The Alpha Kings Queen

vi.

" too shy to say, but I hope you stay "

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The words tumble, straight out of my mouth before I can stop them, "I need to go home."

Everyone who occupies the dining room this morning seems to halt in all actions. In fact I swear there's a distant crash in the kitchen of cutlery.

The three Nobel men who had joined for breakfast this morning have very different reactions. Delta Andrew just blinks at me in confusion, Beta Jack eyes in contempt like the words were the bane of existence itself and the Alpha King beside me seemed to suddenly be very tense.

If anything his knuckles were turning white as he holds the fork in his hand with such strain I was afraid it would snap in half.

I was confused to their reactions, they did know I had a home right? Why would they be mad? I go to open my mouth to explain myself suddenly feeling the need too.

"Sarah said the other day that you agreed to stay for as long as she needs you." Andrew is the first to utter out, eyes darting between me and Nolan beside me apprehensively.

"I need to go home-" the fork in Nolan's hand snaps in half, and I eye it in shock before continuing my sentence, "-to grab more of my belongings since I only packed for two weeks."

Like a whoosh of wind, the dining room erupts back into chatter and everyone is back to their business as if they hadn't all fallen silent like some everyday occurrence.

I shake away the weirdness. "Nolan, are you okay?" I reach forward to grasp onto his fisted hand, gently squeezing, "you broke the fork."

"You just want to get more of your belongings?" Nolan's strained voice asks, his chest was rising and falling rapidly.

I blink at him slowly. "Yes, I only packed for two weeks. I was supposed to leave today with Sarah's parents. I need more clothes and maybe a few other things."

"You're staying?" He asks like he's just making sure I wasn't lying.

"Yes," I speak lowly, "I'll come back."

The primal need to comfort him was taking over me as the hand on his fists travel up to his shoulder and I gently press it against the curve of his bone. "Seriously Nolan, are you okay?"

"Fine, I just thought- don't worry, love. Jack will accompany you to your home and you can grab whatever you need."

"That's not necessary," I quickly rebut, his eyes narrow down at me and I let my hand fall back to my lap, "seriously Nolan, he's the Beta. The pack needs him here not off babysitting me as I go back home just to pack my stuff and come back."

Something flashes in his eyes, a level of respect before they harden back up telling me he was not taking no for an answer on this. "He volunteered."

"That's such a-" I stop mid sentence when Beta Jack was nodding in agreement, with a sincere look telling me he had in fact volunteered. It's silent for a moment before I sigh, "alright. We're still leaving with Liam and Iris because that was what I was planning."

"You weren't going to tell us?" Andrew narrows his eyes at me, he'd been pretty silent during the exchange.

"I wasn't aware I had to get everyone's approval of this." I snap back narrowing my eyes, then instantly feeling bad. "Sorry, I'm just used to doing my own thing and being independent."

"It's fine, love." Nolan assures, resting a hand on the nape of my neck as his thumb brushes over the bottom of it causing goosebumps to erupt on my skin. "We'd just prefer to know your plans in the future."