Falling in love with my Ex's Alpha Chapter 216: Book 2 - Chapter 49

***The Healer***

Days passed after Letum went to the central cave to tell my parents the terrible news, and I still couldn’t get out of bed.

I only ate it because Nox forced me to. His tormented eyes look as sad as mine.

I haven’t even seen Rose, much less Nige. I just don’t want to talk to anyone.

It hurts so much to know that half of our members are dead.

I didn’t like Lucy, but I considered her a member of our pack. I would die defending her.

It breaks my heart all over again just thinking that I will never heal or talk to Ana or that Edmund will never call me a brat again for teasing him.

And the most tremendous pain... I will never see Dana again. She’s gone.

And I couldn’t even thank her for the surprise she made for me before leaving.

I will never be able to talk to her again or listen to her unsolicited advice.

I didn’t lose a best friend. I lost a sister!

Prince has been leaving me alone these last few days and has been busy doing things here at the pack.

Every day, when he comes to bed, he seems more exhausted than the day before.

I get out of bed. I’m wearing a Nox’s white T-shirt and Nox’s burgundy pants from his pajamas. My pregnant belly is starting to get huge.

The smell coming from the kitchen is delicious, and yet it doesn’t make me hungry at all. I enter the kitchen, sit down in one of the chairs, rest my elbows on the table, and bury my face in my hands.

Nox approaches me and kisses the top of my head. Then he places in front of me what appears to be some kind of creamy scrambled eggs.

“You need to eat something, Princess,” he says firmly, begging me with his eyes.

“I’m not hungry,” I speak without lifting my head.

He pulls up a chair and sits next to me, then he takes me close to him and puts me on his lap. “I know, but can you make an effort for me, please?”

Before I answer, Nige enters the kitchen. Despite the cloudy day, the sun has already risen outside.

I look at Nige. He is staring at Prince and me with anger in his eyes. He doesn’t say anything and just leaves without looking back.

When he found out I was pregnant, he freaked out. He said I shouldn’t have done that to him, but after Nox almost killed him for yelling at me, he hasn’t said anything to me since then.

He must also be sad about everyone’s death, especially because he was the one who witnessed the massacre.

I thank Goddess that he survived, but I know that if I were in his place, I would be feeling miserable too if I was the only one who survived. That’s why I didn’t want to fight with him.

I’m giving him some time, but it’s for him to calm down; he’s not supposed to accept that Nox and I are together because Nige doesn’t have to accept anything. It’s none of his fucking business.

Nox is my fated mate, and if Nige says any word in a tone that I don’t like about him or about our baby, I will kill him myself without a second thought.

Suddenly, I see a spoon with food pointed at my mouth. “Open,” Nox orders firmly as, with his free hand, he strokes my pregnant belly.

I obey him. He’s right. I need to stay healthy for our baby.

He continues to feed me while I rest my face on his big shoulder. “Do you remember the first time you fed me?” Nox asks in a charming voice.

“Yes,” I respond, chewing. “I gave you an apple to eat. I rotated it in front of you to explain what an apple was, and then I bit into it.” A smile appears on my lips, and his smile seems to be getting brighter. “And then when I told you to eat, you grabbed my apple instead of yours, rotated it near my eyes, and then you bit it. It was so silly,” *and adorable*. I say, laughing as I remember.

He kisses the top of my head again before speaking. I don’t see his smile, but I hear it in his voice when he says, “Well, I guess sharing is caring... or rather, stealing is appealing,” I elbow him hard in the ribs, and he chuckles. He inspects my face eagerly, and when my lips twitch up at the corner, he grins.

The fool wanted to make me smile. And though I hate him for inducing a smile so soon after Dana’s death, I’m grateful for it, too.

🐺 🐺 🐺

A soft breeze whispers through the foliage, causing the leaves to sway and twirl gracefully before settling upon the forest ground. The earthy scent of fallen leaves and damp soil permeated the air, mingling with the subtle aroma of pine and cedar.

I breathe deeply and then look at the sky.

More days have passed since Letum went to the central cave, and he still hasn’t returned. Neither alone nor with my family and I can’t help but worry that something might have gone wrong.

The sun is almost setting as I appreciate the splendor of the forest before the day fades into twilight.

However, something catches my attention. I look at the three trees, and I feel something in them too familiar.

And then, as I approach the wishing tree I look around at the three trees.

I’ve seen them like this before in Nox’s painting above the fireplace in the packhouse living room.

I cross my arms over my enormous belly.

I’ve been so angry lately. Angry at myself for not going with Dana.

And now my anger is intensifying because I’m angry at Nox.

You know what? For me, it is over. I can’t stand him hiding things from me anymore.

