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A familiar car stopped in front of me as soon as I walked out of the gate of my school, forcing me to take a step back. I was in the company of other teachers.

Everyone stopped. All of their attention now focused on their alpha, who oh-so-gracefully rolled down the window of his car and looked straight at me.

The crowd went silent, their gaze travelling back and forth between me and Liam.

I'm not blaming them, really, we are the talk of the town these days. And to find the two leads of the hottest gossip right in front of you, I would have done the same. I love a good drama, just not the ones associated with me. If it's happening elsewhere, I'm all ears.

Some of the more courageous ones greeted Liam who greeted them back politely. The others just gawked at him.

As for me, I stood rooted to my spot not knowing whether to move away or to greet him. He's probably here on pack business.

As if on cue, I saw my little devil poke his head out from under his father's arm.

"Mommy" he yelled in glee "We are here to pick you up. Daddy says I can have Ice-cleam today"

My head started pounding with hundreds of question. But one look at him and I had my answer in his eyes.

This is about last night.

"Ice-cReam" he absentmindedly corrected Dan, not moving his intense gaze away from me.

I glared at him but quickly schooled my expression when, Beth, my only friend from work nudged me. I gave her a smile. It reminded me that we were in public and that I need to put my acts together.

He got out of the car and moved towards the passenger door, greeting people humbly on his way. He knows how impress the crowd with his perfect act, doesn't he?

I now know what he meant when he said that his perfect face was for everyone else but me.

He picked Dan up from the passenger seat and buckled him safely in the back seat. He then proceeded to give me his most innocent smile as he held the passenger door for me. My heart thudded even when my head burned in rage.

He raised a brow, challenging me to defy him.

"Quick, mommy" Dan shouted impatiently.

With a final sigh of resignation, I marched towards him. Brushing past him, I quickly took my seat, eager to get away from the public scrutiny. I glared at him once more when he looked down at me with that stupid smile of his still in place.

I let out a relieved breath once we were out of my school's premise.

"How was school" I asked Dan, ignoring Liam.

Dan went on and on about his day. I smiled and encouraged him as he spoke. Liam somehow managed to join in the conversation.

"I hope this was a one-time thing" I looked pointedly at Liam once Dan got tired of talking.

"Ice-cream? Of course, I don't want to spoil him" he said staring ahead.

I grinded my jaws together "That's not..." I had to take a break to control my frustration "I don't want you to pick me up ever again"

"What if I want to" he replied.

"I wouldn't be as supportive as I was today. I'm sure you wouldn't want to ruin your perfect image" I hit back

"I don't care" he said.

"Of course you do" I argued "That's all you have ever cared about"

"Go on a date with me and find out what I really care about" he replied casually.

I opened and closed my mouth like a fish trying to find a comeback.

"I....I....Wow..." I said in mock-amazement "You really are something else. How were you able to hide this craziness" I pointed at the whole of him "inside that perfect demure of yours?"

"We are here" he turned to me with a smile "I'm hungry. We'll continue this soon, I promise"

"You're hungry?" all my previous thoughts went flying through the window "Did you not have your lunch?" I asked following him as he picked Dan up from his seat and closed the door.

He gave me a smile and started walking towards the ice-cream parlor talking animatedly with an excited Dan in his arms.

"Why did you skip your lunch?" I blocked his path.

He chuckled happily and put Dan down "Buddy, why don't you take a look at the flavors" he walked Dan to the parlor and pushed the door open. Dan excitedly hopped inside.

Walking back to me, he tilted his head to carefully look at me "You were saying?"

I rolled my eyes, totally aware of the attention we were getting. Why can't we just blend into the crowd?

"Why did you skip your lunch? Is it because they kicked you out of the house? Do you have nowhere to go? But you can stay in the pack house you know. They have food too. You cou-"

"Stop stop stop stop...." He raised his hand hurriedly. I narrowed my eyes at him "Don't do that" he said.

"Do what?" I asked

"Don't care for me so much" His face turned serious, all the previous playfulness wiped out of his eyes "It's my turn to care for you, my turn to pine for you. You have done everything so perfectly until this moment that it almost makes me wonder whether you are even a mortal" I opened my mouth to reply but he continued "Yell at me when I frustrate you. Humiliate me in public if I try to take advantage of the crowd to make you do things you don't want to. You don't have to take my feelings or my position into consideration when I didn't take yours..."

"Wait" I stopped him "You don't want me to cooperate with you?"

