Alex winced as a sharp sting spread across his cheek. He pressed his palm against it, his eyes darkening with anger. But what could he do? Fighting back wasn’t an option. Gabriel was too strong. The rumors about him had never been exaggerated.
A sudden knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Alex, why haven’t you come out of your room since you returned? Is everything alright?" Vinette Morgan’s concerned voice came from the other side.
Alex tensed to hear his mother’s voice. If she found out, then he would have to answer everything. That was the last thing he ever wanted.
"Yes, Mom. Everything is fine," he replied, but the ache in his cheek said otherwise. The wound was healing slower than he expected. It would take at least another day to completely disappear.
Vinette wasn’t convinced. "Open the door once. Let me check on you," she insisted.
Alex frowned. If she saw the injury, she would ask questions that he wasn’t ready to answer. His gaze darted around the room, searching for something to cover his face.
His eyes landed on a towel, and without thinking twice, he grabbed it, draping it over his head. He made sure it covered the sides of his face before gripping its edges tightly.
Taking a deep breath, he cracked open the door. "Mom, I was just tired," he said casually. "That’s why I stayed in my room. I just woke up, and now I’m going to take a bath."
Vinette’s eyes softened with amusement as she took in his odd appearance. "What’s this? Why are you holding it like a child?" she chuckled.
Alex forced a sheepish smile, hoping she wouldn’t push further. Luckily, she let it slide. "Alright," she said, turning to leave. "Be at the dinner table on time."
As soon as she was gone, Alex let out a quiet sigh of relief, his grip on the towel loosening. He couldn’t let anyone see his weakness, not even his mother.
He placed a bandage over his cheek, thinking he would lie about getting a cut during shaving. While showering he kept thinking about the incident. Amelie being protected by an Alpha, who was almost untouchable. He ran his hand over his face as he closed the shower tap finally.
Putting on a bathrobe, he stood before the mirror and looked at himself in it. "Amelie is carrying my pup. But after I rejected her, I couldn’t feel the pup’s beats either. But will she always keep her mouth shut about it?" he murmured. "Gosh! I shouldn’t have let her go and killed her myself."
After getting ready, he replaced the bandage on his cheek with another and went downstairs.
As he had expected, his father asked about the bandage on Alex’s cheek.
"I got a cut during shaving, Mom," Alex lied and sat down on the chair. "Good evening, Dad. Sorry for making you both worry. I was in a deep slumber," he murmured.
Ethan Morgan gazed at him with a stern gaze. "Did you locate Amelie? I heard from Zander that the search has been stopped," he said with a frown.
"Dad, I think I should let her go," Alex stated, his voice firm yet measured. "She’s no longer part of the pack. Her sister is going to be my wife soon, and I don’t want my in-laws to feel unsettled because of this matter."
Ethan calmly cut into his steak, his sharp gaze fixed on his son. "Amelie accused you of something you never did," he said, his tone thoughtful. "And now, rumors about the two of you have spread throughout the entire pack. Some even claim they saw you together in the past."
Alex’s jaw tightened. "What exactly are you trying to say, Dad?"
Ethan set his knife down, leveling his son with a scrutinizing stare. "Why would Amelie make such a serious accusation and then disappear?"
Before Alex could respond, Vinette interjected, her voice calm and reassuring. "Honey, Amelie must have been scared of the consequences. That’s why she fled before she could be punished. You know as well as I do that she was never well-liked in the pack. These days, even sisters grow jealous of each other. Perhaps she couldn’t bear the thought of Flora standing by Alex’s side and acted out of spite. People’s hearts are hard to read."
Alex glanced at his mother, appreciating her support. He exhaled slowly before turning back to Ethan. "Dad, it’s unnecessary to keep searching for her. I carry a big heart, and I choose to forgive. She’s not even part of the pack anymore. It would be a waste of time and effort for our wolves to hunt down a pathetic omega."
Ethan remained silent. They finished the rest of the meal in silence.
As dinner came to an end, Ethan dabbed his napkin across his lips and leaned back slightly. "The invitation for the annual gala has arrived. This year, you have your mate, so take her with you." He smiled slightly.
"Sure, Dad. What about you and Mom?" Alex asked.
"Of course, we will be attending as well," Ethan replied, glancing at his beloved wife. "Let’s retire for the night," Ethan said as he rose from his seat. Vinette and Alex followed suit.
"Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad," Alex said.
Ethan merely hummed in acknowledgment before walking away with Vinette beside him.
As soon as they disappeared down the hall, Alex hurried upstairs to his room, shutting the door behind him. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and saw several unread messages from Flora and a few others. Ignoring the rest, he quickly replied to Flora’s messages, but just as he was about to set the phone down, it rang.
Flora’s name flashed on the screen.
He sighed before answering. "Hey."
"Alex, are you alright?" Her voice was laced with concern.
"Yeah, I’m fine," he replied, forcing his tone to sound light. "Sorry for not responding sooner. I was just tired and fell asleep."
"Oh. Amelie’s phone is still off," Flora said. "I heard you stopped the search for her. Why?"
"She’s already left the pack. So, it’s of no use to keep searching for her," Alex answered.
"You didn’t make her pregnant, did you?" Flora questioned with skepticism.
"Are you mad?" Alex almost yelled at her. But he controlled his rage. "Your sister lied about it. And don’t pester me with such accusations!" He angrily cut the phone and tossed it on the table before heading to the balcony to calm down himself.