Evaline:
The room became too quiet the moment Draven left.
The echo of the door clicking shut after him was what cracked something inside me. I stood there frozen with my back still against the dresser. My lips were tingling with the memory of his kiss while my heart was thudding wildly like it hadn’t realized he was gone.
"What just happened...?" I whispered aloud and touched my lips, as if the pressure of my own fingers would somehow erase what had just transpired. But it didn’t. It only made it more real.
I kissed him back.
Goddess.
I kissed Draven back!
The thought sent a chill down my spine. Not because it was unpleasant... it wasn’t. It was the opposite. That was the problem. I kissed the youngest Rogue Alpha back and for a moment, I wanted it. I wanted him.
And now that he was gone, I was finally able to breathe again. Only, every breath felt like a lie.
I bent down and picked up the towel I had dropped earlier and tossed it in the laundry basket sitting under my bed. Then, I started pacing across the room like a madwoman. My thoughts refused to sit still. They were clawing at me from every angle, each more panicked than the last.
I shouldn’t have let that happen.
I don’t like him. I don’t trust him. And I certainly don’t want anything to do with whatever pull was working between us.
But... didn’t I just melt in his arms? Didn’t I just shudder when he whispered those words against my skin? Didn’t I leanin when he kissed me?
I groaned and dropped onto the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. I was supposed to survive this cursed pregnancy, find some peace, and maybe... rebuild my life in my own way. Alone. Strong.
But now there was him... Draven.
And worse, there was Oscar, too. Another Rogue Alpha brother who could make my insides twist with the same damned pull that now felt like it was wrapped around my soul.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No. I wasn’t going to fall apart like this. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
I stood up and glanced at my phone. The screen was still lit up from the message Draven had sent to Mallory.
I wanted to skip the dinner and just crawl into my bed. But instead, I forced myself to grab the phone, shove my feet into the shoes by the door, and walked out of the room.
The hallway was too quiet, and my each step was echoing like a guilt-ridden confession. I paused in front of the elevator, then changed my mind and took the stairs. The physical effort helped a little. It forced my body to focus on something other than the kiss... the warmth of his hand on my waist... the way he had looked at me like I was his.
I shook my head violently, trying to clear it.
No. No. No.
Draven wasn’t mine. And I wasn’t his.
I halted as I reached the dining hall. Food was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t want to be around anyone in my current messed up mood, and I definitely didn’t want to see him again.
But... I still walked in. Not only because my friends were waiting for me, but also because of the tiny heartbeat inside my belly. It deserved more than my emotional mess. It deserved food. Safety. Love.
The laughter and low chatter around the table stopped as I arrived at our special corner with my food tray in hands.
Mallory immediately pulled me toward the empty seat next to hers while speaking, "Here you are finally. We were about to send a search party."
"Sorry," I muttered while avoiding her. "Got a little caught up."
She raised a brow but didn’t say anything. The others gave me looks as well, but didn’t ask questions. That was the thing about this group. They didn’t push unless you gave them a reason to.
Still, I felt their eyes on me. Curious. Concerned.
I picked at my food, managing to eat enough to not go hungry later, but my appetite had already withered. My mind was still stuck in the storm left behind by Draven.
I barely heard what the others were talking about, something about visiting another town this coming weekend. My gaze kept flickering around the large hall, half-expecting to spot him. But I didn’t... fortunately.
I stabbed a piece of roasted carrot with unnecessary force, once again pulling my friends’ attention to me.
Mallory leaned closer. "Eva," she whispered, "are you okay?"
I looked up at her. "What?"
"You are doing that thing of yours - where your soul leaves your body and we all have to pretend you are not halfway to another planet."
This finally made me crack. It was a small smile, but it was enough for them. The atmosphere at our table immediately lifted.
"Finally!"
Noah whistled softly while others chuckled.
I was finally feeling slightly better, so I finished my food. Though I still didn’t participate in the ongoing conversation, they all looked content now that I was eating properly.
As the dinner ended and we all returned to dormitories, I took my leave with the excuse of feeling tired. And thankfully, none of them stopped me. They just wished me "good nights" and let me slip inside my bedroom.
My plan was to sleep, but as I was back in the very same place where the incident took place barely an hour ago, my thoughts started getting overwhelming all over again.
The memories returned and so did the questions and confusion.
I had one problem to avoid - the Rogue Alpha Brothers - and so far, I had failed badly in doing so. It was as if the Moon Goddess herself had taken a liking to my fate connected with these men.
And she really had... or why would two of the brothers turned out to be my destined mates?