Surrender To Us, Our Luna (One Luna, Four Alphas) novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217: 217-He Likes Me, He Likes Me Not

Clementine:

I grew up pretty much alone, so it wasn’t that big of a deal for me. Still, it didn’t help that I was feeling so much. Maybe it was because after arriving at the academy and spending time in the North, I started to miss being a child.

I remembered living with my stepmother and father. They were horrible people, but at least it felt like I had a home. That small attic bedroom of mine was nice. The mansion I wandered through was full of memories. But now, I had no home.

"It’s alright, I understand," I said with a smile. Of course, it was a bright, fake one.

"Or, I have a suggestion. Don’t think I wasn’t thinking about you," Miss Rue quickly added, flashing me a bright smile to show I was on her mind.

"What is it?" I asked, confused.

"How about your squadmates introduce you to their families? I can pitch the idea to the ringleaders, even the headmaster, and get permission for it," she suggested. Instantly, I noticed my squadmates shifting in their spots.

"Is it alright with you guys?" she asked them.

"Yeah, sure." Yorick nodded softly. We had a history, and I knew his family didn’t like me. Troy stayed silent, knowing his mother would go ballistic if I showed up at their home. Haiden was the same. I could only imagine his father’s anger, and I knew his stepmother and stepsiblings wouldn’t like me either.

That left only one person whose family had no real objections, someone I’d never met. And I wanted to spend this time without anyone hating me. My eyes drifted to Ian. The others looked at him too, knowing their families would only cause me trouble.

"What?" Ian shrugged, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"So we were thinking, how about you introduce Clementine to your family? She’ll stay in a separate room. There’s more than one guest room. There’s a whole set booked for the crusaders and their families. How about it, Ian?" Miss Rue asked excitedly. She seemed thrilled to come up with a solution to my loneliness.

But the way Ian scrunched his eyebrows and shook his head so hard made it feel like the harshest rejection.

"No. Not with my family. I want to spend this time alone with them. What’s the point of introducing her and starting some new relationship they’d have to waste time on when they could spend that time with me? And didn’t you all say we should step away from each other so we’re not reminded of the trauma from the North?" Ian snapped.

I felt like my heart had stopped beating from his cold response. Even the others looked at him, then shared sneaky glances before looking back at me.

Honestly, it was the worst way he could have reacted. I wished it had never been mentioned. He could have been gentle about it, but no! He chose to be brutal, showing how desperately he was against the idea of his family meeting me.

"It’s alright, he’s right. Even I want to stay alone," I said, pointing at the small envelope in her hand. Each crusader had one, with the address of their guestrooms, kept private so nobody else could find them.

The awkward silence was almost too heavy to swallow.

"Um, I—okay, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you— guys weren’t that close. I thought you’d be happy to take her with you," Miss Rue stammered, confused.

I was low. Honestly, it really upset me this time. I didn’t know he was so against the idea, and I was ashamed he hadn’t even introduced me as his mate, let alone to his family. I forced a big smile, trying to lighten the environment.

"It’s not about us being close or not. It’s about our families. They don’t know her. In my family, they take some time before accepting someone. So it will be very awkward for both of us, and for my family too. And I don’t want that. I want to spend these days peacefully," Ian defended himself and his family.

The more he spoke, the more Miss Rue looked uncomfortable, because none of us knew how to react. He kept talking, only making things worse.

"All right, I understand. It’s okay." Miss Rue gave him a quick nod, and with a hand gesture, she let him know he didn’t need to keep going. That we understood.

"It’s okay. Which one is my envelope?" I asked, trying to sound chatty to cover the awkwardness.

Miss Rue handed me an envelope and stepped back toward the others. The leaders began to leave, and the crusaders walked back to their rooms.

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