The Rejected Alpha's Counselor

Chapter 11 An Unexpected Reunion

Ara's POV

"Which one would you prefer? Beef or fish?" Ara takes out the two burgers out of the bags and sits down next to Nick.

"No preference. You can pick first." Nick shrugs nonchalantly. In fact, fish burger is his favorite, but he feels a necessity to behave like a gentleman. And the common sense is lady first.

"Ok. If you say so, I will have the fish one." Ara takes the one wrapped in blue paper and offers Nick the other burger.

"Thank you." Nick takes it and unfold the paper carefully. He glances at Ara subconsciously, only to find her has torn off the wrapping paper and is biting the burger. Nick blinks and when he opens his eyes again, one-third of the fish burger is missing.

"You should try it. It's super yummy." With a mouthful of food, Ara speaks difficultly.

A smile breaks across Nick's face, "Now I understand what is wolfing the meal down."

It occurs to Ara that she doesn't pay attention to any table manners. A part of her feels embarrassed, while another part of her argues silently. Table manners shall not be requested here. After all, they are sitting on the grass! Literally, there is no sign of a table.

Ara lowers her gaze and slows down her eating, not forgetting to find an excuse for herself, "I told you I am starving."

"You've proven that. No, no, no, you can keep the original pace. Just don't choke on it. I wasn't accusing you of anything." In fact, it looks quite cute to me. Nick chuckles, keeping the unfinished sentence to himself. Then he offers the beef burger to her, "Here, you may have mine. I am not as hungry as you. I can get myself one later."

Ara is seduced by his offer. She looks in the buffet car's direction and murmurs hesitantly, "But people are already lining up. It could be a long time before you get one."

"No worries. I had a big breakfast. My stomach happens to need a break." Nick lies smoothly. He always passes breakfast and has brunch. His hunger is no less than Ara's. The burger smells delicious, and he can deal with this temptation, for there is something else he desires more——to see Ara smile.

"I should have bought more burgers." Ara sighs. She gazes at the burger in Nick's hand, unsure if she should take it.

"Ask the Moon to remind you next time." Nick shovels the burger into her hand, "I'll go and grab us some drinks. What do you like to have?"

"Cola, thanks."

"Also my favor." Nick smiles at her and stands up. He heads to the buffet car's direction before Ara can stop him.

Ara watches his back and mutters to herself, "The Moon goddess indeed assigns me a gentleman."

She is supposed to be happy because that's what she prayed for. Yet what Are feels now is not pure joy. Her heart is twisted by something much more complex. She can't help but picturize a possibility in her head…

What would happen if Nick wasn't her client?

Will she tell Nick that she is attracted to him?

Probably not.

She is too shy to admit that. Besides, her feeling for him is so subtle that Ara cannot identity what it is. On the one hand, Ara admires his sleazy smile and appreciates his sense of humor. On the other hand, however, his provocation angers her easily. She should be the master of her emotion, instead of the other way around. But when Ara is with Nick, she finds it difficult to concentrate and control herself. This terrifies Ara, for she doesn't like the feeling of losing control.

Ara takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, reminding herself to think about something more realistic. Nick is her client. She has vowed that she will try her best to find him a match despite her personal feeling for him. She is a woman of her word, and she should keep her promise.

"Ara?" Someone calls her name, snapping Ara out of her thought. Ara turns around and widens her eyes when she sees the woman's face.

"Daisy?" Ara can't believe her eyes. She gazes at her college roommate in surprise.

"Can I sit here?" Daisy asks.

"Yes, yes of course." Ara nods, "How have you been?"

Daisy answers softly, "I am doing well. Jack and I are married. I am the Luna of the Red Moon pack now."

"Congratulations on that." Ara smiles. She doesn't consider being a Luna through marriage as an achievement, but Ara has learned to put herself in other's shoes. Daisy has been longing for this title and she should feel happy for her friend.

"What about you? Have you found your mate?" Daisy asks.

"I am still looking for him." Ara shakes her head as she suddenly notices that Daisy is staring at the burger in her hand. Ara smiles and kindly offers it to Daisy, "Try this. It is delicious."

"Thank you. I'd love to, but I can't." Daisy panics and shakes her head frantically, "I am on a diet."

"But you're already slim."

"Not to meet Jack's standard." Daisy lets out a hollow laugh, "My weight nearly doubles after marriage. Guess I've eaten too much." She mumbles with a guilty face, "Jack has complained about that for many times. He will be furious if he finds I eat fast food behind his back."

A knit forms between Ara's eyebrows. She winces and says coldly, "Screw him. This is your body. You're the master of your body. Jack shouldn't have dished out criticism to your body like that…"

Ara wants to say something more when she suddenly remembers her quarrel with Daisy. Ara shudders and decides not to interfere with the issue between this couple. Ara is not afraid of Alpha Jack despite the fact that he has used his title to threaten her. But Ara cannot bear to see Daisy is blinded by love and turns a deaf ear to her advice.

