True Alpha’s Chosen Mate

Chapter 42 – Perfect For A Sacrificial Lamb

Hugo and I dilly-dallied in front of the inn, watching the street and the people passing by. I didn't know how long we were there, but it was near sunset when we went back inside. He asked me if I wanted to take a stroll, but I refused this time. After being on the road every single day, I wanted to rest for a day. It was silly, in a way.

Back in Everfell, I often tell myself, once Mother and Father let me roam the street of the capital, I would go out every single day. But now that was my situation, I never thought I would crave a day of just being in my room and enjoying the tranquility.

I bent my knees, hugging it while I was dipped in the tub. Bathing was the only time I could be alone without Hugo and the others. Although I was certain Hugo was just outside the room, standing guard just in case someone abduct me again. 

"It feels relieving in a way," I whispered, gazing down at the ripples in the tub. "Today… is strange, isn't it?"

I recalled my unproductive day with Hugo and smiled weakly. It did feel strange to talk about all those stuff with Hugo, considering we had just known each other for a short while. Not that I disliked it.

Now that I thought about it, I never disliked Hugo, even during our first meeting.

Still, I didn't like him to the point I couldn't live without him. It would be hard to survive all on my own, though. But some of his words were stuck in my head, which I kept trying to ignore. 

"Why do I want to give him love instead of asking to be loved…?" I repeated weakly, pressing my lips into a thin line. My answer to him was nothing but the truth. I believed I already loved myself too much that I could be generous in sharing it with someone important to me. 

But the other reason was, Mother raised me like that. She often told me it was better to give than receive. So, receiving all the help from Hugo and the pack was quite a burden that secretly weighed my heart down. Although I appreciated it sincerely, giving them something had always been at the back of my head.

"Mother… did you really hate me?" a muffled voice came out, staring at my slightly distorted reflection. "Did you and Father want to use me as a sacrifice just like Ashton said?"

I didn't want to think about this, but there were still days I would wonder. Not that I would dwell on it for a long time, but I couldn't help it. 

I rested my chin on my knee, closing my eyes to rest for a bit. "I don't want to think about it. Their deaths and the answer I will never get are something I will never control. The sun will continue to rise every morning and the moon will continue to shine every night. Just like those two, I also had to keep moving forward."

As silence enveloped me and all the tension in my muscle relaxed, I unconsciously whispered. "I miss home."

******

Meanwhile, Hugo's lips stretched from ear to ear with his arms crossed, making Ivo, Tito, and Winter look at him weirdly. They were currently outside Rinnie's room, guarding her as they didn't want someone to intrude inside her room and abduct her. After all, the vampires had shown great interest in her, which left a mystery to them.

"Alpha Hugo, how does it feel?" Ivo asked when he couldn't take keeping his silence anymore, waiting for Hugo to cast him a smug look. "A long hunt with no kill, I mean. Your smile had been cemented, so we're wondering who is the lucky person who will die."

"Huh? What a stupid thing to ask!" Hugo intoned. His brows wrinkled, wondering where Ivo left his brain so they could pick it up. "Don't make the great me sound unreasonable."

Hugo clicked his tongue while shaking his head, ignoring that look on their faces. How could he say he wasn't unreasonable so shamelessly? 

"Big brother, are you that happy about today?" Tito inquired softly, studying Hugo as the latter nodded, closed-lipped. "You just sat there outside the inn for hours. Is that something to be happy about?"

"Hah! Of course! My baby deer and I talked about our future and we agreed not to have children." 

"Wow… you already talked about those things?!" Ivo gasped while covering his gaping mouth, casting Hugo a look of disbelief. "That human — I mean, Luna talked about that with you?"

"Why not? My Bambi is old enough to consider marriage." Hugo's brow quirked.

"It's just… well, I guess that's so like her," Ivo's voice lowered, considering Rinnie's character based on their interactions so far. "They raised her very strangely, huh?"

This time, Hugo didn't answer as he just gazed at Ivo. Among everyone, Ivo was actually the smartest — Hugo wasn't included in the list. Although he wasn't as strong as Tito or as agile as Reks, he had a good brain, which he rarely used, sadly. 

"I agree. She is like… an outsider," Winter mumbled while nodding in agreement. 

"Isn't that because she is raised within the castle without ever going out?" Tito tilted his head to the side, glancing at Hugo and then the other two.

"Even so, are humans all like that? That vampire disguised himself as a human and became her knight. According to Luna's own words, she spent more time with that person than her own parents growing up. So, it will be more normal if she sulks more or feels angry about this betrayal." Ivo argued solemnly, rubbing his chin as Rinnie's background and personality often piqued his interest. 

"She doesn't even think of revenge or anything of the sort." Winter nodded once again.

"Now that I think about it, Luna is strange herself. She is forgiving, unsuspecting, and… like a blank canvass only painted with light colors." This time, Tito also noticed as Rinnie wasn't entirely pure white, but colored with only bright colors. It was as if she was meticulously designed that way.

Hugo, who kept silent while listening to their conversation, gazed at the door. His smug grin finally receded, replaced by a solemn front.

"She is perfect… Perfect for a sacrificial lamb…" he muttered, catching everyone's attention. "Were his words true?" he wondered as Hugo also wanted the truth for her. Rinnie was important to him and even when she could move on easily, the piled-up questions would always be there. 

"It seems she is important to Everfell and Hendrik just as she is important to me."