Chapter 56
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Josie’s POV.
My chest was bearing the brunt of my heavily thudding heart as I dashed out of the car, squeezed the paycheck. into the driver’s hand and faced the clustered café. That happened twenty minutes ago when I arrived here.
I took the momentary pause granted by my escape from the cab to look around for Tessa.
Hell, before my wandering eyes could see her, her sharp ones already saw me and she waved.
I manage to plant a smile on my face as o approach my friend.
Sliding into the seat, I begin spilling my cooked excuses. “I’m sorry again about my lateness, Tessa. You know how my work is. Tight and filled. I just finished teaching…”
“That’s enough, Rose.” She sighs. “Your apology always bore me out, yikes.”
I know it does but I still can’t help it. The crossed look she gives me makes me erupt into laughter.
“Goddess, Tessa. You really need to see your face. It screaming, kill!”
“I don’t care.” I prattle.
My eyes glimpse the barista moving around with a full tray of pastries. I wait for him to finish serving before I
wave him over.
Coming close, I place my order with a grin.
“Mocha latte for me.” He nods.
Turning to Tessa, she asks. “Have a Strawberry smoothie?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He replies.
“Then I’m going for that.” To me, she asks. “What’s your pairing pastry?”
“Cappuccino, please.” I state and Tessa does so too before the Barista leaves.
“So you said you’ve got something really important you want to discuss about?” She cock a brow.
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Chapter 56
My shoulders sag as Sandra’s words from days before echo in my mind.
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I grow tense quickly as my daughter’s image fills my mind. I don’t want her to be noticed, at least not by people
like Sandra.
Thum a breath and watch my friend.
Tessa, something is going on in my life.”
The sentence pushes me to remember those deep blue eyes. Those eyes held a promise of death.
It throat clogs with a lump of fear and anxiousness and I assume Tessa notices too because I catch her throat bobbing as she swallows.
“What could that be?” She asked, her voice tinged with worry.
The barista returns with our orders and settles them on the table,
The afternoon breeze curls through my hair and Tessa’s, whipping it back and forth.
I tighten a strand behind my ear as I spill it. “I feel someone is keeping tabs on my daughter, Aria.”
Tessa falls back into her seat under the sound of my voice. She frowns and then. “Who could that be and why?
I don’t know how to explain this now but I choose not to sail deep. Keeping things shallow, I spew. “She wants to prove something. Listen, Tessa,”
I hold my friend’s hands and continue. “I don’t want her to be in the Prying eyes. Especially from the person.“1
trail off.
Tessa seems to pick that up effortlessly as she completes the sentence I left hanging.
“From Aria’s father?”
Bringing my eyes up, I nod with effort.
We fall into a companionable silence as the music playing from the cafe’s jukebox wisps into the air.
In our moment of silence, accompanied by the causal slug of our drinks and bite of our caños, feel a strong presence behind me.
The invisible force pushes me to stare wide–eyed at the man stepping into the cafe’s terrace
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Chapter 56
That’s not what snaps the breath out of me. It’s the woman holding his hand and smiling cheekily at him.
‘He’s here. Smelling so good, I want to rub my womanhood on his face. My wolf and I echo the same thought as i watch Ashton weaving through the space in between with ease.
His bergamot scents don’t make it any easier either. I watch him stride along with the lady and it makes my heart crack seeing how she holds on to him.
Tessa raises her head to talk to me but I don’t give her any attention and she forcefully follows my gaze until…it lands on Ashton’s.
She bites out a curse, then. “Josie!” She snaps me out of my reverie.
Her face looks shocked with a dose of disbelief.
“Don’t tell me you’re crushing on him again?”
I blink rapidly, wanting to clear the thoughts about Ashton from my head.
“What? No. Of course not. He’s my ex–mate!” I state, flushing.
“Good. Because Jane and I only wanted you to work there and make the man jealous. To make him see what he lost….a gem. Not to fall for him because you deserve better. A man like…Diego.”
I grin with ease at the mention of Diego.
“I understand, girl. Thanks for always having my back.”
The hairs on my body stood erect after I murmured the words. Reflexively, I flit my gaze up, searching until they land on those familiar titanium gray eyes.
I blink rapidly under Ashton’s watchful eyes before breaking it away again. I shouldn’t look, I reprimand myself.
Thankfully, Tessa dives back into our initial topic.
“So, what do you plan to do?”
I carefully drop the glass of mocha latte back on the table after taking a gulp.
“The lady in question already knows where I live, making it difficult to hide my baby.”
Tessa nods knowingly.
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Chapter 56
I continue to make my intentions clear. “I want Aria to be living with you, Tessa. I want to hide her under your care. You can do that for me?“
For what feels like forever, Tessa stares at me like I’ve grown two heads.
