Chapter 96: Why Did You Shove Him Away?!
Hayley’s POV:
I stared in shock, my eyes widening at the sight of Benjamin’s face hovering so close to mine. His unique scent engulfed me, and a wave of panic crashed over me. With a burst of strength, I pushed him away. “Benjamin, what are you doing?”
Hera, my inner voice, cried out from within. “Why did you shove him away?!”
Ignoring her, I shot a glare at the drunken, dazed Benjamin. That kiss had been entirely meaningless—a reckless act from a drunken fool.
I quickly wiped my mouth and scrambled to my feet, not daring to look back at Benjamin as I stormed off toward the bedroom. Once I stood in front of the mirror, I gasped in disbelief. “What just happened?!”
“My first kiss! Just like that, it’s ruined! And I haven’t even found my true destined mate yet!” I stared at my reflection, feeling utterly defeated, desperate to scrub my lips clean over and over again.
I continued wiping until my lips turned red and sore, yet I couldn’t bring myself to stop.
Time slipped away until I finally took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “It’s okay, Hayley. Just forget about what happened. Pretend it never took place.”
I instinctively attempted to hypnotize myself, but the images of that kiss flooded my mind, pushing me closer to a breakdown. “What was that all about?!”
I couldn’t concern myself with Benjamin any longer, leaving him to sleep on the floor.
Later that night, guilt gnawed at me, prompting me to check on him. I found Benjamin still sprawled out, and my conscience compelled me to act. Summoning all my strength, I dragged him back to the bedroom.
As always, Hera buzzed with excitement at his presence, practically begging me to get closer. Yet, I resisted, determined to keep her at bay. I refused to allow myself to become close to him just because Hera recognized him as my destined mate. As the Alpha of the Shadow Pack, I had my pride to maintain.
The next morning, when I finally stirred awake, I glanced at my phone—11 AM! I quickly refreshed myself, dressed, and made my way downstairs, where I found Benjamin lounging on the sofa, completely absorbed in his laptop. His fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard.
“Awake?” he asked, glancing up at me, his demeanor calm as if the previous night had never happened.
His voice triggered a rush of memories from last night, and irritation surged through me.
“I got drunk last night. Thanks for your help,” he said when I remained silent.
I shot him a fierce glare. “Oh, you remember that? Do you have any idea how hard I worked to drag you back inside? I was exhausted!”
At that moment, I felt an urge to snap at him. Of course, he wouldn’t remember a thing! But I swallowed my words and responded coldly, “Nope.”
He studied me with a thoughtful look.
“When are we heading back?” I wanted to avoid any further discussion about the previous night.
Benjamin seemed to shake off his thoughts. “You can pack now. We’ll leave in the afternoon.”
I turned on my heel and went back to my room.
That afternoon, during the drive to the airport, I maintained a stony silence with him, purposefully keeping my distance and disregarding Hera’s growing dissatisfaction.
Once we returned to the Midnight Pack, Benjamin instructed the driver to drop me off at home while he headed to the office.
As soon as I entered the house, Grandpa Southwell was waiting for me with concern etched on his face. “Hayz, how did the Math Olympiad go?”
“Not bad; I think I did well,” I replied confidently.
Grandpa Southwell chuckled. “I knew you’d ace it! By the way, why are you back alone? Where’s Ben?”
I didn’t want to mention Benjamin, so I simply replied, “He went to the office.”
Noticing my mood, Grandpa Southwell asked with curiosity, “Hayz, Ben hasn’t been bothering you, has he? If he does, just tell me, and I’ll have your back.”
I lowered my gaze and shook my head. “No… I’m fine! Grandpa Southwell, I’m a bit tired, so I’m going to rest in my room.”
After saying goodbye to Grandpa Southwell, I headed upstairs.
Once in my room, I opened my laptop and logged into the account I had used to assist Benjamin with translations. I spotted a message from over two weeks ago, where he had asked if I wanted to help with on-site translations in Mornant. Without hesitation, I typed two words in response, “I’m not going!”
After sending that, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I shut my laptop and instantly pushed the thought from my mind.
The day I returned to campus after the National Math Olympiad should have been when Benjamin took me back. Instead, I purposely left with Henry.
After being away for more than half a month, I found myself surprisingly nostalgic for school life.
“Hayley, you’re finally back!” Christine exclaimed, rushing to give me a big bear hug.
“Okay, okay, you’re squeezing me too tightly; I can hardly breathe!”
Christine finally released me. “You have no idea how much I missed you while you were gone!”
We walked together toward the classroom, and Christine lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret. “By the way, Hayley, there’s something I need to tell you,”