The trees are precisely as he painted them, which leads me to think he remembers more things than he’s been telling me.

Maybe he already lived here, is that why I found him here? What isn’t he telling me?

Does he not trust me?

“Princess?” Nox speaks behind me. I have already felt his presence approaching.

“I want the truth, Nox.” I snap at him angrily. Tyra withdraws into my mind, angry that I yelled at our fated mate. However, before going, she tells me that there is no one around.

Good.

“I know you’ve been hiding things from me. It’s over, Nox.”

“What? What are you talking about?” he asks me, confused, and takes a step back.

Well, he wouldn’t have any reason to back down if he hadn’t been lying.

“I’m not hiding anything from you—”

“Stop, Nox!” I throw my arms in the air in anger. “I’m tired of your odd choice of words and lack of explanation. Where did the money for the things you bought to the packhouse come from? Where did you find all those diamonds? How did you know where to look for them?” I ask without breathing.

“Princess, calm down,” he tries to approach me, lifting his hands in the air like he’s trying to tame a wild animal.

“Don’t ask me to calm down!” I scream. “Look around you, Nox. Nothing catches your attention?” I point to the trees around, exactly like in his fall painting. “The trees are exactly as you painted them!”

“I already told you I have a creative mind. Are you blaming me for this?” Nox asks me, trying to divert the issue.

“No, no, no, no!” I shake my head. “I can feel you, Nox! Don’t you ever forget that. I know you’re lying.”

He opens his eyes briefly but then blinks hard. Nox takes a deep breath and sighs before speaking. “We should go home. It’s already getting cold out here for you,” he says in a tight voice.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you’re hiding,” I use my Alpha aura to order him, but he’s also an Alpha and his aura is much stronger than mine.

He stands still, facing me, my heart pounding with suspicion and anxiety. He runs both hands over his face. He looks exhausted; well, he’s been working hard all day. I know there’s something he’s been hiding from me. I can feel it in my heart through our mate bond all the unspoken truths.

“I need to know right now, Nox,” I command, my voice steady but edged with urgency. “What have you been keeping from me?”

Nox’s eyes dart around nervously, his hands fidgeting with an invisible object. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he answers. His voice is firm but fails to convince me because, through the mate bond, I realize that this is just a mask to disguise his true feeling of despair.

“I can see through your facade. Don’t lie to me,” I insist, my patience wearing thin.

I take two steps toward him. His eyes look defeated as if he can’t take it anymore.

Nox’s facade begins to crack, “I’m not hiding anything. Let’s go home,” he protests, his words ringing hollow in the tense silence between us.

I take a step closer. His clothes are clean, and his dark hair is almost dry. He must have just taken a shower. I narrow my eyes, refusing to back down. “Then prove it,” I challenge, crossing my arms. “Fucking tell me! Tell me where you found the diamonds and how you knew where to find them. Tell me the truth, Nox, I’m your fated mate, please!” I beg him, uncrossing my arms and holding his right hand.

Nox’s breath hitches and his dark blue doe eyes look into mine as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, making me more apprehensive about what he is about to reveal.

“Please, Nox. Do it for me,” I say.

“It’s hard to explain—”

“Try!” I insist, interrupting whatever excuse he was about to give. I’m tired of excuses. I’m tired of being lost and confused.

With a sidelong glance, he releases a heavy sigh. I can tell he’s struggling with where to start, so still with his big soft hand in mine, I point to the pink hair tie that is wrapped tightly around his wrist. “Why don’t you start telling me who this hair tie belongs to and why I didn’t smell just your scent on it.”

“It’s because it’s pink, so you think it’s not mine?” he snarks back, his tone light and teasing.

My only response is a scowl.

He sighs defeat, and then he lifts his face, looking up at the sky as if he were looking for the moon.

Moments later, he looks down at me again. He is wearing plain clothes, but he still always looks regal. As always, I’m in awe, struck by his beauty.

Nox finally relents. “Fine,” he says.

He releases my hand and strides toward the wishing tree with his back turned to me. Nox’s hand plays with the pink hair tie. “This belongs to my mother.”

My mouth goes dry.

“Where is she?” I ask in a whisper, afraid he’ll get scared and stop talking.

“The right question is not where. But *when*." He looks at me over his shoulder and chuckles like there’s some kind of sick inside joke that I’m missing.

When I shoot him a disparaging look, his smile falters. “I know everything about this pack,” he amends.

“What do you mean?” I hold my pregnant belly.

“I’m from here, but at the same time, I’m not from here,” he says, looking away.

“You don’t make any sense! What do you mean?”

Nox touches the small door that I pinned on the wishing tree with our initials before revealing with a tight voice, “I’m from the future.”