The Pet🐾 (Completed)

Chapter 23

*this song is Roman through the WHOLE chapter*

Ashley

Roman filled our plates and led us back to the table. I felt self-conscious the entire time, stealing glances at him every few seconds. He pulled out my chair for me, and as soon as he sat down, I leaned over and whispered, almost shouting, "Why is everyone watching?!"

He just laughed and shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth. Suddenly, everyone got up to get food. I sat there, still confused. "What's going on with everyone?" I asked.

He looked at me and smiled. "No one can eat until I do. I'm Alpha, remember?" He popped a bite of egg in his mouth.

I looked back at my plate, still confused by the traditions. I finished eating quietly. Roman looked over at me, smiling. "Do you want seconds?"

My heart raced, but I shook my head no. He picked up my plate and walked it to a basket, then returned. "You ready to go?" He held out his hand.

I took it and stood, wincing slightly from my chest. I looked up at him. "I'm fine, I swear," I said, though I wasn't sure he believed me.

We started walking, and I saw Sophia with the family that had cheered for her. She waved me over. I let go of Roman's hand and walked toward her.

"Hello," I said to the group.

"Oh! Hi! My name's Sam, and you're really pretty!" a little boy ran up to me.

I giggled. "Thanks! You're very handsome, Sam. I'm Ashley." I held out my hand.

Sam shook it and pointed to a woman standing nearby. "That's my mom."

"Oh! I'd love to meet her," I said.

Sam ran back to his mom, and I turned around to see Roman. He didn't look happy.
"What?" I asked.

"Was he flirting with you?" he asked.

I couldn't help laughing. Jealous of a little kid? "What, are you jealous?"

He shook his head, a little flustered. "Um... no. Let's go. You need to lay down before you hurt yourself." He held out his hand.

I was about to take it when the other man from our table walked up.
"Hello, Alpha," he said. "And hello, Luna." He held out his hand to me.

I looked at him, confused. "Uh... hi." I shook his hand.

"I'm Jared, the Beta—second in command, in case you didn't know," he explained.

Finally, someone who explained things simply. "Nice to meet you, Jared," I said.

"If you ever have questions about our culture—or all the weird stuff we do—you can come to me," he added.

Wow. Where has this guy been all my life? "Thanks! I'll definitely take you up on that," I said, relieved.

"Thanks, Jared. Now, we need to change her bandages," Roman said, holding out his hand for me.

I smiled and waved to Jared as I wobbled away with Roman. Jared walked over to Sophia while Roman led me out the door.

Instead of the stairs, we headed out the back. The sun hadn't even risen. I had never been up this early.
"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Shhh. Trust me," he said with a smirk.

We walked through the forest and up a hill. Roman paused. "Close your eyes," he instructed.

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Just do it," he said. I shrugged and covered my eyes with my free hand. "This way," he tugged me forward up the hill. He guided me to sit on something solid. "Okay, sit here," he said gently.

I felt him sit beside me, then he took my hands off my eyes. "You can look now."

I opened them—and my breath caught. The sunrise stretched across the horizon, painting the mountains in pinks and golds. It was breathtaking.

"Did you plan this?" I asked, still staring.

He shook his head. "No... I used to come here every morning after breakfast."

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"Yeah..." He paused, then corrected himself, a little flustered. "She really is... I mean, it is beautiful."

"Why did you ever stop coming here?" I asked softly.

He took a deep breath. "It's a long story. About two months ago, my father passed."

Tears pricked my eyes. I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry... I know how that feels. My mom died last winter."

He wrapped his arm around me. "I guess we both lost something," he said quietly.

"I guess so," I sniffled, tears spilling over. "I remember when my mom would tease me, make jokes, drive me to school... even sing sometimes, though it drove me crazy. But I loved it. I loved her every day. She had a heart of pure gold... she would've walked through hell for me. And I... I would do the same... if only... to get her back..."

I broke down, crying hard, wiping my face with my hands.

"Hey... hey," he said, kneeling in front of me. Gently, he pulled my wrists from my face. "No. You don't need to cry." He brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes.

"But... it hurts... why does it always hurt when people leave?" I sobbed, a mess with a stuffy nose and watery eyes.

"Because it was their time," he said softly, rubbing his thumb across my cheek. "Let me make it better."

Then he did the unimaginable. He leaned in—and kissed me.