Chapter 7
Astrid's POV
I was still gathering my things when someone approached. I watched as he crouched down and helped me pick them up. I was shocked at first, but then I recognized the tattooed hand. It was the same person who had stopped me from going after Clara.
"What are you doing?" I asked him as I wiped the tears pouring from my eyes.
Those forest green eyes landed on me. "Helping you." He said in a matter of fact tone.
"You don't have to do this," I said, my voice flat. "I can do it by myself."
"Nonsense," he replied, his voice warm and amused. "I couldn't possibly stand by and watch a lady in distress struggle like this." He flashed me a dazzling smile, but it didn't reach my heart. My emotions were too raw, too tangled in grief and anger, to be affected by his charm.
I ignored his smile and continued gathering my belongings. Dresses, shoes, sketch books. They were all I had with some old clothes.
When I finally gathered everything, I realized I had nowhere to go. Leon hadn't bothered to tell me where I was supposed to live now. I was no longer his concern. It hurt that I could be casted away like this.
The only place available was the shelter. It was a storage room, really. Tiny, isolated, and far from the other pack buildings. When I had first arrived at the moonshade pack, there were two buildings available. One was this one where I was and the other was the shelter. The shelter was a disaster much worse than this one I had renovated.
It had been a storage room but it was abandoned due to how far it was and the issue of mold and leaking roofs. It was funny how I had put a lot of effort into renovating this room and now I was being sent out. Perhaps I could ask to stay in one of the spare rooms in this building or maybe ask to share a room with Clara. The thought gave me a sparkle of hope.I sniffled as I wiped the tears from my face.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice gentle. He had been watching me, his expression concerned.
"I'll be fine," I said, my voice barely a whisper.
"I'll be right back," I said, turning away from him. I had to try. I had to see if there was any chance of salvaging this situation.
I went to find Clara. Maybe, just maybe, she would let me sleep in the same room with her. I mean, we were sisters right? And if not, maybe they'll let me stay in one of the rooms in the building. I had no idea if it would work but I had to try.
But Clara was nowhere to be found. I searched the pack buildings, my heart pounding with hope. Finally, I found her, or rather, I heard her.
She was with Leon, in his room. I had just arrived at the building, the guards who had stopped me before were nowhere to be found when I heard her moan loudly.
"Leon..oh yes. Oh fuck baby." She moaned loudly.
I heard Leon grunt in pleasure. I really was pathetic. I could make out their shadows through the window. I could see everything and the shock made my feet rooted to the ground.
I felt like slapping myself. What was I expecting? He boldly said Clara was his mate. Obviously they would be having sex. But I couldn't deny that each time Clara moaned his name, a knife twisted in my heart.
I stumbled away from the door, my face burning with shame and humiliation. I couldn't do it. I couldn't beg her for help especially when she was obviously preoccupied.
I decided to meet with Mary. Maybe she could tell me where my new room was. Maybe she would have some sympathy for my situation.
I found her in the pack office, her face smug and satisfied.
"Where's my new room?" I asked, my voice cold and formal.
Mary smirked. "Obviously, it's the shelter," she said, her eyes gleaming with malice.
"The shelter?" I repeated, my voice incredulous. "But it's uninhabitable! It's falling apart!"
"That's not my problem," Mary said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's the only place available. You're lucky we're even giving you that."
"But it's not fit for anyone to live in!" I protested. "It's damp, it smells, and the roof leaks!"
Mary ignored me, turning back to her work. "If you have a problem with it, take it up with the luna," she said, her voice dismissive. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do."
I stood there for a moment, disbelief washing over me. This was my reality now. I was officially an outcast at a pack I had sacrificed myself to.
With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away. There was no point in arguing. There was no point in making a scene.
I went back to carry my things. The mysterious man was waiting patiently and he offered to accrue it for me. I was too drained to argue with him so I let him be.
We walked in silence to the shelter. The distance was long, the path uneven and overgrown. The pack buildings seemed to shrink behind us, until they were just distant lights in the darkness. I felt like I was being banished, exiled from the only home I had ever known.
When we finally reached the shelter, He stopped and stared. He was taken aback by how dilapidated it was. The walls were cracked and stained, the roof sagged, and the windows were boarded up. The air was thick with the smell of mold and decay.
"Is this...your room?" he asked, his voice incredulous.
Even I knew it smelled terrible. I shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. "That's all that's available," I said, my voice flat.
He stared at me for a moment, his eyes filled with a mixture of pity and anger. I didn't want his pity. I didn't need it. I had no idea why he was angry.
"You can't stay here." He said to me,
I chuckled bitterly. "Where else can I stay? It's the only place available."
He was quiet for a moment before saying. "Sleep with me."
What?