Love And Betrayal | ✔️

39. Don't be a coward

If I gave you every piece of me,
I know that you could drop it
Give you the chance, I know that you could take advantage once you got it
If I open up my heart to you,
I know that you could lock it
Throw away the key and
keep it there forever in your pocket.

Selena Gomez (Vulnerable)

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K I A R A

MINUTES SEEM TO drag on.

I go through the schedule and contact the Alpha Raven about the weekly security check. The number of guards patrolling the perimeter had tripled over night. I take a look at the latest notice from the Guardians : School was to be suspended for a week. Pack members were forbidden from stepping out of the territory. No outings, no Sunday shoppings in the local human towns until further notice.

I recheck the documents we received from the wereGuardians last night and email them about the latest updates.

My fingers hover on the keyboard as they type in Alpha Aden Carter's name, followed by the new status update.

It almost seems wrong to focus on trivial things like meetings and wars when downstairs at this very moment he is present. It's unreal how fast my heart can beat at the very thought of seeing him again. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop my mind from wandering.

Focus, Kiara, focus. These documents aren't going to type and print themselves.

Easier said than done.

Something is off about Aden. The suspicion in my head persists. Something's not right.

I hadn't seen him since this morning. With everyone crowding him and asking him a dozen questions, I melted into the background, slipping out of the room while he was busy. I doubt he even noticed.

My breath catches as I touch the corner of my lips, remembering the moment we shared. Did it even mean anything to him? Does he still feel the same? Because, it meant everything to me.

If it does, I want to hear him say it.

But do I have the courage to ask? Not quite.

Shutting my laptop, I lean against back and close my eyes.  Who knew being in love could be so damn exhausting?

The door creaks open. I hear footsteps entering the room.

"Hey." My eyes flutter open at the familiar baritone voice. Ashton stands in front of my desk, cradling a mug of steaming hot cocoa. "I thought I'd find you here."

I smile wearily. "Where else would I be? There are documents that need to be typed and sent by the end of the day. Where's everyone?" I glance at the mug in his hands. "Is that for me?"

"Where they should be." He hands it over. "Never took you to be the person who runs from a crisis. I thought you were stronger than this."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." There's a cryptic look in his eyes, I can't figure out. "If this is where you really want to be, suit yourself."

I place the mug on the desk. "Okay Ash, stop talking in riddles. I have a still have shitload of data to input. If you have something to say, be clear about it."

"Just saying, this shitload of data will still be waiting for you when you come back tomorrow; the person you care about may not."

I blink, taken aback. "What?"