Chapter <b>13</b>
NORA.
Ever since I returned home from the hospital, <b>things </b>changed, especially my outlook on the whole situation. I would sit alone in my room all day, staring at the wall, my mind gone to a faraway ce, I made some decisions and one of them was to keep the baby. The decision didn’te from the deepest part of my mind so I felt obligated <b>to </b>do so. It seemed like it wanted to stay anyway, wanted to live. <b>And </b>I decided that I would keep it, carry it, birth it when the time was due, and be a good mother to it but that won’t stop me from getting my revenge.
As soon as I made this decision, I became awash with a peace and bitterness I had known in quite a while. I felt more at tensed with myself, <b>and </b>I found I was able to breathe more and <b>think </b>more clearly. I did not tell anything to Dimitri, but he
must <b>have </b>seen me.
One morning, on waking <b>up</b>, I heard a knock on the door, and when I opened it, it was Dimitri.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” he said to me, all teeth as he smiled brightly at me.
There was something eerie about his demeanour. It was not supposed to be because there really was nothing off–putting or bizarre about him, but the fact that we had not exchanged smiles in a while made it look a bit weird.
“Good morning, Dimitri,” I said, regarding him carefully
“Trust you had a good night’s rest,” he said and walked into the room. He sat on the bed beside me. He was so close I could smell his <b>shaving </b>cream and deodorant.
I did, thanks,” I said to him, nodding. I looked away. I could not meet his eyes after our scene at the hospital. Since I <b>got </b>back home, we had talked to each other, but stiffly and only when necessary.
He looked away, <b>too</b><b>, </b>and began to tap a rhythm on the bed.
“Well, what do you <b>have </b>to say?” I asked him.
“Ohh, well, we’re sort of having breakfast together,” he said, “as a pack, and I was wondering if you’d be interested. Of course, it would be fine if you weren’t, considering that you just returned from the clinic and all, but-”
Tlle,” I said.
“Ohh?” He asked.
“Yeah. I’ll be there,<b>” </b>I told him.
“We’re waiting then,” he said, <b>and </b>then stood up to leave.
Breakfast with the pack–just what I needed. I thought thepany of other people would do me some <b>mighty </b>good. One of the merits of being in a pack is the familial spirit that tends to run through the members; each one treats you like a
brother or a sister.
When Dimitri was gone, I stood up, went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth <b>and </b>washed my face. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a while, gazing at my image, getting lost in myself. My hand instinctively went to my stomach and I rubbed it with gentleness, thinking <b>about </b>the baby that woulde to alter my life, who woulde to reshape my
existence.
When I snapped out of my navel gazing, I went to the dining room.
Only a select few members of the pack were around. I looked around, my eyes gliding from face to face and I realised that I
1/3
Chapter 13
don’t know most of them. They were all high ranking members of the pack, and they watched me with <b>such </b>awe as I tried to sit down, <b>as </b>if they were spellbound.
“Good morning, everyone, I said aloud as I took my seat next to Dmitri.
“Good morning,” they all responded, in varying degrees of pitch
Breakfast was served almost immediately and I helped myself to a generous serving. Since I came back from the hospital, it seemed like a cavern has opened up in my stomach. I got really hungry.
Halfway through the meal<b>, </b>a low murmur broke out in the dining room. The wolves were whispering to each other. Not having anyone to talk to, I turned to Dimitri, whom I exchanged a few sentences with.
I heard Collins chuckle..
“<b>You </b>know,” he <b>said</b>, a smile on his face, “Dimitri and Nora are sort of <b>like </b>an elderly couple. Like the kind that have been mates for a long while and don’t know what to do with each other anymore<b>.</b><b>”</b>
I smiled and looked down at my food embarrassingly. A few people around the tableughed and some chuckled. It was obviously a joke, a lighthearted remark, But when I raised my head to look at Dimitri’s face, I saw <b>that </b>he was furious.
“Why would you say something like that, man?” Dimitri asked his brother.
“Rx, bro, it’s a joke,” Collins said, putting a forkful of food into his mouth..
“It’s fucking stupid,” Dimitri said. “Aren’t you a little grown for that type of nonsense?!?!”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at Dimitri who <b>has </b><b>a </b>scowl on his face so deep it could burn a hole in one’s flesh. His voice had taken on a furious tone too.
“<b>Dimitri</b>, it was nothing but a joke, man,” Collins said,ughing a bit to defuse the tension. “<b>But </b>as you don’t seem to like it, I take it back. I’m sorry”
“Of course you’re sorry.” Dimitri said, getting to his feet. “That’s all I ever get sorry.”
And <b>with </b><b>that</b>, he left the dining room.
Everyone looked surprised, as did 1. Dimitri wasn’t the kind of person to have such an outburst. I stood up almost immediately and followed him. He <b>had </b>gone into his <b>study </b>where he <b>sat </b>amongst a pile of old, dusty <b>books</b>, rifling the pages. of <b>one </b>of the books.
<b>“</b><b>That </b>was childish and stupid, Dimitri, I chided him.
“Ohh, please,” he said without looking at me.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.
Anger rushed through me.
“You’re so fucking arrogant you could not even take a light hearted joke from your brother who <b>was </b>also trying to cheer you up.” I yelled.
Silence.
a while only for yo
“Really? Are you not going to say a word to me? Look at you, you haven’t spoken to me in toe into our bedroom this morning and now you want to keep mute on me?
He said nothing, just kept his eyes on the book.
I scoffed
18:06 Mon, Jun 241
Chapter 18
“Wow! Keep it up, Dimitri, Keep the silent treatment going. I didn’t get into this contract marriage for this? <b>I </b>am desperate to get back what fully belongs to me and I won’t let you treat me this way!”
Dimitri kept ignoring me <b>and </b>I watched him flip the page of the <b>book </b>in his hands.
“You won’t answer me?” I said, moving closer to him. “Come on, speak the fuck up.”
But just as I <b>moved </b>closer to him, he pulled me into himself and enveloped me in a hug. His scent grabbed me and I could <b>hardly </b>believe it.
“Shut up or I will be force to do so.” He whispered, his breath on my right ear.
I just stood there stiffly as he wrapped his hands around me, my mind unable to think straight.
曲