Wooing

Chapter 31

Anastasia

I looked at Julian who cleared his throat and hurriedly added, “Mom, it is time for your medicines.”

Vivian grumbled about how bitter it tasted as he measured the tonic in a small spoon thrice before mixing it in a glass of water and handing it to her.

“It tastes pathetic” Vivian frowned like a little child.

“But it will help you grow stronger” I added as she had the medicine while chatting with me about the weather.

There was a knock on the door and I saw his beta, Victor step in.

“Hi Luna, nice to see you after a long time.”

“Call me Anastasia, Victor. And it is good to see you too” I replied, politely correcting him. I was not their Luna.

They had to stop calling me that.

“You look nice, Anastasia. The color suits you” He said and I replied,

“You have always looked handsome, Vic.”

Julian suddenly cleared his throat. “Did you come here to tell me something important, Vic?”

Victor turned his attention to Julian.

“Oh yes.

yes. In fact, I was here to tell you that Alpha Nick is waiting for you in the office.”

Julian furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why is he here now?”

Victor shrugged, “He won’t tell me. He kept saying that he only wanted to meet and talk to you.”

Julian did not appear pleased but nodded, “Anastasia, I am sorry but I will have to go. Lwill try to return as soon as possible.”

I nodded. I did not even need him around. I was content talking to Vivian and sitting beside her.

Julian walked outside while Victor followed suit and had reached for the doorknob when he turned around and asked,

Do you still make that pasta?”

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I blinked and looked up at him. “White sauce?”

Victor nodded, “Michael and I used to love it. The pasta we had in hotels was too bland.”

I smiled. “I will text you the recipe. But for now, I have some pastries and cookies for you guys to feast on.”

Victor’s smile widened, “You made them for us?”

I looked at him guiltily. “Not really. I just bought it from a bakery. Jules…your alpha’s car has it all. Distribute it among the pack.”

Victor shrugged, “Never mind, I am always ready to eat free food.”

I chuckled and I heard Julian’s voice from outside.

“Vic!! We have a guest waiting for us in the office, remember?”

Victor sighed and waved me goodbye before stepping out of the room.

“So Anastasia, how have you been? Tell me what you have been up to all this time.”

Vivian asked me. I went back to sit on the chair beside her and answered.

“I was living in the human world all this time. I opened a small event management company and that helped me pay the bills.”

Her curiosity was piqued.

“What kind of work did you do?”

“Hmm, just arranging everything when it comes to important functions like meetings, birthdays, big functions, etc. Basically, I looked after everything so that the host could have fun instead of running around and ensuring things were going on smoothly.”

“Ooh, so that is pretty much like the stuff you did here. You arranged balls and meetings back whe you were here too, remember?”

I sighed.

How could I forget that? I used to dread some girl walking in the ball and Julian turning out to be

her mate.

Now, I realized it had been such a futile effort.

“Hmm,” I replied and she asked.

“So did you meet anyone in the human world? Any man managed to steal your heart like Julian had

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Chapter 31

all those years ago?”

That question hit me in the gut.

I had blindly taken whatever Julian offered me, and not bothered to check if there was a fated mate waiting somewhere for me.

“No, L.did not try. I was focussed on Lea.

The word slipped out of my mouth faster than I could take it back.

“Lea, who is that?” Vivian asked sharply.

“My..my daughter”

Vivian’s face went white as a sheet of paper. “You…you have a daughter?”

I nodded, “She is four years old.”

Vivian reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze a bit harder than necessary.

“Whose child is it? Tell me!!”

The soft tone of Vivian suddenly changed to a mildly angry one.

“She is mine,” I said trying to pull my hand away but Vivian’s eyes narrowed and she kept looking at

1. me.

“You…you have a daughter. Of course, you have a daughter”

She then began laughing hysterically and then let her head fall on the pillow behind her back, eyes.

closed.

I freed my hand from her hold and rubbed my palm while looking at her curiously.

“Vivian, are you okay?” I asked tentatively.

She had her eyes closed and lay on the bed without a reply, her breathing shallow.

I got up

from my chair and neared her, trying to assess if she was okay.

“Vivian” I tried to slowly caress her forehead and her eyelids fluttered open.

“Oh, Anastasia. You are finally here” Her face brightened and she looked at me as if we had not been chatting for the past hour or so.

“I…uh. yes, I am.”

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“It is so good to see you. But, I…I am feeling sleepy. Her voice grew weaker by the second.

“Yes, no worries, Vivian. Just go to sleep and take some rest.”

She reached for my hand again and brushed her fingers on my thumb. “I hope you will forgive Julian some day. He is not a bad person, ana.”

I bit my lip nervously at that.

I could not forgive him but I could try to forget him.

“And, I also hope he did not force you to come here. I warned him not to do that.”

Her replies were getting weirder by the minute. I wondered if it had anything to do with her

sickness.

I felt sorry for her. Vivian used to be so sharp and strong so it was sad to see her ramble and look so pale.

“You should rest, Vivian,” I whispered to her, lightly patting her cheek.

She gave me a weak smile and I saw her eyes grow moist.

“Everything was so nice. We had you and the pack was thriving. Why did Julian have to bring his fated mate into the picture? Look where that decision led him.”

I did not know the answer to that. I had been trying to find it out myself and then gave up on

finding it.

All this talk about me and Julian was making me uncomfortable.

e future,

I adjusted her pillow and tucked her in the bed while trying to not think of Angelica and the he might have built here with her.

She had fallen asleep, at least I thought so because she had stopped talking. I reached for her hand and placed it on her stomach and my gaze went to the inside of her hand.

Her hand looked wrinkly and she had lost a lot of hair and weight. But I also saw a small rash mark on the back of her neck.

The chain she was wearing probably gave her that. Medicines sometimes led to allergies I had

heard.

I dusted some talcum powder on it and put her to sleep as she mumbled once again.

“I hope Julian did not raise his voice or hand. I had made him promise not to use violence before. he came to get you. I told him he had to try using love, not his dominance, for once in his life.”

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Chapter 31

Tah took me by surprise again.

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So is that why Julian let my father’s men beat him black and blue? Because he was living up to his promise?

I shook my head and slowly walked out of the room, more confused than ever after whatever I had heard Vivian mutter.

Mon Aug