Female Novel
CHAPTER 16
Morning was more awkward than the day before. The 3 of them could hardly look at each other duringbreakfast. Thankfully, Zaden had a meeting with one of his managers and left to the city. Orion kept hisdistance from Selena because every time he gets closer to her, her taste comes back to his tongue.Eventually they bumped against each other. She crossed her hands over her chest and leaned over adoor frame. She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrow. Orion became uncomfortable at her reactionand rubbed his neck with his hand. He understand that eventually, he has to face her.
“Look, I’m sorry for the way I behaved yesterday. Both times… I don’t know what got into me” he wasformulating more lines before she stopped him.
“Apology accepted. I hope this means such act won’t be repeated?” she slightly tilted her head andOrion noddednovelbin
“Ok, let’s go. Oliver is waiting out there” they patched up but she still had a small alarm bell, deep downher heart. The day went by fine and Selena is always accompanied by Jeffry or Oliver when she waswith Orion. The wooden slab letter translation took time, Makeala had to rewrite each sentence so thatit will look bigger and then the elders would translate it, she would write it down into another paper.Plus, the elders need their rest, time to eat and their personal affairs to be taken care of, too. Zadenand Orion had to stay back till they figure out what is the letter about.
Later that evening, Zaden came back. He must have gone shopping before attending the meetingbecause now he is wearing a silk black shirt with a grey trousers and looking dashing than ever. Hewalked into the yard with his hands in his pant pocket, his usual relaxed but arrogant mannerism. Hesaw Selena from far, sitting on her father’s lap, on a rattan swing at their front porch and her brother,Aaron feeding her with oats from an opposite chair. He said something, making Selena laugh. Nowonder why she was fine with being feed or feeding others food, it is not affection, it’s just what she isused to. When they were done, she noticed Zaden coming towards them. Leonardo received a phonecall and got busy answering that while Aaron had gone inside the house to discard the soiled dishes.
Zaden came to stand in front of her and winked both his eyes with a smile. Selena frowned, just awink? Orion had said he is sorry like a hundred time but Zaden doesn’t seemed to be bothered.Arrogance by blood, probably.
“ I see you had dinner already?” he said.
“Yup” she answered keeping the same level of arrogance. He took a few steps forward, closer to herand she flinched as she dropped her hands from her waist, holding her pants fabric like a small childnow.
“You didn’t come to sleep on the couch yesterday, did you?” she shook her head no, her eyes on thefloor as if she is the guilty one.
“You didn’t miss me?” he tilted his head slightly in attempt to see her face but failed. She shook herhead no again but this time, there were a small drag, as if she is hesitating. He took one more stepforward, narrowing the gap between them even more. He lifted his head up before letting out a lowsigh. His eyes were checking around while he spoke the next words in a very low, husky voice
“But I missed you a lot…” her eyes widened but still focused on the floor. Her hands are now togetheras she fiddled with her fingers. He grabbed a lock of her curl and fiddled with it in his fingers. He let gowhen he realized Leonardo is done with his phone call and pretended to be normal. But Leonardonoticed a sudden change in his daughter. Her innocent eye is now filled with anxiety and her playfulfingers, now fiddling nervously with the hem of her shirt. Not only once, but he had noticed suchchange in her eyes every time she is around Zaden, a stranger that she meet a week ago.
“Hi Zaden, how was your day? Did you manage to settle your issues?” Leonardo asked with concern
“Partially solved. I’m afraid we might need a few more days. I can book a hotel room if…” he didn’tmanage to finish his sentence before Leonardo intervene
“No no…I insist. You took care of my precious baby in the middle of forest and mountains. At least letme do this favor” he said, earning a smile from Zaden. Selena was mentally chocking her father for hisdecision. She excused herself while Zaden and Leonardo settled down on chairs at the porch, talkingabout news, business and stuff that bores her to death.
At night, when they were all heading upstairs to sleep, Zaden’s eye kept boring at Selena, overLeonardo’s head. He need to tell her a message but couldn’t get any private time with her and now herfather has his hand around her shoulder. Selena felt his gaze from the corner of her eye but shechoose to ignore him, walked into Daisy’s room and locked herself up. Zaden cursed her under hisbreath as he gave up the idea to meet her downstairs in the middle of night and shut his door, a.k.aSelena’s room. He snoozed off for a few hours due to tiredness but when he woke up in the middle ofnight, it was difficult to fall asleep again. He decides to go sleep on the couch and grabbed a pillow andwalked out with only sweatpants. As he approached the stairs, he heard a creaking sound andfrowned. As he walked down, he saw Leonardo, covered with a huge bulky blanket, on the rockingchair. He turned around when he heard Zaden and signaled him to keep quite. Zaden came closer tohim, tilted his head to get a more clear visual. It was not just a bulky blanket, Selena was wrapped in it,on her father’s lap.
“She had a nightmare” Leonardo said almost inaudible. Zaden smiled as he walked to the couch andsettled down. Leonardo leaned his head back and went to sleep while sitting. Only Selena’s leg with asilver anklet and a silver bell can be seen from this point of view. The image of Selena sleeping on hischest, twice, came back to him. He thought it was affection but now, he has second thought about it. Itis just what’s she is used to. Now, recalling the stomp in basketball court, the way her father andbrother hugged her the day she came back, feeding her in the evening, how they are so scared ofoffending her, the photos in her room and just generally how they take care of her, Zaden could seehow much love was she showered with. A sudden pain hit him hard, could he ever be all this for her?Being a Samrat comes with its own package of complications. Could she ever be this peaceful in awerewolf life? She did higher studies in her favorite field, something that not all will choose, Marine
Biology and she also had already set a foot in the field. She is more of a practical and logic or evidencebased thinker while werewolf life based on a lot of blind beliefs. Is it really necessary to disturb all thisjust because he fell for her? But the thought of not being able to see her again, crushes his heart to bitsand pieces. If he can find Ozrain Samrat and give him back, practically what he has been searching for200 years, his bloodline heir, that would release his pack from a great danger that might hit anytime.
He is torn between his life choices. He re-assessed all his choices again and again the whole night, notgetting a single drop of sleep. At about 6 am, he finally fell asleep.