Twenty

~Valdus~

I blink at Aphrodite while she blinks at me. My hands still have her wrist pin while her legs are still wrapped around my waist. I slowly look over to my father and see him blinking and then slowly closing the door.

I took a deep breath in and the out while releasing her wrist. I unwrapped her legs around me and got off of her. "I guess there's soup. You can go down, I'll just need to change."

I looked over to while I stood at the front of the bed while running a hand through my hair. Her cheeks were tinted red and she quickly nodded while hurrying off the bed and out of the room.

I licked my lips, well I tried too, but I felt my fangs still out. I took a deep breath in and bit on my lip slightly while they pierced through the skin and sunk in. I groaned slightly and they finally retreated back in. I licked my lips and I tasted the blood but it was already healing.

I walked towards my closet and grabbed a t-shirt and some shorts. It was already sun down, so why dress up. I walked out of the closet and out of the room, making my way towards the kitchen.

I saw Aphrodite eating like no tomorrow with the soup, and my heart dropped slightly because ever since she was here I don't know when she ate. The only memory of her eating is right now.

My father was eating too but he was at the table by himself while he would slowly ate the soup, but mostly he would stare at it. His face was still sad. His eyes were even more duller. The grey streaks in his hair was more visible than ever. And I looked up.

I promise mom.

I made my way towards the stove and got a bowl, while pouring some of the chicken soup in the bowl and then grabbing a spoon. Aphrodite was sitting at the island while my father was at the table.

I looked at both of them and my heart picked up slightly.

I held the bowl close to my chest while I looked at both of them, and then slowly I started to walk. I turned to the right and pulled out the chair.

I placed the bowl down while I looked at the same exact eyes as me. He raised an eyebrow while he looked over to Aphrodite who's getting seconds. I gave him a small smile and sat down. He stared at me while I was slowly eating. He narrowed his eyes slightly but then looked down at his soup and continued to play with it or gently ate some.

"How did you learn to make soup? Mom?" I knew I shouldn't have said mom, but I need to help him pull himself together like I have when I was young.

I saw his body tense but he stared at the soup. "No. Your aunt."

My eyebrow raised slightly while I ate some chicken, "where is she? I never knew I had a a-"

"You don't need to know Valdus. Just eat your soup and then go to sleep. It's already getting late." He got up with his bowl still halfway filled with soup, and carried it to the island while setting it down, and then walking away towards his room.

I sighed and looked down.

Well. It's a start in conversations.

******

~Aphrodite~

I didn't know I was that hungry but will I tasted the first spoon full of this soup. My stomach didn't let me stop. I ate three bowls of the soup and my throat felt so much better. When I was finally full, I placed my bowl in the sink and looked over my shoulder, looking at Valdus's back. His head was looking down while he would move with each breath.

So, how's your plan going. Mhmm?

Eris! I still don't understand why you would do that?-

Aphrodite are you serious?! I did that because you don't want to face the damn fact that he's your mate and you were supposed to be together. When he was chained up, you went to him to unchain him. You didn't just do it because you want to kill him later on. If you wanted to kill him, you could've killed him there when he was chained, and then go get his father. But no. You got out of his fathers grip and ran all the way towards him and unchained him. You're making yourself think you have to be number one, but guess what Aphrodite. You're not. He is. And now that our damn beta is trying to kill us after we 'kill' Valdus is unbelievable. Why do you think if we kill Valdus and go back to our pack, what makes you think the Brycin wouldn't kill us?! What makes you think that he won't stop till we stop breathing!! What makes you think that Aphrodite?! Huh!?

I didn't answer her but looked back to where I placed the bowl in the sink with tears ready to fall.

What makes you think that Aphrodite!? I marked him so you can forget about killing him! You seen his lifestyle already. He puts this mask on to make his wolves afraid of him, but look at him! Look at him!

And I did. I turned my head and stared at his back again.

He puts this mask on so no one sees him like this! So no one sees him like some broken wolf. And he is. He is broken. He lost his mother, his father is abuses him and his pack, and he. He tries to take care of you but he's learning by himself. His father doesn't tell him how to take care of his mate. His father lost his. He doesn't want to help him because he thinks about his own. And you saw what it does to him. You saw how he thought we were his dead mate. So what makes you think you should kill him and then getting ourselves killed next. How does that make sense to you Aphrodite?!

I felt hot tears fall down and travel down my cheeks onto my neck.

I don't know. I said while I whip my eyes.

Exactly. You don't know. Now fûckin forget about that damn killing your own mate plan and fûckin start being a mate and a Luna he and this pack needs. I know it's hard for you to give up our title, but we now have a better title. A Luna title. The Luna of the most feared and most powerful Alpha.

Okay.

I whipped my eyes and took a deep breath in while I stared at his back and I saw him getting up, so I quickly turned away and looked down at my hands. I turned on the water and started to rinse my bowl, but his hand went to the bottom of my back while he was standing on the left side of me. "It's fine. I can do it. Just go asleep. You need rest and need to heal your throat." His hand went to mine and moved them away from the bowl.

I wanted to say, no it's fine, but I couldn't. So he gently stepped in front of me, and started to wash my bowl. I sighed and licked my lips while I stared at his back, but I turned around and walked up stairs towards his room. I walked towards the bed and crawled in. I tossed the blanket over me while I faced the window looking out to his pack grounds. It was dark and the stars shined bright. And that's when the first tear fell.

I started to cry because of what Eris said. Her saying all those things really got to me. She's right. If I do kill Valdus, and then try to go back to Brycin, he's not going to stop till I'm not breathing.

And she's right. He's broken. He puts a mask on to make his pack think he's tough like his father, but he doesn't show them that he's actually broken inside. I started to cry even more and that's when the bed dipped and he pulled me close. I turned around and held his shirt while I cried in his chest. He didn't ask why I was crying, or what happen, he simple just held me while I cried on his chest.

He rubbed my back while he held me tight against him. And I cried myself to sleep while he held me close to himself.