Chapter 61: Binding Contract

I woke up with my body a bit sore. Hindi ko gustong gumalaw mula sa higaan. I dug my face against the soft sheets with the rays of the sun streaming from the window down to the king size bed, wondering what time is it.

I extended my hand to the other side of the bed, searching for him. But the other side was empty. Tuluyan kong binuksan ang aking mga mata. I sat up realizing I was alone on the bed. Where is Zackary?

I was about to leave the bed when I felt something strange against my skin. My eyes widen discovering I was wearing Zackary's shirt and  only the thick duvet was covering my bare lower body.

Red tinted my cheeks as I immediately roamed my eyes to the floor searching for my clothes. I reached for them neatly folded at the edge of the bed.

Nang makapagbihis ako nang maayos, lumabas ako sa kwarto. The entire place remained unfamiliar to me. A mansion for Zackary to live in... a place where he asked me to stay with him.

As I descended the gigantic staircase, I could hear someone moving in the lower floor. It must have been Zackary. He normally wakes up early. After all, we didn't intent to stay the entire night in the mansion. But the heavy rain had no plans of stopping yesterday and we were bound to stay in the room the entire night.

From the staircase, I couldn't help but marvel at the interior of the mansion washed in daylight. The the glass window reaching the high ceilings and the rays of the sun settling down on the wooden floor. Crystal drops of the chandelier glistening on midday, with the crisp smell of outdoor reaching the living room from the open doors of the patio. This early morning view was breathtaking to look at.

Once I reached the floor level, I turned to the direction of the kitchen where the savory smell was coming from. Sumilip ako mula sa pintuan kung saan nakita ko si Zackary. He was cooking something in the  newly renovated kitchen adorned with black granite and white cabinets and shelving.

"Good morning," bati niya nang mapansin ako sa doorway.

I smiled and mumbled the same words before walking to the island counter where the plates were being prepared. A dish of pasta and  grilled meat.

"Where did you get all these?" I asked him, taking a seat on the stool facing the counter.

"I woke up early and bought some ingredients in downtown."

I watched Zackary facing the burner, busily cooking the meat on the  olive oil covered pan, wearing nothing but pants because I had his shirt since last night. He clicked the burner off and meticulously placed the food on the prepared plates.

"Do you want my help?" I asked him.

He faced me after wiping his hands on a dish towel hanging on the counter. "No need. I know you're still sore." His statement was followed by a playful smile.

I blinked, feeling my cheeks heating up again. "Zack..."

He chuckled and stood behind me from the stool, hugging me from behind. He placed a kiss on top of my head before whispering, "Let's have lunch."

Instead of heading to the formal dining room, we decided to have meal  in the wide Victorian style kitchen with the plate of food neatly laid on the black granite counter.

"How are you feeling? Do you feel okay?" Zackary asked, sitting on a stool opposite mine.

I nodded, refusing to admit that I felt a bit sore from last night. "How about you?"

A rare smirk crossed his lips. "It was amazing, Eleanor. You were amazing."

I bit my lower lip in embarrassment, causing him to chuckle bago kami nagsimulang kumain.

It was already noon when we left the mansion. According to Zackary, there were caretakers who look after the property habang wala pang nakatira dito.

"Are you planning to move in soon?" I asked Zackary on the driver's seat.

"With you?"

Mula akong natulala sa kanyang sagot. He's been teasing me nonstop since morning. But this time, his voice was lower and his face more resolute.

"I'm serious, Eleanor," he told me. "Once you're comfortable with the idea, I want you to move in with me and..." He took a deep breath  before stating the next words. "Consider marriage."

Air was suddenly knocked out of me. From the passenger's seat, I faced Zackary. "But... it's..." I couldn't come up with the words jumbling inside my head.

Ngumiti siya nang makita ang naguguluhan kong mukha. "It's okay, Eleanor. It doesn't have to be soon. I can wait for you." Napatitig ako  kay Zackary.

"We don't have to rush things because you're the only decision in my  life I'm so sure of." His gaze remained on the road ahead. "I hope you feel the same way, Eleanor, because I can no longer let you go."

