Chapter 138

Chapter 138
Marley turned to Finnick. “Who do you think is better, Finnick, Rayden or the Alpha King?”
Finnick, ever so loyal to his best friend Dominic, answered over his book
without hesitation. “Rayden, of course.”
His immediate answer was enough to send us into another bout of laughter. Finnick’s smile widened for a moment, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Marley looked as if she were going to say something else, but befor utter another word, I shot her a gentle glare, playful, of course.
“Alright,” she conceded with a grin. “We’ll see. Rayden will be in Anemond soon, and then Cas s andra can figure it out herself.”
The subject shifted after that until we reached the end of our meal. Once the last bits of chocolate cake were devoured and Finnick had been tucked into bed, Becky gathered up her things and mentioned she needed to get home.
“I need to check on my mother,” she said with a small groan. “She’s probably going to be upset that I didn’t return last night and I need to smooth it all over. Thank you for letting me stay, Cas s.”
“Any time, Becky,” I a*sured her. “You’re always welcome here. I’ll be sure to speak with the Alpha King tomorrow and get permission for you to go to Wild Crawler. I’m sure he’ll have no problem with it.”
“And I’ll speak with Jasper,” Marley chimed in. “He could give you s a*sistance during your stay.”
“That would be wonderful,” Becky replied, and she smiled between us. “Thari you, both. I think this is going to be a great thing for our research. I’m excited for the opportunity to put our work to use. We have the potential to save a lot of lives in Anemond.”
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belly.
I knew there was likely going to be a confrontation with my mother the moment I stepped through the door. She would likely inquire about my whereabouts from the night before and would also undoubtedly bring up the subject of marrying the seemingly decent yet boring man she’d been campaigning for weeks now.
I sighed as I walked. This was all so exhausting. I worked long hours in the clinic and the lab, only to have to come home to tiring conversations about my love life.
I slowed my pace a little. I’d already been gone all night. She could wait for me a
little longer.
The night air was crisp and I stared up at the glittering stars above me. It was a nice evening, but I felt so suffocated. I longed for the freedom the stars had. I wanted desperately to distance myself from my mother’s pressure, but it was all so complicated. Despite Mother’s traditional stubbornness, I knew she loved me, and her intentions were rooted in concern for my future.
I had a few districts to cross before reaching my house. Despite living in the capital city of Anemond, my family had never been wealthy or powerful. My father had pa*sed away when I was very young, and my mother had kept the circumstances of his death a secret. Every time I’d tried to bring it up, Mother managed to shift the subject or get too upset to speak. So, over time, I stopped asking. Whatever had happened affected her emotional state and later her physical one too. It was a struggle for her to raise my sister and me.
I had worked hard to secure the opportunity to work for Cas sandra, and I was determined to do my best. I had big dreams and aspirations for a long and fruitful career. Sure, love was something I desired as much as anyone else, but above all
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else, I wanted to use my scientific mind and capabilities to do some real good for Wegalla. If I worked hard enough, perhaps the antidotes and cures Cas sandra and I had crafted could go on to save lives.
live:
Healing was my calling. I’d known that since I was young.
Love, of course, was important, but that wasn’t everything. Maybe I could event
it, if it meant that I could be of use to the empire.
As I thought of the potential trip to Wild Cralwer, my l*ps curled into a s Sure, the encounter with Silas at the celebration had thrown me off and injure heart, but I wouldn’t let that pain burden me forever. No, I needed to focus on the positives and think about all of the good Cas sandra and I, as well as Marley, were doing in the new clinic.
Still wearing a bright smile, I finally reached the house, and after I walked along the gray-paved path, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys. I unlocked the door, and the moment I stepped inside, I braced myself for impact.
When my mother didn’t call out to me, my eyebrows came together. Her greeting was like clockwork every time I entered the house. Before I could set my keys down, Mother always called my name, and I would go to the living room to discuss my day with her. Every day was the same.
So, where was she?
I clenched my keys in my hand and took a step in. Beyond me, in the hallv saw a shadow.
“Mother?” I called out, but when the shadow stepped into the light of the kitchen, it wasn’t her.
It was the man Mother had tried to set me up with, Frederick, if I remembered his name correctly.
He offered me a smile as he stepped toward me.
“Hello, Becky,” he said warmly, and when he took a step closer, I stepped back.
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“Hello,” I said awkwardly, and I peered around. “Um, where is my mother?”
“Jane is in the other room-” he started to say, but before he could finish his sentence, Mother stepped into the room.
“Becky,” she announced as she entered, and her hazel eyes trailed over me in surprise. “Good, you’re here. I was wondering if you were ever going to come home.”
“Sorry, Mother, I’ve been busy with work,” I said cautiously, my own on Frederick. “What’s going on here?”
“Frederick just came over to see how you were doing,” Mother explained, she flashed a sickly-sweet smile in my would-be suitor’s direction. “Isn’t that so
sweet of him?”
Her tone was surely meant to emphasize how much this man allegedly cared for me, as did his intentions, most likely, but I wasn’t falling for it.
Frederick was young, relatively wealthy by Anemond’s standards, and supposedly, according to Mother, a successful businessman. Upon our initiall introduction, she’d told me that he was quite the eligible bachelor in our part of the village.
The young man’s eyes were kind enough, but the longer his gaze lingered, the more unnerving it became. It was clear from his mannerisms that he was the kind of man that saw women as a possession rather than a real partner. In me, he saw – potential mother, a caretaker, a piece of meat.
But I knew my worth.
I was more than that.
Besides, Frederick wasn’t the kind of man I desired, wealthy or not. He had a decent head of blonde hair, but when he turned around, there was a noticeable bald spot forming in the back, not to mention a clearly receding hairline. His waistline. bulged slightly, and from the odor on his clothing, it was easy to a*sume he frequented the taverns in town. A lingering smell of alcohol remained on his jacket.
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He wasn’t the kind of man I wanted to be with.
Since our last date, I’d avoided contact with him, but he obviously hadn’t gotten
the hint.
“Very sweet,” I finally replied, and I glanced at the clock. It was too late to deal with all of this. All I wanted was to change my clothes and take a bath after my long