THE ALPHA'S UNWANTED OMEGA

CHAPTER 17. TILL DAWN

Ava

"Arghhh sh*t. Won't you help me out, Rae?" I screamed in pain.

"Why are you screaming princess?" Rae murmured in my ear.

"Because there are giant squirrels roaming around," I said, meeting his gaze. "You know I'm afraid of squirrels."

"Yes, I am aware of it." My face was too close to Rae's, and it seemed like he wanted to kiss me right then and there, which was an issue.

With Rae getting closer, my heart was racing. When we were mated, he had this look on his face, and he would often tell me how much he loved me.

"Why did you allow Annie mistreat you in this way?" His voice lacked any hint of coldness or haughtiness.

"Because I'd rather not start a conflict with the alpha's luna." I smirked as I stated. That's when the spell was broken.

Moving away from me, Rae stepped back and looked away. It was the first time since I had rejoined the pack that he acted this way with me, so I felt bad when I saw Rae acting like his old self again. When he turned his face back to me, his countenance changed. There was only the alpha playing his part — there was no tenderness.

With his back to me, he ordered, "Let's get out of here."

I touched his arm and he turned to face me. "Wait, why are you here?" I said.

"I'm the alpha of this pack and I own these lands," he declared. "Whenever I want, I always go around the city. I don't owe anyone any explanation."

That sounded true, but it felt like a lame response. Rae's eyes gave him away. He was lying.

"Go on, Ava." He looked into my eyes and motioned for me to move on, saying, "Go upstairs." I saw how tired he was.

Everything around me felt insignificant for a while, except Rae. I unintentionally brushed my arm on his chest as I brushed by him. It was a very small passage, and I felt a chill go through me. Silently, we ascended the staircase. The only sound we could hear as we passed through the main entrance hallway was the creaking wood, which sounded like it would collapse at any second.

There was something off about the mood between us like something had actually happened. Rae's eyes kept flickering from yellow to hazel. This time, he opened the door to the main room without waiting for me to go by. I saw that there was a large mattress in the room when the two of us were inside it.

He gestured to the bathroom on his left, saying, "There's a bathroom on the right if you'd like to take a shower before going to sleep."

I glanced at the place and nodded, then returned my focus to Rae. My mind seemed to be trying to interpret the meaning of the alpha's actions, but each time he moved, something changed. Or perhaps it was just a trick of the imagination.

I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear and murmured, "This seems better than that basement filled with rats."

He complained, "I don't understand why Annie did this. I personally told her to bring you to this very room. And where the f*ck are the hunters I ordered Kyle to station at the door?"

"Were hunters out there?" I tried to peer out the window, but it seemed difficult to see anything from where I was standing. "Annie is merely jealous."

The remark took Rae by surprise. When he answered, he did not look directly into my eyes.

"She has no reason to feel that way, but her actions show more than that. I get the impression that she despises you." Those words pierced my heart like sharp blades. I couldn't deny how much that hurt.

At last, someone else except myself in the pack noticed it.

I whispered, "It must be difficult for her to see me come back with four whole children — it would have been better if we had fewer. I can search for them on my own. The last thing I want is to cause any problems for anyone."

"Ava, how would you do that? How am I going to help you find the quads if I don't go with you?" He asked as he came back there again, very close to me, in three more steps.

I'm sure I wouldn't be able to answer that question. I swallowed hard as I met his eyes. The issue was that, despite knowing better, I found myself drawn to him. Even after seven years, I haven't been able to forget about him.

"What's keeping you both from birthing a child?" He moved away again, and my heart let out a cry.

It seemed like every time I spoke, the things I said would push him away. As soon as I saw Rae's jaw clench and his muscles strain, I evaluated the damage. It had been a mistake to ask that question.

I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. "I apologize, my Alpha, I was being insensitive."

"Annie is incapable of getting pregnant," he said, recalling that their previous quarrel had been specifically about that. "Funny how I never put any pressure on her to do so. When the time is right, the Moon Goddess will bless us with a child."

"I pray so. After all, you don't consider my children to be yours," my heart aching as I said it.

"Ava, we're not going to talk about this anymore. We can handle this later when we locate the quads," he said, closing his eyes and rubbing his fingers over his temples.

"You continue trying to conceive with your wife until then," I said in a sarcastic manner.

"Until then, I'll be going everywhere with you," he came up to me one more time. And I was constantly drawn to him like a magnet.

With him very close to me, I muttered, "I don't think I have any other choice. That's why I came to you for help."

That anguish in my heart hit me like a ton of bricks, coupled with his heavy oak scent. I couldn't ignore the fact that Rae had already found his powerful Luna and was now a formidable alpha. The fact that he had decided to stay and raise a family with Annie and the rejection was something I would never forget. I wasn't ready to pay the price for the fatal error of falling in love with Rae.

"I should probably take a shower." It was my turn to back off now, confusing Rae. "You don't have to remain here. Return home. I'll be alright by myself."

I smiled a little when I heard him say, "I give the orders here, Ava and I'll be staying here till dawn."