The Alpha's Daydream ✔️

Chapter 8

Early update to celebrate the holidays and coming New Year! 🥳🎊🎉
I hope we can all learn something from 2018 and use it to make us wiser and more courageous for the future 💪🏼☺️♥️😉

2931 words

"I made your favourite muffins, Ari. Choc chip," Lexi said with a smile as she pushed the plate toward Ariella, a silent look of concern and pleading in her bright eyes.

"Thank you." Making no move to take one, Ariella just kept staring out the window, her chin in her palm as she spent the third morning in a row not eating breakfast. How could she feel like food when her stomach was in a knot and her heart was filled with emptiness?

With a heavy sigh Ariella got up and left the kitchen, unaware of Lexi's frown lovingly trained on her as she pushed out the front door.

Sitting in the swing under the oak tree, Ariella tried to think positively but it was impossible to forget the feeling of her mate.
Of his hands on her shoulders, pushing her away.

He had pushed her away into the cold stream with an even colder expression in those icy blue eyes of his, where before he had stood so closely. She had felt his warm breath on her face, had seen the light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and had heard his heart beating nearly in time with hers.

But then that horrid wolf had to interrupt them—the wolf who had wanted to be a demon. Perhaps he was higher in rank than her mate, and would punish him for fraternizing with someone from another pack. In all fairness, she had been on their territory, and shouldn't have expected anything less. Looking on the bright side, Ariella could be glad they hadn't marched over and arrested her for trespassing—twice.

But her mate, the mysterious solitary wolf named Mal, had been onto her land.

The other night, while tossing and turning in her bed trying to decide if it was hot or cold, Ariella caught his scent on the faint breeze. It sent shivers across her skin, and after resisting her curiosity for what felt like an hour, she climbed from bed and peered out the window. The crescent moon cast a little light in the clearing behind the house, and each tree was draped in shadows.

But one shadow stood out, one lone figure leaning silently against a trunk. The way his presence incited more shadows to dance on the lawn frightened Ariella at the same time as sending a thrill through her heart.

So he had come for her. He was watching her, maybe in a creepy way. Luci would call it romantic, but Gabby would show her disgust by pulling the curtains closed. Yet Ariella was transfixed, staring right back at him, and couldn't seem to tear her eyes away despite the hurt and anger she felt towards him.

He'd pushed her away. He hadn't fought to be with her even though she was from another pack, standing on his territory. He hadn't....hadn't wanted her?

All these feelings tumbled through her mind as she had continued staring out the window. When the shadowy figure of her mate moved a step closer, she matched it back, though she was already a safe distance away up in her house. The blue of his eyes had seemed to glow from amidst the darkness, and a heaviness grew in her heart, a determination. She wouldn't give in to him, not after how he'd treated her. If he wanted to apologise, he could approach her in the sunlight, not as a skulking phantom in the night. This only gave the impression he had so much to hide, and she wanted to hide from it.

Trembling like a leaf detached from a tree, untethered from reality, she'd crossed the room and slid the window shut. For some reason, it felt symbolic for closing a door over the emotions of her traitorous heart. Breathing only slightly easier, she'd climbed into bed and forced her heart to slow down.