Chapter 53: The Intense Silence
Rosalie:
I should have stayed in the bathroom.
That was my first thought approximately thirty seconds after sitting down with the dinner. Because somehow, impossibly, eating in front of two Alphas was significantly more terrifying than escaping through a storm, getting chased, crawling through mud, and nearly getting caught.
At least those situations had clear rules. But this one didn’t.
The food looked incredible. It was warm, fresh, and comforting. Exactly what I should have wanted after spending half the day running around and the other half freezing in soaked clothes. And to be fair, when the elderly lady had brought the trolley in, I had realized just how hungry I actually was. My stomach certainly hadn’t been subtle about it.
But now?
Now every bite felt impossible because of them. I became painfully aware that neither Eiden nor Zaiden had stopped looking at me since I sat down. Not even once.
They weren’t speaking. They weren’t doing anything. And somehow that made it infinitely worse. Their silence filled the room, heavy and impossible to ignore.
I could feel their attention every time I reached for something, every time I moved, and every time I lifted my eyes only to immediately regret it and look away again.
It didn’t help that I suddenly became horribly aware of my current outfit. Or lack of one. The oversized shirt that had seemed so comfortable ten minutes ago had transformed into a nightmare. My legs were exposed. Far too exposed.
I had tried fixing the situation.
The decorative couch cushion currently resting on my lap had been my desperate attempt at preserving whatever dignity remained. Unfortunately, it covered exactly nothing useful. It only concealed the already covered part. Which was deeply unhelpful.
I adjusted it approximately seven times, but it made no difference. I considered pulling the shirt lower, but it didn’t help either.
I would have genuinely preferred if either of them said something. Anything. Even discussing weather patterns would have been helpful, because at least then I could focus on words instead of existing. But neither of them spoke.
So I ate. Or tried to. Every bite felt increasingly awkward until eventually I abandoned all hope. Then I noticed the chicken soup and picked up the bowl. Ignoring the spoon completely, I brought the bowl straight to my face.
It was perfect because now they couldn’t see my face.
I proceeded to drink the entire thing slowly. Mostly because lowering the bowl meant exposing my face again. Unfortunately, even soup eventually ends.
I lowered the empty bowl and immediately regretted everything.
They were still looking.
I stared at my plate for a moment before quietly deciding dinner was over. My appetite had packed its bags and disappeared. Besides, I had eaten more than enough to fill my belly.
But now came the bigger problem.
What exactly was I supposed to do? Ask to go home? Or should I ask to rest? But where? And wouldn’t that be awkward? Or maybe... maybe I should just sit here quietly until one of them took pity on me.
The last one seemed most reasonable.
I was still debating all possible escape routes in my head when Zaiden finally spoke, and immediately made me wish he hadn’t. His voice cut through the silence evenly.
"Did you get your mother’s bracelet?"
Just like that, everything inside me stopped. The warmth disappeared, the comfort disappeared, even the anxiety I was experiencing just seconds ago disappeared as well.
My fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the plate.
The bracelet.
I had forgotten. No. That wasn’t true. I hadn’t forgotten. Instead, I had been avoiding thinking about it because doing so hurt. That bracelet was the reason I went back. The reason I risked everything. The reason I ended up in that mess. And after all of it, I didn’t even get it.
I endured everything. And failed.
The realization hit all over again.
That bracelet wasn’t expensive, wasn’t politically important, wasn’t powerful. But it was my mother’s. And now, I didn’t even know whether I would ever see it again.
But what really worried me was an unsettling thought that kept appearing in my head every now and then. What if Alastor or the others tried to use the bracelet as a leverage to make me return to him?
My throat tightened.
I looked down because suddenly my eyes burned.
No. Not now. I wasn’t crying. Not now.
I swallowed and forced myself to think. I needed to get it back. I had to, no matter what.
But how?
Sneaking into Blackthorn Pack once had already been reckless. After tonight, trying again wouldn’t be brave. It would be stupid. And considering Charlotte had my bracelet, it meant I would need to sneak into Crescent Vale Pack house, and that’s not even an option.
I couldn’t afford getting caught by Alastor. I knew that much very well, which somehow made everything worse. Because needing something desperately and knowing you couldn’t reach it felt unbearable.
I didn’t realize how long I had stayed silent. Until Zaiden spoke again. His voice made me look up, and for the first time in what felt like forever, his gray eyes met mine directly... steady and calm.
And then he said, "I’ll get it for you."
I stared.
He continued, "Tell me what it looks like."
That was all. No hesitation. No discussion. No conditions. No if. No maybe. And suddenly I realized, he wasn’t offering. He wasn’t saying he would try. Neither was he suggesting possibilities.
He was promising.
As though retrieving something from another pack wasn’t even worth questioning. As though he had already decided. And as though the only missing piece was information.
Something inside my chest tightened painfully.
I stared at him. Then at Eiden.
Eiden hadn’t interrupted, hadn’t argued. He simply sat there calmly as though this outcome had been obvious from the beginning.
My eyes burned again, and this time it took effort to push the feeling back. Finally, I nodded slowly. I didn’t even think about refusing because I knew this was my best chance. Maybe my only chance.
So I accepted.
Then I opened my mouth, and quietly said, "Thank you." My voice came out softer than intended. I looked between both men and then corrected myself.
"Thank you... both of you."
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