Zackary drove me back to the apothecary. He gave me a light kiss on  the lips before heading back to his car parked at the driveway. I  watched him drove away with my hand placed on my beating heart, thinking about his words.

The staff were having lunch at the dining hall. I tried to head back to  my room in silence. When I finally reached my room, I was about to  open the door when Anabeth startled me.

"Aha!" she exclaimed as if catching a burglar.

I turned my heels around facing her. Anabeth was standing by the open doorway of her room, hands folded over his chest with an 'I got you'  look on her face.

"Someone had an overnight..." she said in a sing-song voice.

"It was just... raining..." I tried to explain, but knowing Anabeth, she would never believe such lame excuse.

Nakangiti siya nang unti-unting humakbang palapit sa'kin.

"Is there something wrong?" tanong ko nang pagmasdan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa.

"I'm not sure," she said in a voice that was genuinely confused. "There's something different about you somehow." Humakbang siya paikot  sa'kin.

I couldn't help but feel relieve when she couldn't point it out. She eventually changed the subject. "You wanna come with me tomorrow? I'm gonna buy a new dress."

"Para saan?" tanong ko.

Kumunot ang kanyang noo. "Do we have to have a reason to treat ourselves?"

My answer to her question would be yes, because I only buy something new if I badly needed it. But before I could say it, isang bagay ang napansin ni Anabeth.

"Looks like you need a new one, too."

Nagtaka ako sa kanyang sinabi. She stared pointedly at the neckline of my dress slipping so slightly because of the missing buttons from the back when Zackary removed it yesterday.

Anabeth raised an eyebrow, smiling. Before she could put two and two together, I ended up saying yes to her invitation to accompany her tomorrow just so I could avoid her teasing.

--

Anabeth ended up being right. I needed new clothes to look more put together. Ito ang sinabi ni Ms. Venise nang madatnan namin siya sa kanyang shop kinabukasan.

"You must look the part of being the alpha's mate," she said while browsing through the aisles of gorgeous dresses hanging neatly in her shop with a hand on her rounded tummy.

It was almost rare seeing Ms. Venise in the shop since getting pregnant because Sir Sebastian, his husband, was determined not to let her  handle heavy work. Ito din ang komento ni Anabeth habang pareho naming pinagmamasdan si Ms. Venise.

"I got bored inside the house," was Ms. Venise's answer to us. "Specially with Vincent busy creating chaos in kindergarten." Anabeth and I  giggled, imagining her statement.

We helped Ms. Venise pulled out several dresses in lace, floral, subtle neutral colors, and laid them neatly on the pink velvet couch. "These kinds of colors fit you, Eleanor," she told me. "They're all calming to look at."

Even Anabeth agreed with it, even though she's more of a radiant  colors type of person who already had her eyes fixed on a certain purple sundress the moment we stepped in the shop.

"You're so much like Laura during her first years with Zander," Ms. Venise commented while checking her choices of dress for me. "You both didn't realize the position you hold."

Humarap sa'kin si Ms. Venise. "Eleanor, you're the woman the alpha  had chosen to be with him. You're not only the alpha's mate, you're a future leader of Van Zanth as well."

I was aware of it... of the title and responsibilities I might hold. That's  why I couldn't properly answer Zackary no matter how much I've  wanted those words to hear from him because I wanted to make sure I could do it.

"I'm trying to be better," I mumbled.

"I know you are," offered Ms. Venise, rubbing her tummy. "It's not an easy process to go through. Laura took years before she grasped the entirety of her position. I believe you have the same power to defy the odds that come your way."

Tahimik akong sumagot sa kanyang sinabi. I will do everything to be with him.

While checking the fit of the dresses, Sir Sebastian came into the shop  to pick up Ms. Venise for the two of them to head home. Ms. Venise ended up insisting to stay to help us choose among the dresses, but Anabeth and I told her we were totally okay on our own.

"I will make sure she'll choose the best dresses," Anabeth assured Ms. Venise.