Then, “I can never say no to you, Rose. You know that for ages now. So, when do you plan on bringing her over?”
Happiness bubbles within me and I pat Tessa’s cheeks.
“Tonight or tomorrow. I’ll have Ms. Beth bring her over.” I state.
“Hmm… Tessa hums low in her throat. “That doesn’t explain why you missed our taco night, tho.”
Involuntarily, my hands swirl through my hair as I breathe out. “Tess, it wasn’t my fault. Something was being held at the hospital in my honor. That’s why I didn’t make it there.”
“Sucks. You better be there on our next taco night.” She says warningly and I laugh, shy.
Ashton’s POV***
I’m so mindless about what my blind date is saying because
I have all my attention on Josie.
My body bristles, watching as she laughs with her friends while her face turns crimson.
Her beautiful face never fails to remind me what the epitome of beauty truly means.
With no make–up on, Josie still looks elegant with her hazel eyes and wild brown hair.
“So. Why don’t you tell me about yourself, Ashton?”
The screeching voice before me says.
Manageably, I break my gaze from Josie’s, my body humming with this hunger to be with her.
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Chapter 56
“C’mon, pretty.” The git says again.
Clearing my throat. I ask “What’s your name?”
I guess my question throws her off guard because her eyes are staring incredulously into mine.
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“You don’t know my name? Till now?” She asks, shaking her head… “Ashton that’s the first thing I said to you when I came into the hospital!”
Yeah, right! I totally forgot. I scrub my hand through my hair and sigh.
“That skipped my mind. Forgive me.” I grind out but she doesn’t look as pleased as before.
“It’s…okay. I’m Samantha.” She stutters, “Mind if you to
me…about you?”
I tilt into my seat and I shrug.
“There’s not much to know about me, Samantha. You already know I’m a doctor.”
“Are you an…alpha?” She asks, tentatively.
I open my mouth to give a response but my eyes stalks towards Josie’s direction. She has exited with her friend.
How the fuck didn’t I know about that? I think to myself, rising on my feet.
I feel the urge to clear the air between us. I want to inform her that Samantha is nothing special to me at all.
“Yes, do that. My lycan chimes in.
“Excuse me. Samantha. I have things to attend to.” I didn’t mean for it to sound so harsh but the words are already out there.
Squeezing some wads of dollar notes from my pocket, I slide it under my glass of iced tea.
To Samantha I say. “This should handle all the pastries and drinks you decide to take,” I tell her as she looks at
me with shocked eyes.
Without giving it a second thought, I race after Josie. My feet hurrying to meet her.
My surrounding blur around me and I momentarily forget my alpha status as I chase my ex–mate with fervor.
On getting outside, I flitted my eyes around until it landed on a cab that Josie was squeezing into.
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Chapter 56
I hurry closer, wanting to call her name but she unknowingly slams the door shut and the car speeds away
I pause there, too still to move or think.
The wave of exhaustion creeps into my bones, stalling my ability to move with ease into the pack house,
It’s almost nightfall, the setting sun on the horizon being the only indication.
I pass through the guards, heading upstairs until the voice coming from above makes me stop..
“Don’t tell me you still didn’t choose anyone again today!”
Dane runs a hand through his hair. I watch him carefully until I land on the last staircase, then. “I didn’t pick. anyone because I didn’t
matter. No one caught my interest.”
Dane shakes his head in disbelief.
“I’m so shocked you said that, man!” He utters and I shrug.
Steeling my face, I speak the words I want to say.
“Dane cut me off this blind date. I’ve gotten my full.”
Dane brushes into laughter, doubling over as he holds his belly.
“It’s that bad?” He asks in between laughter and I nod.
So fucking bad. I don’t enjoy it.” I admit loudly.
“That sucks, anyways. I’m getting you off the hook.” He pauses momentarily. Then, “This makes me want to see who that girl messing up your head is, truly.”
mute, shrugging at my zeta. “No one you need to know.”
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Chapter 56
1 begin making my way down to my room when Dane’s voice cuts through my peace again.
“Heath dropped some news, alpha.”
Heath is one of our friends but works in the rehabilitation center in the city.
“What did he say?” I ask, my heart dreading what he has to say. I hope it’s not about her.
Dane sucks in a breath and then says it all.
“He saw someone…”
A pause. Silence.
I break it with my question.
is that?”
“And who is that?”
“Alpha Incas.”
Josie’s father? Where in hell has he been all these years? I think to myself as I stare at Dane, shocked.
J
A dreadful feeling swims through me as I wonder why he’s hiding.
TBC
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