Chapter 56 - A trip to town - Part 1

We were standing by the entrance of the manor, waiting for our carriage to arrive. While waiting, I stared at the snowy sky, extending my hand for the snow to fall upon my palm. I smiled a little as the snow slowly formed into a cushion, gently resting on my palm. The land was painted white with snow, and it was such a lovely sight to behold. Now would be the perfect time to snuggle into my bed, with a hot chocolate in my hand to keep me company. 

Though I wish to be in the warmth of my bed, Luke insisted for us to go to town to search for our attire for the upcoming ball. I told him I was fine with wearing some of Kiera's old dresses, but he didn't like the idea. I told him it would be a waste of money buying a new dress, but then he told me that he had enough money for the two of us to live the rest of our lives together. 

The snow in my hand soon melted when another hand laid on top of it, its fingers locked into my own without paying any mind to the obstacle in between. Luke pulled my extended hand into one of the pockets on his coat, warming my hand that was red from the cold. 

"Your hand is cold," he said, his head turned to look my way, "Why didn't you wear your gloves?" 

"I forgot," I replied, also turning my head in his direction, "I left them in our room." 

"Do you want me to bring it for you?" he offered. But not until I refuse his offer, he withdrew it himself, "On second thought, I won't do that. You won't be needing your gloves when you already have me to warm you up." 

His boldness always left me with no words to answer, turning my cheeks red and hot like a burning stove. I wish there would be a time where I would be the one who made him turned all shy and awkward, but such a wish would only come true when I have the courage to talk the way he does. 

Seeing the redness of my cheeks, he smiled, seemingly enjoying the sight before him. He then took my free hand, locking it together with his own before pulling it into another of his pockets. Both of our hands were now entangled with one another, hidden under the warmth of his pockets. 

"This works way better than your gloves," he said before pulling on my arms, making both of our bodies to be a few inches closer than the minute before, "Don't you think?" 

His head was lowered as he stared down at me with his godly looks, a not very good thing for my heart. I knew that he was a handsome man before but was he always this handsome? Did he change, or was it the way I looked at him that change? I could feel my heart thumping in my ċhėst, so loud that I was afraid he would hear my heartbeats considering the proximity between us. I could even feel the air he breathed out from his slightly open mouth. 

Before I could reply, the door behind us opened, showing the figure of two familiar faces. Their steps came to a halt when they saw the proximity between me and Luke. One had a surprised look on his face, while the other had a big mischievous smile splattered across his face.

"Oh, maybe we should take the back door," Andrew said, turning Jack's back and his own, "Please continue whatever you were doing. I swear we didn't see anything, right Jack?"

"Y-yeah," Jack stuttered, muttering sorry under his breath before walking back to the manor. 

"Wait!" I shouted for them to stop, "W-we are not doing anything."

I stepped back from Luke, only to be pulled back even closer than before by the man. I urged him to let go of my hands but he only smiled, saying, "I was going to do something."

Hearing that, the smile on Andrew's face only grew wider for him to nod in satisfaction while Jack had his eyes wider than ever. It seemed that there was a misunderstanding on what was happening but Luke didn't seem to mind it. Instead, he looked like he was enjoying it. 

"I don't mind the audiences," he added. I was stunned by his words. What was this man trying to say?! Looking at the stupefied state I was in, he laughed heartily before releasing my hands, "Well, we will continue somewhere else more private if you don't like the attention." 

"W-what are you talking about?!" 

He ignored my query and allowed both of his men to use the front door, not wanting them to go around the huge manor only to avoid being a disturbance to the two of us—or so he said. We were not even doing anything! 

Turns out, both Andrew and Jack were on their way to leave Gordom because they said there were a lot of works that they needed to do back in Wonsvile, works that were supposed to be done by the Alpha but were thrown for them to do as a result of him leaving his seat for too many days. Both of them—mostly Andrew, glared at Luke the whole time he explained. He looked like he held a grudge against the Alpha. 

I noticed how Jack stole a few glances at me every few minutes, as if there was something that he wanted to say to me. When our eyes met one another, he hurriedly averted his gaze.

"Jack?" I called out, "Do you need something from me?" 

The attention was all of a sudden turned to the Gamma, making him scratch the nape of his neck awkwardly at the sudden spotlight he had received. "No, I... I don't need anything," he replied, his eyes wandering around anywhere but me, "I just—I wanted to apologize to you." 

"Why?" I asked, not knowing the reason he was being apologetic.

"It's my fault all of this happened," he said, his blue eyes not again wandering around but looking straight at me. He bowed down, "I'm really sorry. I will accept any punishment you will give me as a result of my carelessness. You can even banish me—"

"Jack, it's not your fault," I hurriedly replied, asking him to stand straight. He must have felt guilty for not being able to protect me from the kidnapper, but it really was not his fault. Before anyone else's, it was my own fault for not being able to protect myself. 

"I won't give you any punishment because you are not at fault," I told him, giving him a small smile. "Besides, you also saved me from that cave. I wouldn't be here if it's not for you—I mean, for the three of you."

I had heard the story of how I got out of that cave and what happened to the kidnapper. It was all thanks to the three of them that this problem was resolved and I couldn't thank them enough for helping me, someone who they had just met a few weeks ago, a month at most. Things could have been really dangerous for them but they risk their lives just to save me. It was the first time anyone ever went to such lengths for me, for my whole existence. 

I glanced at the three men before me, feeling grateful that I was given the chance to meet such wonderful people, "Thank you, for saving me."

"It is what we need to do," Luke replied, his hand ruffling my hair, "Protecting our people." 

I smiled a little when I heard him acknowledging me as one of his people, even with our differences. It made me feel that I have somewhere I belonged to, somewhere that I could return to when I didn't have anywhere to go. It was truly a blessing for me to meet them. Perhaps, this was the exchange for all those years of suffering—a reward for holding out.

Andrew broke the touching atmosphere around us when he slapped Jack's back with so much force that it made Jack growled back in annoyance, "See? Now stop being a sorry ȧss because we have a lot of things to do."

"And you should stop being so obnoxious," Jack replied before giving a stronger slap to Andrew's back. Their slapping game went on for a few minutes, both wanting to reciprocate each slap they gave to one another with a stronger force each time. 

I glanced at Luke, expecting him to stop these two men before they broke each other's back but Luke only smiled when he felt my eyes on him, as if saying he couldn't care less about what happened to those two people. 

When the sound of a horse's neigh was heard, the carriage that we have been waiting for finally arrived. As the horse slowed its pace and the carriage came to a stop, the coachman opened the door for us to enter. 

"I expect you two to finish the works I left before I got back to Wonsvile," Luke said to the two men before entering the carriage, making them stop their antics at once.