BXBX NOVEL Chapter 416: A mountain of drama
When she returned his gaze, he sighed in relief. Her panic attack was over, likely. She seemed all right, even though shocked.
«What happened? Who did this to you?»
«I... I don\'t know, Nate. I felt something weird, and then I started panicking.»
«And now? How do you feel?»
«I\'m better.»
«Are you scared of something?»
«No, right now... I am not. But I was before. And I don\'t know of what.»
«Do you want to see the doctor? He is not a human doctor, but... Or should we go to a hospital? I can call...»
«It\'s fine, Nate. Now it\'s over. Let\'s see what\'s the matter, though. I came here because I heard there\'s a situation. Manager Cooper was worried, and I\'d like to find out the reason why.»
She got up, still holding Nate\'s hands. She didn\'t want to admit it, but just his presence helped her knees sustain her weight.
«Are you sure?» he asked.
«Yes! Let\'s go!»
They walked out, hand in hand, and observed the scene. Bass Cooper was standing between the two women glaring at each other with complex emotions appearing and disappearing on their faces.
«What is going on?» Nate whispered.
Lara shrugged, smiling to reassure him. She got that situation under control... She would get it, at least. It was less stressful than it seemed, but first, Roxy needed to realise that no one would have taken her husband away. Once that was cleared, Lara expected an easier atmosphere.
«Let\'s sit down and talk,» she said. She would have left them to solve it on their own once she was sure there was nothing relevant left unsaid.
From her point of view, it was all a mountain of drama that had no reason to exist. Except that Bass Cooper might have been in a difficult position, but Roxy did love him after all. If she married him, had three pups, and continued to work in his place, there must have been something charming about him that she loved more than anything else.
«First of all, I\'d like to hear the whole story again,» Lara said. «Since the beginning. Why did you come here, Miss Mitchell?»
«Oh,» the young woman replied, blinking. She wasn\'t expecting to be called by the Alpha female with so much formality. «I was... Uhm, I thought I was looking for my mate.»
«You thought?»
«Yes, I did. But it turns out the real reason is another.»
«But how do you feel your mate? She\'s married, so you shouldn\'t be this driven to look for her. Is there something wrong with the marriage, Roxy?»
«No,» Roxy replied, crossing her arms. «The Moon Goddess blessed our mating.»
«I see,» Ebony sighed, looking down at her shoes. «I figured I wasn\'t here for my mate but for another reason. I now know why I\'ve been sent here.»
«So, you\'re not going to make any claim on your mate, are you?»
«No, of course not. I won\'t bother a married couple! They have kids!» she exclaimed, clenching her fists. «But I\'d like to see the pups. They should be so cute, right? I\'d like to see who they took from.»
«Not gonna happen,» Roxy said once again.
What did that woman want from her kids?
«Oh...» Ebony sighed. What a pity.
«So, you won\'t cause any trouble, right?» Lara continued. «I can let you solve it on your own without worrying about the pack. But you should be a little clearer. There\'s a little misunderstanding here.»
Ebony nodded, turning to Roxy.
«I know you won\'t believe me just yet. And I know that the mating ceremony cut the mating link. However, I\'d like to get to know you a little.»
«Me?»
«Yes.»
«Why me?» Roxy asked, frowning.
She was baffled. All of a sudden, all her rage disappeared in front of that new event. Why would her love rival want to know her? Was it the famous: «know your enemy» thing?
«Because we\'re mates,» Ebony said. «Our souls are compatible. We can be just friends, or like sisters... We shouldn\'t hate each other!»
Her eyes filled with tears, her lips trembling slightly.
Roxy observed that scene with a dumbfounded expression. She had a mate? A woman mate?
«Oh,» she said, her mood improving a little. So, Ebony wasn\'t there for Bass! «I see... We might find an understanding.»
Letting go of her grudge made her relax enough to feel the link. It was as feeble as not to notice, but it was there. Ebony was telling the truth. Roxy didn\'t feel any need to be close to the other, but she felt it would have been nice.
So, that was the situation.
With a light heart, she turned to her husband. Bass Cooper was gloomy, depressed. His shoulders were droopy, his eyes dim.
She remembered what she had said during her raging moments, and she felt guilty. It was true that he wasn\'t as competent, but she had no right to insult him.
It was nothing new, after all. Just part of him. She had lived with her husband for years, and they had found their balance together. It had been too harsh, from her side, to use his weaknesses just to hurt him.
Especially because she also had her weaknesses. And because he had no fault at all.
«Hey,» she whispered.
Bass Cooper glanced at her, still afraid he would lose her by chance.
«Shall we go home now?» she asked. Maybe, it was better to talk alone. She had to comfort him. And maybe apologise.
Bass nodded, and they turned to the door, leaving Nate and Lara to deal with Ebony. The Alpha couple observed them leaving, wishing to call them back so they took that woman with them.
However, they didn\'t want to cause even more trouble. As such, they turned to Ebony.
So, if not for her mate, what had made her come such a long way?