Puppy Love – Chapter 13

~Liam~

As I stared down at my plate, I made an effort to soothe Alex’s agitation. Falling sick was a rare occurrence for me, so I doubted if that was the cause of my unease. I glanced over at Justin, who seemed engrossed in conversation with his wolf.

Much to my dismay, Josephine occupied the seat across from me next to Justin. Without hesitation, Elaine settled beside Oliver, and their mutual gaze revealed a connection between them.

entirely.

tood the intensity of what I was feeling in that moment.

to think clearly.

feeling foolish for not realising sooner. Why hadn’t I put the pieces together? Why was Alex acting strangely? I attempted

fought back a growl, desperate to maintain control. The situation felt unbearable, and the urge to leave welled up within me. However, drawing unnecessary attention to myself was not a viable option.

Why was

was triggering his behaviour. Josephine’s brother, Luis, took a seat beside m

d on Josephine for reasons unknown to me.

id you guys arrive?” I finally managed to ask Luis, forcing myself to look at him, anything

riend’s father. So we couldn’t leave Gad on time,” he explained, instantly piquing my interest.

in Gad?”

is shrugged.

t and are eager to put our skills to good use. Hopefully, they choose me,” he said, and I nodded, feeling inadequate.

hat was the Stepanovs for you they were prodigies who had earned double promotions as a result. I had completely forgotten that they had graduated a few months before us.

the way,” Luis said to me, and I nodded in acknowledgement

him.

ratulated her.

my own.

d, and she responded with a smile.

” she said playfully, summing up our brief exchange before redirecting her

fragrance or perfume.

to continue the festivities and spend time togeth

wolf to the brink of madness.

smile.

that. I know you two were close,” she said, and I nodded in acknowledgement.

she fell silent, seemingly taken aback by my response. I hadn’t meant to sound curt, but the truth was, I was on edge, and she seemed to be the cause.

n it that way. Of course, I know you are close,

erely, and she smiled at me as if she hadn’t expected m

ndicating that she accepted it.

communicate with Josephine and not me, and I was grateful that I alone could hear that conversation.

ing me on the shoulder and preparing to walk away. In that moment, I reached out and held her hand.

o me. I had known Josephine my entire life, and she had always been intimidating. This was an entirely new experience.

if I were in a trance, unable to snap out of it no matter how hard I tried. Managing to find my voice, I quickly questioned her.

sniffing the air around her.

anspired. 

aste. I dared not answer or look in her direction. I had to move swiftly, desperate to avoid doing something I would

me, but I refused to acknowledge her. I had to keep moving, afraid that any moment longer would result in a compl

h chaotic howls of Alex.

.

sephine. It can’t be Josephine; she’s practically family,” I protested, desperately searching for any reason to deny the reality of the situation. But Alex disagreed

er me.

on me?

Li. This is a rare opportunity, and I believe we should embrace it,” Alex insisted, his voice filled with c

stubborn, annoying, and always trying to prove herself, especially to us. I can’t handle that kind of behaviour. And her sense of fashion… i

ted out, leaving me flustered as I stormed into my room.

ew Alex had a point. I found myself desperately trying to convince myself that fate had made a mistake.

,” I protested to Alex.

. It’s a significant sign, and I don’t think it’s fair to ignore fate and leave Josephine behind. How do you think she would feel?” Alex questioned, reasoning with me.

trike me as someone who needs a man or desires a committed relationship,” I retorted, causing Alex to become visibly angry with me.

urged, and I sat down on my bed, feeling a mixture of fear and uncertainty

t will happen to Sophia?

, and Alex understood the dilemma I was facing.

ome forgotten, and the support system in place for her could be removed.

ng the consequences in my mind

Aunt Susan? Couldn’t the bond then shift to Sophia?” I asked Alex, hoping for a different outcome. However, his response left me frustrated.

’t see a valid reason to reject Josephine,” he countered, his annoyance evident. I fell silent because, deep down, I knew he was right.

phine.

apart over the past two years, and she had kept to

.

ts, my sister, and Lilly, but most of her time was spent absorbed in reading or working on calculations. Honestly, I had no legitimate grounds to reject her, yet I doubted that a relationship would work between us due to our lack of common ground.

eally gave her a fair chance, did we?

had exceptional intellects. I believe that contributed to her attitude. Perhaps we should give it a chance,” Alex suggested, and his words made me chuckle.

id point. She could be quite intimidating.

nstead, I planned to keep my observations to myself and take the time to understand her better. A year and six months should be sufficient to gather information and figure things out. There was even a possibility that she might not want to accept the b

grow into a blazing fire.