~Daliah's POV~
It had been several hours since Ms Jennifer left for an 'emergency' but I still couldn't bring myself to leave Beta Orion's manor for fear of what would happen to my daughter in my absence; so I stood by a corner under the large trees, watching the children play happily as they circled around a laughing Beta Orion who seemed so at ease, it was difficult to imagine him as the usual hardened man that sparked fear in the hearts of everyone around the pack.
Their beautiful laughs echoed around the vast space, filling me with some semblance of peace… peace that I couldn't bring myself to enjoy because somewhere deep down, I feared that these were the quiet moments before a storm.
The kind of quiet serenity that always led to a disaster.
But I wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out as I have finally made up my mind to leave here soon. And by the word soon, I meant a fortnight from today.
In the past hour, I had gone over several different ways I could escape this pack without my Master, Alpha Zarek, finding out until it was too late, and after long thoughtful moments, I had come up with an opportunity— the Festival of Lights. The day everyone would be so preoccupied with festivities that they would hardly notice Amara's or my disappearance.
The thought was so appealing to me that I smiled. However, when I remembered the toll that action would take on both girls— My daughter and her new friend, Tiffany— my smile waned for a brief moment.
'It was all for the best' I thought to myself, shaking off the guilt that had settled at the base of my stomach.
I hope that one day, they'll both forgive me.
Suddenly, I was pulled out of my haze when the air around me shifted, and soon, I was acutely aware of the presence of a new being, a new person with so much aura and so much power that my weak omega almost non-existent wolf cowered, struggling under its intense pressure. I tilted my head to the side as I spun around, letting out a shaky breath when I came face to face with…
"Alpha Zarek. Good afternoon." I greeted, ignoring the curious expression on his face.
Say hello, walk away. It's for your good. It's for Amara's safety.
"Dahlia?"
"Your Grace."
"What are you doing here?" He asked. His voice held something akin to confusion and a bit of something else… something that if I didn't know any better, I would have said it sounded a little like jealousy.
I bowed again. "I came to see my daughter… and her friend, Tiffany."
At the sound of my words, Alpha Zarek shifted his attention to the girls playing in the field. His eyes followed their movements for a moment too long before he turned to me. "She's beautiful."
"Thank you," I rushed out too quickly… too frantically that he turned to me with worry etched deep into his eyebrows.
I hated the way he looked at her.
Like she was a puzzle…. A game. Something so beautiful yet dismissible. Something so pristine but he cared less about all the same.
I shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts plaguing my mind and took a few discreet steps away from him as Ms Jennifer's words fleeted across my mind.
'He's not yours… never to be yours. Let him be.'
"Alpha, I'd love to take my leave now." I whispered cautiously. "I have work to do back at the house."
I had nothing to do— not that that was any of his business— I just didn't want to be found anywhere around him.
He didn't respond. Didn't dismiss me.
I noticed the way he looked at Amara. It was too soft. Too intense. It made my heart flip as a sense of dread enveloped me. What was he thinking? He's never paid any attention to Amara before, but today, his attention on her was too intense. Too suspicious. It made me jittery.
Suddenly, his voice snapped me out of my reverie and I turned to him, stunned to my bones at the words I had just heard him speak. He asked; "How old is she?"
I wondered why he was showing so much interest in her but thinking that it probably had something to do with the message he got from Silvermoon pack, or the fact that he was trying to decipher if I was the same person wanted by Alpha Logan, I looked away and said;
"Five. She's five years and seven months old."
The lie tasted like bile on my mouth but I pushed it down, forcing myself not to choke on it. Tears sprung into my eyes but I had no idea why. I looked away.
"Oh."
"She looks just like you… pretty; and she's also very smart for her age."
Something about his easy compliments made me shuffle on my feet. My head snapped up just in time to see his eyes already trained on my face, watching me with keen interest.
Guilt hit me then like a freight truck and I staggered backward, sighing. "Thank you."
And then he turned back to her, his eyes following her as she squealed in excitement. I saw the way the corner of his lips lifted in a small smile and something in my chest squeezed tight.
I don't know what this is, but it was uncomfortable.
With a faraway look in his eyes, he asked; "Who is her father? Why did he leave?"
As soon as the question left his lips, I stiffened in shock. The porridge I had eaten earlier today felt like large bricks settled at the base of my stomach as a feeling of unease enveloped me. Something like a bile rose in my throat and I gulped frantically, grasping for air. He was too curious today… It was frightening.
But why is that?
"Dahlia?" I suddenly heard him call out to me and I jumped, surprised when I saw him squinting at me curiously. "I asked you a question." Oh, that's right, he asked me a question!
"He didn't leave." I blurted before I could help myself. "He was a nobody… a human butler and he died in an accident."
The way the lies tumbled out of my mouth shocked even me. I noticed the way the hardened look in Alpha Zarek's eyes morphed into… pity but thinking that I didn't want that emotion from him, I took another step back.
"It's a long time ago… I hardly remember his face."
"I'm so sorry."
"No, you do not even know h—"
"I don't care… you don't deserve that… and for that, I am sorry." He added, making the uncomfortable feeling in my chest spread out even more.
I was lying to him and the guilt ate at me. Deep down, I knew that all of this was none of his business so I shrugged it off.. not entirely because by the time I looked up at him again, his eyes were trained on Amara… lovingly.
He whispered; "I too had a child… once."