Chapter 141: Meeting Again
Hayley’s POV:
The moment I saw Benjamin, I froze, completely caught off guard, my mind going blank. I forgot how to ride my bike, and before I knew it, the bike veered out of control, skidding forward. “Get out of the way… move!” I shouted.
Benjamin turned just in time to see the bike barreling toward him. In an instant, he stepped forward, catching me just as we both tumbled to the ground, rolling over several times. Held securely in his arms, Hera surged with excitement, desperately wanting me to claim him. Benjamin looked down at me with a curious, searching gaze, as though he was about to say something. But ignoring Hera’s wild impulses, I quickly pushed myself away from him, stumbling back several steps. “I… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”
I deliberately turned my face away and scrambled to my feet. “I’m so sorry for crashing into you!” I apologized again, barely giving Benjamin a chance to respond before rushing to pick up my fallen bike.
“It’s fine,” Benjamin said slowly, with a calm but unreadable expression.
Not daring to linger, I pushed my bike and hurried off, though my little dog, Loki, trotted right up to Benjamin. Wagging his tail, Loki rubbed against Benjamin’s pants leg as if thanking him. Benjamin chuckled, reaching down to ruffle Loki’s fur, but the little dog promptly scampered away.
“Mr. Benjamin, are you alright?” One of the house staff hurried over.
Benjamin replied, “I’m fine. Let’s go inside.”
The staff then led Benjamin into the castle, and I stared, completely stunned. Seeing Benjamin here was already surprising enough, but now he was actually going into my castle! Could he possibly be here for me? But judging by his expression, that didn’t seem likely. I bit my lip, decided to wait and see, and quietly followed at a distance.
Inside the castle, Tara was the first to notice Benjamin. The staff introduced him to her: “Aunt Tara, this is Mr. Josh’s guest, the Alpha Mr. Benjamin.”
Tara beamed and greeted him warmly. “Oh, so you’re Mr. Benjamin! I’ve heard so much about you!”
Benjamin greeted her politely. “Hello. Is Mr. Josh here?”
Tara nodded eagerly. “Yes! Mr. Benjamin, you came all the way from Astoria, didn’t you? Please wait here while I go fetch him.”
With that, Tara instructed the staff to prepare coffee for Benjamin and went to the entryway to call Mr. Josh. Tara explained, “He’s a guest of Josh. He told me a few days ago that a friend of his would be visiting. It turns out it’s him.”
I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. To avoid any suspicion, I reminded her, “Aunt Tara, from now on, please don’t call me ‘Hayley.’ Use the name I asked you to – call me ‘Hazel.’”
Tara didn’t ask why, simply smiling as she agreed. “Alright, alright, Ms. Hazell.”
I added, “And please, could you tell the others as well? Just for the next few days, have everyone call me ‘Hazel’ instead of ‘Hayley.’”
Tara seemed a bit puzzled by my request but nodded obediently. “Of course! I’ll let everyone know right away.”
Thanking her, I let out a sigh of relief, though my initial excitement for kite-flying had vanished. The whole reason I’d come to France was to get some distance from Benjamin, but fate had other plans, bringing us face-to-face in a foreign land. I could only hope he didn’t sense anything unusual. Luckily, I hadn’t restored my natural scent since arriving in France, so his wolf shouldn’t be able to recognize me as his destined mate… right? Even so, I couldn’t help but worry. It seemed I’d have to avoid him as much as possible…
Benjamin’s POV:
Following the staff’s lead, I soon met Mr. Josh – a man with a distinctly refined air. He greeted me with a broad smile. “So, you’re the grandson of that old man from the Southwell family, the current Alpha of Midnight Pack, Benjamin, yes?”
I returned the greeting politely, my tone respectful. “Yes. I’m Benjamin, and it’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Josh.”
Mr. Josh chuckled heartily. “I’ve heard all about you from that old friend of mine! He always said he’d bring his exceptional grandson to meet me one day. So, where is he? Didn’t come along?”
I explained, “Grandpa’s health has been poor the last couple of years, and he can’t handle long flights anymore… so he sent me in his place to pay his respects.”
“Ah, that old scoundrel! I hope he’s taking care of himself. It doesn’t matter if he can’t visit me; just knowing he remembers me is enough.”
Mr. Josh led me into the living room, where we engaged in a pleasant conversation. He seemed to grow more and more appreciative as we spoke, his gaze warm with approval. “You’re a fine young man, indeed.”
“Since you’ve come all this way, Ben, why don’t you stay for dinner tonight? No need to rush off. You can head out tomorrow,” he offered, extending an invitation.
Not wanting to refuse Mr. Josh’s hospitality, I agreed. “Then I’ll be honored to accept.”
Mr. Josh immediately instructed the kitchen to prepare dinner, but a staff member interjected, “Ms. Hazel has already returned, and Aunt Tara asked us to prepare the meal in advance.”
Mr. Josh’s eyes lit up. “Hazel’s back, too? That’s wonderful!”
At the mention of the name “Hazel,” I couldn’t help but recall the woman I’d bumped into in front of the castle. Could it be the same person? When I’d been close to her, my wolf, Lawrence, had reacted in an oddly familiar way. It was the same reaction I’d felt around Hayley and that translator, Selena. Was something wrong with Lawrence? How could he be reacting to three different women in this way?
Pondering this, I realized I was genuinely looking forward to seeing that woman from earlier again. Just as I was lost in thought, Mr. Josh patted my shoulder. “Tonight, I’m going to introduce you to someone new. She’s the owner of this manor.”