✿•+*☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ*+•✿ Taunting Her.
"A whole three days and two nights?!" I exclaimed. My eyes widened in shock. So, I'll be seated here like a moron, trapped with someone suffocating me for three days and two nights.
He looked at me. "Do you have a problem with that?" His brow arched in a questioning manner. Seeing his expression, I just shook my head and kept quiet. He continued, "If you're tired, we'll stop the journey and continue in the morning."
What a perfect solution. And how would that help shorten the distance? What if I get motion sickness? No way.
"No, it's fine," I replied.
What am I even going to do during this period? Sleep and wake up, eat, and then what?
Someone knocked on the carriage window...Alpha Silas's side, and he adjusted the curtain. "We are approaching a rogue territory. I suggest we branch somewhere and spend the night, then continue the journey tomorrow," the man said.
A rogue area? As far as I'm concerned, this is still Moonlit Pack, and there are no rogue attacks here, unless we're no longer within my pack's borders and are somewhere else entirely.
I didn't even know whether to thank my stars for giving me a break or feel unfortunate for extending this journey's duration.
Alpha Silas nodded, dismissing the young man, and adjusted the curtain back.
The carriage came to a halt on an open stretch of land. The men and maids began setting up tents while the cooks prepared the night's meal. I sat still inside, opening my side window and watching them. Silas, who was now outside, leaned casually against my side of the carriage.
Watching him like that reminded me of when I'd first sighted him beside our carriage before leaving the palace. Something told me he was going to smoke again… there was no way I'd breathe in that vile thing again while I was alive.
Hoping that wasn't the case, I leaned back in and adjusted the curtain slightly, blocking my view. After a while, I assumed the men were done setting up the tents, there were six of them.
Excited to finally come down, I stepped out without waiting for Silas to help me, not that he even noticed I was getting off.
The moment I got down, I realized they weren't even close to being done; it had just looked that way from inside. I almost groaned in frustration when I felt someone's intense stare on me.
I turned to face Silas, who looked like he had something to say. "Is there a problem?" I asked, pretending not to notice what I had done.
He didn't bother replying. Instead, he faced forward. His side profile was annoyingly perfect… well, that wasn't where my attention should have been. He slipped a hand into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips.
I couldn't help but glare at him.
He drew out a lighter from his other pocket and lit it. As if sensing my glare, he turned toward me. "Want some?"
Want some?! …Want some???!!!
"No, thanks," I waved him off. Want some, he says.
"Then look away. You look like you're actually craving to try it," he smirked when he caught the look I shot him.
I had so many things I wanted to say, but a part of me screamed how far beneath him I was. So, I kept quiet, burying my irritation along with my pride.
What's the point? He's going to push me away eventually the moment he sees my mark. There's no reason for me to suffocate myself at the end. I need a life of my own.
The pungent smell of smoke hit my nose again, and that was it. That was all I needed to snap.
As if possessed, I turned toward him, snatched the cigarette from his fingers, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it repeatedly. By the time I stopped, I was breathing heavily. When I looked up, everyone was staring at us...mostly at me, as if I had a death wish.
I expected him to be furious, but when I looked at him, he had this amused yet slightly annoyed look on his face.
Thinking that was the end of it, he simply pulled another cigarette from his pocket and continued as if nothing happened. Seeing there was nothing more I could do, I stomped off, keeping a very safe distance from him.
An eternity later, the tents and meals were finally set. A maid showed me to a tent and prepared dinner.
I wondered why they were serving dinner when Alpha Silas wasn't even there yet.
"Isn't Alpha Silas spending the night in this tent?" I asked. She shook her head, giving me an apologetic look.
She bowed slightly before speaking. "He'll be standing on guard tonight, milady."
I nodded and ate quietly. I desperately needed a bath, I felt sticky and filthy from the long, exhausting journey. After eating, I glanced at the maid, who didn't seem like she planned to leave anytime soon.
"Are you spending the night here with me?" I asked, and she nodded. "While standing?" Another nod. "Wow," I scoffed. "What a considerate ruler. Have you eaten?" She nodded again. Seeing she'd agree to anything, I suggested, "If there's a river nearby, take me there. I wish to bathe."
Still in her stiff posture, she spoke in her tiny, timid voice. "The Alpha must be informed first."
I rolled my eyes. "Why must he be informed that I want to bathe? If I wanted to do any lady like thing, would I have to inform him too?"
"That's different, my lady," the maid replied quietly, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.
Feeling irritated, I stepped out of the tent and looked around for him. He wasn't nearby, but I spotted the man who had suggested we stop earlier. He should know where Alpha Silas was...probably somewhere smoking his brains out.
I walked up to the man. He was talking to someone but excused himself the moment he saw me approaching.
He bowed respectfully. "Good evening, milady. You should be resting now." His tone implied the stop was solely for my comfort.
Ignoring that, I went straight to the point. "Where's your Alpha?" I asked.
"He's by the riverside, milady."
Ah, perfect. "Take me there," I demanded. He hesitated briefly before nodding and leading the way.
As we neared the river, the choking smell of cigarette smoke reached me. I held my breath and stopped walking. The man noticed and turned back, concern etching his face.
"Is something wrong, milady?" he asked. I shook my head.
Finally, we arrived at the riverside. His back faced us; his hair was tied in a neat ponytail, the ends braided into a bun. One hand rested in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette, just as I'd guessed.
"You may leave now, Damien," he said coolly, waving the man away. Damien bowed and left.
I stood still, refusing to move closer. Whatever I wanted to say could be heard perfectly from here.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch me?" he said without turning. The air grew smoky again, deliberately thick, as if to taunt me. Bastard.
How was I supposed to tell him that I wanted to bathe in the river, yet his maid wouldn't allow it without his permission, when he was literally standing right next to the water? She must have thought he was insane enough to stand there and watch me bathe if I dared to try.