Alpha Adryan (Romano Series #1)

thirty nine

"Hmm?" he hums, asking her to go ahead and ask what she wanted to ask him.

"What happened to the former Luna of the pack?" as soon as the words leave her lips, she noticed the visible changes in his posture, how his jaw suddenly started ticking, or how his hold on the papers seem to tighten to the point where it started to get wrinkles, most of all what she noticed was how he stiffened the moment she mentioned his mother. She comes to the conclusion that she had hit a tough spot.

So she tried to dismiss off her question, and apologise for crossing boundaries she hadn't expected him to capture one of her hands in his drag her close to him, and make her sit on his lap like it was nothing.

Jade blinked her emerald green eyes at his actions, as her brain seemed to take a while to process his actions, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

One of his arms wrapped around her waist, while the other moved forwards to clutch the photo frame in his hands. Staring at the photo in front of him, while Jade fixed her gaze on his face, taking in his facial expression as he stared at the photo in deep thought. As if reminiscing about something.

"She was too good for my father" Adryan suddenly speaks up, breaking the silence that had once again enveloped the room. Jade was shocked initially at his words but schooled her features initially. "My mother was kind and beautiful. Everything you would expect from a Luna. Everyone in the pack loved and respected her. At first, everyone was shocked seeing how such a kind and selfless she-wolf would be mated to the cruel and heartless Alpha of the pack, Andreas Romano. The previous Alpha belonged to a long line of Alpha males, who believed in the traditional way. The way where female wolves were considered inferior compared to the males. Even Luna didn't have equal power as the Alpha did. If they tried to fight their mates, they were punished severely and flogged in front of the whole pack to make an example out of them. It was a dark time for the pack. Harsh punishments were served even for the smallest of mistakes. Men, young teenagers, even pups of the mere age of five were forced to train." Adryan paused, a dark emotion taking up his features. One of Jade's hands move to caress his own that was wrapped around her waist, soothingly. It didn't go past Jade, how Adryan didn't refer to the former Alpha as father.

"He treated her like trash. Abusing her, beating down her already fragile body until she couldn't even lift up a finger. He made me watch him hurting her, and if I refused or did something to disappoint him, he would try to hurt me, but she would always protect me. What was worse was the fact that she still loved him. She loved him till her last breath and I hated her for it. How could she love someone who doesn't think twice about causing her pain. I was afraid that I would end up just like him, I thought it was better to be alone forever than have a mate and make her suffer. I thought I could let you go, but I was so wrong" his voice laced with emotion towards the end of the sentence. He releases his hold on the photo frame, bringing both of his arms to wrap it around her waist, Jade turns herself on his lap, so that she was facing him. She wraps her arms around his neck, as he buries his face in her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent.

She feels light dampness around her neck, instead of voicing out her worries she tightens her hold on him.

"I'm leaving in two days" he breaks the silence around them, his face still buried in her neck.

"Why?" She asks, her head still leaning on his shoulder.

"We've decided to approach the Elders. Whatever is happening, if we didn't deal with it soon everything would end up in chaos," his voice slightly muffled.

"We? Are you sure about approaching the Elders?" she asks, leaning back to look into his eyes that stared back at hers, now that he had moved back from his earlier position.