Alpha s Mismatched Mate

"Is everything packed?" a man in his forties still carrying the aura of youth exuberantly, dressed in his checked-trousers and a loose t-shirt came hurriedly and inquired his daughter.

"Umm..aa.. yes, almost everything is done. Just some of my books are left. Take these cartoons until I pack them " busied in picking out her wordy collections of books she pointed towards some packed cartoons and ignored any kind of eye interaction with her father.

She didn't want her dad to be worried over her being emotional. She tried hard but the instinct to cry right now was overpowering her determination to resist it.

Nothing in life is permanent, a time always comes when we must give sacrifices, close one chap that might intrigue us the most and begin a new one, experience the ups and downs it holds for us and cherish the exclusivity it offers and keep going like this. After all, this is what life is.

Life there in the wood of Rhode Island was different than it's going to be in the city. She couldn’t remember the time she moved into this place or maybe her parents moved to the woods before her birth. She couldn’t say anything about it because either way, she was not mentally mature enough to remember it.

She had a very unusual life, but it was all usual for her because she had not experienced the kind of normal life other people live outside of those woods. She was the reserved kind of girl who prefers staying at her home rather than going out or playing with other kids of her age.

Though she on some rare occasions went outside to play games like ‘The Masquerade -Bloodline’ with kids of her age. The name sounds like a game of adults but in her area, kids used to play these games with some childish rules to sharpen their skills and some physical tools. (winks you will know it)

Despite having no educational facilities in her area apart from those games and some other activities which were merely meant to prepare those kids for a life in the woods. She was always fond of reading and writing. Her father used to bring books for her about worldly knowledge and not the typical kind of books some people in her surroundings liked to invest their time in to enhance their knowledge of advanced sorcery.

She dreamt for years. Shifting to a big state, getting an education from a renowned college, and obtaining a job to support his father and herself. Provide him the lifestyle she wanted for him because he never dreamt anything for himself, she knew that.

All his dreams and plans revolve around her. From the day she came into their lives. He struggled hard to give the kind of lifestyle they both deserve Ella and his wife.

Till the day his wife died, and after that, his world revolves around Ella and only Ella. He never wished anything for himself. That is the reason when she expressed her desire to shift for the sake of her studies. He did not give it a second thought and agreed.

Obviously moving to a new place to get her higher education costs her a lot more than she had initially imagined. Wasn't it what she wanted?

Her father despite his low income, saved money for years to be able to pay her college fees. A whirlpool of mixed emotions caused a Tsunami in her stomach, she wanted to cry aloud, hug every inch of her house, but she cannot let it all out right now as she’s aware of her father's emotional state as well.

It's hundredth times harder for him to do it than her. Going against the community that accepted him when he had nothing; neither a roof on his head nor a penny in his pocket to survive. Though the loveliest and most heart-warming people of Rhode woods welcomed him on their secret territories with their doors and hearts wide open. He made his own little hut with the cut-off tulip branches and greasy mud. Those woods had become his everything, the sky on his head while he’s asleep after the day’s long hectic work and his source of income. He used to cut woods and sell them in the city to earn pennies for him.

One fine evening of winter, he was returning home after selling the woods in the town when his stars collided with the ones he had never dreamt of. She was wearing a pastel, purple-colored overcoat opened from the front revealing the light green midi dress she had on. Her squinted eyes were moving constantly with tiny scorns changing expressions on her forehead proved that she was indeed looking for something she might have lost.

Bewildered by her enchanting beauty and the gleaming beauty bone peering out by the slipped-off overcoat from her shoulder. He changed his path unconsciously and moved towards her.

“May I help you? You seem worried. Have you lost something? What is it?”

With an organ thumping like wild horses within his chest, he showered his unswerving questions on her.

Lost in her own process of findings she jolted on this interruption as she had just witnessed a lion in the woods. She turned around and the previous expressions of searching flew away leaving her face shocked, and ashen.

“Oh my gosh.” She blew from her mouth these words while confronting a man in front of her now, instead of any lion.

“You took my breaths for some time,” she said shuddering off the jerks of shock she got moments ago.

“What? Am I just that handsome? He said as a mischievous smile brewed on his face.

Eh, I didn’t mean that.” She said in an annoying expression.

“Ok. Ok.” He raised his hands in the way of surrendering, “BTW what is it? You are looking for?” he asked her in a more serious tone now.

“Amm… I lost my earing over here.” She replied while biting on her lower and eyes pointing towards the location.

“Oh, there. Ok lemme have a look.” He proceeded towards the spot she pointed earlier and started searching for it.

“May I ask you something?” A befuddled voice came back from the weeds he had been groping in for the lost earring.

“I give you the permission.” She said uninterestingly.

“What do they call you by?” he asked

she squinted her eyes again but not in search of something this time. She was startled at his question and pondered for some minutes whether she should trust this man enough to tell her name. Is he worthy enough? It took her a complete 5 minutes to make her mind and come to the conclusion.

“Abigail.” She took her name while looking around to check there’s nobody around them.

“A father’s joy. What pretty name just like you.”