[Margaretâs Perspective]
âSo, do you still want to go upstairs with me and spend the night together?â Donald invited me.
I listened to his deep, sexy voice. Suddenly, I asked that question.
âWill you be starting a war?â
âWar?â Donaldâs playful expression disappeared. His gaze calmed down and he said, âDid Alpha Armstrong tell you this this afternoon?â
I nodded. âDonald, Iââ
Donald waved his hand and sat down at the table. He tapped it and said, âListen to me first.â
I looked at him uneasily.
Donald said, âEven if you didnât mention it, I have something to tell you. Do you remember what we talked about before? If the situation here gets serious, Iâll consider sending you back to the royal Lycan pack.â
I was stunned by Donaldâs words.
We did discuss this, but that was a long time ago. Then we went through so much, and I thought Donald would want me to stay with him more than before.
âMargaret, I hate to say this to you, but I think itâs time.â Donald pulled me into his arms and said, âI donât have any intention of starting a war, but I suspect itâs inevitable. If we have to start, itâs better to strike first than wait for death. At least we wonât be passive. Iâll do everything I can to avoid conflict and casualties, but I canât guarantee that this place is safe. Can you understand me?â
I felt my lips go dry and couldnât speak for a moment. I could only nod slightly at Donald.
......
âI talked to Elliot before. Heâs always prepared.â Donald thought for a moment and said, âYou can take Elizabeth with you. Youâll feel more at ease.â
I thought about what Elliot did to me in the ward and couldnât help but want to tell Donald about it now.
No, everything wasnât settled yet. I didnât have to leave the Pack yet. I couldnât tell Donald now. If Elliot was still a reliable person, that day would have been a spur-of-the-moment thing. Iâd ruin their relationship.
I gently extricated myself from Donaldâs arms, took his hand, and looked up at him.
âBut as far as I know, the current attacks are all in the forest. Itâs safe inside the Pack. And didnât you say that you also sent for more people? We still have so many people patrolling. Doesnât this guarantee my safety?â
Donald shook his head. âItâs not just what you see. Things are escalating. No one knows whatâs going to happen tomorrow.â
âThen tell me the truth.â
âNo, I canât,â Donald said, looking at me. âItâs not good for you to know too much. I want you out of here, out of danger.â
âDo you want me to leave you too?â I asked softly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âI donât want to! I justââ
Donald clenched his fists. I wrapped my palm around his fist and said to him gently but firmly, âThen I donât want to either.â
Looking helpless, Donaldâs eyes softened as he said, âI just want to guarantee your safety and the safety of your family. I want to do anything for you that I can. You deserve the best protection.â
âItâs not the best protection,â I said.
âWhat?â
âThis isnât,â I said, shaking my head. âYouâre the best protection I have. Not just physically, but mentally.â
Donaldâs eyes darkened. He didnât look like he agreed with me.
However, I insisted, âIf I leave you, Iâll be afraid for your safety every day. Iâll wonder if youâre injured and bleeding. These scary imaginations can crush me. If youâre not by my side, I wonât be fine.â
There was silence between us for a moment. As before, neither of us could convince the other.
It was Donald who spoke first. âHow much did you hear from Alpha Armstrong?â
I didnât expect the topic to circle back to the beginning. I instinctively explained, âThereâs really nothing between us. I went to look for him because of Elizabeth. He didnât mean to mention this to me. I was worried about you, soâ¦â
Donald cut me off and said, âTell me, how much do you know?â
âHe said that you interrogated a captive, which made you decide to attack. He was worried about the safety of our Pack. He also asked me not to tell you that I knew. It was probably at that moment that he pulled me and left his scent behindâ¦â
I gulped, my voice growing softer as I spoke. âThe point is that you wonât tell me anythingâ¦â
Donald snorted and pinched my face. âYou met another man in private, but youâre blaming me,â he said fiercely.
âI, um⦠I wonât dare to blame you,â I mumbled as I was pinched.
Donald let go and sighed. âDidnât I tell you that if you really want to know anything, you can come over and ask me? I donât want you to find out about me from someone else.â