Tasting 272

272–One Big Goodbye

Nora:

It was yet another nightmare. Even if I had considered going back home, this nightmare reminded

me that I couldn’t.

Brody was sleeping on the couch with everything prepared and placed in the corner of the room. I

grabbed my blanket and covered him up before quietly making my way to the window to stare

outside.

I wasn’t sure if Akira would be ready to talk, so I didn’t twist the ring on my finger. It was better for

her to remain clueless.

Soon, I too fell asleep and was awakened by a knock on the door.

“Lord Atwood wants to meet you downstairs,” the maid announced from the other side of the door.

“I’ll go see what’s going on. You go freshen up for breakfast,” Brody jumped off the couch and left

the room. I took a shower and noticed how swollen my eyes were. I could barely keep them open at

this point.

It hurt my soul on another level, knowing that I had begged them the previous day, crushed my own

ego under theirs, only to be humiliated.

After dressing in a plain gray dress, I left the bathroom and saw Brody.

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“Umm…” He scratched the back of his neck.

Lord Atwood must have asked him to call me for breakfast with the family one last time.

“The cars are ready,” he said, and a frown creased my forehead.

“It’s alright. We can have breakfast on the way anyway.” I knew why he was avoiding my gaze—he

knew another hope of mine had died.

There was no farewell for me. Not anymore.

I nodded and followed him. I had cried so much that there were no more tears left in my eyes.

I felt so cold in my heart that the outside weather didn’t really matter anymore. When I reached

downstairs, I noticed that none of the brothers had woken up to say goodbye to me.

“They were out late, celebrating Ryker’s return, so they’re sleeping in for the day,” Lord Atwood

must have noticed that I was glancing around.

I gave him a nod and then lowered my head.

“I hope you two will have a good life ahead. And it’s not like we‘ re kicking her out. Sure, we were

upset about things, but she’ll be coming with you every time you return to this pack for work

anyway,” Lord Atwood said, finally giving me a bit of good news.

Why didn’t they say it like that before?

I mean, of course, things won’t be the same anymore, but I’ll be in this pack four days a week.

Somehow, I felt like a fool for crying so much, but still, it was the way they asked me to leave

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that had hurt me.

“And stop crying; you’ll lose your sight,” Lord Atwood chided, and I realized he had been noticing

my eyes all this time.

“I’ll take care of her and will bring her here when I come to stay in the pack,” Brody promised Lord

Atwood, who sneakily

glanced my way.

“You can also keep her in the apartment when you come here and then join us at the palace for

lunch sometimes,” there it was—once again, a request that I don’t enter their home.

But lunch would be fine too. Even staying in the apartment would mean I’d still be in this pack.

“And you’ll be taking her to the council’s building first, I hope you don’t forget,” Lord Atwood added,

though he wasn’t directly addressing me.

“For the acceptance, I know.” Brody nodded.

I just wasn’t sure how that would work. Can I have a chosen mate without being rejected by my

fated mates?

I turned to the mansion and stared at it in silence. I remembered the first day I came here. It had

been a rough day at school. I was brutally bullied, but then Lord Atwood came like a hero and took

me away from all the cruel people. He treated me so well.

That first day was so funny.

Cain thought I was his model. He said he had never been so aroused before. Was that a lie?

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Nash had complimented me so many times. Did he just do it for the sake of tasting his mate once?

And what about Ryker?