Healing The Ruthless Alpha

Chapter 59

I was happy but I didn't think Cahir was impressed. Who knew something as simple as ice cream could make me feel this way? After I went through a tub of ice cream while Cahir watched, he asked if I wanted more. He shouldn't have because I knew I shouldn't have more but it didn't stop me from wanting more. With his prompt, I decided to have a cone which I carried along with me as he got some clothes to change into.

After we visited two stores and couldn't find anything that fit his taste, he started to get huffy. Unfortunately, this was an island and because of their festival most shops were closed and the ones open catered to tourists. They stocked colourful attires. There were very few suits on display but none fit him- well, there was one but it was a bright lemon that made him flinch. No dress shirts, no black trousers and thus nothing of his taste. I'd been nursing my ice cream but it was starting to melt and create a mess but it pained me to see it go.

"You can get another one." Cahir caught me looking longingly at the mess of strawberry ice cream coating my fingers.

"No, I -" I looked around the store. There was only the manager and the sales attendant trying to find something for Cahir to take with him. Would it be too shameful to lick my fingers?

"Don't lick your fingers," he warned. How did he - Did he secretly have mind reading abilities?

"You - How are you reading my thoughts?" I demanded, biting into the ice cream cone.

"I'm not a mind reader but you have a loud face." I touched my face, feeling insulted. What did it mean to have a loud face? "By that I mean your face tells everything you're thinking."

Oh - Why did I have to have such an expressive face?

"It's not a bad thing to have an expressive face but it's going to fuck you over during negotiations." He spread his legs, dug his elbows into his thighs and clasped his hands. "I remember telling you that you need to work on your deception."

Before I could respond to that, the sales attendant and her manager brought over a couple of items for him to try on. Even before they got to us with their selection, Cahir already wore a look of disgust.

"These are - These are the least colourful clothes we have, sir. This - Avron Mall is geared towards tourists and this - this is the kind of things they like.” The manager held up a couple of blue and green shorts. They were indeed less colourful than the array of colour-blinding outfits we'd checked out so far. "They're pretty," I mumbled, looking at the shorts.

Blue and green were two of my favourite colour but what made them pretty was thinking of how Cahir would look in such short shorts. I pressed my lips together so he wouldn't read the perverse thoughts running through my mind. Thinking of his muscular thighs on display made me make a weird face.

"You're terrible at this." He chuckled and I blinked.

The sound - the sound did funny things to my stomach and when I looked at his face, I was surprised to see he had a dimple on his left cheek. It made me blink more times, like a fool. He looked like a whole different person when he chuckled and smiled like that and the feeling I got then - it was weird, not unpleasant but it made me uncomfortable and self-conscious.

"What is it?" The smile disappeared from his face, replaced with a look of concern. To my surprise, I struggled to look up at his face. The feeling in my guts intensified and heat spread through my insides.

What the fuck was happening to me?

"My stomach feels funny," I confessed to Cahir with the sales attendant and the manager listening in. "Maybe - Maybe I had too much ice cream." "Do you need a doctor?" I looked away from his face.

What - what was this sudden weird feeling and why did it keep getting worse the more his face drew closer to mine?

'You want to kiss him,' Asena butted into my tumultuous thoughts with a giggle. "Ah - I see." Cahir smiled again as if Asena had addressed him directly. My heart stuttered. His smile widened.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Umm – Alpha ?" The manager drew our attention back to him. “Do you - Do you want them?"

“I'll have them all," he said with a wolfish grin that had the manager nodding in alarm. Again, I cursed my face for being so darn expressive.

The sales girl packaged the shorts and shirts after Cahir said there was no need for him to try them on. With that, we were out of the mall and on our way to the hotel.

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The car ride to the hotel was quiet but not unpleasant. It occurred to me I hadn't had such an enjoyable time with Cahir before - no, I hadn't had such a pleasant time with anyone before except, maybe Aristo who had a calming presence. Who'd have brought I'd ever go shopping with Cahir or have ice cream while he watched and encouraged me to have some more? It almost took the thoughts of earlier events from my mind almost.

When we got to the hotel, we saw a man pacing out front. He wore power like a second skin so without a doubt, he was the Alpha of the small pack on this island.

"Malachi," Cahir said as he stepped out of the car, taking my hand as if it was a natural thing to do. I stuck close to his side because I found that just holding his hand made me feel better.

"Alpha Cahir." The Alpha walked towards us, holding out a hand. Cahir took the outstretched hand and shook it. "It is a pleasure to have you in our humble home, Luna Sihana." The man turned to me. The attention startled me as every single person we'd met so far greeted Cahir and acted as if I wasn't right beside him.

"Thank you," I responded with heat on my neck.

"I heard about the attack against you this morning and I am truly sorry." He was still holding my hand when he spoke. "Rest assured that myself and my pack will do everything to ensure that the culprits are brought to book. We will leave no stone

unturned in the search for those who dared to commit this heinous crime." The man spoke with such vigour and solemnity that I was taken aback. "Can you let go of my hand?" He was squeezing a bit too much.

“Of course, I am sorry." He let my hand go. "Is there anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable? I understand the earlier events may have been traumatic and there's nothing I can do about that but if there is anything you want us to do for you, we will be more than happy to do it."

"I – Cahir is here so I'm fine now," I answered, rubbing my neck.

“The Alpha, of course," he spared Cahir a glance. “But if there is anything we can do for you as a pack to apologize for the heinous crime committed against you on our island, then we will be more than happy to do it." I fought the urge to look at Cahir then.

I understood what this man was doing and why he was doing it. He'd searched for the weak link and found me, the one who couldn't rain fire and brimstone on him and his pack. If he left the decision up to me, then the retribution he would face would certainly be less. He was smart, I could acknowledge that and I would admit that I was trapped.

Things like these were unfamiliar to me. I was walking on unfamiliar grounds at this point and I didn't want to lose my steps. I couldn't turn to Cahir now because I didn't know what I'd see and this man knew I wouldn't want to look weak and indecisive, at least not in front of my mate.

"What can you possibly do for me, Malachi?" I asked in a blank tone. "I was attacked less than twenty-four hours upon entering your lands. It feels like someone here wants to send

me a message." I looked him in the eye knowing he may have expected me to say everything was okay and he didn't need to bother, then if Caḥir said anything, he would remind him I'd already forgiven them. How sneaky. How obvious. "Ah, Luna' Sihana, I can assure you that Manz Island does not harbour any criminal who would think to hurt you. For what you experienced on our land, we are deeply ashamed and are ready to do anything to mend the relationship with you."

"Anything?" I asked, thinking of what I could want from this pack. The man nodded and I smiled. "You have given me a blank check, Malachi, I will

think of what I want and get back to you."

"Ah -"

"Since that's settled, let's go," Cahir finally spoke, taking my hand.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Malachi," I waved at him and he gave me a blank smile.

"You did good,” Cahir whispered into my ear and I shivered as my stomach flipped.