Welcome to the Innocent World

I barely made it through the door before Beta pounced on me like a kitten with boundless energy. Her arms wrapped around me as she rubbed her cheek against my chest.

"Masteeerrrrrrrrrr!" she yelled, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I missed you soooo much!"

"Beta," I laughed, trying to balance myself. "I was gone for barely a day."

"Still too long!" She sniffed the air, her nose crinkling.

"You smell like…Alpha, Zeta, and—ugh—a gross-smelling guy."

I raised an eyebrow. "That nose of yours really is something."

She gave a proud nod, crossing her arms. "Of course! Wait—were you fighting?" Her face turned wounded, eyes wide. "You left me out of the fight?!"

"Beta, it wasn't planned," I said, but she was already pouting.

"How could you! I could've kicked their butts! You're sooo mean, Master!" She whined, stomping her foot dramatically.

"You were out on a mission yourself," I reminded her, patting her head. "I couldn't have waited."

"But still! I wanted to be there!" She hugged me again, sniffling loudly for added effect.

I Sigh* trying to think of something to calm her down,

*Knock* *Knock*

—Just then, a knock echoed from the door.

I froze, glancing toward the door and then at Beta. She looked at me, eyes wide, and before she could make a sound, I clamped my hand over her mouth.

"Quiet," I whispered urgently, pulling her toward the kitchen. Who could it be at this hour? It wasn't like Epsilon to bring food without a call, and I certainly wasn't expecting anyone.

I peered through the door's peephole, and my heart skipped a beat. Standing there, looking a bit hesitant but holding a small takeout bag, was Athlea.

What is she doing here? I thought she'd need more time after what happened this morning.

Beta wriggled in my grip, trying to free herself, but I kept a firm hold on her.

"Stay still," I whispered sharply. I opened the cabinet below the sink, nudging her inside.

"Stay put, Beta, and stay quiet," I whispered, hoping to appeal to her playful side. "I'll give you a reward later."

Her eyes sparkled, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Beta loves rewards—" she began loudly.@@novelbin@@

I slapped my hand over her mouth, whispering, "Shhh, Beta!" She gave me a playful wink before mouthing "Okay," finally falling silent.

Taking a deep breath, I ran back to the door, trying to compose myself, wiping a bit of sweat from my forehead. I opened it, giving what I hoped was a casual smile.

"Oh, good evening, Athlea," I greeted, heart still racing.

"Good evening, Austin," she said, smiling a little. "I…thought you might be hungry, so I brought some dinner." She held up the bag, a bit shyly.

"Oh, that's really thoughtful! Come in, come in!" I stepped back, holding the door open for her.

She glanced around as she entered, her gaze sharp. "I thought I heard…someone else's voice just now?"

I stiffened. "N-no, it's just me! You must've imagined it."

She looked at me skeptically. "Hmm. And is it just me, or does it smell a bit…cat-like in here?"

I felt my face go pale. "What? No cats here! Maybe a stray passed by outside?"

"Yeah, Right." She said and set the bag of food on the table, and I moved to set out plates, hoping to keep her focus away from the kitchen.

But then Athlea straightened up, starting for the kitchen herself. "I'll grab some plates—"

My heart leaped. I practically dove to stop her, blocking her path with a hasty,

"Ah, no! I'll get them! You're a guest, Athlea, sit down and relax!"

She let me steer her back to her seat, giving me a look that suggested she wasn't quite buying my casualness. I sprinted to the kitchen, tossing a quick look at the cabinet.

Beta, crouched under the sink, glared at me with an expression that clearly said, What's taking so long?

"Stay put!" I mouthed, and she pouted, blowing a glare at me.

I returned to the table with the plates, trying to appear as calm as possible while Athlea unpacked the food. She seemed to let go of her suspicions for the moment, and we settled in to eat, though I couldn't keep myself from glancing toward the kitchen.

Athlea noticed. "You keep looking over there." She twisted around in her seat, glancing back toward the kitchen.

I panicked, reaching across to gently turn her face back toward me, holding her cheeks.

"Athlea, there's nothing. Let's just enjoy dinner." My voice sounded calmer than I felt, and Athlea, caught off-guard, blinked up at me, her cheeks going pink.

"Uh…okay," she mumbled, reaching for her water and taking a sip to cover her embarrassment.

As we ate, I tried to focus on Athlea and on food but my attention kept drifting toward the kitchen, and sure enough, Beta peeked out from the cabinet, her ears flicking with interest as she tried to get a good look at Athlea.

My heart nearly stopped when I saw her curious gaze peeking just above the counter. Not now, Beta! I shot her a warning look, but she only grinned at me, mouthing, So, who's this?

Athlea noticed my distracted expression. "Austin, you've been acting really weird tonight."

I tried to laugh it off. "Just…distracted from the day's events." I forced myself to focus on the conversation, asking her questions to keep her attention on me, hoping Beta would stay hidden.

She began recounting a story about her husband and her when they had just started dating.

Beta was now leaning out of the cabinet with an amused smirk, mimicking my expression exaggeratedly.

"Austin?" Athlea waved her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my trance.

"Yes?" I blinked, trying to cover up my embarrassment. "Sorry, I was just…uh, thinking."

She tilted her head, frowning. "You keep looking toward the kitchen."

"Oh! No, no, it's just a habit." I rubbed my neck, trying to cover my nerves. Athlea's eyes followed mine, and before I could stop her, she started to turn her head.

Without thinking, I grabbed her shoulders, pulling her gaze back to me.

"Athlea…" I said.

"Yea?" She asked, curiously.

"Focus on me, I know it's hard on you recently." I said, keeping her attention on me. I leaned closer to make her feel the warmth. Our lips inches away.

Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, and she looked down at her plate, mumbling,

"Uh…okay…"

Just then, a faint sound came from the kitchen. I snapped my head around, and there was Beta, peeking over the counter again, making exaggerated heart eyes at me.

I closed my eyes, praying silently for patience. Athlea's voice broke the silence.

"Austin?"

"Yes?" I spun around, trying to pretend I hadn't been caught staring at the kitchen for the umpteenth time.

"Why do you look so nervous?" Her gaze narrowed as she studied my face, her suspicion clearly growing. "You keep glancing over there, like you're expecting someone to jump out."

I forced a laugh, waving my hand. "No, no, no one's going to jump out. It's just…been a long day."

"Uh-huh." She didn't look convinced, but she resumed eating, letting the topic drop.

I let out a breath, hoping this strange night would come to an end soon. With Athlea beside me and Beta hiding barely a few feet away, I couldn't help but wonder...

~When will this chaotic night end?