He shook his head.

"But then why are you doing this? What do you want?" By 'this' I meant everything that he has done since last night.

"We shouldn't keep Dan waiting" he said, as always changing the topic when he's done.

A shiver ran up my arms as I felt him take my hand. My eyes jolted to my hand as I watched him slowly lace his fingers with mine.

I looked up to find him staring at me with a challenge in his eyes.

Once the giddiness in my stomach died down, my first instinct was to pull my hand away. He started walking towards the shop with our hands entwined. I felt a tug, if he took another stride, I'll have to move with him.

I panicked. Looking around I felt like the entire world had stopped and that everyone was watching me, waiting for my next step.

My feet slowly moved forward letting Liam do whatever he was planning to do. My gaze met his'; a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes as he turned to look ahead.

.

"By the way" he said after he finished his burger watching me and Dan devour our ice-creams, "The way you went on earlier..." the playfulness in his eyes was back "it reminded me of how much your non-stop chatter irritated me back then"

I shot him a glare "I should keep doing that if it irritated you so much. Will serve its purpose, won't it?"

He shook his head "I don't think that's a good idea"

"Why"

"Because I just realized why it irritated me so much, and that 'why' is no longer valid. So, it'll actually do the opposite" he replied.

I narrowed my eyes at him "Am I just plain dumb or does most of what you say not make sense to you either?"

He laughed.

*****

"Of course, Luna" I reassured her "I'll be there for breakfast tomorrow. I really wasn't avoiding you. I had to speak to my mother this morning........ yes of course........ sure.......yes....."

I took a deep sigh of relief once I was done with the call. God, I'm so not looking forward to tomorrow. That was awkward. She was trying to sound normal but was doing a poor job at it. She sounded like she cried the day away.

There's another person I need to call. I dialed him and waited patiently as the rings went away one by one until I was left with silence. I cursed out loud. It's the first time he's doing this, avoiding me.

*****

"I heard he went to pick you up yesterday"

I choked on my food as soon as the senior alpha spoke. Emma patted me on my back and offered water that I gratefully accepted.

I'm currently having breakfast at the Alphas without the Alpha. Everyone up until this point was trying their best to look normal and pretend like the last few days never happened.

The senior alpha has a lot of connections. He's the one who actually oversees their family business because both his sons are usually busy with the pack administration; although Evan does take a look into it now and then. He'll probably take over his father seeing how all Liam cares about is the hospital. The largest part of their profit actually goes to the pack. So this kind of is pack business too, like shares and all. It's complicated. I'm not really interested in financial administration so I don't understand half of what they do.

Anyways, Alpha Blake has employed half the town and beyond under him so he gets real time news of everything that happens in and around the pack.

I nodded.

If I verbally reply to his query, I'm afraid it'll become a full blown discussion. I dread that.

"Be careful"

That's all he said. Careful of whom? Liam or the people? Both the father and son love to talk cryptic, don't they?

I look down at my little son sitting next to me, gulping down his food like a war's about to break. Sigh. How I wish he turns out normal. A mother can dream, can't she?

Before the end of the morning, Luna had already invited herself over to my house for dinner. Great! A few more explanations are due.

*****

I looked around as soon as I spotted his shiny black SUV from the school gates.

I made a dash to his car opened the passenger seat and quickly buckled myself in. I finally released the breath I was holding.

"Fast fast fast" I ordered an amused Liam "Drive away please"

He obliged.

"You look like you are running away after stealing someone's valuables" he chuckled.

I glared at him "I don't want to be seen with you. I told you not to repeat it"

"You still cooperated. I thought you said you won't be as supportive as you were yesterday"

"So, if I walk away tomorrow..." I started with hope

"I'll follow you of course" he finished

"So what do you want me to do?" I asked frustrated "Yell and tell people that their alpha's a stalker"

He laughed "Maybe"

"Where's Dan" I asked

"Dropped him off at mom's" he replied.

I sighed and sank back into the seat "You know, I love walking back home. It's not that far"

"I'll walk with you then" he offered.

I rolled my head towards him, too tired to actually turn to him properly "Why are you doing this?" I asked "Is it because she...." I quickly corrected myself "Is it because you're afraid of people leaving you behind? I wo-" The car came to an abrupt halt.

"It's not about her" he said firmly.

"It's not?" I asked, surprised.

"No" he replied turning to look straight at me "It's about you, just you"

*****