"Not just choose, make sure she'll take them home," reminded Ms. Venise while gently being dragged by Sir Sebastian to the shop's doorway.

"Yes, we will."

Sir Sebastian gave us a mini thumbs up while he and his wife headed  out of the shop. Anabeth slumped back on the pink couch with a heavy breath.

"I didn't know a workaholic wife and a protective husband would be  this hard to deal with," she sighed. Saka siya bumungisngis bago bumaling sa'kin. "I wonder what it's like when it'll be you and the alpha's turn."

What will it be like? Will I get the chance to know?

I ended up buying three dresses because Anabeth insisted that I needed  all three. On our way out, a familiar person approached the shop which made both Anabeth and I stop in our tracks. We stared at each other at  the doorway.

Rebecca.

I haven't seen her in town since the incident that happened in the  villages months ago. I didn't know what to say to her and only managed to smile. She nodded to acknowledge our presence before heading  inside the shop. But before we completely left, I heard my name from  her.

"Eleanor, can I talk to you?"

Anabeth waited inside the shop to let Rebecca and I have time to talk.  After heading to a nearby park just across the shop, we sat on a wooden bench under the thick foliage of several evergreen tree.

"I've heard about the recent events in town," Rebecca started. We were both sitting on the opposite sides of the bench while facing the  downtown street where people were strolling in a pleasant afternoon  and clouds hang low in the horizon.

"It looks like Zackary finally found his match. He finally recognized  you as his mate... a decision I never expected for him to make. But I guess, people do change."

Silence swept us as we both stared at the downtown street.

"Eleanor?" I finally mustered the courage to face her. "To be honest  with you, I have no qualms with who Zackary ends up with. What we  had was more of a business agreement than emotional attachment." Rebecca leaned on the bench and titled her head up at the sky. "But I can't help but worry," she added. "Specially I'm aware of how the council works."

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"My grandfather..." she stated. "You've met him. I know you didn't  have a good impression on him. But he really cares for Van Zanth. He's one of the pillars protecting Van Zanth from the council who has the objective to acquire the town in any possible way. And I heard their intention only deepen because of Zackary's act in a certain social gathering."

Social gathering? Did she meant the party at Ms. Ivette's mansion  where Zackary lost control?

"I just heard these things from my grandfather. He's been worrying  since the incident because the council member Zackary run into is the type of person even my grandfather don't want to associate himself  with."

Rebecca faced me, and this time worry was etched on her face. "You should be aware of it... that things aren't settled yet. It's the complete opposite. There are people who are determined to destroy Zackary and the easiest outlet to do it..." She held her breath. "It's through you, Eleanor."

I had no words to say. The conversation headed to the direction I least expected, with the things I never would have thought to hear from someone like Rebecca.

Rebecca stood up as though the conversation just ended. "I've been meaning to talk to you and say these things... to warn you because  you're now the person beside the alpha. The truth is, being in that position is less about prestige and glory and more about danger, risks,  and heartache."

"Why are you telling me these?" I asked, remaining on the bench.

Bumalik ang tingin niya sa'kin kasabay ng isang maliit na ngiti. "Because you saved my life once. I'm hoping I can even it out."

We walked back to the shop after our conversation. Rebecca went back inside while Anabeth approached me at the doorway asking if I was  ready to go back to the apothecary. While leaving the downtown, Rebecca's words rung in my ears.

The easiest outlet... is through you.

I never thought those certain words could make me feel a familiar fear.

--

A few days later, a staff of the apothecary handed a letter addressed to  my name. My full name. Eleanor Eldridge. The staff told me it's been  in the mailbox for days.

I never had letters sent to me, especially with my full name on it, that's why I rarely bother checking my name from the letters and packages delivered to the apothecary.

The envelope handed to me was a plain cream rectangular envelope. I tore the seal and unfolded the official looking paper inside-- a paper with my full name and thumb mark from years ago. It was a copy of the binding contract stating that for my entire life I'm bound to serve a  single person.

Morelia Daville.

***