To Ara's surprise, Daisy's eyes redden as she whimpers, "You are right. You've always been right. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have forgiven Jack and married him."

The twist is too dramatic to take in. Ara is bemused, not knowing how to react. She blinks at Daisy for a couple of seconds and eventually recovers from the shock. She fumbles in her bag, takes out a tissue, and hands it to Daisy, "Here."

"Thank you Ara. You're so nice." Daisy takes the issue to wipe the tear, but the tears appear more and more and start rolling down her cheek. Daisy weeps and then sobs, "I am so sorry. I shouldn't have said those terrible words to you. You're a true friend to me. I should have thanked you for telling me the truth. I was outraged when I knew Jack cheated on me but I dared not to confront him. I was mad at Jack, yet I loved him so much that I don't want to face the truth. So I lashed out my anger at you. I don't know why I did that. I wasn't thinking straight. Please forgive me."

"Shhh, it's ok." Ara leans closer and gives Daisy a hug. She says softly, "You've apologized for that. There is nothing to forgive about."

"Thank you." Daisy whimpers. She takes some time to calm down, resting her head on Ara's shoulder. Their heads are inches away, which enables Ara to notice an unnoticeable bruise on Daisy's forehead.

Ara is utterly shocked. She leans back a little and asks, "What happened? Did Jack beat you?"

"No. It is an accident." Daisy shakes her head and smiles nervously, "I fell from the stairs one day and got the cut. Not a big deal."

Ara can tell that's a lie, for Daisy's face is abnormally pale and she is trembling. Ara holds back the urge to nail her lie to secure Daisy's dignity. She nods and suggests carefully, "Alright. But you may consider ending the bond with Jack, since you've started regretting marrying him."

"I can't. Jack doesn't allow me to leave him, even though he no longer loves me."

"I don't understand……"

Daisy suddenly reaches out and holds Ara's hand tightly, "Jack was drunk on my wedding day. When all the guests leave, I found him cuddling in bed, crying and calling himself a murderer. He scared the s**t out of me. I asked Jack what was going on, and he told me his secret. He had a little sister who was stolen by werewolf traffickers when she was a baby."

"That's horrible. "Ara shudders, "Is the girl found later?"

"No. The Red Moon pack has searched for this girl since her missing but there is no news about her. Jack thought she was dead, and he blamed himself for not protecting his sister well, for she was stolen on his shift. He should have stayed by her side, but he was a naughty boy back then, and was distracted a cluster of butterflies. When Jack came back, only to see an empty cradle." Daisy sighs, "I feel pity for Jack, and for his poor sister. I do. But this doesn't justify what Jack did to me. He told me the only reason he accepted an Omega to be his Luna was that my smile reminded him of his little sister. I am nothing to him, only a tool to reduce his sense of guilt and finish his redemption."

Ara frowns and says, "You must end the bond with him as soon as possible."

"Tsk, tsk, isn't this our dear old friend Ara Murphy? What are you doing here?" an icy voice appears behind their back.

Daisy is frozen on the spot and loosens her grip on Ara's hand. She forces a smile and says softly, "Hi, honey, I ran into Ara, and we just had a chat……"

"Do I ask you to speak?" Alpha Jack snarls, sending Daisy a glare, and his face darkens when he sees the burgers in Ara's hand. He leans forward and bares his teeth, "Stay away from my Luna. You filthy omega. Next time I see you around, I'd rip your head off."

Ara wants to flinch, but she holds in place and replies, "I am not afraid of you."

"What did you say?" Alpha Jack shouts furiously. He grabs Ara by her collar, yanking her forward with brutal force.

Ara nearly loses her balance, but she manages to stand straight. She raises her chin and confronts his glaring calmly, "I said I am not afraid of you. You can't threaten me, Alpha Jack. Let me remind you of one thing. We're in a human city. This is not your territory. You shall be arrested by police if you hurt me."

Alpha Jack ponders Ara's words, hesitating if he should let her go. He is reluctant to let her get away with this, but he doesn't want to pull the attention of the police either. Before he can make up his mind, someone attacks him from behind. The sudden push catches him off guard, making him fall on the grass. Alpha Jack struggles to his feet, but his attacker grasps his hand tightly and forces him to stay on the ground.

Nick looks down at Alpha Jack with contempt and then at Ara, "Are you ok?"

Ara gapes at him and stutters, "Yes. I am fine."

"Good." Nick says without much emotion in his tone, "Or he wouldn't be fine."

Alpha Jack shouts in fury, "What the f**k! Who are you?"

"Nick Woolf. A pleasure to meet." Nick gives Alpha Jack a handshaking.

"I am not asking your name. I mean what are you?! This is none of your f*****g business." Alpha Jack withdraws his hand sharply. He stares at Nick and asks, "Wait, are you her mate or something?"

Nick is silent. When Ara thinks he is not going to answer the question, a breathtaking smirk erupts on Nick's face and he says, "Ara and I were bonded by the moon. What do you think I am?"