Warmth ✔

Chapter 41

I enter the pack house and tell Matt and Darius everything. As soon as I'm done, there's a knock on the front door. When Darius opens the door, I see Alarick standing at the doorway.

"Chriselda, let me explain," he pleads as he sets foot in the living room.

"Okay," I say calmly.

"I don't trust Lucy and I will never trust her. So, I get worried whenever she is with you. I sent Alan to keep an eye for Lucy's every move. I did all of this to protect you. It's not that I don't trust your ability to protect yourself. I'm just taking precautions. I don't have the strength to see you get hurt again. Try to understand me, please."

"I understand you, Alarick," I tell him. "I would've done the same thing if I was in your place."

Matt, Darius and Alarick seem surprised at my words. Matt seems to be affected the most since I've gone back and forth with him regarding Lucy.

A tear falls from the corner of my eye as I replay all the thoughts I had while I was traveling in the airplane.

"Why are you crying?" Alarick asks as he approaches me.

"I don't think that things can work out between us," I say in a soft tone.

"What do you mean?" Alarick questions. "Is it because of what I did? Chriselda, I just wanted to protect you-"

"I know, Alarick. I'm not saying all this just because you sent someone to protect me. I know where you're coming from. We went through a lot so it's justified on your part to do everything you can to keep me safe. I get it. It comes naturally to us to protect our mate. My problem doesn't lie there." After a brief pause, I continue, "Do you know what makes a relationship work? It's trust and honesty and we don't have either of those."

"What are you talking about? Of course, we have trust and honesty between us," Alarick interrupts me.

"No, we don't," I say in disagreement. "You have been lying from the very beginning and I started lying when Lucy became a part of my life. Do you remember what I told you when you revealed the reason for pushing me away? Mates aren't supposed to hide things from each other. Since we started working on our relationship, all we've done is lie to each other. A relationship is supposed to be build on truth, not on lies. Our relationship is build on lies and that's why our relationship is weak."

"If your problem is lies then let's promise to each other that we won't lie again."

I give out a bitter laugh. "It's easier said than done. What do you think will happen when we're done with this conversation? Do you really think that we'll stop lying to each other?"

"If a lie can become the breaking point of our relationship that I'll stop lying. What about you?"

"Do you know why we lie to each other? It's because we have conflicting opinions about the same thing. And to avoid fighting and to maintain peace between us, we lie. Just to keep each other happy, we lie. I don't think we can go on like this."

"I asked you a question. I'm ready to give you a promise to be honest with you from now onwards. Can you give me the same promise?"

"I am ready to give you the promise of not lying to you only if you give me the promise of trying to understand Lucy."

"Why do you want me to understand her?" There's frustration in Alarick's voice.

"Because we always have a conflict when the matter is related to her!"

"We can easily solve the problem if you break all your ties with her!"

"I won't do that. She's my friend!"

"And I'm your mate! If you have to choose between me and her, who would you choose? Would you choose your mate or would you choose your friend?"

"It's not about choosing between a mate and a friend. It's about choosing between right and wrong. I know that a lot of people don't trust Lucy but I do! She has earned my trust! She has truly been my friend! You can't see that but I can! If I leave her side then I'll be doing the wrong thing and I don't want to do that!"

"So, being by her side is the right thing to do and being with your mate is the wrong thing?"

"I'm not staying that."

"Of course, you are!"

"Don't make me choose," I plead.

"It's clear that you've made your choice."

Before Alarick can leave, I grab his arm to stop him. "If I break all my ties with Lucy, will you stop lying to me?"

Alarick opens his mouth to speak but I interrupt him, "Alarick, don't give an answer in haste. Think about it carefully. Will you really stop lying to me? You are seeing Lucy as a threat now. What will you do if you see someone else as a threat too? We both know that if you have to lie to protect me then you would."

"Won't you do the same if you were in my place?" He asks.

"After what happened between us, I don't think I would," I say in a firm tone. "After hearing your question, it's clear that you would lie to me again. Let me tell you what I would've done if I was in your place. Firstly, I wouldn't have lied about you being my mate. I wouldn't have pushed you away. I wouldn't have called you an imposter. I wouldn't have accused you of being after a powerful position. I wouldn't have insulted you. I wouldn't have tricked you into believing that our bond is broken. I wouldn't have made you believe that I hated you.

"What I would've done would be to meet you in secret and confirm the fact that we are mates. I would've shared all my worries with you. And then we would've thought of something to hide our relationship, to work things between us. The truth is that you never trusted me. If you would've trusted me then you would've confided in me. Just because of the way you acted towards me, I find it hard to trust you. If we would've trusted each other in the beginning then things between us would've been so much different and so much better."

After my speech, no one dares to speak. Alarick is not able to look me in the eye.

"Alarick, the best thing for us would be to separate," I tell him.