Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession-Chapter 46: Take me back home

Tessy’s expectation was disappointed when Roman started the car, the engine purring softly, and drove out of the house. She expected him to drive like a madman just like the night before, tires screeching and heart pounding, but he drove at a normal speed like a normal human would, the road slipping smoothly beneath them.

A few times she threw him side glances, her fingers tightening imperceptibly on the seat, but forced herself not to make a comment, so that his invincible demons won’t come whispering to his ears to start speeding like a lunatic, the wind howling past them once more.

"Aren’t you going to say something about my driving?" Roman asked with a smirk, his fingers drumming lightly on the steering wheel, as if he had heard what was going on in her mind.

"You are surprisingly better than I thought." Tessy responded, having bit back on the sarcastic comment which was about to escape her lips, her voice steady despite the flicker of amusement in her eyes. She flashed him a small smile to back up her words, the expression not quite reaching the shadows in her gaze.

Although he was shocked she responded, a contented smile graced Roman’s lips, the corners lifting just enough to soften the sharp lines of his face.

They soon arrived at the house, the tires crunching over gravel, and Tessy’s brows knitted as she stepped out of the car, the cool air brushing against her skin. There was a police van out front, its lights off but the presence ominous, and some policemen outside, their postures stiff with unreadable purpose. Did something happen?

She hurried into the house, the door swinging shut behind her with a muffled thud, ignoring the people outside. Sighting her father at one corner of the sitting room, the dim light casting long shadows over his face as he spoke with a different officer, she walked toward them, her footsteps deliberate.

"I’m sorry," Tessy heard the officer say when she arrived, his voice low and heavy, and she felt fear seep into her, cold and unrelenting, seeing how her father nodded solemnly, his jaw clenched tight.

"Good morning, officer. What are you sorry about? Has my mother been found?" She threw the questions without thinking, the words tumbling out, searching the eyes of the man fearlessly as if she would get the answers from them, her pulse a frantic rhythm in her throat.

"She’s my daughter," Mr Curt introduced her when the officer shot her a confused look, his tone clipped, as though the words were dragged from him.

"Oh... I’m so sorry, Miss —"

"Mrs," Roman corrected, his voice a quiet but firm interruption as he came to stand beside Tessy, his presence a solid warmth against her side.

When the officer shifted his confused gaze once more from Roman to Mr. Curt, the man, once again, did another introduction, his lips thinning in displeasure.

"That’s my son-in-law."

Roman threw Mr Curt a side glance the moment he said that, his eyes dark with something unreadable, but kept a neutral expression, his face a mask of perfect control. If not for the severity of their current situation, he would have burst out laughing, the absurdity of it all curling in his chest. Who was he referring to as his son-in-law?

"We found your mother, Ma’am, but she was already dead when we got there." The officer revealed, his voice dropping into something gentler, and Tessy’s heart dropped, the world tilting dangerously beneath her. "She was stuck in a burning building on the outskirts of town. We found her yesterday and her body is unrecognizable. But the autopsy confirmed her identity this morning. Investigations are still ongoing as we speak. We will relay any useful information as soon as we recieve any. I’m sorry for your loss." The officer concluded the report, his words final, then excused himself, his footsteps fading into the background.

Tessy’s legs weakened instantly, her knees threatening to buckle, and she moved to rest on the nearest wall, the cool surface doing nothing to ground her as she broke down in tears, her sobs muffled against her palm.

"No! This is not happening!" She muttered, the words raw and broken, finding it hard to believe what she just heard, the reality of it slicing deep.

Roman, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. Everything the officer just reported were lies, the deception obvious to him, and although he knew who could be responsible for it, he wondered why, the puzzle pieces shifting uneasily in his thoughts.

Excusing himself, he walked out of the house, the door clicking shut behind him, back into the car and dialed a number, the dial tone sharp in the quiet.

"Rome?" Williams’ voice echoed from the other end of the phone, smooth and familiar.

"What is the meaning of this?" Roman asked, his voice dangerously calm.

"You’re speaking in parables, Rome," Williams responded, a faint chuckle in his tone.

"How come Mrs Curt is dead when she is still in my house?" Roman came out plain, the words deliberate, each one weighted.

"Oh, that..." Williams uttered, then paused for a moment, the silence stretching. "You’re not gonna free her anyway, so I only did what I could to kill the matter and put your wife’s heart at peace. We have other pressing matters to attend to. You’re welcome."

Roman remained silent for a while, before he ended the call, the screen going dark. In a way, Williams was right. This would help put the issue of Tessy’s mother behind them. But he didn’t like the fact that this broke her down so bad, the image of her tears burning in his mind.

He let out a soft sigh, the sound barely audible, and stepped out of the car, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. As his feet trudged back to the house, the gravel shifting beneath his steps, he met a scene he wasn’t expecting, the tension palpable even from a distance.

"What would you have done? Go after her and find her? You think you would have done a better job than the police?" Mr Curt’s voice boomed, his face flushed with anger as he glared at Tessy, his hands clenched at his sides.

"That is not the point. How could my mother be missing for days and you didn’t think it was right to inform me? Did you even put any effort into finding her apart from that excuse of a flyer? I already know you hate her. You don’t have to make it so obvious for the world to see." Tessy spoke bitterly, her tears pouring without restriction, her voice trembling with suppressed rage.

"Don’t you dare talk to me like that, and never ever raise your voice at me. Anyone would think you care about her when you are actually the biggest thorn in her flesh. You are the reason for all the trouble she went through. The only thing you bring with you everywhere you go is problems. Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?"

"I will talk to you anyhow I want." Tessy uttered, taking slow, steady steps toward her father, her movements deliberate, dangerous. Her face, which initially had pain and helplessness plastered on it, now turned cold and furious, despite the streak of tears trailing down her cheeks. "The days I let you bully and torture me are over." She continued walking forward, keeping her full attention on him, her gaze unflinching. "You think I’m problematic, then watch out. I’m about to show you what real problem is." Tessy took more steps, but just before she could reach the man, Roman stepped in between them, facing her, his body a barrier between the two.

"He’s not worth it, my love. Don’t waste your energy on him." Roman said, using his thumb to wipe the tears from her face, his touch gentle despite the storm in his eyes. "You’re not a problem to me. You’re the best thing that happened to me." He added, and fresh tears fell from Tessy’s eyes, staining her already dried cheeks, the words sinking deep.

Without a word, she turned around and walked out of the house, her footsteps echoing in the heavy silence.

"I don’t appreciate anyone insulting my wife or making her cry. I thought I made that clear in our last meeting, Mr Curt." Roman turned around to face the man, his voice low, lethal.

"I didn’t insult her, Mr. Gavriel. You are a witness to the way she spoke to me."

"She can speak to you however she wants. You are supposed to worship the very ground she walks on. I guess you need a little persuasion to help you understand your place." Roman declared, and without another word, he also walked out of the house, the door slamming behind him, closely followed by Mr Curt, who was pleading for a chance to explain himself, his voice desperate.

Roman walked to the car, the engine still warm, having sighted Tessy seated inside already, her silhouette framed by the window.

"Just take me back home, please." Tessy uttered just as he got in the car, her voice hollow, and Roman nodded, feeling complete satisfaction in his heart because she had said to take her home.

Silence permeated the car as they drove back to the mansion, the road stretching endlessly before them, and when they arrived, Tessy went straight to her room, ignoring everyone’s greetings, her presence a storm contained within herself.

The moment she shut her door upstairs, the sound final, all the opened doors on the other floors banged shut at the same time, without anyone touching them, the house itself seeming to shudder in response.