Chapter Nine : Outing

Being timid to my bones, when Athereld invited me for lunch, I felt multiple knots twisting inside my abdomen. Catherine had instructed me on the basic etiquettes of dining not even an hour ago. However, it felt more comprehensive to eat alone rather than getting reckoned again for not being able to hold the forks properly. Hence, I felt an intense urge to decline Athereld's offer and run back into my room, hiding under my blanket and not coming out for the rest of my life. Nevertheless, it was impolite to reject Athereld when he was already standing in my house. "Sure-" I said, awkwardly gazing down at the floor. "I will ask Catherine to prepare the lunch. I am not yet familiar with anyone aside from her. I don't even know the menu for today. Hence, I am not certain if it will be to your liking," I said in a tiny voice, refusing to look up in case Athereld would uncover my insecurities. I heard a slight chuckle as Athereld abruptly grabbed my wrist, forcing me to look into his eyes. I was startled by his sudden approach as Athereld asked, "Then why don't you try finding out about my preferences?" I continued to stare at Athereld dumbfounded as he gently patted my head, dragging me with him towards the exit. "Aren't we going to eat here?" I asked confusedly. "Nope," Athereld answered shortly. Catherine appeared when we were about to leave the mansion. She noticed my wrists in Ahereld's grip. "Sir Caspian has firmly ordered us not to let Miss Bailey leave the apartment without his permission. I request you to refrain from taking her outside, Sir Athereld," Catherine said gracefully. "Lady Catherine, how do you think the Master of this house will respond if he finds out this young lady has left in my care? Do you believe he will be disappointed?" Athereld questioned, providing Catherine the fakest smile. The threatening tone under his bright smile was apparent. Catherine couldn't answer as she bowed apologetically, moving away from the exit. Athereld dragged me outside with him. While passing by Catherine, Athereld calmly said, "From onwards, if you wish for me to refrain myself from doing something, make sure it's a decree from the alpha lord and not from my fellow mate." Athereld stared at me, sending me a meaningful wink. My cheeks turned red fathoming Athereld intentionally used the word mate, mocking my earlier imbecilic behavior. The man was indeed good at teasing. As we came outside the apartment, I saw Athereld's Rolls Royce Phantom waiting. Athereld held the door of his car open for me. I hesitantly got up, realizing we were going to eat outside. Athereld drove the car as I sat there quietly by his side. I stared outside when the elegant masonries appeared. My eyes widened at the enchanting sight of the city. "Have you never been to the city before?" Athereld asked, noticing my amusement. "Not to such a massive one," I said calmly as my hands went to my chest unintentionally for my polaroid camera. I came out with Athereld so abruptly that I didn't get the opportunity to bring it with me. Hence, I took a few photos with my phone camera, having no other way. Athereld only smiled at my excitement. He stopped the car in front of a tiny Asian restaurant. The massive ramen bowl decorated at the top of the restaurant's name made me drool. The name written in Japanese letters was glowing below it. I thought Athereld would prefer to dine in a luxurious restaurant. My uneasiness from earlier lessened as we entered the cozy environment of the restaurant. A Japanese lady in her fifties greeted Athereld with the brightest smile. From their conversation, I could fathom that Athereld visited that place regularly. "Do you like spicy food?" Athereld asked before ordering. "I love ramen," I said, staring at the menu with widened eyes. Athereld ordered the food as I continued to look around. There weren't many people in the restaurant. The walls were decorated with ancient Japanese paintings. There were futons instead of chairs and tables inside. In the garden, I saw a sozu, a type of water fountain made with bamboo. The sound of it was therapeutic. The woman shortly returned with ramen, having eggs and beef steak on top, miso soup, and different types of colorful sushis. I had a fascination for Japanese food. However, it was my first time trying most of them. I shoved the food in my mouth, not caring for the world. I had eaten the etiquettes with the food Catherine had taught me earlier. After eating for quite a while, I realized that Athereld was there by my side. I turned to Athereld, thinking he was disgusted by me. To my surprise, I found Athereld staring at me, with his chin resting on his hands, smiling at me. There wasn't any mockery in his eyes. Instead, I found his gaze affectionate. "Pardon," I said in a tiny voice, slowly placing the wooden spoon on the table. "Why are you apologizing for eating?" Athereld asked. "I thought you were also annoyed by my demeanor," I answered, lowering my gaze. "You shouldn't care about what others think as long as you are not committing any crime," Athereld said, gently wiping the corner of my mouth with a tissue. My eyes sparkled at his words. Finally, I could eat however I wanted without caring for anything. Athereld appeared entirely different from Caspian. He didn't care for brands or classes. After getting out of the Japanese restaurant, Athereld bought me ice cream while we enjoyed numerous street food. We took a walk inside a park. It had been a long time since I enjoyed a day like this. Holidays had always been a luxury to me since I would always work extra hours for money on my day off. "I would like to do a lot of things with you. But since I have brought you here without notifying anyone properly, my mate would probably lose it if he finds out," Athereld said while walking side by side with me. "Why would he care? Are you not a doctor?" I questioned, staring at him confusedly. I had already gotten familiar with his way of addressing. "That is not the problem, Young Lady," Athereld answered, gently patting my head. "Wolves can get really territorial over their possessions," he said, smiling. I failed to fathom what Athereld intended to say. However, I felt the urge to show my gratitude to him. "Thank you," I said calmly. "I had started to believe that I didn't fit in here. I would probably return to my old life since it felt like my grandpa would get tired of me eventually. Catherine has already informed me that as the granddaughter of this family, the pack expects a lot from me. What if they find out that I can't shift?" I asked, getting concerned. "You are worrying unnecessarily. What matters to the pack is that the successor has returned. As for your wolf, I promise I will bring it back," Athereld said, providing me with a beautiful smile. "We should get going now. It will be down soon," Athereld said, staring at the sky. The time flew so fast that I didn't notice it was already afternoon. As we returned to the mansion, Athereld tagged along with me inside. I asked him to leave, ensuring him that I could manage Caspian. However, Athereld only laughed at my words. The lights were off in the massive hall. Catherine had left since she did not work here at night. The patrols outside the mansion appeared a few comparing earlier in the morning. A silhouette appeared, sitting quietly on the massive couch, waiting patiently for my return. Undoubtedly, the attractive features could belong only to Caspian. I gulped as the man got up from the couch, slowly coming toward us. "Who said you could leave the house?" Caspian asked, lighting the cigarette as his eyes glowed in the dark.