern in his tone makes me feel guilty about my bad manners. I sigh and assure him, "Sorry, I won't do that again."

"Are you alright? Old Mike reported that he saw you storm out of the Council Hall as if you had been possessed by something." Jack mutters and makes a tentative suggestion, "Do you need a therapist?"

"No!" I swirl around and snarl, "I am fine. Thank you very much."

"Don't lie to yourself. Old Mike has told me what happened." Jack isn't happy about my attitude and coldly reminds me, "You just discovered you wouldn't be able to have a wolf like else do."

I tremble at his cruelty and come to realize this man would say anything as long as he can be the winner of the argument.

My shiver hugely satisfies Jack's ego. He approaches me with a triumphant smile and declares, "See? I know you so much, even better than yourself. What you had experienced in your childhood was trauma and you shouldn't run away from it. I'll ask father to contact a therapist for you."

"Why are you suddenly interested in my mental health?" A rush of emotions flows through me and I can no longer stand his stupid declaration, "Are you convinced by Old Mike that I am possessed by some mighty force and I'd be dangerous to the pack?"

"That's not true!" Jack shouts with his face reddened due to embarrassment and anger, "I'm showing sympathy to you. You're the most ungrateful omega I've ever seen in my life!"

"Then save your sympathy for the grateful ones." I scoff, immune to his personal attack.

Jack is about to say something when there is a gurgling croak above us. A raven flies over and drops a scroll down and then leaves. Jack and I exchang a look and both of us leap forward, extending our arms to grasp the scroll. I am one step ahead of him and get the scroll first. The competition might not be necessary yet fighting for something is a kind of instinct that we cannot hold back.

This rule is supposed to be applied to every creature, especially human beings. Otherwise, how can you explain their passion for competing against each other only to get a ball? I am lucky enough to witness the scene from Mysterious Box on Christmas Eve (normally we omegas are not allowed to watch Mysterious Box, because Old Mike said we were sinful and the box was a carrier of wisdom, which shall never be within our reach). If I remember correctly, there were 22 players desperate to get the ball without using their hands and whenever they kicked the ball into a net, the audience would be in an uproar. It was the first time that I had experienced cultural shock and I found human beings the most unreadable animals.

"The thing you're holding could be a bomb." Jack suddenly warns me, bringing me back from my memory to reality.

"Sour grapes. You wouldn't say so if you can be the one holding it." I ignor his ridiculous warning and carefully unfold the scroll.

"What does it say?"

"There will be a ball on Red Mansion tonight——" I inhale sharply as I go through the scroll and mutter, "So he didn't make it up. This is real."

"What is real? Who is he? Do you think this invitation is for you? Prince Charming sent out the invitation to search for his Cinderella? "Jack sneers, "You're delusional. Like I said, you need some mental treatment."

For a moment, I think Jack is right. It could be a delusion caused by a stressed disorder. After all, the mysterious man I met in the Silver Wood, the runaway from vampires as well as the jump from the cliff were too crazy to be true. But the soaked clothes I am wearing overthrew this theory, proving what I had experienced was real.

"Although this invitation isn't for me, I can go to the party." I shrug and hand the scroll to Jack, "Read it yourself. It invites all the wolves regardless of their ranks."

"You can't." Jack says, arms crossing his chest, "You should stay at the pack and serve your pack member."

"Who will stay at the pack when there is a ball?" I shake my head.

"I will. And you should serve me." Jack retorts coldly, which startled me.

He used to be silent and even a little bit shy. I don't understand why he behaves so weirdly tonight. I give a nervous laugh, trying to reason with him, "Don't be silly. Alpha Xavier won't allow you to miss the party. This is a good opportunity for you to introduce yourself to the noble."

Jack flinches at my mention of his father and gazes at me for a while, and asks coldly, "Is this the reason why you're so desperate to go to the ball? To impress the noble so you can climb the social ladders through bonding? You're tired of being an omega, aren't you? "

Fire rises inside me as my temper flares. Part of me wants to defend myself in a civilized way while the other side of me wants to punch him in the face. I am weighing the pros and cons of the two choices when he strides forward and grabs my hand, saving me for the contemplation as I am too shocked to react, let alone initiate the attack.

"I'll give you what you want once my father let me be the Alpha of the pack. I'll make you my Luna and you can do whatever you want to punish those who have bullied you. How does that sound?"

"Stop, please stop." I am going to lose my mind if he keeps talking like this. I shake my head and pushes him back, "You are insane. Mentally unstable. Did you happen to have a death cup for dinner? Poisonous fungus could mess up your brain."

The stern look on his face, however, shows that he is dead serious. A lump forms in my throat and I clear my throat and reply, "I don't understand why you suddenly offered me this. I appreciate your generosity but I'm afraid that's not what I seek. I have to confess that I envy whoever can be the future Luna, but that's not because the title would give me the privilege to take my revenge on the bullies. It is because whoever is chosen as Luna must be strong enough to manage the pack. I wish my strength, if any, could be acknowledged in the future, not my titles. Can you understand?"

Jack loosens his grip, steps back and mutters, "I am sorry what for I said tonight. I didn't mean to humiliate you. I was—"

"It's alright. Thank you for hearing me out." I interrupt him in relief, smiling at him, "Are you a man of your words, Gamma Jack?"

"Of course I am." he answers without any hesitation.

"I am a man of my words, as well. This is the reason why I am going to the ball. Someone invited me and I agreed to go." I tell him.

"But you are not a man." Jack retorts.

"Right." I blink and correct myself, "Then I am a woman of my words."

He smiles and shakes his head, "Whatever you say."

"Why did you try to stop me earlier? "I ask.

"I still don't want you to go, but you are unstoppable, aren't you?"

"That's a red herring. You avoided my question." I narrow my eyes and look at him suspiciously, "Answer me."

"I have a feeling that you will never come back if I let you go to the ball." Jack gives me a sad smile.

"You mean I wouldn't want to come back or I'd die there?" I tease.

"Either way, you wouldn't be here and I hate that idea."

"I didn't know my being around mattered that much to you." I am surprised and confused.

"More than you can imagine, Mia." he sighs and takes the scroll from me, "I'll show this to the pack. Now go and change your clothes."

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