105: 105 I Regret It

105 I Regret It

Vivian’s POV 1

Alen and I maintained a distance—neither too close nor too far—as we made our way back to the campsite, him walking ahead and me following behind.

When we arrived at my carriage, Alen stood beside it, waiting for me to catch up. As I approached, he dropped a cold remark, "Vivian, we're here. Go inside and get some sleep."

After delivering those words, Alen didn't even bid me a good night. He simply turned and walked away.

Watching his departing figure, my emotions, which had just started to settle, plunged once again into a pit of turmoil.

"Sigh…"

I let out a long sigh, attempting to release the pent-up frustration within me. However, despite several sighs, the discomfort still lingered. I shook my head slightly, forcing myself to stop dwelling on the matter.

I climbed onto the carriage, opened the door, and slipped inside. After shutting the door, I removed my coat and placed it beside the bed.

Lying down on the carpet, I recalled the techniques my master had taught me to fall asleep, trying to soothe myself into slumber.

Over the next hour, I attempted every method I could think of to fall asleep, but to no avail. Instead, as I tossed and turned, I found myself becoming increasingly awake.

It was simply too boring. I decided to reach over to where my coat was placed. My hand found Albert's gifted flute, and I played with it for a while.

I had intended to try playing a tune, but then I remembered Albert's words about using the flute's sound to summon him. If I were to play the flute, he might appear instantly.

Without knowing who he really was and what his connection was to my master, I wouldn't risk calling him.

Though I refrained from playing the flute, just gazing at its petite form brought back memories of tonight's events in the forest.

If what Albert said was true, that he knew my master and they were friends, and that I used to call him "uncle" when I was young.

Despite my lack of trust in Albert at the moment, considering the current circumstances, he, as a vampire, had not harmed me as a witch.

Turning my thoughts to Alen, I realized that I had spent much more time in his company than with Albert. I genuinely liked Alen and believed he wouldn't harm me. However, the mere idea of him asking me to spend my life in the werewolf pack was distressing.

I couldn't determine the exact nature of my relationship with Alen. We were more than just ordinary friends, yet he hadn't defined our connection. I had no insight into why he insisted that I remain by his side forever.

Throughout my life, I tended to remember only the joyful moments. After our arguments, I often expected any negative feelings to dissipate, just like many things had in the past. Events would come and go, and I would forget about them.

Strangely, today's altercation with Alen seemed etched in my mind. Every detail replayed incessantly, and I couldn't shake off the memory.

I found myself immersed in the recollections of our dispute. The more I dwelled on it, the sadder I became. I thought I knew Alen well, but it turned out I didn't. There were significant differences between us, and they seemed difficult to bridge in the short term.

The primary reason I stayed in the werewolf pack was my reluctance to leave Alen, followed by my attachment to Delia.

Delia's relationship with Prince Kral seemed to be in a perfect place, and she undoubtedly wouldn't leave. Yet, with the growing discord between Alen and me, I questioned whether it was necessary for me to remain here.

Suddenly, the word "leave" echoed in my mind once more. My spirits lifted, and I immediately sat up. Gazing at the scattered lights outside the carriage, I seriously contemplated the idea.

If I was unwilling to accept Alen's proposal of a perpetual life within the werewolf pack, now seemed to be an opportune moment to leave.

It was the dead of night, everyone was resting, and my belongings were still in the carriage. I didn't have much to pack, and I realized I could slip away unnoticed before dawn.

Once the thought took hold, it was impossible to suppress it. I found myself instinctively gathering my belongings. Clothes, essentials, and jewelry... While sorting through my jewelry, my eyes fell upon a butterfly-shaped brooch.

This was a brooch I was particularly fond of, one that I remembered Alen had praised, saying it suited me well. Despite my decision to leave, I still wanted to leave something behind for Alen. I liked him, and I didn't want him to forget about me.

After packing my belongings, I set aside the brooch. Putting on my coat, I carefully placed the flute Albert had given me back into my left pocket, and then I held the brooch in my hand.

With my bag on my back, I left the carriage quietly.

I glanced around and soon spotted Alen's carriage not far from mine. I intended to leave the brooch in front of Alen's carriage door. Approaching his carriage, I found a clean spot and gingerly left the brooch there.

"Goodbye, Alen..."

As I softly uttered these words, I suddenly heard a noise coming from behind the carriage. Turning toward the source of the sound, I barely had a chance to react before a man's figure emerged from behind the carriage.

The man looked puzzled and said, "Vivian, what are you doing here?"

Upon a closer look, I realized that the person speaking was none other than Alen. How strange it was that he wasn't inside the carriage at that hour but standing outside.

"Alen, why aren't you sleeping?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

"I can't sleep," Alen admitted without hesitation. He was frank in his response. "I didn't expect us to argue, let alone fail to reach an agreement. I have no sleepiness now, Vivian. How about you?"

"I..." I was about to say I couldn't sleep either, but it would only complicate our relationship if I admitted that. So, the words were on the tip of my tongue, but I abruptly changed my mind. "I can sleep. I'm just leaving."

"Leaving? What do you mean?" Upon hearing my statement, Alen stepped closer to me. He glanced at the bag slung over my shoulder and quickly noticed the butterfly brooch on his carriage. His expression changed immediately. "Vivian, you're leaving me?"

In Alen's voice, there was a sense of disbelief, and to me, there even seemed to be a trace of pain in his words, which made me feel a bit sad.

"Yes, I'm returning to my mentor. I've been away from home for too long. It's time for me to go back," I said, forcing myself to remain composed despite the sadness. "I've stayed in the werewolf pack for too long, almost forgetting my identity as a witch. I feel it's time for me to return."

"You've been with the werewolf pack for too long?!" Alen's rare use of profanity showed his frustration. "Is it because we argued that you wanted to escape and leave?"

Alen guessed right, that was indeed the reason behind my decision to leave, and it could even be considered the main reason.

I couldn't deny his assumption, so I simply pressed my lips together and remained silent.

"Damn it, you really think like that?!" Seeing that I didn't refute him, Alen grew even more anxious. He reached out his hand and tightly embraced my waist.

"Alen!" I hadn't expected Alen to suddenly hug me. I exclaimed in surprise and pushed my hands against his chest, trying to break free from his embrace.

"How could you do that?"

"I didn't intend for things to escalate so quickly between us. I wanted to take it slow," Alen admitted, not releasing his hold despite my resistance.

Instead, he tightened his grip on me even more. "Why do you always act like a child? Why don't you understand my feelings for you?"

Facing Alen's barrage of questions was overwhelming, and I found myself unable to formulate a response. Even my attempts to push him away had become feeble.

"Vivian, I'm willing to wait for you, wait until you mature and understand, to do the things adults do. But now, I regret it. I don't want to wait a single second longer!"

After saying those words, Alen suddenly leaned down. I felt his warm lips press against mine. This unexpected kiss caught me off guard, and I widened my eyes, stunned by Alen's actions.

After gently kissing my lips, Alen seemed unsatisfied.

He embraced me tightly, saying "close your eyes," to which I subconsciously complied. The next moment, I felt Alen's lips against mine once more, but this time, his tongue entered my mouth.

Alen's movements were passionate and intense, as he deepened the kiss. My mind went blank, and any thoughts of resistance vanished completely...

pqdm.com