His forehead creased, and confusion was written on his face.
“I’m staying behind.” I finally told him.
“What game are you playing at, Beta?”
“I’ll stay here for a while. I just want to remind you that in the face of danger, as your Beta, my primary duty is to protect my Luna. And I’m not sure about the danger in this place. Until I can be assured that Luna Nadia is safe, I will stay. Give me at least a week.”
His hand coiled into a tight fist as he nodded his head before he looked at me. I saw his eyes were a bit watery, but he blinked them back before he smiled.
“Do what you need to do. I appreciate it. I will have to organize a security team and send them here to watch over her before you go back home.”
I nodded my head. I wish the Alpha would tell me more about what was going on in his head. But then he was Riley, like always, he would keep everything to himself.
“Thank you, Dominic, for doing things I couldn’t do.”
“More than a Beta, I’m your friend. I hope you’d trust me more, Riley. At the end of the day, after a hard day’s work, aside from our females, if ever we’ll be lucky to end up with one,” I chuckled before I continued. “... it’ll always be you and me. So let me in your head so I can understand you better.”
He just let out a deep sigh. “When you’re too damaged, you don’t trust people that easily. I know I can trust you, but everything is just too much. I just want Nadia to be happy.”
“Then take her home with us.”
“I made that mistake once with Andrea. I won’t force myself on anyone anymore. Especially not Nadia. She deserves more.”
“Then tell her. So she can decide for herself.”
He shook his head and smiled weakly. “I don’t want to hear another rejection. There’s only so much a man can take. I have my fair share of it.”
“You’re too big to be a coward, Alpha.”
“I am. That’s why I don’t want anyone in my head. They will see how big of a lie I am, pretending to be a great Alpha but weaker than a child.”
No one said a word after that. I wanted to say many things, but I couldn’t find the right word to tell him anything.
He kept his heart and mind shut off for years. I watched him all these years and despite the glory that he had as an Alpha, he still didn’t see himself as good enough. And I fucking had no idea how to help him.
I felt I was failing as a Beta and as a friend.
“If by any chance you will be able to talk to her, tell her I said sorry,” he added.
“That’s all?”
“And I wish her a good and happy life,” he said before reaching for the door handle and pulling it open. “Thanks, Dominic. See you then.”
He stepped out of the door but leaned down again, his eyes sending me a warning, and I almost choked on his next words. “And fucking make sure you don’t take advantage of Nadia. If I find out you touched her in an inappropriate way, I’ll fucking castrate you and make you eat your own dick. And tie you up until you fucking die.”
“Whoah!” I chuckled. “That’s a fucking warning! But you know me. I don’t do things like that.”
“Just making sure.” He smiled weakly before shutting the car door.
My eyes followed him as he entered the airport terminal. I didn’t drive away. I was giving him a few minutes just in case he changed his mind.
Chapter 67
NADIA.
My heart was overjoyedthe moment Zahra told me that I might be pregnant.
So Laura went out to buy a pregnancy test. She made me try three different ones, and they all came out positive.
