Cold ✔

:::::Chapter 9:::::

"You must be Chriselda," Anne says with a smile.

"Yes, I am. Come in," I say and open the door wider for her to enter. She enters the pack house and I close the door behind her. When I turn around, I find her staring at me.

"You're so pretty," she compliments me. I don't know why I'm getting that so much.

"You're pretty too," I compliment her back.

She goes towards the sofa, where Charles and Daniel are sitting. She drops the backpack beside the sofa and joins them, occupying the space where I was sitting earlier. I go on and sit on the other sofa. "What are you doing here?" Charles asks Anne as he faces her. He's curious to know the answer and so am I.

She exclaims happily, "I'm here to live with you all!"

"Why?" He asks cautiously.

"So that I can know my future sister-in-law!" She excitedly exclaims. My eyebrows instantly rise after hearing her words. I smell something fishy. I have a feeling that she's not here just to know me. There's something more to it. But I decide to leave it for now.

"I think that it would be wrong for you to call me your sister-in-law because your brother doesn't even acknowledge me as his mate," I say to her and her face falls a little.

"I don't know why Alarick is behaving like that," Anne says. "I thought that when he'll find his mate, he'll change for good."

"What makes you think that I'm your brother's mate?" I ask just to test her. I really want to know what her reply would be.

"My Dad believes that you're Alarick's mate and that's enough reason for me to believe that you're my brother's mate," she replies.

"Okay," I say slowly because I don't have anything else to say.

"I can't wait to see my little nephews and nieces running around here!" Anne says cheerfully, trying to break the serious atmosphere in the room.

A cough escapes my throat feeling awkward. "Anne," I start to say. "Your brother doesn't even remain in the same room as me. So, your idea of seeing little nephews and nieces will have to be put on hold." I can tell that she's disappointed. "How old are you?" I ask her, trying to pull her away from her disappointed state.

"I'm sixteen," she replies.

"What about you both?" I ask, looking at Charles and Daniel.

"Alarick, Daniel and I are all twenty-two," Charles answers.

"Daniel, why are you so quiet?" I curiously ask. Since yesterday, Daniel didn't even utter a single word to me excluding his introduction.

"I'm not quiet," Daniel answers. "I just have nothing to say."

"Okay." I nod. I hear the study's door open and seconds later, Alarick enters the living room. His eyes go towards his sister.

"What are you doing here?" He asks her.

"I just came to live with you guys," Anne replies.

"Why?"

"Because I want to."

"Anne," he starts to say. He folds his arms across his chest. "Why don't you honestly tell me why you're here?"

"I've told you Alarick, I'm here to spend time with you guys because I want to," she replies.

"Somehow, I find it hard to believe," he says and exits the pack house.

"Where is he going?" I ask referring to Alarick.